Vintage Mercian Vincitore build.
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- čas přidán 4. 03. 2022
- In this video we build a 1983 Mercian Vincitore. Great addition to my collection. This is supposedly new old stock. Has some shop wear. Thinking about making this bicycle more of a touring bike. Check out the video and give me your opinion.
Music by Bensound.com
History of Mercian.
www.merciancycles.co.uk/about...
Once again thanks for what you do here John, appreciate you taking the timeto share your passion.
Don't know if anybody else has commented on this, origin of the name Mercian: So yes, Mercia is the name of one of the ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdoms that pre-date the establishment of a single country of England in 927AD. Mercia covered the whole central area of England (the midlands) and was a mixture of the 2 groups, both Angles and Saxons (all of the other kingdoms being predominately one or the other). Mercia means 'border people', as they were the group that bordered up against the Britons of Wales. Derby is one of the main cities of the area now, close to one of the ancient royal areas of the original Mercia.
I have a 1960 Mercian Superlight that I acquired as a gift from a work colleague of my dad's back in 1979 when I started racing at the age of 14. It's a road frame with track ends, very typical for British club riders of the 50s and 60s. I used it for a lot of years as my 'work bike'. The lugwork is simply beautiful. This is what I love about these handbuilt steel frames - you know a real craftsman has put his experience and desire to do a great job into them. I'm halfway through a re-build with a very tricky derailleur conversion - without disturbing the track ends. Certainly not original (not something I'm too fussy about), but will create a practical useable bike I can ride with my friends who are on their soul-less black carbon machines. All good fun!
Wow! That is some great history. It is funny how many people refer to the new carbon fiber as soulless. I could see that, many of those carbon fiber bikes were built in one of three factories. Someone is just putting a sticker on it. The old bikes were built individually, with passion with artistic creativity. I know it sounds a little idealistic, however, I ran a shop in the '80s when all of the brand names abandoned manufacturing and went to China, Japan, or Taiwan to build their bikes. Bikes. The '80s were horrible in that respect. So it's nice to see a Mercian, Bob Jackson, Carlton, Raleigh, Schwinn, Paramount etc. Were individually built by the company that claims to have built it.
And here I thought it was original with me. Maybe we’re all thinking it. Months back I said, “…the new carbon bikes. They’re…well, soulless. They have no soul.”
Isn’t that part of the beauty of cycling? We have hand-built, almost jewel-like precision machines that are both beautiful, and reliable, and can quickly transport us to anywhere we want to go.
I've been riding Mercians since 1981, currently I have a 2008 King of Mercia that was fitted for me by Mercian in their shop in Alvaston. I see no reason to ever replace or 'upgrade' it. It's a beautiful machine and fits perfectly with my personal cycling philosophy.
This bike you've built up is so good.
Thanks. They are great frames! I think im switching the parts with my Strada Speciale. Im going to put the triple on the Vincitore. Thanks for watching!
A bling frame needs the gold bling of the Titanium Nitride coated chain and freewheel. Somehow goes well with the English leather saddle. I enjoy your channel, thanks for sharing your amazing collection. My daily driver is my 1986 Tomassini Racing (purchased on layaway when i was in college). Condolences for the loss of your dad.
Thanks! and Thanks. Great daily rider! Cool you still have your college bike! Thanks for watching.
Lovely bike. You did another great build John. I am sorry to hear of your father’s passing. Perhaps you could do a special build in his memory. Keep the bike videos coming. I appreciate your comments about the cable routing and your reasons. Can I just say that as it’s pre 1987 it’s a Eroica qualifier and should you/any would be future purchaser of the bike even want to ride in an Eroica event the brake cables must go over the bars. That is their rules. As for swopping the parts from one Mercian to another I would say leave as they are. Both bikes now look superb. I live in Nottingham just 10 miles from Derby the home of your Mercians. Funny how bikes travel the continents. Best wishes and look forward to your next presentation.
Thanks for the input. I honestly don't have any desire to go to Eroica.
I don't live far from Tamworth which was in the heartland of the Mercian Kingdom :) cool castle there to.. great vid dude lovely build as always.. Pete
Thanks! Check out my others!
Cruising through and ran into your channel. It is Vincintor"e". Mercian did build these frames with the braze on front derailleur hanger. When you order they would ask what crankset and ring sizes. They still build these frames
I have owned 12 Mercians. My oldest is a 1973 Super Vigorelli. I rode this on the Northbrook and St Louis Velodromes. My brother took it over in 1976 and raced it for over a decade. Dan ownes Grande Performance in St Paul and has many Mercians in his basement. I recollected the Vigorelli and have ridden it for the past ten years. Then I had Merican repaint two years ago and it is now full modern Campagnolo Record Pista. I have ridden it since at the Atlanta Velodrome.
Wow. You're the Mercian king! Awesome. I have this and my Strada Special. Great bikes with excellent craftsmanship.. Thanks for watching.
