Merlin SRAM force

ddarkeh

Evening,

Would anyone recommend the Merlin Sram force currently on sale for £1,175 I mean the spec for the money is unreal but i'm wondering if anyone has any experience/opinions/thoughts on the frame there offering (looks like the wiring is internal from the pics, would anyone be able to identify the BB?) i'll not post the URL as it may constitute as advertising but if you look on merlin cycles website you'll find the offer

Code: MERLIN-FORCE
Frame: Full carbon monocoque
Fork: Tapered carbon
Headset: Integral
Brakes: Sram Force
Brake/Gear Levers: Sram double tap
Cassette: Sram PG1070
Chain: Sram
Front & Rear Derailleurs: Sram Force
Bar, stem & seatpost: Control Tech
Chainset: FSA SLK Light carbon
Wheels: Fulcrum Racing 7
Tyres: Continental Grand Prix 4000s
Weight: 16.9lb 54cm
Top tube length: 54cm = 53cm / 57cm = 55cm / 60cm = 58cm. This length is the actual top tube length for the virtual add 2cm

sloppyschleckonds

Merlin?

ddarkeh

lol is that Sarcasm I detect? they are an online bicycle shop think Ribble and Planet X, the branding doesn't bother me but I need to know if the frame is up to snuff. Having looked some more the frame is a 2012 Merlin Malt-CR Road Frame and has been reduced to half from £875 to £449 due to a new 2013 CR but the new one looks like it's worse spec alloy steerer instead of carbon, external routing shapes different and it's alot cheaper than the 2012 model, but I think it may be a pricing strategy as they have a new *high end frame* called evolution

ddraver

Give us a link?

Merlin make good HT MTBs but I don't know about roadies...

ddarkeh

One is a link to the complete bike the other is a link to the frame itself

http://www.merlincycles.com/bike-shop/bikes/road-bikes/merlin-road-bikes/merlin-sram-force-special-offer-road-bike.html
http://www.merlincycles.com/bike-shop/frame-forks/frames-road/merlin-road-frames/2012-merlin-malt-cr-road-frame.html

ddraver

I'm sure the Frame is nothing special, decent Taiwan Carbon Mass produced meh (looks a lot like a Specialized to me)

Think that's a Steal to be honest mate, don't think you ll get much better for the money unless its a PX or Ribble - which are probably the same frames with different colour paint

Might be worth looking at Canyon..?

ddarkeh

Cheers dude,

Yeah i've had a look at Canyon, planet X and Ribble was about to hit the buy on a R872 with Camp Athena when I came across the above

It does look like a lot like a specialized, I've enquired about geometries to see if it matches up to something,

jameses

Nah, seatstays are wrong for a Specialized. Would agree it's most likely a re-badged far east frame, and pretty good value with that spec.

letap73

If its an absolute steal you want:

http://www.westbrookcycles.co.uk/frames ... 12-p194662

http://www.merlincycles.com/bike-shop/r ... heels.html

+£300 to sort out tyres + tubes; bar, bar tape + stem; seat post + saddle,bottom bracket and other issues.

Comes in around £1200.

londoncommuter

Not wanting to sideline the thread too much but what's the catch with the Scott frame at £500? Not sure I like the sound of all that damping and suspension, although is most of that just marketing blurb?

YIMan

No catch, just an absolute bargain. It is a sportive frame though with slightly less "racey" frame geometry.

MarksMintness

Sorry to resurrect again - just wondered if anyone had actually gone through and bought this and had anything to report? It looked fantast vfm and I'd be keen to hear any feedback from owners!