Anybody used Mercian?

[ratch]

Hi all,
Looking to get a cable guide fitted,along with a shiny new paint job on a kona frame and was wondering if any of you had used
Mercian cycles in Derby?

Thanks

 

[Caramba Kid]

Yes, they've repaired & re-sprayed an old 531 road frame for me (now sold) and currently re-spraying my Pace RC30 fork legs.
Not the fastest turn around but quality finish

They also have a top wheel builder - had 2 mtb wheelsets built for me over the years & never needed trueing despite me being a fat b*stard clydesdale

Hope this helps

Dave

 

[CTK]

My paintjob seemed to chip really easily at first...not so much now which is weird. (maybe it just seems that way though)

They put the wrong stickers on my fork legs- A Reynolds R instead of the 653 stickers as requested.

I wasnt happy- but TBH they did do a good job of making the frame look like new.

 

[DM]

I *tried* to use Mercian... :roll:

I bought some track ends from Paul's Components & wanted them fitted to a steel Kona.

After a lengthy and detalied phone discussion, I took the train down to Derby on the agreed day and then walked the couple of miles from to the Mercian shop, carrying my frame.

* First, they shook their heads, called the guys from the workshop and stood around, shaking their heads and looked totally bemused by why I would want to alter the dropouts;

* Then grumbled that the frame was TIG welded, and the new dropouts would need to be brazed on instead (which was totally fine by me);

* Then, when I STILL wanted them to do the job, they said they were too busy and were only accepting repairs on MERCIAN frames for the next 3 months.

Luckily for me, I found a local guy who builds fillet-brazed fixie timetrial frames in his spare time.

He totally understood what I wanted to achieve and did a beautiful, almost invisible brazing job for £40.

Mercian are an example of traditional Bristish customer service at its worst.

They might be good at what they know (lugged steel tourers in a single shade of 70s metallic), but don't go in there confusing them with weird requests.

 

[Anthony]

On the face of it, you might think that a firm that offered a custom-built mtb such as this would be reasonably open to all comers
http://www.merciancycles.com/frame_canyon.asp

But I had an experience similar to DM. I asked them to quote for a modification to a Kona, and they replied saying that they couldn't do it as the Kona was TIG-welded and they worked only in fillet-brazing. I knew perfectly well that they only did brazing, so I hadn't bothered to mention that that was what I expected, but anyway I then said that I was very happy for the mod to be fillet brazed, but they didn't reply. So far as I'm aware there's no reason whatsoever why a TIG-welded frame shouldn't have a brazed repair, so I thought it was a bit weird. From their manner, anyone would think I was asking them to expose themselves to getting a nasty rash by touching something unclean.

 

[ratch]

Not the best to deal with then, i'll have to keep looking then. :cry:

Trying to find someone local ish to avoid postage :roll:

 

[CTK]

When I was in Mercians they had an 853 mtb in the window- in baby blue I think- looked the absolute business (£850 frame only)

They also had a Fat Chance with a seat tube missing behind the counter... somebodies on here I think?

 

[one-eyed_jim]

In Mercian's defence, theyre a small company with a very full order book. A friend of mine had to wait 10 months for his new custom track frame. It's not unreasonable for them to turn away repairs to third party frames if they're working flat out to meet the orders they have.

 

[DM]

In Mercian's defence, theyre a small company with a very full order book. A friend of mine had to wait 10 months for his new custom track frame. It's not unreasonable for them to turn away repairs to third party frames if they're working flat out to meet the orders they have.

Yeah, fine.
But they should be up-front about how busy they are.

And not cause potential customers to waste time and money travelling to their shop (as agreed), only to then be fobbed off with head-shaking and nonsensical excuses about "brazing Versus TIG".

I think it was the way they seemed to turn up their noses at my Kona that most annoyed me. :twisted:

 

[one-eyed_jim]

Yeah, fine.
But they should be up-front about how busy they are.

I agree. Was the person you spoke to on the 'phone the same person you dealt with when you showed up? Not that that's an excuse necessarily, but crossed wires can happen.

And not cause potential customers to waste time and money travelling to their shop (as agreed), only to then be fobbed off with head-shaking and nonsensical excuses about "brazing Versus TIG".

Again, I agree. Did you put that to them?

Got any pictures of your Kona? Sounds like my kind of bike.