Okay, so I tossed the odd spare bit onto the Mercian here and there; check out what Mike passed to me as a thank-you from his end:



These were original equipment on the bike, but Mike stated that the quills didn't allow his wider feet any comfort on this type of pedal. Still, he could've easily sold them on Ebay or in the FSOT thread, right?

So, thanks, Mike - they're beautiful and cleaned up nicely

DD

^ Glad you like 'em DD. I had a pair of KKT Pro Vics for a while that were the bane of my existence (esp. when riding in soft-soled shoes), and the quill on those is very similar. I sold 'em with my old hi-ten Apollo, and heaved a sigh of relief (I actually rode them on that bike, even though they were not giving me any great comfort, because I had no other pedals handy and couldn't be bothered to switch out the pedals from the other bike for a ride to the store). This way, these ones will be put to good use (I'm sure), and stand as some small indication of my appreciation after a sterling facilitation experience.

So I dug up this set of specs for the Mercian Professional from the 1981 catalogue, only 3 years earlier than the example I have:



Since repechage's comment about the fork looking a bit tweaked has stuck with me (despite my protestations that pics of other bikes of the same model give a similar visual impression depending on the angle of the shot), and since I have the fork pulled to service the headset in any case (the Super Record headset looks brand new inside as much as out, BTW), I took it down to a specialty metal shop right in the neighbourhood, Toby's Cycle Works, where a former framebuilder and general steel bike whiz who has all the alignment equipment is taking a look and adjusting the alignment as need be tomorrow. I will hear back shortly as to what the fork rake is currently once the dropouts have been aligned on both planes (they were just a bit off). The catalog, which describes a version of the model with what looks to be an identical, or very similar, fork, lists a 1 1/4" rake. Not 100% sure that that's the spec for what I have, but a good data point nonetheless. Toby indicated, as I'd tended to think, that it looks as though the upper (i.e. the crown area) is aligned properly with the steerer. Though he also suggested the following: "Don't believe anything anyone tells you from looking at a bike, and this goes for me too, about alignment." Without measuring, that is.

DD and mikemowbz, great story! I like any story that includes cross border intrigue of which this has spades!

By what is in fact largely coincidence, I'm resurrecting this thread on the 1-year anniversary of it's initiation - also the 1-year anniversary of my riding this bike back from Bellingham, WA to Vancouver, BC!

Having been away in Montreal from rather shortly after this acquisition until December/January, I was forced to let this bike languish in my storage unit far too long (proof: pic of the poor dejected thing on the hard concrete in this thread HERE).

Since I've been back, my first priority was to build up the Atala birthday bike, a gift to my girlfriend who finally joined me here in February. Next up, I needed an 'around-town' bike that I can lock up without too much anxiety. I already had my trusty Nishiki for regular rides. I had to think about exactly how I wanted to deal with some of the details on the Mercian, and didn't want to rush it. At long last, I've gotten back to this one...

Just did bearings, cleanup & wax the other day (as well as dealing with some rust on the inside of the eyelets on those rims and polishing up the post). Fitted tires, installed new stem, post/saddle, and pedals today (Suntour Cyclones, a recent acquisition from buldogge).

Was thinking this one's starting to look photo-worthy once more; dug up this old thread, only now noticing that it's hitting its 1st birthday!

Here's the bike as it stands:


Newly-fitted Nitto Pearl 11cm stem - soon to be connected to in-transit Nitto Noodle 44cm bar:


A thoroughbred racing bike deserves quality tires, and I couldn't resist red (though not red/tanwall as previously equipped).
Vredestein Fortezza Tricomps, ready to roll at 160psi:


And replacing the slightly scarred Concor with a new Brooks Pro I scored from Japan this summer for $89 shipped:
Note also the Velocals replacement tubing decal...as the original was irremediably peeling off from both sides. Smaller, but cleaner.

Just waiting on the new Noodle bars to come up from the USA. The the rest of the cockpit is lined up: Modolo Pro non-aero levers with fresh black Dia Compe hoods (a much better deal than I could find on SR levers, and pretty slick in a matchy anthracite color), and burgundy Newbaum's cloth tape (assuming I don't make a last-minute decision to go with the brighter Velox stuff).

Will be using old-school clear brake cable housing for a look a bit more understated than the PO's bright red. Also got rid of the godawful bmx-red anodized skewers! Jockey wheels stay...

Should be up and in action within a week or so!

Very nice!

BTW, what did you discover in post 53 from the fork alignment?

Whew!

For a minute there, my addled brain read that as "should be up for auction in a week or so".

This thread brought back a bunch of good memories (dammit - I thought I was getting over leaving WA, then you guys post pics of great rides and revive threads of great bike-facilitations!). That was a fine, fine day - and the lead-up to that day was interesting across the board. One doesn't get these kinds of opportunities every day, however, I've been blessed to be involved in two faciliations since joining C&V. Cool

Looks like she's coming together nicely, and just in time for Spring. Looking forward to the finished bike.

Oh, and a neat coincidence: the loaner bar/stem/brake lever combo is on my Mondia here on DG - and I just received a replacement pair of brake hoods just the other day from rootboy and mounted them this afternoon!

