Old Merlin

gerryattrick

Retrobike Rider
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I picked this bike up at a car boot sale for £10 - as you can see it has been ridden hard. Really just wanted the gears, brakes & levers for another bike but when I cleaned the muck off it it looked like quite a good solid frame - aluminium with no real damage other than the paint shot to bits. Now I'm thinking of it for a possible spare bike for building next winter with other bits and pieces I've got.
I don't know much about the British Merlin bikes so any help would be great. Are they any good, is it worth the effort and does anyone have any idea of the model and year (if the gears and levers are original - a very big IF given the state of the bike- it looks to be around 94/95)
 

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Looks nice in that colour.

I'd advise losing those RSTs ASAP though. I weighed 10 stone when I mistimed a jump about 4 foot high at top and had a pair snap on me back in the day.

I reckon with a pair of project 2s it'll make a tidy and light bike.
 
I wish I had bought it for a tenner !!!
I reckon it's well worth sorting out, if you look at Merlin cycles in Lancashire they're still selling Merlin Malts which I reckon yours is.
They have always had good reviews in the mtb press.
If you want to double your money I'll give you £20 for it. :)
Not sure what year it is you if you contact them they will probably let you know.
 
Thanks for the replies. I've e-mailed Merlin to ask for any info on the frame number (AT6C3632). I've completely stripped it now and with a coat of paint and new bottom bracket I should get a lot of use out of it, might even get it done by the summer. The wheels are crap, but are true and run smoothly now I've put new bearings in. Replacement for the RST forks will have to wait until I sell one of my other bikes, but they work OK for now. It's never going to be BOTM but it's a great buzz riding something you've rescued from the scrapheap. :LOL:
 
I doubt they'll have any serial number info (although I'd like to be proved wrong :D ) - they knocked them out by the hundreds. They're not rare. As I said before though pretty good solid frames (I had one in 1995).
 
Great score - especially at that money. They build into pretty light bikes and ride nicely.

If you fancied a single speed, put some rigid forks on and that would be a little whippet.

What colour are you going for? I had one knocking about in dark blue for a while, looked great!
 
Thinking I might keep the same or as near as the same colour. That way with a bit of masking tape I can probably keep the decals, and minimise the need for complete paint stripping. It's probably going to get bashed a bit anyway, and left parked in town, so no need for anything fancy. Single speed is a good possibility for around town.
 
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