Re: [CR] Now: Fit, Was: 1971 Mercian conundrum

(Example: Events:Cirque du Cyclisme:2002)

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References: <1103744259.13472.211345201@webmail.messagingengine.com>
Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2004 12:33:09 -0800
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
From: "Jan Heine" <heine93@earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: [CR] Now: Fit, Was: 1971 Mercian conundrum


Slap some parts on it and see whether you like it. Don't even worry with front derailleurs and such, but just a front brake, rear derailleur, some wheels ou have, etc. No bar tape. Shouldn't take long.

If you like it, build it up correctly. Otherwise, throw it back into the pond.

Sizing is much less crucial than many will have you believe. I have many bikes that are 2-3 cm shorter than my "ideal," and they are as pleasant to ride, handle as well, are as comfortable and as fast as my "ideal" bikes. Our tandem for Paris-Brest-Paris was both not tall enough and too short in reach for me, yet it was supremely comfortable for 49 hours. (Unfortunately, the ride lasted 52:45, but c'est la vie.)

Of course, if you are of average proportions, a 58 cm top tube (and a 63 cm seat tube) seem very small for somebody who is 6'5". I am 6' exactly, and I ride a 57 top tube and 61 seat tube... with a 10-10.5 cm stem.

You can fudge things a bit with a long stem and long-reach bars. For example, many randonneur bars have 2-3 cm additional reach, and so do many French bars like Belleri or Philippe Professionel. -- Jan Heine, Seattle Editor/Publisher Vintage Bicycle Quarterly c/o Il Vecchio Bicycles 140 Lakeside Ave, Ste. C Seattle WA 98122 http://www.mindspring.com/~heine/bikesite/bikesite/


>I have recently picked up a 1971 Mercian Campionissimo frame via ebay.
>Since I have drooled over Mercian frames for quite a while, I was quite
>excited to win this one, esp. since it appeared to be my size (63cm) and
>was quite the bargain, $60. As I waited for the frame to arrive, I
>verified the frame make and year with Mercian, and made plans to bring
>it back to it's former glory with a nice refinish and period correct
>parts.
>
>The frame arrived in short order. I looked over the frame and
>everything was as advertised but something was amiss. I pulled out the
>trusty tape measure and all the measurements were correct except for
>one, the top tube. The listing said it was 62 ctc, but it was actually
>58 ctc. I spoke to the seller and he offered a refund, but since I got
>such a great deal on the frame, it would hardly be worth the effort to
>box and reship it back.
>
>I am 6'5" with long arms and a 58cm TT would be VERY cramped. I have
>seen quill stems as long as 15cm, but I worry that the handling would
>become very sketchy with that setup. So my conundrum is this, should I
>sell this frame to someone who it would fit better and would get better
>use from it, or go ahead with my restoration as originally planned? I
>would love to build this bike up and ride it, but I'm afraid it will be
>so far out of whack that I won't be comfortable riding it.
>
>I'll take all the opinions I can get on this one. Any suggestion is
>appreciated.
>-- Jason Moore