EvilV

I decided to send off to MERC for a few spares for the bike I bought in April and have ridden over a thousand miles on. I didn't actually need any spares, but I enjoy the bike so much and the prices on the website are so cheap, I thought I'd send off for some bits, just in case I ever need them.

I bought a chain (price : £3.95), two black Kevlar tyres (Price : £6.50 each) inner tubes (Price : £2.95) chain tensioner assembly (price : £4.50), crank bearings (price : £3.95), 46T chain sprocket (Price : £4.50).

The quality of the goods is excellent and the price, laughably cheap. I know that I recently priced a 46 tooth chainring and was quoted £30 for a European made one. The Merc one was one seventh the cost and for the life of me looks just as well made. I checked the thousand mile tyres against the new ones for tread depth and maybe I've worn about 1 mm off the old ones and still have the same tread left to go. I haven't had one puncture by the way and regularly crunch over glass. I do keep the tyres around 50 - 65 pounds pressure (65 is the max marked on the sidewall).

https://www.mercbike.co.uk/ The site doesn't work in firefox

14R 

I'm very happy with my Merc too. I may consider a second one in the future.

EvilV

Glad to hear that.

I've enjoyed mine more than almost any bike I ever had, and I've had a few, and ridden quite a few thousands of miles. The spare part chain ring sold by Merc for £4.50 is a really nicely made part, fashioned from good looking alloy. I just look at it and laugh at the prices I've paid for new chain-rings in the past. I must have been mad. Some people never think they've got anything decent unless it costs them an arm and a leg. You can offer them the same part at two prices and they'll chose the more expensive one.

Does yours have the finer spokes in the back wheel? Mine is a GT3 with fourteen gauge rear spokes which I had some trouble with. Four broke in the first four hundred miles. I replaced them with Bromie 13 gauge ones (thicker). No more problems so far. I also replaced the vile original equipment brake blocks with Koolstop Salmons, which Wavshrdr procured and sent me. That was a great move as far as not ending up under a truck was concerned. The old brakes would hardly stop me at times. Now they work well. One of the pedals has had to have a couple of re-adjustments in the bearings, but that's all. I don't think that's bad for a thousand miles, really.

Wavshrdr had a GT6, but this has never been offered in the UK as far as I know.

14R 

My bike is Wavshrdr's one. He sold it to me so he could pursue his desire to build a custom one. Besides having some problems with the rear chain tensioner alignment, everything else is in great shape.

My only complaint is that, when the bike s folded, the front wheel keeps detaching from the folded pack, so it is not as neat as my girlfriend's brompton. Something that I may have to address one oof this days.

Just because of this thread I'm going home early so I can ride my bike. Since it's Haloween, I may even wear a cape. 3:[

EvilV

Hah ha ha. I've just taken mine out for a spin in the dark and seen lots of loony kids dressed up like that. I wore my luminous yellow jacket and a baseball cap. It's turned cold here now, and windy. Might see a first frost tonight.

I've never had my front wheel detach from the folded package. I saw something about that on the Brompton Yahoo list. I wonder if that was you?

Also, Wavshrdr made a remark about his chain tensioner being out of alignment and if I'm not mistaken, he said he'd done something about it. Just to confirm, as designed the two little Jockey wheels run in slightly different planes. They are a few degrees either side of what you might expect. I've got my original and the new spare, and they are both like that. So was another Merc that I saw. Maybe you are talking about something else. I don't see how that stiff plastic tensioner could get out of the designed arrangement. Looked at from the line of the chain, the jockey wheels probably run in a sort of 'V' formation. I've had my chain come off the tensioner a few times after unfolding. Mine is a bit filthy, and may not be tensioning quite rightly through lack of movement caused by dirt.

14R 

Yes, it was me on bromptontalk list.

I agree, the little wheels do not run in the same plane, but now I managed to make them as close as possible.

I only ride in asfalt, so mine is nice and clean, with the range of motion as new.

Time for a shower (freaking 82 degrees in FL today, all kids must be melting inside their costumes)

Nick Fuggle

Anyone any idea where I can get Merc spare parts these days? I have tried a couple of links here like mercbike.co.uk and in cyclingforums.com, but they seem to be out of date. Thanks for any help or contacts....

14R 

eBay UK had a few parts a while back. Give it a try.

JimBeans83

Which spare parts do you need? You've probably seen that mail order for a few of the brompton spares aren't too expensive.

Nick Fuggle

Thanks for the feedback. Nothing doing on Ebay at the moment. I need a chain tensioner. It broke last year and I bodged a fix with strong glue and a palstic tie, but it's broken again. I believe Grace Gallant are the manufacturers and I am trying to contact them.