My Rides - Mercian 1992 King Of Mercia -
Post originally from October 2016
Another glorious day up here and while I didn't end up getting south for my planned ride with Brian, I did manage to get out for a decent ride later this afternoon.
Fitted my little seat bag to carry my multi tool so I could adjust anything if needed along the way. Ended up I didn't need to, it rode brilliantly
Slick shifting and never missed a beat. I did a loop through my part of the county on some roads I know and travel quite often and then explored a couple I haven't been down for a long while. Returned home along the coast, taking in a couple of loose surface farm type roads which the Mercian handles with ease, even on the loose stuff it was surefooted and quick.
The frame certainly feels light, though I have yet to weigh it, and the first thing my wife commented on when she had a brief ride was the weight. This feeling though coupled with the feeling of it being quick is all relative of course and could also be in part explained by several factors. Maybe its the usual slick Dura Ace geartrain running 51/39 to a 13/26 cassette, the lack of compactness is nice as well, and also the minimalist cockpit and the fact the brake hoods are lowish so that you are over the top of them, if that makes sense. I have also been putting a lot of miles on my tourer lately (Surly LHT) which is a heavy piece of kit but built for the job it does, which also hauls my sons 16 kilo around in either his seat or his trailer. So after that the Mercian as well as my Merckx feel quick
I may have just answered my own query there 
Anyway it feels nice, as I know it does, but I was surprised how nice with the build I cobbled together.
I must admit though that I would like to change the bars out for a set of randonnuer bars and just relax it a bit as I want to build this, once painted to be my audax machine and leave the Merckx to when I want to go quick.
So the king is staying, long live the king.
Update: Answer to a thread post on Retrobike Forum
It is definitely a great ride and you can tell by feel that its a lightweight quality ride.
You can't really see from the pics that well but it is in need of a repaint as there is a large section on the chainstay, just behind the chainring that is back to bare metal and looks like a section had been touched in with the cure rust type stuff that sends it black. Also the whole frame is undercoated/primed in white and the frame is peppered with chips so in the flesh they stand out. My plan has always been that if it is staying for long term and not just passing through then I would send it back to Mercian to have the dent in the top tube filled (or even do it myself) and then get it painted in a metallic green with white head tube, lug lining and single band on the seat tube. If you go to Mercians site and click on frames, then King of Mercia, then its the same green as the one shown.
As for where it sits with my two main rides, the Trucker and Merckx? I would think somewhere in between, or at least that is where I would want it to sit. Not setup full on tourer style like the Trucker, which can be a bit overkill on some shorter audax type rides like last weekends Highland 100 with lots of climbing and not as bum down head up style as my Merckx. To be fair, I think with its current Dura Ace build and 3ttt stem and bar set up is actually a bit more racey than my Merckx. Though now I know that it fits great and is staying I will slowly build up some parts to build it a bit more relaxed, a fast tourer/audax type machine which is what it was really made for and so should feel even better once done. Nothing too drastic, just a slightly higher stem and a set of rando bars also a set of guards, which will fit even with the 32 tyres along with a seat bag.
I must be getting old as the comfort is slowly overtaking speed in my setups, either that or my trucker has spiolt me
Due to family matters etc and time of year I can't really justify spending the couple of hundred pound minimum to get it painted anytime soon, so I may touch it up in places so I can ride it until winter hits properly.
Jamie
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