markwebb

Is there any place that stocks Mercian frames? I want to buy an Audax or King, but I would rather buy within USA or somewhere that stocks the bikes - I don't want to wait 3 months. I am located in USA.

waltergodefroot

Why would you want a frame with a piss poor paint job that looks like it was painted like a monkey? At least that's the characterization you bought into here:

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...an#post1486728


Cheers.

markwebb

Thanks for the helpful post. Please do me a favor and don't respond to this thread again unless you can answer my question and actually offer some help.

And - just to clear this up - that old discussion was about some NOS frames in a shop in Austin. I was in Austin in late August and contacted the shop. These were some odd NOS frames that were pretty old. A lot of bike messengers bought them. The context was relative to the paint not the frames. They must have been kinda crappy looking - even the shop said so.

I am looking to buy a new frame as in recent vintage 2004 2005. I can order one from UK direct from Mercian, but was inquiring about any dealers located in USA. if you know of any let me know. Thanks for indulging me !

markwebb

Oh - and back in August on the same thread I also said this:

While I was down in Austin this week I called the shop that had the NOS Mercians. If I could get a Mercian on the cheap and it was just a bad lug highlighting paint problem but I could get a way cool Pro frame with the barber pole decals that would be great.

Unfortunately they got rid of almost all their Mercians last year. They have a few Mercian Kings for $395 in 6ocm and 61cm sizes still left. They said some of the folks in Austin that like fixies found out about them and they had a run of sales on them that wiped out their inventory.

So I'm still looking for a Mercian but now a little more seriously.

So help me please. Anyone know any shoppes in USA that carry them in stock?

cyclintom

I wonder why you simply don't do a search on Mercian, go to their website and ASK THEM where a local dealer is.

Mercians have always had NICE paint jobs regardless of your tastes. You needn't love the English idea of color combinations but the idea that their paint jobs aren't some of the best in the world is just bunk. When I rebuild a Mercian I send it back to them for the paint. Same with Bob Jackson.

markwebb

I do have an email to them requesting info. No info I could find on their Web site about USA dealers. So I'm asking for any info out there from the forum readers.

I also love some of the paint/decal combos especially the barber pole Mercians. The one's with crappy lug highlighting were some older NOS frames that showed up in Austin - not typical Mercian. That's one of the reasons I am searching for a nice new one - the attention to detail as well as how they ride.....smooothhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

halfspeed

When I was looking to buy mine, I talked to a dealer in NYC who suggested I'd be better off just going direct. There really aren't many US dealers. The geometry and paint are custom, made to order. That's why there's a three month wait. The only "production" frame is the Audax Special. The barber pole isn't a decal, it's paint.

cyclintom

Actually that is typical Mercian. And Bob Jackson - and also any other bike manufacturer.

I happened to be fairly good friends with the late Tommy the Greek and would watch him pin-stripe cars for shows. He said that when he was young he could pull a straight line but now he usually screwed them up. If you looked through a transit at that line that he was rubbing out it would be straight as an arrow. But Tommy could see wobbles in it. That's why Tommy could get HUGE amounts for a pin-striping job. Hardly anyone could pin-stripe and not wobble the lines.

If you look at old Norton gas tanks that were pin-striped by hand they had the same wobbles in them.

If there aren't any wobbles in a pin-stripe it's probably a decal printed on a machine.

That's what's known as "character" to someone that values hand made bicycles.

markwebb

Is the Mercian Audax Special a good bike for long day rides and centurys? I am trying to figure out which one to buy - the King or the Audax?

EURO

Well, seeing at Audaux is a term used to describe day long rides and centuries, I reckon so.

markwebb

I went ahead and dealt directly with Mercian shoppe in Derby. Wonderful chaps and very helpful. They actually have several frames in stock - Audax Specials, King of Mercias, and a few other models. Most appeared to also be in desirable sizes with 56cm seat tubes and 57cm top tubes. Not a lot in stock, but several. Price delivered is around $900 US with 2 day FedEx shipping.