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Sadoff Lobster..
- Thread starter Sithlord
- Start date
lobster
.....both seller and ctk correct, these frames were certainly made before paul sold the use of name to merlin mail order cycles, he was having far east frames made carefully for him, and under his strict guidence and quaility control, they were first made, for the U.S market, a little like what jeff at first flyte bikes is in the process of doing with mountain goat....!!!!
They then got picked up, by the guys from the small importer here in the uk. N.T.I, they came in blue and green, i used to retail them, in my shop days, and even had them custom painted for the cross country team, for two seasons, very well made frames, bloody good quality control, and a typically well made bontrager design influence, (hardly surprising considering his time spent building for bontrager, hence why it was a great affordable frame for use, as a small band of team riders).
Then this progressed to an almost constant uk "sold out" supply issue, basically these early frames were always in demand.....great price and good quailty.....i suppose value for money, just ticked all the boxes, for a lot of riders, who couldnt quite stretch to a bontrager, ( even though at this time, bonty was cuming under trek rule, kieth was still making runout models but these were getting harder to come by, if memory serves me right brixton cycles bought a lot....they all rode them and sold them). Then the guys at merlin mailorder, picked up on it, and next thing we all knew merlin had the rights to the uk, and then got involved, and within what seemed like five minutes, there was an entire range made in the far east and an aluminium model too....!!!! for me the brand died over nite, i used to see the merlin mailorder versons in similar ads to that of the chinese crap like handsum dog(shocking).
So although not made by paul himself, through his strict quality control, specs and guidence it was a top build for the price......i suspect the deal was just too sweet for him not to sell the rights to use his name, once he realised he could earn a good buck, as the demand at this time was so high....!!!!!
hope this info helps...
.....both seller and ctk correct, these frames were certainly made before paul sold the use of name to merlin mail order cycles, he was having far east frames made carefully for him, and under his strict guidence and quaility control, they were first made, for the U.S market, a little like what jeff at first flyte bikes is in the process of doing with mountain goat....!!!!
They then got picked up, by the guys from the small importer here in the uk. N.T.I, they came in blue and green, i used to retail them, in my shop days, and even had them custom painted for the cross country team, for two seasons, very well made frames, bloody good quality control, and a typically well made bontrager design influence, (hardly surprising considering his time spent building for bontrager, hence why it was a great affordable frame for use, as a small band of team riders).
Then this progressed to an almost constant uk "sold out" supply issue, basically these early frames were always in demand.....great price and good quailty.....i suppose value for money, just ticked all the boxes, for a lot of riders, who couldnt quite stretch to a bontrager, ( even though at this time, bonty was cuming under trek rule, kieth was still making runout models but these were getting harder to come by, if memory serves me right brixton cycles bought a lot....they all rode them and sold them). Then the guys at merlin mailorder, picked up on it, and next thing we all knew merlin had the rights to the uk, and then got involved, and within what seemed like five minutes, there was an entire range made in the far east and an aluminium model too....!!!! for me the brand died over nite, i used to see the merlin mailorder versons in similar ads to that of the chinese crap like handsum dog(shocking).
So although not made by paul himself, through his strict quality control, specs and guidence it was a top build for the price......i suspect the deal was just too sweet for him not to sell the rights to use his name, once he realised he could earn a good buck, as the demand at this time was so high....!!!!!
hope this info helps...
