Mercian cycles call it a day .

[bikeworkshop]

Paul at Ellis Briggs has some thoughts

We sell quite a lot of steel bikes.
People like quality steel frames with disc brakes, wider tyres, relaxed geometry, shimano stis.

They aren't interested in internal routing, and often indifferent to through axles - although that depends on how much "research" they've done in the Internet.

They do care about price - and hand brazing a lugged frame in the UK is probably twice to 4 times the price of a Far East tig welded frame of the same weight and tube quality.

If we want 1st world wages, we'll get most of our stuff made abroad.

There's room for specialists, but not mass production and the UK builders have to adapt to survive.

 

[bikeworkshop]

I don't think there will be a big raise in the sales of second hand frames . If they aren't selling already at fair prices.
The retro market is dying a slow death .

The glut of new bikes and current consumerist style of "a new bike every couple of years" is likely to keep the second hand market depressed, but vintage bikes were always cheap.

I paid £2000 for a rideable penny farthing in the 90s, currently worth... about £2000!
This could have cost a working person a years wages when new!

The only collectable cycle items that have really performed are enamel signs.

 

[bagpuss]

The last three new frames I have purchased have all been made in the far East.
One steel and two titanium.

Quality and price was hard to beat.

 

[LondonClassic]

All City made steel frames mass produced at the most advanced steel bike building facility in the world (in Taiwan) and catered for discs, thru axles etc - and charged almost Mercian money - and still went under. So I don't buy the idea that everything framebuilding is tickety boo in the far east.

 

[paton]

The Mercian experience

Mercian Cycles, Artisans of Long Standing - Brooks England Journal

Bespoke British frame builders don’t come more famous than Mercian. The iconic Derbyshire frame builders have been a constant in the market since 1946 and in that time have built countless bikes loved the world over.

journal.brooksengland.com

 

[bikeworkshop]

All city didn't go under, but was wrapped up by the parent company iirc
... who also coincidentally owned other brands - so they were scaling back the diversity of their brands, I imagine the experts told them they wouldn't lose custom overall.

Its a common occurrence in other fields too - a growing manufacturer has some success, offers shares to increase capacity, loses control to a big outfit, and then ends up as a catalogue model, a badge or nothing at all unless they are the lucky one.

 

[Tommy27]

Horrible news, love my Mercian Track/ Path. Best steel frame I've ever owned, though I've never had anything custom built.

Went to visit them while in holiday in the area a few years back. Shop had gone by then and they were on an industrial estate, though by the looks of it they had had the building a long time. Youngest member of staff was 50s.

Someone I worked with as a Bike Messenger worked there for a while and said it was a great experience, learnt so much. He went there as a trained welder from Brompton, but basically apprenticed from the beginning again. He eventually moved back to Canada if I remember right?

I'm not keen on the new Bob Jackson stuff, but at least it's still made in Yorkshire to the highest standards and I guess if someone could keep them in Derbyshire and still produce some classics it'd be good, if not the same.

 

[LondonClassic]

All city didn't go under, but was wrapped up by the parent company iirc
... who also coincidentally owned other brands - so they were scaling back the diversity of their brands, I imagine the experts told them they wouldn't lose custom overall.

Its a common occurrence in other fields too - a growing manufacturer has some success, offers shares to increase capacity, loses control to a big outfit, and then ends up as a catalogue model, a badge or nothing at all unless they are the lucky one.

A turn of phrase. Sure, same parent company as Salsa and Surly etc but if they'd make a decent go of selling £1500 Taiwanese built framesets with moden acoutrements they wouldn't be putting it to bed. I have no idea on the factory gates pricing on such a frame but it seems the profit differential between western and Taiwanese building can't be big enough, else they would have kept going.

 

[bagpuss]

Mean while.....

https://flic.kr/p/2hzJcvZ

https://flic.kr/p/2gJC7Ri

https://flic.kr/p/oogMTy

 

[3wheeler7]

Sad news indeed about Mercian.
My one and only Mercian, bought it in hardly used but badly stored condition with the sole intention of recommisioning it. Spent next to nothing on it except for a couple of rolls of bar tape and cables - everything else was first class under the cobwebs and grease.
Sold it a couple of years ago for £350.

New pick up, Mercian Olympic 1982

Picked this up at the weekend - and so the work begins!

www.retrobike.co.uk