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This bike appeared in the Reader's Rides section of the Summer 2012 issue of Cycling Plus magazine on page 54.

 

2011 Mercian Strada Speciale

 

FINISHING AND COSMETICS

Frame - Reynolds 853 with Reynolds 631 forks and stays

Frame Color – No. 1 Emerald Green Flamboyant

Head Tube, Seat Tube Panel, and Bands – No. 7 Ruby Flamboyant lined with No. 10 Gold Polychromatic.

Lug Lining – No. 10 Gold Polychromatic. Cast Clover Leaf Cutouts and Fork Crown Cutouts filled with No. 7 Ruby Flamboyant and Lined with No. 10 Gold Polychromatic.

Down Tube – Gold Gothic Text Transfer

Head Tube – Mercian Headbadge

Seat Tube – Crest Transfer

Top of Seat Tube – 853 Tubing Transfer

Brake Guides – 3 Through Guides on Lower Left-Hand Side

Rear Dropouts – Vertical

Geometry - Custom

 

COMPONENTS

Full Campagnolo Athena 11s silver alloy gruppo

Campagnolo Record alloy threaded headset

Campagnolo quick release skewers

Campagnolo cables

White Industries H2 and H3 hubs (Front-32H and Rear-36H)

D/T Swiss Competition double butted spokes and Pro Lock brass nipples in Black Color

Mavic Open Pro rims in Silver Color

Schwalbe Ultremo DD 700 x 23C tires

Schwalbe SV15 40mm butyl inner tubes

Nitto S-83 seatpost

Nitto Technomic stem

Nitto M190 Euro 80 handlebar

Nitto Bottle Cage R

MKS Prime Sylvan Touring Pedals (Silver Color)

MKS Super Deep Steel Toeclips

MKS Spin-II Pedal Flips

Brooks B15 Swallow Chrome Saddle in Honey Color

Brooks Leather Bar Tape in Honey Color (with oil finish on wood plugs)

Brooks Toe Straps in Honey Color

Zimbale Leather Saddlebag in Honey Color

Jagwire Tube Tops rubber cable/frame protectors

 

Fred

Kentucky, USA

 

** The Zimbale Leather Saddlebag is just the right size to hold a Lezyne Pressure Drive mini pump, an inner tube, and some tire patch supplies and still maintain the leather and steel retro look. ( www.zimbale.com/default/ )

 

Also, I did put a light colored oil finish on the Brooks handlebar plugs before the bike was assembled because I did not like the look of raw unfinished wood.

 

Finally, a couple of somewhat unusual features of the bike include:

 

(1) the Nitto M190 Euro 80 handlebar, which I had to order from Alex's Cycle in Japan. ( www.alexscycle.com/handlebars/road-1-2/nitto-m190-euro-80...) This handlebar is compatible with European brake levers and has a second groove for Campy Ergopower cables. The curve is slightly different on this Nitto bar as compared to the Nitto STI bars for Shimano levers, and it flows better into the Campy controls.

 

(2) the three through guides on the lower left side of the top tube. These guides allowed the use of a full-length shielded rear brake cable which resulted in a nice feel when working the rear brake, less chance of something gumming up the rear brake cable, better alignment with the modern cable routing of the Ergopower controls, and a somewhat retro look of a completely shielded rear brake cable.

 

 

Done