Keep us updated and please share the final result, Mike. Thanks again for a really cool experience

DD

Toby at Toby's Cycleworks here in Vancouver noted that the fork is a little 'funny' (the fork blades are not quite symmetrical; IIRC, crown is very slightly off-kilter, though straight in relation to the steerer), and not knowing for certain the prescribed rake it's hard to say, aside from this, if it's ultimately to spec. In the end, while the dropouts were slightly out of alignment (which he corrected), Toby stated after measurement and corrective action on that first front that it doesn't seem to be bent backwards to any significant or troublesome degree. "A good, strong fork", in form, and good to go, I was told.

I'm not expert enough to really have much to add, other than (as previously noted) that images I've seen of more than one example of the same model/fork iteration tend to give a similar visual impression to some extent, that the effect varies significantly by angle (and that this one seems pretty straight when pulled for inspection, though a wee bit less so on one side than the other). With the dropouts freshly aligned, it keeps that front wheel right where it should be (not that it was bad before). As for how it rides, I'll have to update! As I said last year, it rode nicely enough the 70-90 miles I got in then.

Admit I was a tiny bit worried...the Kestrel CF fork which is my only spare with enough steerer would kind of ruin the look.

Definitely not up on the block! While I've added a couple of bikes in the last year, this one is too nice to be going anywhere (except out on smooth roads, on nice sunny days, for just the right number of miles)...

And, as you point out, some good memories associated with this one from day one! Good conversation, a great ride through that corner of WA, and a testament to the common interests and unrivalled generosity that make a facilitation work. Not to mention a much nicer day a year ago today than we're seeing up in Vancouver right now...

Funny to think that bar/stem/lever combo is now doing duty on the other side of the world!

Everything you did to help this one make its way up here is very much appreciated, Jeff.

And updates/completed pics will definitely make it into this thread before long!

like bike mike

After a recent ride with a friend, it occurred to me that I never did post a pic (or pics) of the completed build on the Mercian:



It was late this evening when I snapped this one in the setting sun, and I was eager to ride rather than flex my non-existent photographic skills, so perhaps some detail shots next time this one comes out - so it'll have to wait for another day with no sign of inclement weather (sometimes a scarce good here in the northwest in June).

Sweet Mercian!

Thanks! It's been nice here this July, so I'll have to take it out and get one last round of pics in the sunshine...

I think I promised somewhere, some while ago, to post more pics of the Mercian that was the subject of this thread.

I took a few outside the house today, as the bike was out for some adjustments and a little ride on my day off from the shop.

I'm reviving the old thread here, as it seems the most logical place to put these.

Wow, it looks as good now as it did way back when. Beautiful bike!

Bill

What a thread - great stuff all around. How's it riding now, any discernable difference from pre-DO alignment? I like the tape and black levers, subtle touch that sets it apart IMO.

Better with the new shoes, even.

Tanwall Parigi-Roubaix round it out as a little more 'C&V' than the red Vredesteins, I reckon.

This one stays clean, only out in the sunshine.

Fresh chain lube, light cleaning, and a little fit adjustment in advance of today's ride. Spic & span.

Thanks for the compliment, Bill!

I honestly didn't notice a real big difference.

The tweaks Toby made to get the fork 'just so' were relatively minor, I was led to understand.

The bike is definitely a little on the squirelly side compared to some of my other rides - and there's some very definite toe overlap I have to keep in mind - but it tracks very nicely, and I could substitute 'responsive' for 'squirelly' if I felt like it.

It's really a lot of fun to ride, and it's clear that it wants to go fast.

Notably stiffer in the BB than the one other Reynolds 531c bike I had, leading me to believe that the BB shell with the long points welded in place (distinctive, specific to the Professional model) may do the job Mercian claim(ed/s). I actually sold that other bike, mainly because I was not fond of how much flex I experienced when climbing, etc.

Agreed 100%, those tan walls look much more fitting for the bike, a tan, or gum wall should be mandatory for C&V bikes, IMHO. Can't say as I blame you for keeping it spic and span, I'm of the same school of thought about my two bikes. Nothing on the level of yours, but they are an expression of who we are, and an important part of our lives. We do have a common connection in DD, the Medici frameset I have came from him, also. He is good people, for a squid-type that is.

Enjoy that beautiful ride, have a gret weekend, too.

Bill

While I've had this bike a little while now, and made some minor changes here and there, I think I scored the perfect 'finishing touch' for the Mercian recently here on the C&V 'For Sale' sub-forum.

@rootboy hooked me up with a 1984 Brooks Professional with the big copper rivets a few weeks back; $84 got me an '84 Pro...for the '84 Pro.

Too perfect.

Took the bike out for a nice 90-minute afternoon ride here in East Vancouver (stops at Portside Park and Trout Lake/John Hendry Park).

Maybe the rails on this one allow an extra couple of mm of setback on the SR post relative to the recent-production steel rivet Pro that was on there before (I think this is the case), or maybe the just-right level of 'break-in' on this saddle has a role to play (probably also true), but I'm happy to report that the new saddle genuinely makes this bike feel just a little more 'right' in terms of fit and comfort.

Obligatory pics to show off the new-to-me (and very 'period-correct') Brooks on its date-matched perch:
DSC00778.jpg

DSC00780.jpg

Looks great, and almost sinister in a way. Or maybe that's just Halloween sneaking up.

IMHO, a Brooks always elevates the program, all the better when it is a perfect match. Kool aid drank, done deal.