Twelve? I guess we now know who the king of Mercia really is!😁
This is a beautiful bike. I remember when a local bike shop sold Mercian frames and I always admired them.
You dont see many around here! I always wanted one. Love the lugs!
Excellent content. Stunning builds.
Thanks! I appreciate you watching.
@@JohnsVintageRoadBikeGarage I've shared it with two friends who will appreciate the Mercian builds on show. Very inspiring 👍
Beatiful bike. Congratulations.
Thank you!
Wow….stunning John. Beautiful build that bought a smile to my face.
First world problem….umm in the 1980’s I remember that a green bike was unlucky😮
LOL. I never heard that about a green bike! Thanks for watching
The paint looks awesome
Thanks. I love the lugs
Hi John, loved the rebuild of a fantastic looking bike. Nice to see another as i also have a very similar but slightly older model. Would love to send you some pictures as mine is set as a touring bike.
thats excellent. I actually converted this one to a triple. Here is another video. czcams.com/video/nbmmIY-AVzE/video.html
Should be a fantastic comfortable bike. Thanks for the build.
Thanks! Cant wait to ride it.
Like the beard John. Beautiful bike. Just picked up a Mercian, at least I hope it is one, and it's got that gorgeous green pain underneath a respray. Got a Brooks saddle landlord of time to deconstruct & build. First I need to find the serial number & identify it.
Thanks for the inspiration.
btw, l live only about 30 miles from Derby (spelt Darby in centuries past, hence the pronunciation). Might give them a visit.
Interesting on the Derby history. Good luck with that bike! If you look at more "recent" videos you'll see more on the Mercian. Thanks for watching.
Another beauty John! I like to "wet" my spindles and bolt/washers as well. High flange hubs, the best. Gave you a shout out in my next video coming out on Tuesday. Keep em coming. Always Love seeing your bikes and garage as well. Sorry to hear about your Dad.
Thanks so much sir. I greatly appreciate it.
Another amazing bike sir,thanks
Thanks. More coming!
Great looking bike and lugwork. Some construction notes...I would use a plastic sleeve on BBs with any steel frame. On a display bike I never use grease only oil so nothing oozes out. Though dry fit rules the day with these OG spindles I can see lubing the flats sparingly to ease removal and not go crazy torqueing it... again on a display bike only. I would er on the side of longer rear mech cables often not shortening the Campy noodle as supplied. That way the cable can be shortened out on the road if necessary. I generally solder the cable ends and stay away from those crush on end caps ( cleaner looking and cable can be removed for service). Please ask the CZcams people to buy you a Campy T wrench. Sorry about your dad, I miss mine alot even though it's been almost 25 years.
Thanks for your suggestions. I do have a plastic sleeve in the BB. I just dont think I showed putting it in. I dont build a bicycle without one! Maybe one day I'll get to solder the ends! LOL Thanks for watching.
John, I enjoyed watching you build up the Vincitore. I went to the Mercian shop many years back and was measured up for the same frame in red with the barber pole and lug lining in white and it still looks beautiful today. I moved from the UK to Massachusetts and the bike sits in my basement today along with some Hetchins frames. You cannot beat fancy lugwork! You have an amazing collection of bikes and I salute you. Keep it up!
Thanks I appreciate it. Hetchins in on the must have list for sure!
@@JohnsVintageRoadBikeGarage As it happens I have a Magnum Bonum for sale on eBay this week!
@@gcgopro6912 just saw it. Great looking bike. Good luck!
all the best from Berlin, Germany
Thanks so much!
Hi John. Great work. I was a Mercian importer/dealer in the 70s. Still have my 1972 custom built Road Professional with 3" spearpoint bracket lugs.. Great bike as I am tall. As good s anything the Italians ever made. You know that Semichrome polish with a fine brass brush will dress and remove or hide moderate rust and you can make those Campy shifter washer and locks look new. Keep it up. Slim
Hi. love to see that Professional. Ive used SemiChrome before but never used it with a brass brush. I'll try that. Thanks for watching.
Yes! Definitely switch the parts. Much more appropriate that way for both frames. Had a set of Weinmann Concaves in the late 70s. They were the only rims that could stand up to my 190 pound track racing tendencies. Those Mercians are absolutely gorgeous.
Thanks Im really considering changing the parts over
I have Weinmann Concaves on my Keith Lippy
what a beautiful bike !!
Are you a fan of those lugs like I am?
@@JohnsVintageRoadBikeGarage Yes, I love these bikes because they are works of art.
Love the bike!
Thanks, Can't wait to ride it!
I’m sorry for your loss.
Thank you!
A true gem.
Thanks Tim!
Beautiful bike! I myself would not put the triple on that frame. It's perfect as is.
I have a video more recent that switches the drivetrains from my Mercian Strada Speciale and the Vincitore. check it out
Love the look of the gold freewheel and chain! Back when I used ProCompe freewheels, the chain lube always covered the cogs with black gunk. What's the proper lube to keep the gold stuff shiny?
