Restoring the Merlin (or why Titanium is still cool)
02-21-24, 05:16 PM
#26
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I need to do this to my ritchey breakaway. I wonder if my wife has forgotten about the 105 R7000 group set I bought for it last year.
02-23-24, 12:05 PM
#27
Junior Member
Love it! Those era Ti bikes are having a comback. Yep, can't get 32mm tires on most, but...
My Serotta Concours Ti was a t-a-d too small, so in the interim of waiting for the right Serotta Ti frame to come along, I found this sleeper Mongoose TST/Sandvik frame and after getting hit by a van in November (frame not damaged), decided to Ultegra/105 it. (Riser stem because rider is still healing, that's why)
My Serotta Concours Ti was a t-a-d too small, so in the interim of waiting for the right Serotta Ti frame to come along, I found this sleeper Mongoose TST/Sandvik frame and after getting hit by a van in November (frame not damaged), decided to Ultegra/105 it. (Riser stem because rider is still healing, that's why)
02-27-24, 07:10 AM
#28
pan y agua
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Correct. I didn’t know Merlin ever made press fit. Was that after the original company was sold?
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You could fall off a cliff and die.
You could get lost and die.
You could hit a tree and die.
OR YOU COULD STAY HOME AND FALL OFF THE COUCH AND DIE.
You could fall off a cliff and die.
You could get lost and die.
You could hit a tree and die.
OR YOU COULD STAY HOME AND FALL OFF THE COUCH AND DIE.
03-03-24, 10:14 PM
#29
Newbie
This is the quandary I'm in with my Litespeed. I built it up with 7410 Dura Ace, partly because I had most of the groupset, and partly because it was 'age appropriate' for a 1995 frame. And it looks REALLY GOOD with it, and of course the shifting is wonderfully crisp, like 7410 always was. But I really wish I had at least two more speeds and a 30t cog every time the gradient goes over 6%. OTOH, the more modern stuff just doesn't LOOK as good.
03-03-24, 10:49 PM
#30
Newbie
03-04-24, 08:43 AM
#31
Newbie
for those who have recent experience on all of these - Ive heard it said by some riders that titanium, while super nice to ride, does not give you as solid a "connection" to the road as steel does. Basically less feedback and "read" of the road. Confirm/deny?
03-04-24, 10:30 AM
#32
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Responding to the second part of this thread title, I think my Merlin is still cool. 
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03-04-24, 02:50 PM
#33
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That is ultimately how I went too, but I went with 53/39 and 11-32.
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03-04-24, 05:22 PM
#34
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03-05-24, 03:12 PM
#35
Junior Member
03-05-24, 05:27 PM
#36
Senior Member
I decided to restore my 24 year old Merlin Extralight. In its current configuration it has a mishmash of Shimano 10 speed mechanical components.
A few years back, I added S&S couplers to make use of it as a travel bike. The rebuild will SRAM Force electric 12 speed. The wireless components should be really nice with only one brake cable to futz with in packing and unpacking the bike.
So far I’ve removed the old components and cleaned up the frame. After 24 years use, guesstimated 50,000 miles, a hundred or so crits, a few crashes, and schlepped around the US and Europe in an S&S travel case, it still looks close to new.
A few years back, I added S&S couplers to make use of it as a travel bike. The rebuild will SRAM Force electric 12 speed. The wireless components should be really nice with only one brake cable to futz with in packing and unpacking the bike.
So far I’ve removed the old components and cleaned up the frame. After 24 years use, guesstimated 50,000 miles, a hundred or so crits, a few crashes, and schlepped around the US and Europe in an S&S travel case, it still looks close to new.
03-06-24, 11:51 AM
#37
pan y agua
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As recently as last year, when I updated my Willier, sram 12 speed etap was available with rim brakes. I believe they still are.
__________________
You could fall off a cliff and die.
You could get lost and die.
You could hit a tree and die.
OR YOU COULD STAY HOME AND FALL OFF THE COUCH AND DIE.
You could fall off a cliff and die.
You could get lost and die.
You could hit a tree and die.
OR YOU COULD STAY HOME AND FALL OFF THE COUCH AND DIE.
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03-07-24, 07:53 AM
#39
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For some of us
While true for most riders I think you can understand that some of us such as myself dealing with osteoarthritis or other impairments one could have can be very sensitive to "vertical compliance". These days I will be on my Vitus 979 or titaniums not on one of my lovely Italians which for years got all the mileage and on bad hip, neck or lower back days be more comfortable on a bike with higher handlebars so you can sit more upright or even my recumbent trike.
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03-07-24, 08:57 AM
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While true for most riders I think you can understand that some of us such as myself dealing with osteoarthritis or other impairments one could have can be very sensitive to "vertical compliance". These days I will be on my Vitus 979 or titaniums not on one of my lovely Italians which for years got all the mileage and on bad hip, neck or lower back days be more comfortable on a bike with higher handlebars so you can sit more upright or even my recumbent trike.
(Key to metaphor: "fling" = short, fast courses; "marriage material" = compatibility for the long haul.)
03-07-24, 10:44 AM
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03-08-24, 04:10 PM
#42
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Yeah. I mean, I LOVE my Titanium bike, but I'm not sure I could point to any particular special thing about the ride. It could just be that of all my bikes it's the one where the fit is the most perfectly dialed in. It's not the fastest, or the most cushy, or the stiffest. But when I want to head out, it's the first bike I reach for.
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"Don't take life so serious-it ain't nohow permanent."
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03-09-24, 09:46 PM
#44
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Yeah. I mean, I LOVE my Titanium bike, but I'm not sure I could point to any particular special thing about the ride. It could just be that of all my bikes it's the one where the fit is the most perfectly dialed in. It's not the fastest, or the most cushy, or the stiffest. But when I want to head out, it's the first bike I reach for.
