Merlin Cycles has come under the wing of Germany’s CycleFusion Gmbh

Interesting given Brexit. Maybe that will help with supply issues?

I hope they don’t change too much under the new ownership.

When they were in Leyland there were famously miserable. The move to Chorley obviously upset them as they were slightly friendlier for a while but they returned to their curmudgeonly ways soon after.

The move to Chorley obviously upset them as they were slightly friendlier for a while but they returned to their curmudgeonly ways soon after.

Are you local? I find they’re generally lovely and helpful, apart from one particular miseryguts.

The one with the glasses, by any chance…?

The one with the glasses, by any chance…?

I couldn’t possibly comment (but yes).

UK prices already are higher IME than in the EU. Why not gain access to that market? Effectively a captive audience. ‘taking back control’. Lol.

@chakaping – I was localish and used to pop in a lot as a mate lived nearby.  They’ve definitely mellowed over the years (it’s not possible to maintain that level of grumpiness over an entire career unless you’ve successfully completed the course at the Parisian waiter training institution)

[Pedantic]They are in Buckshaw Village rather than Chorley[/Pedantic]

Pedantic

You’re not kidding.

Always used Merlin as my “go to” internet shopping site. Also because they’re quite near to where I live I’ve often popped in to collect parts if I need them in a hurry. I’ve always found them pleasant to deal with. The (ex?)co owner,Debs is a very accomplished TT’er who is mad as a box of frogs (in a good way I hasten to add !) It’ll be interesting how Merlin cycles move on from here.

it’s not possible to maintain that level of grumpiness over an entire career

We used to have a LBS called ‘Howes cycles’ in Cambridge, was shopping there for over 30 years before they closed. Owner was a miserable bastard the whole 30 years! Apparently no one wanted to take over the shop and pay for the ‘goodwill’ – to which the answer was ‘there isn’t any’. So when he retired it became a cafe.

I’ve always found Merlin to be really nice and easy to deal with, so much I bought two bikes off them and still have both. Hell, I broke a spoke on the Malt-R and called them up to confirm the size I needed for a replacement and they ended up sending me two replacements, plus one each for the other two sizes!

If they are a european-owned business now, maybe, just maybe, I’ll be able to use them again.

Will be interesting. I’ve had many a good bargain from them over the years. Particularly their transmission sales and some forks.

I remember them as a big wheel custom builder a long while ago but that seems to have changed over the years as factory wheel sets became the norm.

I have very fond memories of my Malt 1. When I bought it in 2005 the bloke said “I’m not getting it out of the back unless you buy it”

Does anyone know if those frames were made by Kinesis UK (the Tripster people) or a different Kinesis in Taiwan?

Does anyone know if those frames were made by Kinesis UK (the Tripster people) or a different Kinesis in Taiwan?

I’d take a guess that UK Kinesis is a design-and-marketing arm of the Taiwan operation.

Are they not all the same? Kinesis UK is Upgrade who also own DMR, I presume they all come from the same place(s) in Taiwan.

Anyway, Merlin have been good to me on the occasions I’ve used them over the years, nothing but good things to say about them, hopefully they continue on in the same way.

They may be now but I’m talking about mid-2000s

BTW, I love Merlin and think they’re the best online shop out there. I think the various grumpy individuals that have worked there over the years are highly entertaining.

Always found them an excellent place to deal with. With no car and a limited selection of physical shops I could visit, I scoured their adverts and bought a fair amount of stuff from them with zero issues.

Back in the 90’s and ordering by phone it did seem that there was a degree of ‘grumpiness’ – but to be honest I found it very likeable. I miss that side of mail ordering… I got the same treatment in Fred Williams in Wolverhampton – so it was familiar, especially that both gave me great advice and guidance.

footflaps
Full Member

it’s not possible to maintain that level of grumpiness over an entire career
We used to have a LBS called ‘Howes cycles’ in Cambridge, was shopping there for over 30 years before they closed. Owner was a miserable bastard the whole 30 years! Apparently no one wanted to take over the shop and pay for the ‘goodwill’ – to which the answer was ‘there isn’t any’. So when he retired it became a cafe.

Is that what is now the old bicycle shop? We’ve had some cracking sessions in there!

Is that what is now the old bicycle shop? We’ve had some cracking sessions in there!

Yep – never been in it, but nice they kept the bicycle theme going.

Although could have equally called it ‘The miserable bastard’.

Lol, I know exactly who you mean.

Merlin used to be a super convenient place to pick up stuff on the way up or down the M6 when they were in Leyland.

Didn’t they used to be in Ormskirk before that or am I getting mixed up?

Hope this doesn’t affect them in a negative way, they are often my go to cycling goods website.

Didn’t they used to be in Ormskirk before that or am I getting mixed up?

They did. I used to order over the phone from the adverts in MBUK, they were always reliable and prices were keen.

Was it not originally somewhere like his garage, then Ormskirk, then Leyland, then Buckshaw? Did the owner not originally work in Bill Nicksons? They were properly miserable – I remember asking for mtb brake pads in the 90s and Mrs opened the drawer of pads a fraction and briskly offered the first thing that came to hand. Took much persuasion for the drawer of precious things to be fully opened so I could actually look and choose what I might want. Luckily young Bill nowadays is very friendly and helpful.

Not sure about miserable in the shop. A couple of them (at least one with glasses) are really into retro mtbs and custom steel stuff – usually have something interesting in the back room (Fat Chance etc). Plenty of handy racers / ex racers working there.

I’ve had loads of stuff from them over the years. Possibly the least hassle wheelset of my life-36 spoke xt hubs on some Mavic free ride rims. They were perfect from start to the end of the v brake rim.

I bought a deore group set from there when I worked in a bike shop. Even with staff discount they were significantly cheaper. My boss at the time was not happy.

Used merlin since the 90’s. Find memories of looking a multi page adds in MBUK and either ringing them or getting a lift there before I turned 17. Always found them dead helpful, call in with a component missing a crucial bit and they’d happily rummage round and pass you one from a mechanics toolbox. Was a god send as a kid/student.
Did call in for a saddle once and was swayed by a nice set of Bombers, great I’ll have them. Oh no v-brake mounts? Best Buy a disk brake, ooh that hope is nice I’ll have that. Oh I need a new front hub, might as well get a complete wheel oooh mavic rim and XT hub, I’ll have that. Wandered out about £400-£500 poorer and completely forgot I’d not picked up a saddle.
Used to ride with a few of the mechanics come to think of it. They’d have been late teens as they drive and we were about 15/16 but coppull bmx track, rivi, haigh hall and boarshead trails were our backyard so we’d manage not driving.

Bought a Ti Rock Lobster from them in 2003, i think. Best MTB i ever had, no problems with it whatsoever, and the wheels, which I assume were hand made there, were fantastic, mavic rims on XT hubs, cup n cone.
As for being miserable, no idea as I never went into tbe shop, but when I offered to buy some replacement decals for my Rock Lobster a few years back, they sent them to me free of charge, along with a jaunty email,and a free pack of Haribo if memory serves. Would deffo use em again, theyre my go to first port of call for online bike bits.

A Ti Rock Lobster was my dream bike back in the day.

Never got one 😟

I see them on ebay some times, those and the 853 tig models. Not much money either. I’ve had dodgy ti frames which cracked at the welds, but my Rock Lobster was bombproof. Sorely tempted to get another, thinking about it.

*thinking about it, was there an 853 version, or am i talking shite?

Yes there was an 853 and an Easton ALU (might have been scandium)?