Dear All,
Just a note to say that I posted photos of a Mercier bike that I have had for a couple of years now on my blog.
Here is the link:
http://petersclassicwheels.blogspot.com/
I purchased the bike on Ebay and the seller said that it had once belonged to a Mercier team mechanic and was presented to him upon his retirement. This story is unsubstantiated, but the bike looks like it had never been used and had just a few minor scratches from storage.
I have seen just a few Merciers that have a similar decal scheme and one frame that was identical on Ebay about 18 months ago. Aside from this, I know very little about the frame, when it was built and what it was intended for. Was it a retail bike, or a team bike...I do not know. Perhaps some readers may be able to help.
Dating the bike using the date codes on the Campagnolo components may be unreliable as the bike seems to have been put together from components that were rescued from a parts bin. They have various dates from 1980 (hubs) to the right crank, which is 1982.
Whatever the history, I think that it is a lovely bike and represents all the best attributes that only steel-framed bikes can offer...outstanding looks, a ride quality that is exceptional and longevity. I hope that you agree.
All the best,
Peter Rogers
Barrie, Ontario