Mercian Register - Harvard University



Mercian Register

1949

#8449

Oscar Egg lugs

Possibly blue lustre (with white undercoat)

23 c-t

1950

#13550

Erika Bjureby, London, England, submitted 3/23/2006

Purchased 3 months earlier

My name is Erika Bjureby I purchased this frame about 3 months ago on ebay the seller had not much info about it, just that it was manufactured the 13th of May 1950 and re-enameled and touched up at Derby in the late 80's. The lugs are unbelievable, the fork crown is very gothic looking, will send more pictures if you would like. I reside in London but moving back to Sweden where I will ride and enjoy this beloved bike.

#22150

1950 Vigorelli road-path

refinished

John Crump, V-CC, Colorado

1951

#5151

1951 Vigorelli road-path

scroll lugs?

re-enameled

photos courtesy of Hilary Stone

1953

#4953

welded frame, 23-1/2 c-t (24 to top of head clip)

bb pulley, downtube shifter boss (one only visible)

original pastel green/celeste enamel, early/earliest? Tom Crowther Mercian transfers, gothic downtube transfer with vertical letters

Peter Underwood, Cambridge, England

acquired 2006

#5384 lugless

Nice Curved Pencil Fork Blades

Frame No 5384

Spec:

23 " Seat Tube

22 3/4 " Top Tube

5 1/4 " Head Tube

120 mm Rear Stays

100 mm Fork Gap

Campagnolo Rear Drop outs

Entered 20070427 from eBay ad

1954

#36254 Vigorelli road model

owned by Peter Underwood, who writes,

Frame 25"  -  Frame No.  36254:  531 DB tubing -  Finish in red; cable eyes under top tube – cable guide BB plus cable stop on chainstay - 24” top tube - 00" bottom bracket height - 17¾" chainstays - 40¾" wheelbase

In 1954 Mercian used the Vigorelli lugs on their track frame only but this must have been a one-off for them to be fitted to a road frame.  The Vigorelli lugs were later used on the Vincitore frames. 

Wheels 27” Weinmann HP rims with Airlite LF G/f hubs 32/40 with 15/17 DB spokes

Chainset Stronglight alloy cotterless with TA double rings

Pedals Chater Lea

Gears Campag Nuovo Record  rear and Campag Gran Sport (matchbox) front Brakes GB Coureur with early Superhood levers

Stem/Bars Titan steel stem with Titan Maes bars with engraved ferrule

Headset Saddle Brooks B17 Narrow

Extra details This machine was owned by Dave Keeler of the Vegetarian C & A C.  It was built for him by Mercian in 1954 with Paris/Roubaix rear ends.  He used it for much of his time-trialling until at least 1958 when it was Dave’s back-up machine for his Land’s End to John O’Groats record.  He later had the rear ends converted to normal Campag road ends.   

1955

#29355 road-path

Photos by Hilary Stone, Bristol, England, April, 2006

1956

#56191

1950 unknown model

Resprayed 1973 and stamped 30973

Krause (no first name), Nottingham

Please find attached the pictures of my father's Mercian.

The details of the bike are:

Frame number 56191

Unclear as to what type of frame - see the pictures of the lugs.

The bike was resprayed in 1973 and the frame was stamped with the numbers 30973.

The colours are copied from the John Player Special cigarette packets which were popular at the time.

The previous owner was employed at the Players factory here in Nottingham.

Happy to discuss.

Rob Krause

#56287

1956 Campionissimo?

year confirmed by Grant Mosley, Mercian Cycles

original paint black with script transfers

refinished, metallic blue polychromatic

Christopher Barbour, V-CC, Boston, Mass.

1957

#22657

1957 Vincitore

Bryan Buffham, UK

6 June ‘06

[No Photos submitted]

have a 50's Mercian Vincitore. Its frame number is 22657 from which I have inferred that it was built in 1957. That would imply that your frame number 59557 was built in 1957 too. I bought my frame some years ago from Sid Standard of Long Eaton. Sid had a shop in Long Eaton and built very nice frames under the Superbe marque. My frame had been altered at some time by cold setting the rear end to 124mm. I suspect it was originally 4-1/4 inch. The fork ends had been replaced with Campag road ends. The front fork ends had not been properly placed so the front wheel clearance was excessive. It might have been a road-path or time-trial frame. It has very elegant round forks and a beautiful crown. The head lugs are the same design that Mercian still use for the Vincitore. I doubt whether it was a track frame because it has generous clearance for 27-inch wheels. Anyway I had the frame renovated by Mercian and the front clearance corrected. We have three 1975's and a 1993 Mercian in the family and they all use xxxyy numbering, where yy are the last two digits of the year. 

