Mercian welded frame - 1949
Owned by: Peter Underwood
I had never ridden a
Mercian until
I restored a 1954 25" Vigorelli which had belonged to Dave Keeler (also
in Readers' Bikes). I enjoyed riding it so much it inspired
me to
restore this welded frame which was sitting unloved in our garage. What
clinched it was when I found that I could get the correct transfers
which are of an earlier type, as shown below. Although the frame had
braze-ons for gears the rear ends were only 105mm so I could only
squeeze in (and it was a squeeze) a four-speed block to go with the
Simplex Tour de France gear. Again it rides beautifully.
| Frame | Mercian welded frame - number 4953 (1949); road
ends; 24” to top of top tube -
24½” to top of
clamp; 23¾” top tube;
17”
chainstays; 74° head 72° seat;
brazed-on down tube
Simplex gear lever boss plus BB pulley and cable eye on
chainstay; brake eyes under top tube; pump pegs
rear
nearside of seat tube; grease nipple BB; mudguard
eyes on
ends: Forks oval to round with
2¾” rake. Original finish copied by Mario Vaz |
| Wheels | 27" Weinmann rims on Bayliss Wiley SF hubs 15/17
DB spokes |
| Chainset | Chater Lea steel 6½”
chainset with round cranks and 46 x 3/32 chainring |
| Pedals | Lyotard with Christophe toeclips and straps |
| Gears | Simplex Tour de France 4-speed with Simplex
braze-on lever with wing nut adjuster - 4-speed block 15-24 teeth |
| Brakes | GB Coureur front and rear brake with early
Superhood levers - white cables |
| Stem/Bars | GB alloy spearpoint stem - 3½"
with GB Maes Alloy bars 38cm |
| Saddle | Brooks B15
Swallow |
| Extra details | Model with
early
transfers, down tube ‘MERCIAN’ cascades rather than
side by
side lettering. Head badge has names of both Crowther and
Barker. Fitted with dark green Bluemels mudguards for winter riding. |
 Rear end showing seat clamp for
welded frame
|
 Front end with period Simplex
gear lever and GB Coureur brake
|
 Original paintwork reproduced
with early seat tube transfer
|
 Drive chain with Chater
chainset, Simplex Tour de France gear
and GB wingnuts |
 Very early Mercian down tube
transfers |