Help identifying Mercier Bike
#1
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Bucharest. Romania
Posts: 34
Bikes: Olmo Grand Prix?/Chiorda?/Gitane Sprint 78/79/Specialized Crosstrail Sport Disc 14'/
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Help identifying Mercier Bike
#2
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Bucharest. Romania
Posts: 34
Bikes: Olmo Grand Prix?/Chiorda?/Gitane Sprint 78/79/Specialized Crosstrail Sport Disc 14'/
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
#3
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Bucharest. Romania
Posts: 34
Bikes: Olmo Grand Prix?/Chiorda?/Gitane Sprint 78/79/Specialized Crosstrail Sport Disc 14'/
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
This bike has campagnolo gear and it seems weird for a French bike.
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Middle Earth (aka IA)
Posts: 20,435
Bikes: A bunch of old bikes and a few new ones
Mentioned: 178 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5888 Post(s)
Liked 3,471 Times
in
2,079 Posts
That looks like what in the US would have been marketed as a Mercier 300. The parts seem right. I can't make out the sticker but it looks to be a full Reynolds 531 frame. Also the chrome on the fork and rear triangle suggests a higher end bike. Plus the parts are more or less what would have been sold on a Mercier 300 in the US (stronglight crank perhaps a stronglight 93, tubular wheels with what high flange hubs, mafac brakes).
Better pictures would help in particular of the drive side (so we can see the crank and derailleurs) and a good picture of the tubing sticker.
This looks to be a very good bike.
Better pictures would help in particular of the drive side (so we can see the crank and derailleurs) and a good picture of the tubing sticker.
This looks to be a very good bike.
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Middle Earth (aka IA)
Posts: 20,435
Bikes: A bunch of old bikes and a few new ones
Mentioned: 178 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5888 Post(s)
Liked 3,471 Times
in
2,079 Posts
The derailleurs could be aftermarket. The drop out would have to be modified to work with a campy RD but that is not a bad thing. I have a mercier 300 with a rear drop out that has been modified in this way.
Also I'm assuming that these are simplex dropout which is how Mercier 300s were sold in the US. This could be a different drop out though in which case it would not need to be modified to accept a campy RD.
Also I'm assuming that these are simplex dropout which is how Mercier 300s were sold in the US. This could be a different drop out though in which case it would not need to be modified to accept a campy RD.
#6
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Bucharest. Romania
Posts: 34
Bikes: Olmo Grand Prix?/Chiorda?/Gitane Sprint 78/79/Specialized Crosstrail Sport Disc 14'/
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
The derailleurs could be aftermarket. The drop out would have to be modified to work with a campy RD but that is not a bad thing. I have a mercier 300 with a rear drop out that has been modified in this way.
Also I'm assuming that these are simplex dropout which is how Mercier 300s were sold in the US. This could be a different drop out though in which case it would not need to be modified to accept a campy RD.
Also I'm assuming that these are simplex dropout which is how Mercier 300s were sold in the US. This could be a different drop out though in which case it would not need to be modified to accept a campy RD.
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Middle Earth (aka IA)
Posts: 20,435
Bikes: A bunch of old bikes and a few new ones
Mentioned: 178 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5888 Post(s)
Liked 3,471 Times
in
2,079 Posts
This looks to be a Mercier 300. That drop out has been modified as the hanger has been tapped out. In addition a stop should have been created by filing away part of the drop out hanger.
Also a pic of the drive side (showing the crank and derailleurs) as well as the reynolds sticker would be useful.
Also a pic of the drive side (showing the crank and derailleurs) as well as the reynolds sticker would be useful.
#8
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Bucharest. Romania
Posts: 34
Bikes: Olmo Grand Prix?/Chiorda?/Gitane Sprint 78/79/Specialized Crosstrail Sport Disc 14'/
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
This looks to be a Mercier 300. That drop out has been modified as the hanger has been tapped out. In addition a stop should have been created by filing away part of the drop out hanger.
Also a pic of the drive side (showing the crank and derailleurs) as well as the reynolds sticker would be useful.
Also a pic of the drive side (showing the crank and derailleurs) as well as the reynolds sticker would be useful.
#9
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Bucharest. Romania
Posts: 34
Bikes: Olmo Grand Prix?/Chiorda?/Gitane Sprint 78/79/Specialized Crosstrail Sport Disc 14'/
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
This looks to be a Mercier 300. That drop out has been modified as the hanger has been tapped out. In addition a stop should have been created by filing away part of the drop out hanger.
