Mercian or Bob Jackson?

^
62cm+
£Depends

Jos normally has a nice selection of large frames

Can't help sorry mate. Mine are all in the 56/57 region

If I was you I wouldn't get either. Anyone can get a Mercian or a BJ. I'd wait for something really special to come up something a bit more rare with a bit more history behind it like a Gillott or a Hetchins or Maclean, Hobbs of Barbican, Harrison something like that. But that's just me.

get a condor, on account of them being really fucking good bikes.

Percorso for a man of your means

jonhings I might be interested, that sounds my size. Have you got any pictures?

Sorry for the thread hijack!

get a condor, on account of them being really fucking good bikes.

Percorso for a man of your means
walk in with your finest tweed coat and hat, then they'll measure you up on the spot. can even park the rolls out the front.

presactly

hubjub have a couple of bareknuckle framesets available. i think they are lovely. are you set on luggage?

(nobody... mention.......katana.....)

Ahem, its *pearl *so not as white as teenslain's Mercian! Its lined, but some of that is a little shoddy - the friday afternoon British car type thing I guess. I assume BJ have started to pass on the lug lining to underlings now that they're so busy.

Snowy, sorry buddy but your BJ is cream... BDW's frame is true pearlescent, my Mercian's paintjob is a cheap Vaz facsimile... It is pearl tho' and not white! ;)

@ OP: Mercian, Mercian, Mercian, Mercian... Ya probably get mah gist...

Bob Jackson build v nice frames, superb quality.
Mercian also Build excellent frames of equally superb quality.
take your pick, have a dabble, follow what you like.
Me , i would have a Bob Jackson just because they are historically good and go back to neolithic bike era.

I'd go Mercian, my brothers got one and its amazing. I've got a Bob Jackson road bike but would definately go Mercian if I was buying new.

I've had three custom Bob Jacksons, and they've reconditioned two old frames for me. Every time, the work was awesome. Unfortunately, the time scale for the builds makes me think they have Tolkien's Ents building for them, but the finished product is sooo beautiful.
As for Hetchins, the really quality builder from the 50's 60's and 70's folded, and to keep the name going, for about 10 years all Hetchins, even those beautiful super ornate ones, were built by none other than Bob Jackson's. I believe they are now being built by someone with no link to either shops, but is just building under the Hetchins name, which he has bought.

Tru dat. i spoke to hetchins regarding a new build. but they were straight up about their plans. shame he was thinking of a Mercian ;)

I would go Mercian. This is the one I had a few years back. It is the only bike I wish I never sold! It rode so smoothly, nothing else has come close.

http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/2005/jan/chris.htm

i'd like to get Dave Yates to build me a bike if I could pay/be arsed.

Honestly I think both are great bikes but Mercians just have something Jacksons don't. Gotta love that great overtly british baroque old school feel.

^ I'd go for a Mercian over a BJ for same reason, and you see a lot of Bobs but not nearly as many Mercs

mercian's seem more sturdy than the BJ's, which seem some flexy that the BB moves 1" which you trackstand :O

dave yates for sho skully

Mercian are being a bit crap with me about my lost f&f...

Me: 'hello I haven;t received my frame you sent via Parcel Farce last friday. How long's it supposed to take?
Mercian: 'Umm 48 hours.'
Me: 'So... can you chase it up?'
Mercian: 'sorry I can't find your paperwork, the guy who does all the courier stuff isn't at work today, but I'm sure he must have sent it.'

grrrrr

Mercian are being a bit crap with me about my lost f&f...

Me: 'hello I haven;t received my frame you sent via Parcel Farce last friday. How long's it supposed to take?
Mercian: 'Umm 48 hours.'
Me: 'So... can you chase it up?'
Mercian: 'sorry I can't find your paperwork, the guy who does all the courier stuff isn't at work today, but I'm sure he must have sent it.'

grrrrr
dude, i had heaps of issues with parcelfarce fucking up pick-ups for mercian for some reason :(

Or, you could try Ron Cooper http://www.veloworks.com/roncooper/coopergallery/pages/bluescroll.html who now makes the BATES Cantiflex for Bates themselves http://hometown.aol.co.uk/reclassicbikes/Bates_Photo_two.html. You are spoilt for choice really. Or maybe TJ.Cycles http://www.tjcycles.co.uk/lugs.htm, or a nice Witcomb http://www.witcombcycles.co.uk/bicycles/index.htm.

I think the Mercian, TrevorJarvisCycles, and the Bates are all good bets for quality bikes and purdy lugwork.

mercian's seem more sturdy than the BJ's, which seem some flexy that the BB moves 1" which you trackstand :O

dave yates for sho skully

I desperately wanted your Yates when it was for sale but i didnt have the money...now i have the money but!... who bought it in the end? Forum member?