When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

1988 Mercian Professional track bike

-

comet

Finally riding a big boys bike
Just got this. Rides great, I just need to put some bars with brake hoods on it so I can ride the hoods. Trying to decide between a stem like in the pics with the bullhorns, only in a silver finish, or a long quill stem. I'm 67 and need a more upright position. Looking for pics of what other people are riding. Here's the list of parts.
Frame: Mercian Professional Track model. Reynolds 531 tubing. 60 cm (center to top); top tube is 57 cm (center to center). Standover height is about 33 inches. Serial number ends in 88, indicating the year it was built (1988).

Wheels: Large flange sealed bearing hubs with Mavic clincher rims. Rear hub is a flip-flop design with fixed cogs on both sides. You can change gear ratios by flipping the wheel around - but both are "fixed" - no freewheel.

Crankset: Interloc Racing Design (IRD) - with styling that mimics vintage Campagnolo Pista cranks. Sealed bearing bottom bracket.

Pedals: Specialized short-cage track pedals with clips and straps (1980s vintage - made by MKS).

Saddle: Brooks Swift

Seatpost: Nitto NJS 2-bolt design.

Handlebars: Nitto NJS track/pista drop bars.

Stem: Nitto Pearl
I will take off the bars and probably the seat and store them to keep for originality and put new bars and a Brooks B-17 for comfort.

409E894F-2ED7-410C-A0DD-A50D8069A142.jpeg


419F8ADC-8777-46B6-9B7E-DA44DA9E727A.jpeg


129606AF-BA5C-4792-8A3A-82F0EBAF35A0.jpeg


6C3DF21D-66BE-404C-AB92-2737B202E444.jpeg


80009938-3B11-4683-B512-E3F7ACD93243.jpeg


40C6F24D-8DF5-49F5-B33B-26E4F9A9FD98.jpeg


DD634024-DF1F-4E61-BA04-8F4E2D336A88.jpeg


A1A2D82C-CAF9-4437-9148-12C20D6DF2EF.jpeg


EC4C3F6E-5CF7-4BBD-A01C-76CBB94A4882.jpeg


001B7F21-92DE-48D4-9F47-BF4F415A3300.jpeg


A4AE180E-ADDA-4A01-A78A-FD9CC3FAF973.jpeg


F1121C1A-790A-48BE-9DF8-DEFE659509D3.jpeg


93BADCBE-73E8-454B-B8E4-61BF2CCF1DB8.jpeg
 
Back in the 70's the state time trial championships were held in Sierraville, big flat wide open space.
 
Haven't figured out where you're going with this between the first photo and the last.
The reach on those time trials bars is way out beyond the front axle.

My favorite semi-upright bar is Nitto Moustache. To fit this bar properly, you use Dirt Drop or Technomic stem, with stem reach that's 50 mm closer than you'd normally use on drop bars.
Rivendell Bicycle Works is always a good place to check for bar and stem ideas for grown ups.

Example is my '75 International (frame dated Aug '74). This remains the most comfortable distance bike I own.
hPkFYWX.jpg

1673239 1673240

The bar has a very comfortable aero wide-hoods position, and great control when you reach to the outside.

Another place I used Technomic (actually, Tallux) stem was to gain some height on my Mercian 61 cm, and 64 is closer to my size.
These are wonderful Cinelli 64 Giro Dream Bars, the original compact bars - close reach, close drop.
KZzEdEp.jpg


The other thing that helps is thin platform pedals, these are my favorite Blackspire 420, which are also on the International.
These blues came from Wiggle for half price. Blackspire rebuilds them for International Priority cost from Canada.
1673280 1673534
You may have noticed I have a thing for half-step triple (I rarely shift the rear, and ride 30 mi with 1000' elevation on 17t rear cog).

My '98 Moser in 64 cm is the frame that fits me on cage pedals (MKS Neuvo Wide). Nitto Pearl and Cinelli 64
3sNsNTG.jpg
 
Last edited:
Thank you Bulldog for the reply. The two bikes with the long stem Nitto is what I was hoping to see. I think I’ll go with the shorter reach ones. I put the bullhorns on so I could ride it until I got some bars and a longer stem. The bars came today so I can play with hood/bar placement while I get a stem.
Beautiful bikes. I have a 1999 Waterford R12 64cm frame, if you’re interested pm me
Thanks, Geoff

AF8D6BB0-36D3-4FB4-82A1-52E5ADCFBE74.jpeg


8E667B9C-DE29-4B29-83C0-69FB58120764.jpeg


351A6175-E985-4AB4-BE59-457EB56DB739.jpeg


A14E4EC8-C7D0-4434-BC5A-47F250A63FAD.jpeg


00F15FD7-AD47-4F6B-A10C-67FC23859304.jpeg


863FD5B4-3767-4120-92A1-AA8784FE6830.jpeg


4A36BC68-998A-4F4A-B983-CBDFEFBCBE69.jpeg


F66C6564-C45B-449B-A05F-DE9525359BC9.jpeg


3A8D0FC8-07F9-4FF1-AA76-B9A5E6C3CB81.jpeg
 
While I'm thinking about it, Nitto's Tallux stem, which is actually the tall stem on my bikes above, is a forging like Nitto Pearl.

I rode my engineered-drive '57 Lenton in an aggressive position like that to keep the top looking original - first cockpit had my old Maes bars and GB Forged Hiduminium stem.
ap4150003-jpg.jpg

I was fast on it but finally finally decided my back wouldn't put up with it.
Of course Nitto steel stems are famous, have the face plate that makes bar swapping easy. When Tad gave me GB Map of England bars, I kept the cockpit above intact, and built those bars on Nitto U-12. Didn't help that much with the reach, and this was the cockpit I was riding when I decided my back wasn't going to put up with it.
308b5610-f535-47e4-a6db-cdcf14dc1953.jpg

Rivendell followed with a milder Dirt Drop "Face-Plater" stem from Nitto , and I snagged one of the first run - much better price then ($90), and even the 2nd run is sold out now. This stem put me back on this bike indefinitely.
1673530

1673531 1673532
Thanks for the note on your Waterford. I'll keep it in mind, but won't be this year - I put way more than I expected in my Mercian.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top