My budget Steel build complete
03-02-13, 09:19 AM
#1
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My budget Steel build complete
I built this guy up during the past week. It all started two weeks ago when I found a craigslist ad with the frame and fork. Guy buys a Mercier Serpens from Bikes Direct in 2006 just for the parts. Takes the frame and sticks it in a closet. I was able to get the brand new Reynolds 853 frame and Reynolds fork for $100 cash. The tig-welds on it are actually very well done, not like I'd expect on a Taiwan frame. Has sturdy Ritchey dropouts which look like they are for a mountain bike. I've had a nice Campy Record 10 group in a box in the closet which has been waiting for a steel frame. Took the bars, seat, etc from the parts stash and put it all together. Here's the result. I think it's my new favorite bike, even though it's cheap Taiwanese junk 
03-02-13, 11:20 AM
#3
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Looks nice. I recently built up a bike in that manner myself. Ended up with something fairly equivalent to a Surly Crosscheck for about $450 in parts found via CraigsList, Ebay and swap meets.
03-02-13, 11:39 AM
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Dude, that's freakin' hot! $100 bucks for 853 frame and Reynolds carbon fork?? Killer! I didn't even know Mercier had bikes that nice!
Really, the lines are perfect to my eye...very jealous right now! Congrats!
Really, the lines are perfect to my eye...very jealous right now! Congrats!
03-02-13, 12:24 PM
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Is the stuff coming from Taiwan really junk? I thought that a lot of quality frames from the name brands were still coming from Taiwan. That frame certainly doesn't look like junk to me.
03-02-13, 12:33 PM
#6
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I had a cheap Taiwanese 853 steel frame that likely came from the same factory. It wasnt as good as my ELOS Tommasini but it was darn good. For the price, it was great.
ths one looks stellar. I love record 10 on steel.
ths one looks stellar. I love record 10 on steel.
03-02-13, 12:56 PM
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I'm pretty certain Wrote4luck was joking, but to answer the question, no stuff from Taiwan is not junk. I doubt anyone would argue that Taiwan is the absolute leader in bicycle technology and manufacturing, and of course, they are the giant manufacturing center globally, so they make a lot of everything, from low end junk to the best frames in the world.
03-02-13, 01:55 PM
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Agree 100%. Great bike, great looking bike at a killer deal.
03-02-13, 02:10 PM
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I was kidding on the junk part. I've had many quality steel bikes over the years, and one thing I've learned is that there are some fantastic ones that have come out of Asia. I think this particular frame is actually a Fuji Roubaix Pro frame that Bikes Direct re-badged to "Mercier". Just got done with a 30 mile ride on it and it was a fine ride. Campy Ergo shifting is so much more fluid than Shimano STI.
03-02-13, 02:12 PM
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Nice work OP, great bike. 
Me too. I hate him.
Me too. I hate him.
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03-02-13, 02:35 PM
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That is likely the case- I have an aluminum BD Mercier, and it is definitely just a rebadged Fuji frame [I forget which model...]