 

Regards

 

Bryan Buffham

#37657 Super Vigorelli

1958

#58200

1958 Super Vigorelli 23” track

Vincitore lugs

Red

Len Ingram

Chippenham, England 4/2/2006

Original owner J.A. Foster

Hi Chris

 

I noted your appeal in Peter Underwood's Lightweight News and wish to add my Mercian to your list. The number is 58200 and is a Super Vigorelli with Vincitorie Lugs. The frame is 23" track and still in original is somewhat rust, only surface, condition with a full set of transfers. The original owner was J A Foster, name still on the top tube. The colour is Red, like Rosso red.

 

Should you require and further details please let me know. I assume the frame is 1958

 

All the best Len Ingram,(Hetchins nutcase!!!!)

 

Chippenham UK

 

1959

#5923 1959 Olympic

From: William Stone [mailto:bill_a_stone@]

Sent: Tuesday, June 13, 2006 5:45 PM

To: Barbour, Christopher

Subject: Mercian

Hi Christopher 

came across your page just now

 

have a few pics to add if you're interested

 

have no whole bike pics but that can be easily remedied if you'd like them - also let me know if you'd like better quality pictures!

 

apparently this is an Olympic, the frame number is 5923

 

according to Grant at Mercian, the equivalent today is the Audax which sells for approximately £1,000

 

she rides like a beauty, regrettably having done my shoulder in I'm on it much less often than I'd like but using it to commute to London (about  22 miles round trip) every day up till last year

Cheers

 

Bill Stone

#59557

1959 King of Mercia

model inferred by Grant Mosley based upon lugs and wrapover stays

refinished after 1970, ice blue pearl

refinished 2005, blue metallic, derailleur cable fittings and hanger removed

Christopher Barbour, V-CC, Boston, Mass.

#59563 Olympique

Attached please find a photo of my Mercian Olympic frame number is 59563 and date of manufacture is 1956[sic]. Paintwork is original.

Thanks for your efforts in running this site.

Regards

David Jones

Fairy Meadow, Laneside Road, New Mills, High Peak, SK22 4LU

Entered 2/24/07

#59574

1959 Campionissimo

Blue (polychromatic?), lugs lined in gold

20-1/2 c-t

ebay text:

1960 Mercian Campionissimo bike frame On sale is a hand made gents lightweight touring cycle frame in Reynolds 531 tubing. It was manufactured to order for the seller by Mercian Cycles, Derby in 1960 and has been unused and kept in the loft since 1964. In its time it was part of a much loved bike and now someone else can enjoy it! The frame was stove enamelled in light blue colour with white lining to the lugs and the seller's name was signwritten and enamelled to the top tube. This could be removed with careful use of abrasive paper. The down tube transfers are failing and the seat tube label is illegible. It once read: Designed by T. Crowther The World Over. There is chipping to the surface where the various gear levers, front changers and other clamped items were fitted and from chain damage. There are dimples and some surface rust on the outside of the left front fork where a Lucifer dynamo was clamped. The small tube for fixing the rear brake is a bit squashed. The right hand rear drop-out lower arm is slightly bent upwards: the space for the rear axle is reduced from 10mm to 7mm at the open end so some work will be required here. This might be done when brazing a gear hanger to the dropout. There are bare wire brazed lugs on the top tube for the rear brake and at the bottom bracket for the rear gear changer. Brazed pump pegs are under the top tube. Ideally, it would be sandblasted and re-stove enamelled - I understand that Mercian Cycles can do this. See merciancycles.co.uk The headset is a bit bumpy and needs to be renewed. The bottom bracket bearing and axle would also need replacement to suit any new cranks and chainwheels. The present axle is for cottered cranks. The frame was made to take 27 inch wheels. The mudguard lugs take 2BA screws. The weight is just under 7 pounds. Frame number: 59574 Willing to post anywhere worldwide at cost or directly to Mercian Cycles for renovation works. The dimensions are: Seat tube 20 1/2 inch (centre of bottom bracket axle to top of seat pillar clamp) Top tube 21 1/2 inch (centre of head tube to centre of seat tube) Believed to be 72 degree parallel head and seat tube configuration.

#59709

1959

Nigel Olson, UK

’07 June 2006

1961

#61685 unknown model, orange

sold by Mel Blake of Southport, England in May, 2004

#6191

1961 road-path

Nigel Olson, UK

07 June 2006

my Mercian Road/Path bike. Serial Number 6191, renovated by Mercian for me last year. Not sure which model perhaps you know.

#61274

1961 Unconfirmed as Mercian pics from eBay

#61831

1961 Olympique [confirmed]

Ian Skinner, U.K.

