Mercian... should i take it

Somebody has offered me a mercian (80's) complete bike with forward facing dropouts for £100, will it make a good fixie and should i just grab it, hes going to get me pics. I was thinking about using it for my first build, or should i wait unitl I find something with rear facing dropouts. Wonna get rid of the langster, once built

TAKE IT! For God's sake take it! Keep it as a geared bike so you have one fix and one beautiful English handmade roadbike.

damn you and your friends!

dont know if i can do the geared thing again, would it be sacrilege to convert it?

Front facing dropouts don't matter at all when you're fixafying a bike. (Technical term). All that matters is that you can adjust the chain tension. Take that bike mate but perhaps consider nicholas' idea of keeping it geared!

Take it regardless of what you're gonna do with it - consider the rest later!

Decided. If its all in good nick which I think it is (supposedly hardly ridden and locked in a garage for years) I'll get it, are parts easy to come by or is it matter of hauling through ebay if i want something

Well, depends what sort of parts you're after! Its not sacrilege to fixafy it, decide when you get it. If you do decide to make it into your new fixed steed then with any luck the stem/bars/saddle/seatpost/front wheel & brake (if you ride with one - brake that is.)/BB/cranks/pedals will all be salvagable.

Mind you locked in a garage doesn't necessarily = good nick. You may have to regrease the stem & bottom bracket. but all of this is irrelevant because its a vintage mercian for £100. you lucky bastard :(

If it's got vertical dropouts you could just use that White Industries eccentric hub you can get. fixafy anything with one of those.

^ even one of those bad-boys.

front facing drop outs are fine... £100 for mercian is brilliant. if you convert it, you;ve got so many of the parts already (bar, stem, head set etc...) on the bike, the conversion will be well cheap

But it'd be nicer geared I'd say..

keep it as it is...

bite his hand off.

keep it geared my friend

There was a mercian fixed on BCF classifieds a few days ago for 150 - I rang as soon as I saw it but it had already gone. Shame..

buy it, fix it, ride it

you lucky beggar.

what ever you do don't take an angle grinder to an of the braze ons.

TheBrick(Tommy) what ever you do don't take an angle grinder to an of the braze ons.

+1

No worries I dont intend to butcher it, I'll keep all the original parts when and if i fix it

Should be getting pics emailed this weekend, off to NY tomorrow but will post if I get a chance

ras Somebody has offered me a mercian (80's) complete bike with forward facing dropouts for £100, will it make a good fixie and should i just grab it, hes going to get me pics. I was thinking about using it for my first build, or should i wait unitl I find something with rear facing dropouts. Wonna get rid of the langster, once built

i tell you what why don't you buy it and i will give you 125 for it.

£126

;-p