Is this an XLM or a Mountain (Merlin Content)

[Simon]

I won this on eBay over the weekend - $280 for the bike and $50 shipping seemed a pretty good price. I suspected it was a Mountain (I don't think they made XLMs that long ago) and at the money I don't mind, but can someone confirm for sure:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290101738024

 

[gump]

Good buy Si, nice one. Not sure what it is, but like you say at that price, doesn't matter too much.

 

[Merlin Boy]

I won this on eBay over the weekend - $280 for the bike and $50 shipping seemed a pretty good price. I suspected it was a Mountain (I don't think they made XLMs that long ago) and at the money I don't mind, but can someone confirm for sure:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290101738024

You have got yourself a nice deal!

I am pretty sure that it is a Merlin Mountain with XLM decals on it.
The bottom bracket and the 27mm seatpost sise are old, and as far as i know where never used on de XLM.

What parts are you going to use on that frame?

 

[Simon]

What parts are you going to use on that frame?

Well I don't really need a new project.... It'll probably go up in my parent's loft for a while (married with my own place and I still store stuff at my parents ) but when it does it'll either be done as a really lightweight semi-retro singlespeed, or something that's yet to be decided based on what cheap retro parts I can rustle up. If I find a nice bike with full M900 at a good price that might be the route I choose...

 

[Augustus]

Simon, nice buy. Bargain whatever as Gump says.

Well that's obviously a Massachusetts Merlin (pre 2002) but with 2003 Extralight decals.

I'd say it may be an XLM though. Not absolutely sure. I'd ask Merlin. Give them a buzz in the states with the frame number and they'll tell you for sure.

 

[Carsten]

that's not an XLM. the XLM came out in 1995 i think. it looks like this has the press-fit grease guard bb which they dropped in 1992 i think. should be a 1992 model, one of the first with the s-bend stays and really retro

the XLM would have a top pull front der with the cables routed along the top tube and a cable stop at the top of the . also i am not sure if the XLM came withe the 1" head tube at all?

seat post should be 27.2mm btw...

Carsten

 

[Simon]

Well, it arrived today (really impressed with the shipping. I know the dollar is taking a hammering but £25 to get it from there to here in under a week is cheap).

It's really lovely - the brushed titanium finish hides all the little battle scars so it looks really good from more than a foot away. It weighs 4lbs on the nose including the bottom bracket (in a 21" size) so it's not exactly a porker.

I've still no idea what I'm going to do with it - watch this space

 

[novekili]

Fully rigid race machine!!! :twisted:

 

[newsboy]

yepp, rigid and fully xt or xtr...

at least one xlm got a 1" headtube...

http://kalimotxo.com/mtb/merlin_xlm_001.html

ashok