1980's Mercian Team Issue "Colorado"

Owning a Mercian is special enough, but here is the opportunity to own something really special. This Mercian was a team issue bike for a local Colorado team. This fork stiffener design only appeared on team bikes made especially for a team in CO. Rumor has it that only 100 of these were made and did not appear in a Mercian catalog. 

Mercian Cycles has been known for its unique brazing techniques and impeccable craftsmanship since it was founded in 1946 by Tom Crowther and Lou Barker. Production of Mercian bicycles has and still remains low, as many of their bikes are bespoke and custom built per a rider’s request. This particular Mercian is from the 1980’s, and features gorgeous, hand cut lugs that are filled in with a metallic copper paint that looks incredible in the sun. The inside of the crown on the fork has card suits cut out of them, which is a really cool detail that I’ve never seen before. The bottom bracket shell is from Cinelli is all expertly hand-brazed together. The pantographing on the top of the seat stay is also a fantastic detail. It has been very well maintained and shows hardly any sign of use. There is a paint chip on the drive side just above the shifters, and the drive side stay has some marks. There is also some very small marks on the top tube. The original tires could also be replaced, but I thought the original rubber looks pretty cool. The Dura-Ace components are in near NOS condition and just adds to the rarity of this example. 

This bike has been fully refurbished! New cables have been installed, the bottom bracket and headset were cleaned and rebuilt, and the rest of the parts as well as the frame were given a good clean. The frame was then polished with a cleaner wax that makes the paint look wet in the sunlight! The chain was ultrasonic cleaned and it was all meticulously put back together.  A timeless, rare bike that is ready to be enjoyed for years to come.

Measurements:

Seat tube (ctt) – 62.5cm

Top tube (ctc) – 60cm

Spec Sheet:

Saddle – Selle Italia Turbo

Seat post – Strong Japan

Brakes – Dura-Ace 7402

Brake levers – Dura-Ace 7402

Stem – Cinelli (100mm)

Bars – Cinelli Campione Del Mondo 66-42

Crankset – Dura-Ace 7402 (175mm) (52/39 Dura-Ace rings)

Rear derailleur – Dura-Ace 7402

Front derailleur – Dura-Ace 7400

Shifters – Dura-Ace 7401

Bottom bracket – Dura-Ace 7400

Headset – Shimano 600

Wheels – Mavic Open 4 CD

Hubs – Dura-Ace 7400 low flange

Freewheel – Dura-Ace 7400

Tires – Michelin Hi-Lite Supercomp HD 700x20c