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I have one of the second frame you're selling.
They were made for a small independent over here. Manufactured by Merlin. It's a Tange MTB rifled tubing frame.
I've got the frame and fork.
They only made about 20 and only 6 came with the front forks.
Mine corroded in the same place as yours. Looks very minor though.
Nice frame and very comfortable.
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Many thanks for the info. - Sounds like a decent frame.
Merlin, as in https://www.merlinbikes.com, the Ti builder? -
That's fantastic. Can already tell too big for me, but someone is going to be over the moon with that.
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Dibs unknown frame please, pm on the way
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This is the only blurb I've ever been able to find about frame 2.
They're as rare as hens teeth.
From what I can gather. The remainder of the UK frames were bought by a Dutch distributor and marketed under another brand name. Common practice at the time.
The bike in the photo is a Merlin, for a long time, Merlin Cycles used to offer a steel frame that they called a TDB (for Tange Doubled-butted) and their blurb said it was made with 'the latest Tange Spiral-butted tubeset', so although I've never seen another one, I presume the bike in the photo is one of those TDBs. It has a spiral-butted seat tube as well. It looks as though the spiral is an externally-applied butting, which must strengthen the tube, perhaps sufficiently to enable a thinner-gauge tube to be used.
The TDB used to sell for £135, whereas the Merlin WCS, which was made out of the highest grade of Tange/Ritchey tubing, was £199. As ever, these were very good value frames, always highly-praised. I imagine that the TDB wasn't heat-treated, but would have been at a level just below Prestige. i.e., at or slightly above the quality level of a generic 4130 db frame.
I don't know of any other manufacturers that used the spiral-butted tubeset, but Tange dominated the market in those days, so if they were making it it must have been fairly widely used.
All in all, it's a very good frame and a notch above the usual chromo 4130 of that period.
Don't see how you can go wrong at this money.
The tubing feels like a 20 pence piece.
Hope this helps.
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By the way, they all came with this Nickel finish; none of them were painted or powder coated.
Also, that is the original seat post pin.
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@vintageisbest - Thanks for the info.
All frames still available.
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Would love the gazelle but it’s too big.
vintageisbest
damskodonny
spicknspangled
user102085About
1x 26er frame (Landers Oval tubing ?Columbus Max) 1x Gazelle Champion Mondial Super (TEAM)
Posted by
@MattG87
1x Large 26er frame for sale.
1x Large road frames for sale
All were projects that I've made no progress on.
Collection from Bournemouth, or I can deliver to Winchester & Salisbury surrounding areas (within reason).
Landers Granite Pro frame.
Ovalised tubing ?Columbus Max.
Branded as 'USA Design'. - I've not managed to find out much info re: the brand / builder.
Paint has been partly stripped, and there are a couple of small patches of surface rust - nothing serious (see photos).
See photos for dimensions / measurements.
£Moved to eBay
Unknown frame.
Nickel/Titanium? NiTi coating?
I don't know much about this frame. - some minor corrosion/rust at the chainstay bridge.
See photos for dimensions / measurements.
£SOLD
Gazelle Champion Mondial Super AA frame and fork.
See photo below. 61cm seat tube / 57cm top tube.
Will add more details tomorrow.
£Moved to eBay
will donate to forum following sale
10 % Forum donation to be made following sales.
I've got a free 26er fork that I'll throw in to the purchase of the Landers frame.
Dibs then PM. Collection preferred over posting.
PM with any questions.
Thanks.