Also a pic of the drive side (showing the crank and derailleurs) as well as the reynolds sticker would be useful.
Also a pic of the drive side (showing the crank and derailleurs) as well as the reynolds sticker would be useful.
Will send better pics with the crank.
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Middle Earth (aka IA)
Posts: 20,435
Bikes: A bunch of old bikes and a few new ones
Mentioned: 178 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5888 Post(s)
Liked 3,471 Times
in
2,079 Posts
So the Mercier 300 that was sold in the States had a full Reynolds 531 frameset. This bike has a 531 double butted main frame. That is a very good way to build a bike but rear triangle and the fork is likely not as high a quality as Reynolds. In many French bikes, the fork and rear triangle were high tensile steel even though the main frame was Reynolds 531. This is a fine bike. I can't make out the crank but the parts on this bike are good and the condition of the frame looks good.
#11
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Bucharest. Romania
Posts: 34
Bikes: Olmo Grand Prix?/Chiorda?/Gitane Sprint 78/79/Specialized Crosstrail Sport Disc 14'/
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
So the Mercier 300 that was sold in the States had a full Reynolds 531 frameset. This bike has a 531 double butted main frame. That is a very good way to build a bike but rear triangle and the fork is likely not as high a quality as Reynolds. In many French bikes, the fork and rear triangle were high tensile steel even though the main frame was Reynolds 531. This is a fine bike. I can't make out the crank but the parts on this bike are good and the condition of the frame looks good.
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Alta California
Posts: 14,262
Mentioned: 415 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3811 Post(s)
Liked 3,336 Times
in
2,176 Posts
-----
1976
-----
1976
-----
#13
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Bucharest. Romania
Posts: 34
Bikes: Olmo Grand Prix?/Chiorda?/Gitane Sprint 78/79/Specialized Crosstrail Sport Disc 14'/
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
#14
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Bucharest. Romania
Posts: 34
Bikes: Olmo Grand Prix?/Chiorda?/Gitane Sprint 78/79/Specialized Crosstrail Sport Disc 14'/
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
So the Mercier 300 that was sold in the States had a full Reynolds 531 frameset. This bike has a 531 double butted main frame. That is a very good way to build a bike but rear triangle and the fork is likely not as high a quality as Reynolds. In many French bikes, the fork and rear triangle were high tensile steel even though the main frame was Reynolds 531. This is a fine bike. I can't make out the crank but the parts on this bike are good and the condition of the frame looks good.
#15
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Bucharest. Romania
Posts: 34
Bikes: Olmo Grand Prix?/Chiorda?/Gitane Sprint 78/79/Specialized Crosstrail Sport Disc 14'/
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
#16
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Middle Earth (aka IA)
Posts: 20,435
Bikes: A bunch of old bikes and a few new ones
Mentioned: 178 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5888 Post(s)
Liked 3,471 Times
in
2,079 Posts
Stronglight 93, nice crank. This bike is set up much like a Mercier 300 sold in the US would have been with 2 key differences: this bike has reynolds main frame (not the full frame) and the campy derailleurs which likely were added later given that the bike has simplex drop outs.
#17
Junior Member
juvela seems to have good knowledge of Mercier bikes, but unfortunately never responded to my Mercier topic last summer. Never too late, juvela. https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...r-mercier.html
Closest I can come is the 1977 catalog (this link and more are in my Mercier topic linked above): https://forum.tontonvelo.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=30688
Sorry to reply so late, but I don't visit this forum very often, as a result of the lack of responses to my 2019 topic.
Sorry to reply so late, but I don't visit this forum very often, as a result of the lack of responses to my 2019 topic.
#18
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Bucharest. Romania
Posts: 34
Bikes: Olmo Grand Prix?/Chiorda?/Gitane Sprint 78/79/Specialized Crosstrail Sport Disc 14'/
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
juvela seems to have good knowledge of Mercier bikes, but unfortunately never responded to my Mercier topic last summer. Never too late, juvela. https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...r-mercier.html
Closest I can come is the 1977 catalog (this link and more are in my Mercier topic linked above): https://forum.tontonvelo.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=30688
Sorry to reply so late, but I don't visit this forum very often, as a result of the lack of responses to my 2019 topic.
Closest I can come is the 1977 catalog (this link and more are in my Mercier topic linked above): https://forum.tontonvelo.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=30688
Sorry to reply so late, but I don't visit this forum very often, as a result of the lack of responses to my 2019 topic.
I will be sure to check out the Mercier topic.