Please help a newbie i.d. my bike

[Dodge]

Hi everyone.

Can someone please help me to work aut what my frame is and roughly how old it is.
I bought the bike with a few bits missing/worn out about a year ago on ebay and the guy told me he got it from Merlin Cycles a long time ago but as with most things on ebay that might not be 100% true.

I'm guesing from the brakes and the RC35s it's quite old but i'm no expert.

There's a number stamped where the back wheel bolts on that says - TA 501370419

I don't know which areas of the frame you need to see to work out what it is so let me know and I'll take some more pics.

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[hoegaardenadds1]

does look like one of the merlin malt bikes.

 

[development_cycle]

slightly resembles a Marin, a few little areas here and there look Marin-esque.

 

[ratbane]

Alu Bike

It looks almost exactly the same as a build I did on a no-name Taiwanese alu frame, back in 1995 ish.

Same forks and wheels, and gripshift.

Didn't hail from South Wales did it?

I had it badged up as a Marin, cos it looked a bit like an IFT.

 

[Anthony]

It could be a Merlin. I've got the October 98 MBR here and even as late as that the Merlins pictured in their ad had canti bridges just like that one. If it is a Merlin it's a MALT2, not a 1 nor a 3, as the style of the seat stay/seat tube cluster varies. The cable routing etc all matches. But it could just as easily be something else. But then why should the man lie to you? With all due respect to Merlin, it's not quite the same as if he was claiming his watch was a Rolex. If it is a Merlin MALT2, it was at that time sold for £175 and made of double-butted 7005.

I didn't know Merlin ever dealt in Pace forks though, that's more like AllTerrain = Handsome Dog

 

[Dodge]

Thanks for the help guys.

I got it from a bloke in Coventry but it's allways possible he got it from someone in South Wales,
Visualy it's allmost the same as when I got it except it had purple Yeti grips and no tyres and didn't have the pound shop lights.

The cable guides look very much like a Merlin Malt but all the pics I can find have bolt holes for a second bottle holder which mine hasn't got.
I cant find many good pics of old Marins to compare it to.

The guy I bought it from seemed quite honest but just didn't seem to confident about answering any questions about it. He wouldn't have any need to lie about what it was anyway as I just wanted a light bike, which it is.

I did once buy a Rolex from a bloke in Turkey who told me it was genuine. Quite sure he was lieing but for 50 quid it looks the part. :roll: