Merlin Single Malt - single speed bike review
Aug 26, 2014 21:11:30 GMT
damo6, ChrisD, and 1 more like this
Post by Deleted on Aug 26, 2014 21:11:30 GMT
A bit different from the normal road bike reviews that are on here (especially now lots of people are upgrading from their Tribans to some pretty sexy machines!), but I thought that this may be of interest to some of you.
I was looking for a new toy to play with, primarily for running around town, and thought that a single speed could be fun. I wasn't going to spend a fortune on it, but the real budget options either looked like they would fall apart after a week (e.g. Create) or were so heavy that they wouldn't be particularly nice to ride (e.g. V1k1ng). After a bit of browsing I chanced upon the Merlin Single Malt (http://www.merlincycles.com/merlin-single-malt-single-speed-bike-61807.html) and decided to take a chance on it. I've had it for a week now, so here are my initial impressions.....
Price: I got it at £260, with £30 delivery charge, so it's still falling into the 'budget' category but is a step above the real cheapo eBay specials.
Delivery: A slight annoyance here on delivery times. Merlin's website says that they use Parcelforce with an estimated transit time of 2-3 days, and this is what was on the order form. However, elsewhere on their site they say that delivery is 10-14 days for custom built bikes. I didn't think the Single Malt would be classed as a custom built bike but it was, so I had to wait an extra 10 days before the bike arrived. It wouldn't be a big deal if it was totally clear on the Merlin website, but it was a bit disapppointing having to wait that bit longer after expecting swift delivery. When the bike was dispatched everything was perfect though; the Parcelforce tracking system worked and the bike came packaged safely with lots of bubble wrap and cardboard protection. All that was needed was to attach the handlebars and the pedals. Everything seemed well set up and all the threads and bolts were nicely greased (and the seatpost) and everything seemed to be at the correct tension.
Frame: The frame is a slim tubed steel number and it's really high quality for the price. It seems that most budget steel frames are Hi-Ten, but this is CrMo which would usually be on a more expensive bike. The welding is really neat on all the joins. It comes in either black or white. Mine is black, and again the paint job is very well done. There are some simple 'Single Malt' decal stickers in the downtube which could easily be removed (I've kept them for now), but it's a classy, refined looking frame. It's also pretty light for a budget bike. I haven't weighed it, but it's a lot lighter than my Triban even taking into account the lack of gears. There is plenty of clearance for mudguards and wider tyres, and it could also take a rack.
Wheels: Obviously you aren't going to get ultra-light wheels at this price but out of the box they were straight and true and they spin nicely. They are of a similar quality to the stock Triban wheels, so are definitely useable and should be fairly robust.
Finishing kit: As usual, a lot of this will come down to personal preference. The supplied tyres are budget 23mm 'CST' branded slicks. While they are perfectly adequate I've ordered some 28mm Schwalbe Delta Cruisers for a bit more comfort and P******* protection at a reasonable price (£30 for a pair). The pedals are by Wellgo and are actually ok, although I removed the toe straps. I got the bullbar handlebars and the brake levers are fine: not high-end clearly but defintely not plastic rubbish. The handlebar tape is ok, perhaps a little hard and shiny, but I won't be changing it straight away. I will definitely be changing the saddle though - it's horrible! It's a rock solid piece of plastic with no give whatsoever, and it feels an odd shape. I've got a Charge Spoon on my Triban and I'll probaly get one of those for the Malt, but in the meantime the stock Triban saddle that has been sitting in a drawer is getting fitted instead!
What's it like to ride? Fun, fun, FUN! I haven't had a bike without gears since I was a kid and it's great to just enjoy riding without worrying about what gear I'm in or whether to shift. Want to go faster? Then pedal harder! Despite the cheap thin tyres and the cement saddle, it's a fairly forgiving ride - I think that's down to the quality of the frame. It gets up to speed quickly and the wheels spin nicely. There doesnt seem to be any real flex in the cranks when putting in the power (although I'm no Chris Hoy!) which is a common complaint on cheaper bikes. The brakes are ok - the levers generate a fair bit if bite although the supplied brake pads aren't great, especially in the wet, but a new set of pads should improve things a lot. The bike itself is really easy to handle and it has been enjoyable to ride around town on it. I was worried that the gearing would be too high for me, but I've managed to get round Edinburgh, a fairly hilly city, on it.
Would I recommend it? definitely! The nearest comparable bike is probably the Charge Plug, but the Single Malt is around £100 cheaper and, other than the saddle, seems to be of a very similar quality. An extra £50 for new tyres, brake blocks and a saddle and I think I've got just as good a deal as the Charge. Time will tell how it holds up, but it appears to be a very well made machine. Possibly the Triban 3 of single speeds?