As far as brake cables... do whatever makes you happy, even if it's wrong. ;-)
OTOH, please replace that valve stem with something closer to 40mm or 30mm. It's getting harder to find short valve stems, but the long ones look as bad as having your trousers two inches too short.
As far as picking the right parts for the right Mercian... the green one has rear rack fittings, so it should have the heavier wheels and a rack... and maybe the triple crank? The red one should get to be the racy one.
Thanks for sharing the fun!
Hi, I'm with you on all of it. I think im going to switch the parts over for sure and get a rack with a four point mount. MY LBS doesnt even have the short valves. The long ones just dont look right. I'll be switching them out! Thanks for watching
Paraffin wax.
wow! thats nice!
Thanks! I love the lugs!
Love the bike! I have a very similar colour combo Chris Bishop, Do you know about him John? My condolences as well!
Thanks, No. I'm not familiar with Chris bishop.
Haha! I buy the counterfeit hoods , and I never use to but as an adult I am definitely a Dust Capper. 😊
I tend to be a dust capper as well! cleaner loook
@@JohnsVintageRoadBikeGarage right now it appears I'm a broken rear axel kind of a guy, hahaa. Thinking about putting on the solid campag track axel, what do you think? Let me know in the comments. Oh, also, Happy Holidays 😊
@@davecipres6612 Solid axle? what hub and bike? What do you weigh?
@@JohnsVintageRoadBikeGarage haha , a low flange campagnolo super record with 6 speed freewheel on a Concorde Colombo . I should stress that I am a bicycle messenger in San Francisco if that means anything. I ride everyday like a crazy person, hahaha.
@@davecipres6612 I'd say if your last one lasted you a long time stick with the standard QR axle. Plus if im not mistaken I believe that the track axle may be to short.
You're right the cables do look a bit long and loopy... Frankly i prefer the aero brake lever, even possibly though less "authentic" looking. The TRP RRL SR is a recent resto mod fav. Even though riding an old frame, etc., the cockpit needs to be comfy and safe. And my pref is to put the widest tires the bike can handle - often 28mm or more. Ride is much smoother and - rumour has it acc to Rene Herse - no slower (and often quicker) than with the skinny 21s, 23s, etc. What's the most number of gears you can get on a vintage Record, C Record or Chorus hear hub? 6, 7 or even 8? Im starting to mix and match parts a bit but havent really sat down to figure out what can work on what and the limits of these things. Fun to watch this. It would be nice to see them out for a ride. Not enough vids of people actually riding vintage bikes...
First, I dont build these to be daily riders. I'm not building them for ultimate comfort as you are. I try to be authentic with the builds. I have modern daily riders that are build up with the ultimate equiptment for that. I do have a couple vintage frames that are build modern too. The C record hubs I have are threaded and I have seen up to 7 speeds so far on those hubs. I do plan on riding these bikes on camara sometime this year. Thanks somuch for watching!
built to last forever
Oh yes. Like a ship
Very, very impressive and beautifully built bikes…sadly they’ve just gone out of business in 2024. 😢
@@andyml1 Good news, they were just purchased! I talked to the new owner and they are opening again soon
@@JohnsVintageRoadBikeGarage I’m really pleased to hear that. They’re superbly built machines and popular with our Audax riders here in the UK. Love your channel and have subscribed. 👍👍
Hi John! The bike looks fantastic but I couldn't help but notice that there weren't any crimps on the cables (brakes and shift). Was that done Intentionally? If so I'd be really curious why. Thanks!
Hi. Thanks for watching. The bicycle does have cable crimps. I sometimes just dont show every step. Sometimes I want to finish a video and Im missing a part or something because I have two shops. One at home and the other at the garage. Good eye!
Picture quality looks great for a phone. Do you have a phone mount for filming with your phone or how are you mounting it??
I either hold the camera or I have a tripod
I really enjoyed this. Are you merely a collector, or do you plan to sell some of these bikes?
I'm a collector. Not a flipper. I haven't sold a bike in over six years.
A wonderful bike build-up and then…CLINCHERS! BLASPHEMY!!
Those that watch my channel see many sacrilegious acts so buckle up LOL.
Hey John, do you own a 70s bob Jackson, and if so, how do you like it?
Hi Jeffery, I dont have one. sorry
All good except the brake cable routing which should go behind the handlebar rather than under it
Says who...lol
@@JohnsVintageRoadBikeGarage Well you did say in the vid that we all have our own preferences. I just think my way looks better. There's no functional advantage
HI mate can try put a bicycle frame on a frame and put it on a wall thx
Interesting idea.
any bottechia?
No. not yet. check out my other videos, they show my collection! Thanks
Switch the wheels off the other Mercian but keep the gold freewheel
Sounds like a plan
Primo
Thanks!
I think you put the bearings in the wrong way around mate
Nope. Its all good. Everything is smooth and in order! thanks for watching.
That is what I thought at 4.07. I could be wrong.
@@colinmackie8857 YOUR RIGHT
Sorry you lost your Dad.
Thank you!