Parkpre did Ti, steel and aluminium – it isn’t any of them (they also ran front mech cable under the down tube).

I’m with you on the uncertainty of it being a Merlin – it 100% ISN’T the same as one we have here. Ours also has quite s-bendy rear seat stays if that helps to identify it.

I’d say a Merlin Malt

Deffo not 🙂

Ribble cycles did a tange tubed frame with that finish in the 90’s. I had one for a while before it got nicked. It looks very similar if it isn’t one. Merlin cycles did polished alloy frames (malt series) or steel Rock Lobsters which were all painted.

Handsome dog?

…a mail order frame only you’d see in MBUK years ago.

And it seems to pre-date v brakes….check the cable hanger on the rear stays.

On closer examination, there’s a decal on the seat stay that says something like ‘quad’ stay?

Marin went for champagne coloured frames in 1994-95?

But the cable routing along the top tube throws me…looking reminiscient of a mid 90’s Orange p7.

And it’s obviously not an orange, going by the non-wishbone rear.

Hmmm 😐

If it helps date it, I had those forks on a 1996 Diamondback. They’re pretty good for 60mm elastomer forks.

Not an Orange, they always had the ‘fork’ style seat stays. But it is early 90s. Come the mid-90s bikes had lost the canti-cable boss on the seat stays in favour of v-brakes.

Those XT mechs are around 1993/4, but the v brakes are circa 1996.

Back in the day a mate had a very similar frame by ballistic.

Nice, that. Is quite similar to KHS though, but the 1993 catalogue does not have the reversed integrated seat clamp. But does have similar cable guides including the canti guide http://www.retrobike.co.uk/gallery2/v/Manufacturer+Archive/KHS+Archive/Catalogues/1993/
P’raps it’s from a nearby year?

Not sure what it is but as mentioned, it’s mid 90’s. The canti bridge and what look like M737 XT parts confirm this.

I wouldn’t pay £140 for it to be honest as you can get much better for less. If you are happy to get a 90’s bike you could easily pick up a good bike with better parts from one of the established brands for less.

EDIT: Scrap that..

It’s a piece of crap.

🙁

What’s up with it?

Frame’s nice enough, whatever it is (nice rear stays), but it’s a bit shagged as a bike. Certainly not worth investing in sorting out.

It’ll make the money back in bits & I’ll just keep scouring. First dud in (a dozen?) bikes I’ve bought, so can’t complain.

Nice looking frame, IMO. 🙂

Fork service manual can be found here.