Merlin Extralight build thread
04-16-21, 03:08 AM
#1
Full Member
Thread Starter
Merlin Extralight build thread: part 2
Found this for a reasonable price locally.
thank god i'm tall and i spotted it early after it was posted for sale, had it been 54-56 cm it would have sold fast
so, a 60cm Merlin titanium fully equiped in 7400 Dura Ace. Even has Ti spindle and DA hubs on Mavic rims.
rebuild begins, it will get 7800 Dura Ace.
Question for you guys: looking at options for the fork and stem. Keep the fork and go quill stem or convert to threadless with modern stem ?
thank god i'm tall and i spotted it early after it was posted for sale, had it been 54-56 cm it would have sold fast
so, a 60cm Merlin titanium fully equiped in 7400 Dura Ace. Even has Ti spindle and DA hubs on Mavic rims.
rebuild begins, it will get 7800 Dura Ace.
Question for you guys: looking at options for the fork and stem. Keep the fork and go quill stem or convert to threadless with modern stem ?
Last edited by reissue59; 04-20-21 at 04:26 AM. Reason: Update
04-16-21, 06:31 AM
#2
Blamester
Depends on what you want to achieve.
Threadless is handy if you are not sure what stem length you want. Because they are so easy and cheap to change. But if you have the right length there isn't much benefit.
The stem you have is a bit ugly in my opinion but so are threadless adapters.
I went full carbon fork and bars with a threadless stem.
It's not as pretty as a quill but it works very well.
Threadless is handy if you are not sure what stem length you want. Because they are so easy and cheap to change. But if you have the right length there isn't much benefit.
The stem you have is a bit ugly in my opinion but so are threadless adapters.
I went full carbon fork and bars with a threadless stem.
It's not as pretty as a quill but it works very well.
04-16-21, 06:37 AM
#3
weapons-grade bolognium
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Across the street from Chicago
Posts: 6,344
Bikes: Battaglin Cromor, Ciocc Designer 84, Schwinn Superior 1981
Mentioned: 44 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 985 Post(s)
Liked 2,378 Times
in
891 Posts
Keep the threaded headset. Virtually any stem would be an improvement. Those Merlins have very nice lines and look good with classic or "modern" stems.
Likes For thinktubes:
04-16-21, 08:43 AM
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: South of the Twin Cities, MN
Posts: 4,122
Mentioned: 29 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1119 Post(s)
Liked 2,255 Times
in
1,311 Posts
I like the Syncros stem, but I came into this hobby thought mountain bikes. I'm guessing it'd at least sell for decent money if you hated it.
04-16-21, 09:18 AM
#5
Mother Nature's Son
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Sussex County, Delaware
Posts: 3,113
Bikes: 2014 Orbea Avant MD30, 2004 Airborne Zeppelin TI, 2003 Lemond Poprad, 2001 Lemond Tourmalet, 2014? Soma Smoothie
Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 853 Post(s)
Liked 1,433 Times
in
815 Posts
Is it for aesthetics or function? Is it worth the cost to you? Your decision. Very nice bike. If it were mine, I would go modern with a threadless headset/stem, compact, 31.8 bar, and carbon fork. I am in the process of doing that to a Lemond Tourmalet. I just acquired the fork from Spaghetti Legs. I also switched to, 6750 crankset, and the rest is 6600. It already had 4600 shifters and they stayed. It is a fair investment for whatever gain there is or isn't. It is something I wanted to do, saw an opportunity to do it at, IMO, a low cost, and went with it.
04-16-21, 09:24 AM
#6
bOsscO
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Vancouver
Posts: 746
Bikes: 2024 Spec Crux, 2015 Norco Search S1, 93 Mongoose IBOC COMP
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 296 Post(s)
Liked 355 Times
in
212 Posts
If the headtube can take a threadless headset, I'd go that route (if it were my bike).
04-16-21, 11:00 AM
#7
Crawlin' up, flyin' down
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Democratic Peoples' Republic of Berkeley
Posts: 5,651
Bikes: 1967 Paramount; 1982-ish Ron Cooper; 1978 Eisentraut "A"; two mid-1960s Cinelli Speciale Corsas; and others in various stages of non-rideability.
Mentioned: 40 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1025 Post(s)
Liked 2,525 Times
in
1,055 Posts
I'm a big fan of the Nitto Tallux stem (the kind Rivendell sells - available here). Lots of height flexibility, plenty strong, very nice classic look. It's what I'd choose. But that's just me.
__________________
"I'm in shape -- round is a shape." Andy Rooney
"I'm in shape -- round is a shape." Andy Rooney
Likes For bikingshearer:
04-19-21, 04:29 PM
#8
Full Member
Thread Starter
little update; spent some time removing scratches and all around polish, medium Scothbrite with WD-40 as a lube, looking good.
What a nicely made frame! The welds are the best i'seen on a Titanium frame, very nice details, and my god what a light frame.
now, the parts that came off this bike; full 7400 Dura Ace with 8 speed brifters
What a nicely made frame! The welds are the best i'seen on a Titanium frame, very nice details, and my god what a light frame.
now, the parts that came off this bike; full 7400 Dura Ace with 8 speed brifters
10-21-21, 09:55 AM
#12
Veteran, Pacifist
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Seattle area
Posts: 13,327
Bikes: Bikes??? Thought this was social media?!?
Mentioned: 284 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3898 Post(s)
Liked 4,830 Times
in
2,228 Posts
A 60cm Extralight, how sweet. Color me jealous, always wanted one.
Here is an example of a 20 year old bike that underwent a change from threaded to threadless with new fork, headset, stem, bars.
Here is an example of a 20 year old bike that underwent a change from threaded to threadless with new fork, headset, stem, bars.
__________________
Vintage, modern, e-road. It is a big cycling universe.
Vintage, modern, e-road. It is a big cycling universe.
01-19-24, 03:17 PM
#13
Newbie
