New Merlin is out and Fully Carbon
08-14-14, 12:36 PM
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New Merlin is out and Fully Carbon
The new merlin is now a wonderful looking hand made in Italy by Sarto carbon beast.
While lovley and top o the line for sure I am also sad because it somehow now lost it's uniqueness. Is it me or does a hand made bike to be truly special need to be made out of metal?
Just asking.
While lovley and top o the line for sure I am also sad because it somehow now lost it's uniqueness. Is it me or does a hand made bike to be truly special need to be made out of metal?
Just asking.
08-14-14, 12:59 PM
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I have always loved the Merlin brand; I still own two from the late 90's. That said, there's nothing about a carbon offering that says "Merlin" to me. You're not the only one that thinks they should be metal.
08-14-14, 04:27 PM
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08-14-14, 05:12 PM
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the days of bicycle frame lovingly hand-brazed on an open briquette fire by a grizzled old italian craftsman are gone. the glued and tubed CF stuff is ridiculous. they should be ashamed of themselves.
08-14-14, 05:22 PM
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08-14-14, 06:24 PM
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Interesting that Empire Cycles had a beast called the Merlin.
Old Empire Motorcycles Merlin - the Bike Shed
Old Empire Motorcycles Merlin - the Bike Shed
08-14-14, 06:30 PM
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I think you mean "culcha".
08-14-14, 06:39 PM
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i think i'll take some time a bone up on the Google Glass. it would be nice to be hooked into an "at you fingertips" database of just about everything. i could be even more of a "knowall" than i am now. get ready world.
i'll just have to figure out how to deny access to everybody else.
i'll just have to figure out how to deny access to everybody else.
08-14-14, 07:41 PM
#14
SLJ 6/8/65-5/2/07
The new merlin is now a wonderful looking hand made in Italy by Sarto carbon beast.
While lovley and top o the line for sure I am also sad because it somehow now lost it's uniqueness. Is it me or does a hand made bike to be truly special need to be made out of metal?
Just asking.
While lovley and top o the line for sure I am also sad because it somehow now lost it's uniqueness. Is it me or does a hand made bike to be truly special need to be made out of metal?
Just asking.
Ditto
Ditto
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08-14-14, 09:21 PM
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Been riding my '99 standard Merlin road frame every day since it was born...finest riding bike I've owned...and I've owned quite a few different brands, many rather obscure.
08-15-14, 01:46 AM
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You make it seem like there is a noticeable difference... As in noticeable for a person riding the bike and not just a small measurement difference in gauge...
08-15-14, 02:11 AM
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And like Kai, I have been riding my 2001 Massachusetts Merlin Ti bike regularly since the day that it was born. Ok, so it is not a 14 pound super bike made from CF, but it rides really well, is well balanced in how it handles, and with 1300gram wheels, it feels nearly as fast as my carbon bike. It is smoother on rough roads, very durable and I am not afraid to ding the tubes as they are Ti.
08-15-14, 04:50 AM
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don't try this at home.
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Are there two Merlin bike companies? It's always helpful to include a link to the bike website on threads like this.
Competitive Cyclist has the Ti Merlin here.
Competitive Cyclist has the Ti Merlin here.
08-15-14, 06:20 AM
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For most people, no difference at all. But then for most people, no difference either between any two decent bikes. If you are going to make a big deal about a bike being a Merlin for whatever reason you think that is important, then shouldn't it really be the best? That business about Italian craftsmanship and a company that no one has really heard of in competitive bike circles called Sarto is really just a bunch of crap. How many Sarto's did you see in the TdF, let alone on the podium - this year or any year? Hype!
08-15-14, 07:39 AM
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As mentioned elsewhere, it's like having a carbon Moots. Heresy!
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08-15-14, 10:51 AM
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08-15-14, 10:58 AM
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The problem with this Merlin CF bike is not that there is something wrong with it. It is that there is nothing right about it. IOW a world beater Merlin CF bike would be just as appropriate as his best-of-the-best Ti bikes were in their time. A custom Ti or steel bike and one from a high volume manufacturer can both be just as excellent, because the technology at both manufacturing sites is the same. But this is just a glued tube CF bike because that is what is needed to allow custom fit. You can't have a unique monocoque mold for every customer. So the custom CF bike is inherently flawed at the outset. A dumb idea that won't last very long. I give it two years max.
08-15-14, 12:13 PM
#25
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For most people, no difference at all. But then for most people, no difference either between any two decent bikes. If you are going to make a big deal about a bike being a Merlin for whatever reason you think that is important, then shouldn't it really be the best? That business about Italian craftsmanship and a company that no one has really heard of in competitive bike circles called Sarto is really just a bunch of crap. How many Sarto's did you see in the TdF, let alone on the podium - this year or any year? Hype!