I was looking for a new toy to play with, primarily for running around town, and thought that a single speed could be fun. I wasn't going to spend a fortune on it, but the real budget options either looked like they would fall apart after a week (e.g. Create) or were so heavy that they wouldn't be particularly nice to ride (e.g. V1k1ng). After a bit of browsing I chanced upon the Merlin Single Malt (http://www.merlincycles.com/merlin-single-malt-single-speed-bike-61807.html) and decided to take a chance on it. I've had it for a week now, so here are my initial impressions.....
Price: I got it at £260, with £30 delivery charge, so it's still falling into the 'budget' category but is a step above the real cheapo eBay specials.
Delivery: A slight annoyance here on delivery times. Merlin's website says that they use Parcelforce with an estimated transit time of 2-3 days, and this is what was on the order form. However, elsewhere on their site they say that delivery is 10-14 days for custom built bikes. I didn't think the Single Malt would be classed as a custom built bike but it was, so I had to wait an extra 10 days before the bike arrived. It wouldn't be a big deal if it was totally clear on the Merlin website, but it was a bit disapppointing having to wait that bit longer after expecting swift delivery. When the bike was dispatched everything was perfect though; the Parcelforce tracking system worked and the bike came packaged safely with lots of bubble wrap and cardboard protection. All that was needed was to attach the handlebars and the pedals. Everything seemed well set up and all the threads and bolts were nicely greased (and the seatpost) and everything seemed to be at the correct tension.
Frame: The frame is a slim tubed steel number and it's really high quality for the price. It seems that most budget steel frames are Hi-Ten, but this is CrMo which would usually be on a more expensive bike. The welding is really neat on all the joins. It comes in either black or white. Mine is black, and again the paint job is very well done. There are some simple 'Single Malt' decal stickers in the downtube which could easily be removed (I've kept them for now), but it's a classy, refined looking frame. It's also pretty light for a budget bike. I haven't weighed it, but it's a lot lighter than my Triban even taking into account the lack of gears. There is plenty of clearance for mudguards and wider tyres, and it could also take a rack.
Wheels: Obviously you aren't going to get ultra-light wheels at this price but out of the box they were straight and true and they spin nicely. They are of a similar quality to the stock Triban wheels, so are definitely useable and should be fairly robust.
Finishing kit: As usual, a lot of this will come down to personal preference. The supplied tyres are budget 23mm 'CST' branded slicks. While they are perfectly adequate I've ordered some 28mm Schwalbe Delta Cruisers for a bit more comfort and P******* protection at a reasonable price (£30 for a pair). The pedals are by Wellgo and are actually ok, although I removed the toe straps. I got the bullbar handlebars and the brake levers are fine: not high-end clearly but defintely not plastic rubbish. The handlebar tape is ok, perhaps a little hard and shiny, but I won't be changing it straight away. I will definitely be changing the saddle though - it's horrible! It's a rock solid piece of plastic with no give whatsoever, and it feels an odd shape. I've got a Charge Spoon on my Triban and I'll probaly get one of those for the Malt, but in the meantime the stock Triban saddle that has been sitting in a drawer is getting fitted instead!
What's it like to ride? Fun, fun, FUN! I haven't had a bike without gears since I was a kid and it's great to just enjoy riding without worrying about what gear I'm in or whether to shift. Want to go faster? Then pedal harder! Despite the cheap thin tyres and the cement saddle, it's a fairly forgiving ride - I think that's down to the quality of the frame. It gets up to speed quickly and the wheels spin nicely. There doesnt seem to be any real flex in the cranks when putting in the power (although I'm no Chris Hoy!) which is a common complaint on cheaper bikes. The brakes are ok - the levers generate a fair bit if bite although the supplied brake pads aren't great, especially in the wet, but a new set of pads should improve things a lot. The bike itself is really easy to handle and it has been enjoyable to ride around town on it. I was worried that the gearing would be too high for me, but I've managed to get round Edinburgh, a fairly hilly city, on it.
Would I recommend it? definitely! The nearest comparable bike is probably the Charge Plug, but the Single Malt is around £100 cheaper and, other than the saddle, seems to be of a very similar quality. An extra £50 for new tyres, brake blocks and a saddle and I think I've got just as good a deal as the Charge. Time will tell how it holds up, but it appears to be a very well made machine. Possibly the Triban 3 of single speeds?