Well it’s finally arrived… big thumbs up to Dan @ Merlin Cycles for his patience in helping me put together a build spec.

Basically, I spotted their custom build option on their remaining (2010) Flux frames. I didn’t like the build (QR Rebas, SLX groupset, DT Swiss wheels, Raceface finishing kit etc) so I asked whether I could put together a completely custom build using the differences in price on their website. He agreed and off I went.

Below is the end result:-

It’s not set up yet and there is a bit more kit to go on it, but the spec reads as follows:-

* Turner Flux frame – Large – Raw finish (very cool as it is completely unpainted)
* Fox RP23 rear shock
* Rockshox Revelation RLT 20mm Maxle Lite dual air forks with Poploc – travel-adjusted down to 120mm (effectively making them Rebas)
* Hope headset – red
* Thomson stem
* Thomson layback seatpost
* WTB Silverado Pro saddle
* Easton EA70 Monkeybars – white – low rise
* Lizard Skins Northshore lock-on grips
* Hope QR seat collar (still to go on)
* Stans Crest rims (32h – white) on Hope Pro II Evo (red) hubs with DT Comp (black) spokes and brass nipples (I was tempted by red alloy nipples, but went for long-term durability)
* Hope (red) rear QR (still to go on)
* Nobbly Nic 2.25″ Snakeskin tyres (will go Stans Tubeless as soon as I get round to fitting the kit)
* Full 2011 Deore XT 10-speed Dyna-Sis groupset including brakes
* Shimano RT76 (180mm front, 160mm rear) rotors
* Shimano M540 SPDs (still to go on)
* KCNC (red) chainring bolts (still to go on)

I haven’t weighed it yet, but will do once I have converted to tubeless and put the pedals on. It feels pretty light though (even though I went for 20mm axle Revs rather than QR SIDs which was the original thought)

I absolutely love it. It is so delightfully different to the hoards of Giant Anthems and Trek Fuels I see around the New Forest, yet thanks to some sensible conversation with the chaps at Merlin, the build cost did not break the bank (all in, it came to just a whisker over £2,100).

The bad news is that Merlin have now sold out of their Flux frames…

Can’t wait to get out and ride it!

Looks like a very good build for that price. Wondering if the next size up would’ve been better though..

i haven’t set it up yet, this is how it arrived in the box… the seatpost was in, but to save scratching it, Merlin set it at the top of its extension… tonight i will drop it to suit my height (6′ with a 34″ leg) and also drop the stem down a little.

my size fits halfway between a large and x-large Flux, so i went with the large officially because it will make the bike a bit livelier, but unofficially because Merlin didn’t stock an XL version! lol

i will post more pics when it’s all kitted up.

Sweet. Loving raw bikes.

cracking price from Merlin there.

you would think something substantial had been missed off. Nice consideration with the seatpost too.

picture could do with some adjustment it’s way out of square.

That looks lovely, a really good looking bike. Shame about the crooked picture frame.

Nice. Like it!

I have a 2010 5-Spot, with the same forks but left set at 150mm, all bought off Merlin.
5’11” here & also running a large frame.

lol.. the picture frame is perfectly level… the photo was taken at an angle… i apologise profusely for my crap photography… i will take some more pics out in the garden this evening (so you can all comment on my messy garden!)

mine comes in at 25 1/2lb

Look at the rug. The picture is fine, but everything else is wonky.

Get riding man, looks amazing! Bet you’re well chuffed. Great deal too.

Excellent spec for the money. If they’d ever had the 2010 frame deals in a medium when I was able to buy I would probably have jumped at the chance. That’s probably less than half what I ended up paying for my black ano 2011 spec frame with full XTR, SID RLT Ti AM classic + crest wheelset. But I’m far from disappointed, I Love my flux.

i did have to make a few compromises based upon what Merlin had available at what prices.

in an ideal world i would have spec’d Reb RLT Ti maxle lite forks and a 2×10 groupset and maybe a set of carbon bars, but i can always change the crankset at a later date, have the Revs ‘Pushed’ and fit the FSA Carbon Pro bars from C’dale HT.

for the money, i can’t think of a better bike. my yardstick throughout was the Canyon bikes and their value for money. had the build cost escalated I just wouldn’t have been able to deny the Canyon options. i was also mighty tempted by the 2010 C’dale RZ 140’s offered by Pauls Cycles at the mo’, especially the one with the lefty fork.

It is so delightfully different

How jolly spiffing.

Why not get 120mm Maxle’d Rebas? Nice bike though, bargain price.

How jolly spiffing.

Why not get 120mm Maxle’d Rebas? Nice bike though, bargain price.

very simply, the only Reba option with a maxle offered by Merlin was a pair of RLT Ti forks at £539.96 whereas my Revs were £359.96. I know the Ti gubbins is probably worth £100 in itself (effectively the cost of having them Pushed which would give a similar result), but by travel adjusting the Revs down to 120mm, I effectively have a pair of Rebas anyway.

it certainly wasn’t a blank-cheque build, so the £180 i saved by going the Rev route was worthwhile

Very nice, good value for a complete bike Freddie

Very nice indeed, and a bloody great price.

Get riding

Very nice looking bike there.

some more pics taken this evening with everything pretty much set up (just a few more bits of red bling to come)

Great frame spoilt with red tat.