Merlin Ride Report

With the glorious 3 day weekend, I got several chances to ride my new (to me) Merlin that I bought on Tuesday.

On Friday, I did a quick spin around a local park before taking the bike to the shop to get the handlebar stem fitted to me. The previous owner had neck & shoulder issues, so her stem tilted upwards at a dramatic angle. The bar height was about an inch higher than my Trek's. We quickly remedied that; the Merlin is now sporting a 100mm stem -- I think my Trek only has a 70 or 80mm stem.

While we were dialing in the stem setting, I'd take both the Trek and the Merlin out for rides to compare. Here's the thing: I'd get on the Merlin and think, "Man, what a nice bike! It feels smooth, nimble, efficient, etc." Then I'd get on the Trek, and think, "Wow, this is a great bike too!" If I were trying to decide between the two, I'd have a really tough time coming up with a clear winner. You can't go wrong with either bike.

How does the titanium frame compare to the all carbon frame? They are both sweet rides! I never felt like my Trek had the dead feel that a lot of people attribute to carbon frames. Having completed the AIDS/Lifecycle on the Trek, I can vouch for the fact that riding all day for 7 days on a carbon frame is a very comfy experience.

Saturday I took the Merlin for a quick 35 mile ride on Calaveras. If you start Calaveras from the south, there's a nice, steep climb -- you gain 190 feet in less than a third of a mile. I felt fine climbing this on the Merlin, even though it has higher gearing than the Trek. Then came the fun rollers out by the reservoir. With the longer stem, the Merlin felt much steadier on winding descents than my Trek does. Now, I have no complaints about my Trek, but anything that can give you more confidence on descents is a good thing in my book!

Today I went for a nice ride with dachshund. We did some nice rollers out by Pleasanton. After dachshund headed home, I took the Merlin for another little spin up Kilkare and back down. Every time I descend on this bike, I feel that much more confident. I also think that with its shallower seat tube angle, I may be putting more power to the pedals when doing seated climbing. OTOH, it could be that the Merlin has 170mm cranks and the Trek has 165mm cranks.

One thing, though. There have been times on the Trek where I've found the "sweet spot." I'm going up a hill and decide to stand up to get a little more power as I go up & over the crest. Everything meshes, and it feels effortless. I love the sound the tires make as I'm charging up the hill like that. I haven't quite found that sweet spot on the Merlin yet. OTOH, I haven't even put 100 miles on her, so I have plenty of time to find it.

Hmmmm...
Two wonderful bikes from which to choose for a ride.
Nice! :D
Have fun finding that sweet spot.
Congrats on a beautiful ride.

Hi,

I'm still biased toward Ti frames. So here is my deal! Ti frame will outlast a carbon frame.

As for your comfort on going downhill and stability I think a lot of it has to do with going from a 70-80mm stem to a 100mm reach stem. That 30-20mm extra reach will make a BIG difference in how the bike will respond in turns. Shorter the stem the squirrlier it gets. but if its too long then your weight distribution goes wonkers and your stability is again compromised.

Glad to hear you really love your Merlin. They do make really nice bikes. Ti junkie will give you a more than a nod of approval. Very nice bike. congrats.

Smilingcat

That's a very nice bike! I noticed a couple of other riders checking it out. :cool:

Boy, I guess the heat doesn't bother you much, melissam. :p I'm jealous. I thought I was going to lapse into gibberish a couple of times, from baking my head. It was only 95 when I left. I'm glad you got to go for more of a ride.