Mercian Cycles to close

[Specialeyes]

Noooo! That's really sad

I love(d?) the feeling of continuity they gave. You could contact them with a frame number from 1958 and they'd have the build records and paint colours. (Of course, in 70 years' time the equivalent will be 'medium-sized open mould frame, Shimano 105, matte black')

 

[matticus]

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.

Every year some new hipster artisan frame-builder seems to appear, charging a lot more than Mercian!
Would you like to buy some back-copies of Cyclist magazine to read about a few! :P

 

[matticus]

Ooh, just found this:

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/...e-frame-builders-unite-to-save-their-industry (Feb 2024)

The focus is on UK-based builders. I think Cyclist magazine features brands from all over Europe and beyond

 

[Ian H]

Mercian weren't quite top-end bespoke. They occupied a niche that has disappeared in terms of steel frames: the enthusiastic club rider's affordable steed.

 

[Paulus]

It's not just the bikes that will be lost, but the frame repairs and repainting/enamaling that will go as well. Shame.

 

[Rusty Nails]

Mercian weren't quite top-end bespoke. They occupied a niche that has disappeared in terms of steel frames: the enthusiastic club rider's affordable steed.

And other older folk like me who still like a good lugged, steel bike are slowly dying out. Markets change and often get smaller.

I hope that something can be done to save the company without losing too much of the quality. I wonder if there could be a possibility of a takeover/merger by a similar, established, decent quality bike firm such as Argos...(no, not  that catalogue company Argos).

 

[Ian H]

And other older folk like me who still like a good lugged, steel bike are slowly dying out. Markets change and often get smaller.

I hope that something can be done to save the company without losing too much of the quality. I wonder if there could be a possibility of a takeover/merger by a similar, established, decent quality bike firm such as Argos...(no, not  that catalogue company Argos).

I'm more of a fillet-brazed bloke, myself.

 

[Once a Wheeler]

Let's not forget Frank Colden, BAR winner in 1962:

At a time when most of his club mates rode Holdsworths he sought out what was best for him and ended up with a Mercian. I think it may have been the integrated seat cluster that persuaded him. It saved a few grammes when most makers were offering thicker, wrap-around seat stays. In any case, good enough to knock 4 minutes off the 100-mile competition record.

A pity to see the marque disappear.

 

[DCLane]

Two threads on this theme:
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/mercian-cycles-to-close.297574/post-7203425

Yep - and mind was first

@Moderators : can we merge them please?

 

[wafter]

Really sorry to see this; seemed like one of the few authentic / independent brands left

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Yep - and mind was first

@Moderators : can we merge them please?

Done, even before reading this tag
I've merged it into the vintage section thread.

 

[EltonFrog]

Done, even before reading this tag
I've merged it into the vintage section thread.

Yeah but they’re not necessarily vintage. They are/were still making bikes until very recently.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I had a Mercian frame once. I screwed up and bought a frame that was too small and eventually sold it to @biggs682
It was a nice ornament in my office for a few years.

 

[Aravis]

Like everyone else I'm sure, I'm extremely sad at this news. And I also confess to being surprised. It feels as though Lord's is being sold off for redevelopment.

My experience of ordering a custom-built frame from Mercian (1989) was OK, mostly.

I was a bit nonplussed when after a fitting session lasting about 2 seconds, a completely averagely dimensioned frame was recommended. Unsurprising perhaps in view of my own average dimensions, but it made me see the custom-built thing as a bit of a frill, adding unnecessarily to the cost for little or no benefit. Much more recently I discovered that Bob Jackson Cycles were offering what seemed to me the ideal service - one of your 22½ inchers please, in these colours and with these braze-ons. Sadly they went the same way as Mercian seem to be going and none of the optimistic noises about their possible resurrection seem to have come to anything.

I think the Mercian was the only thing I've ever owned which could be described as a status symbol. I wanted one, I could afford it. What else was there to consider?

The lug at the top of the head tube always looked crooked, accentuated by the cut-out and colour contrast. I spent a vast number of hours looking down at that, wondering if it was just me.

I've often lusted at their website and mused over what I'd choose now. Back in 1989 my choice of colour was painfully conservative. Even now, they still present their colour chart in the most unimaginative way, making it hard to envisage what the overall effect will be. I enjoy browsing through their photo gallery, where there are many beautiful examples, but some of the pictures suggest that the colour-blind ought to seek advice before finalising their colour schemes.

 

[IanSmithCSE]

Good morning,

Sadly it appears to a forced sale/closure rather than a planned retirement so it is quite likely that a lot of people are going to lose out.

As mentioned above Bob Jackson doesn't seem to have been resurrected, https://www.woodrupcycles.com/bob-jackson/ appears to be a holding page despite there being a lovely picture

I think of myself as a 62 year old steel fan, I have a two and a bit year old Taiwanese made 753 frame but I also look at the prices of UK made steel frames and just don't see the value. Just out of curiousity I looked at the Mercian page

.... and in many ways thought wow that is pretty cheap, just over £1,000 (ex VAT) for a 631 frame, so I can see how they could run out of money but it is still a lot of money for anyone not "into bikes". Even for those "into bikes" it is still a lot for a state of the arc (sic) frame.

SPA have some nice imported frames, sub £500 for Reynolds 725, and there are a lot of people selling some great Taiwanese frames using unbranded 4130 or for a bit more if you want a brand using Reynolds 520.

However I can see the logic in Ribble buying Mercian,

Although there are quite a few reductions in the sales of these so maybe selling them at this price is hard.

It appears that Ribble are trying to establish themselves as a premium brand, so selling steel with a different brand name doesn't seem out of the question, IF there is the demand. This could massively reduce the average cost of order acquisition, give Mercian access to shared management resources, I would say reduce maketing spend but I am not sure if there was any anyway.

Bye

Ian