Best Retro Titanium Frame?

[neebsta]

Having seen Jez's Rocky Mountain Ti-Bolt in 'Readers Bikes' I am tempted to hunt one down.

Other than a Fat Titanium frame, what other Ti frames from the '90s should be considered?

What sort of price would I be looking at?

Don't be shy now! :roll:

Ta

 

[neilll]

Merlin......end of story

Make sure it is a Rob Vandermark one though.

 

[Void(EN12-82)]

Yep, defo a Merlin... although I like the old Dean frames too (but weren't they "Merlin-made" too?).

 

[scant]

Yep, defo a Merlin... although I like the old Dean frames too (but weren't they "Merlin-made" too?).

nope, sandvik I believe ... & yeh deffo merlin again

 

[Void(EN12-82)]

nope, sandvik I believe ... & yeh deffo merlin again

Was it Litespeed that was built at Merlin then?? Or did they buy Litespeed? Really confused now, seem to remember having read that somewhere... but also the JT signature Raleigh and the Lemond Ti were made there right?

BTW: What was Merlin actually? Was it a bicycle builder or were they some large metal industrial company?? Since it always says "Merlin Metalworks" on the old Merlin bikes, sounds like a large metal factory to me that happens to spin off a bike designer and builder sub-company?

Not meant degrading to Merlin, since they're ace when it comes to Ti (would either have a Merlin or a GT Xizang for my own collection, if any).

Void

 

[scant]

nope, sandvik I believe ... & yeh deffo merlin again

Was it Litespeed that was built at Merlin then?? Or did they buy Litespeed? Really confused now, seem to remember having read that somewhere... but also the JT signature Raleigh and the Lemond Ti were made there right?

BTW: What was Merlin actually? Was it a bicycle builder or were they some large metal industrial company?? Since it always says "Merlin Metalworks" on the old Merlin bikes, sounds like a large metal factory to me that happens to spin off a bike designer and builder sub-company?

Not meant degrading to Merlin, since they're ace when it comes to Ti (would either have a Merlin or a GT Xizang for my own collection, if any).

Void

a lot of questions there!
the first 5 raleigh tomacs, actually built for Tomac were built by merlin. the later 60 replicas (which tomac also later rode) were built by litespeed. the lemond ti was also built by litespeed & shared very similiar back end to the litespeed built tomac replica

merlin was always a bike company, generally considered as 1 of the pioneers of mtb titanium & deffo some of the most understated class ever. ashok & carsten have some gorgeous examples

 

[neilll]

Was it Litespeed that was built at Merlin then?? Or did they buy Litespeed? Really confused now, seem to remember having read that somewhere...
Void

Saucony bought Merlin then sold them to Litespeed, now Litespeed still sell bikes under the Merlin name but quality is nowhere near as good (Litespeed were always a cheaper/thinner Ti bike anyway).

Rob Vandermark left and formed Seven Cycles.

 

[legrandefromage]

http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9786

what we think we know is never actually what is really known....

 

[scant]

http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9786

what we think we know is never actually what is really known....

nar, seen that thread obviously. i still wouldnt consider them 1 of the pioneers of mtb ti.

& agree with above, litespeed & merlin kinda went DH after saucony & ABG

 

[billinjah]

merlins are superb dont think my fat is any better they are all perfection!