09 June 2006

please find attached pictures of Mercian olympique as featured on the

Mercian website history section.

Serial Number 61831 - confirmed previously by Mercian as a 1961 model

1962

#48262

David Buxton, UK

07 June ‘06

Possibly a Campionissimo, based on info from #63125

**See below for explanation of raised digit in serial number

Hello,

        I bought a Mercian from the local Tip for £2. It was in a Skip waiting top be crushed! It has a Stronglight drilled chainset and rides beautifully. The number is.  48262 and a raised 2 at the end. The following is part of an Email from Mercian at Derby.

 

"Blimey! Don't quite know what to say about a Mercian being tipped.

 

Anyway - the 482 represents the number - i.e. 482nd frame - built in 1962. The number 2 slightly higher up represents the frame builder - Cyril Wagstaff, who retired from here about 5 years ago. We don't still have the records going back quite that far, so unfortunately I can't tell you who owned it originally, but it would certainly be Reynolds 531 tubing."

 

I have attached a picture to show how it now looks with a little cleaning up.

 Hope this helps,

 All the best,

 David Buxton

1963

#63125

1963 road-path [Campionissimo?]

Nigel Olson, UK

’07 June 2006

my Mercian Road/Path bike Serial number 63125, renovated by Mercian this year, they think it is a Campionissimo?

1964

#53964 1964 King of Mercia (tentative i.d. inferred from 1966 catalogue)

From: Chris Elmore [mailto:chriselmore@]

Sent: Friday, May 05, 2006 3:37 AM

Attached are photographs of my Mercian (I believe I am the fourth owner).

I understood the frame was built in 1964 but I have no proof. The bike was sold to me as a Mercian "Tourer"

Perhaps you or your readers would be able to confirm whether or not this date and model type is correct

Chris Elmore

Derby

England

Regards

C R Elmore

Phone' 44 (0)1332 348349

1966

#40166

KoM?

#9666

Superlight

Dave Twiddy reported 10/26/06

I am the proud owner of a 1966 Mercian 'Superlight' Serial number 9666 which I used for racing in the 70's.

I bought the second hand frame from a chap in Salisbury in the early 70's. It was white enamel at the time and had track ends fitted as the previous owner rode fixed. I had a hanger made up to match the track ends and fitted five gears. 

 

It went back to Mercian for a respray after a few years and was changed to an Orange enamel, Campag rear road ends were fitted and campag gear lever bosses and cable fittings were added. A small crack had developed between the two seat stays, from the cut out at the seat tube clinch bolt. This was repaired by creating a 'lug' under the seat stays as they 'shot' into the seat tube.

 

Racing days over, it went back to Mercians again in about 1993 for a repaint and some detail changes so that I can ride lower gears on 'fine Sundays'. It is now dark green pearl with silver transfers.  Its not built up at the moment but resting in my office as a piece of 'art'.

1968

#68413 Professional

Duncan Granger, Lancaster, PA, submitted 3/25/06

Attached are pics of my 1968 Mercian Professional.  Serial number is 68413.  It's from the first year that Mercian sold the Professional to the public (according to the 1970s catalogue on the Mercian Cycles website).  I can send pics of any specific areas you would like.  The frame has beautiful wrapover seatstays, a Cinelli internal crown, and spearpoints welded to the bottom bracket shell (unique to the Professional model).  It's all original.  Paint and chrome are in excellent shape.  Components are mostly Zeus, with Campagnolo Nuovo Record derailleurs and shifters.  The only things on the bike that have been changed are tires, bar tape, and cables/housing. 

Thanks for starting the registry - it's a great idea.  I have sent pics of my 1974 Jack Taylor to Joel Metz, as well.

Best Regards,

Duncan Granger

Lancaster, PA

1969

#42369 Superlight

1970

#70452

King of Mercia?

John Baldwin

2/28/06

POST-1970

1982

# 45882 Colorado

1982 Colorado team bike

Russ Fitzgerald

Mercian Colorado 45882, with no. 8 on a line by itself above the sn.

Built as a team-issued bike for Tom Mereness, a Master's class racer for The Spoke/Harvest/Mercian, a team sponsored by The Spoke in Boulder, Colorado. According to Jane at Mercian, this was number 458 built in 1982. The separate "8" was the builder number, in this case, George Bryan.

Apparently, there was a batch built for the team, all blue with yellow barbers pole, built of 531C tubing. There also seem to have been Mercian Colorados built along more sport touring lines, or so I gather from trawling through and google newslist archives.

2002

#1812002

2002 Vincitore road fixed-wheel

Purple enamel, white bands; serial number appears:

5

181

2002

Russ Fitzgerald, Greenwood, S.C. (original owner)

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