Merlin Titanium Road Bike Review

The two brands were connected by frame building legend tom kellogg.

Merlin titanium road bike review.

4 0 out of 5 star rating 4 0. Best road bikes under 1 000. Value road bike sorcery. Titanium bikes are prized for the longevity that comes from the metal s resistance to corrosion and fatigue and for its rather lovely silver grey colour.

With a density between steel and aluminium titanium is a great material for bikes. All that titanium and carbon does a good job of neutralising road buzz to keep you comfortable during long rides. Back to the cielo frameset though over rolling roads it s a delight. It s a competent long distance performer with a comfortable ride and is light enough and has the gear range to tackle uphill.

The handling is responsive no matter the speed and no matter if you are in or out of the saddle. Merlin s attention to detail is legendary. A titanium bike can be lighter than steel without the big tubes of aluminium or carbon fibre. From the beautifully designed head badge featuring the famed bird of prey to the s bend stays to the uniform welds at each juncture every handmade aerospace grade titanium bike is not only a work of art but a feat of engineering.

Merlin sandstone titanium gravel bike cyclocross magazine august 29 2019 talk to any oldtimer and the two most coveted titanium brands from the late 80s and 90s are likely merlin metal works and spectrum custom titanium cycles. It has no pretentiousness and very few nods to fads. The merlin feels incredibly stiff and tugged at the wannabe racer in everyone who rode the bike. It s a bike that s designed for the long haul both in terms of the road and life.

After over a month of riding the merlin extralight we found that it was largely what we were expecting. Back in 2008 the helium was ridley s lightest frameset weighing. The first titanium bike to fully achieve the metal s promise it was as strong as steel but lighter and possessed a unique and pleasing road feel slightly more forgiving with a little extra. The merlin cordite ultegra r8000 provides a lot of bike for your money.

Merlin cordite sl review. You won t get the reynolds ouzo pro full carbon fork that we had but the full carbon easton ec90 sl blends strength and lightweight performance equally well.