Mercian Cycles to close

[DCLane]

Sad news for those who like Mercian bikes, or who would like one: https://road.cc/content/news/mercian-cycles-stops-trading-and-enters-liquidation-308501

Hopefully someone will pick it up.

 

[I like Skol]

Shame. No aspiration to have owned one, but would like to believe there is still a place for quality, bespoke craftmanship in the modern, mass produced world we live in?

 

[Sharky]

That is a pity. I'm riding Mercian on my avatar photo.

 

[ianrauk]

Shame.
I've seen some lovely Mercian bespoke paint jobs on some of their bikes.

 

[Flick of the Elbow]

Such a shame. I still have my Mercian bought from Tom Crowther’s Solihull shop in the 80’s. He used to sell off the peg Mercians with his own branding on them, presumably part of the deal when he sold the Mercian business. I then moved to Derby and got to know Lou Barker a little as a clubmate in the Derby Mercury RC.

 

[cyberknight]

saw someone enquiring on the ctc forum , sad news

 

[biggs682]

Shame but hardly surprising in these days

 

[Jameshow]

Sad - one of the all time great custom frame builders....

 

[BrumJim]

Paul Smith's favoured bike brand?

 

[raleighnut]

Sad news,

Prior to breaking my femur I was saving for a Mercian Audax Special, I'd got just over a grand put by (753 frame and 531 fork were nearly £1,300) but then after my accident I spent the cash on the trike.

 

[wanderingkev]

I made a trip from where I live in the US back to the motherland to get a steel frame made -picked Mercian gave them 600 quid in January -kiss goodbye to that and lost 5 months which is more annoying. TBH while the frames are great and good value (way less than what you pay in the US) the business side of it was hopeless and whoever was managing things could not run a bath ....so on reflection doesn't surprise me

 

[avecReynolds531]

https://road.cc/content/news/mercia...308501#block-node-comment-block-node-comments

Apologies for the duplicate post - hadn't seen the first.
Nearly 80 years of heritage gone: the open hearth brazing used by Mercian dates back decades.
Only recently saw a beautiful Mercian with the timeless contrasting headtube and seat tube band.

 

[Hover Fly]

It's not just steel frames we're losing and there's still other builders, but all those spares they listed for old Campagnolo etc.

 

[EltonFrog]

Well, that’s a bugger.
They did lovely work.
They repainted my Dawes Kingpin in 2012.

 

[Cycleops]

Sadly no one still thinks a top end steel frame bike is the dogs whatsits. 'I want a carbon bike like the pros ride' is the cry.
Mercian customers like me are dying off, literally. Sad but that's the reality of it.
Don't worry about the old Campag parts, they'll be bought up by some eBay seller I'm sure.