# How does an early 90's Extralight stack up?



## fast ferd (Jan 30, 2009)

I'm a newbie here, so go easy on me. Searched through the topics and did not see anything specific concerning my questions. Here's the low down:

I recently munched my 06 Kestrel Evoke. I liked it, but it rode on the stiff side. My much older 200sci rides buttery smooth, in comparison. :thumbsup: 

Anyhow, in an effort to economize, I thought of building up my early-90's Merlin Extralight with D-A 7800 (pulled off the Evoke). My wheelset could be D-A 7801's or conventional 3-cross clinchers.

I purchased the Merlin off eBay (fantastic deal) last year and the ride really impressed me. It's in nearly pristine condition, except for the customary decal disintegration. I disassembled it after a few hundred miles and stored it away for, what I initially thought would be a long time.

With this in mind, here's my questions:

1. How does the ride of my Merlin compare to the new titanium models/brands?
2. How does the ride compare with the newer carbon fiber bikes from Time, Specialized, Trek, etc?

Great forum here. I plan to participate more.


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## fast ferd (Jan 30, 2009)

I thought I'd give my thread a nudge. Maybe I put it in the wrong category to begin with. 

Comments encouraged.


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## spastook (Nov 30, 2007)

Early Merlin Extralight should ride very similar to a Merlin you would purchase today. Huge emphasis on stiffness these days but the Extralights were IMO just the right blend of stiffness vs. comfort.


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## Ria (Jun 7, 2007)

fast,

Nice pick-up. Think about using acetone to remove those old decals. Either leave it decal-less or get a new set to apply. The older Merlin's are keepers. New sealed b/b are available for the older Merlin's if that's what you have. Enjoy the durability and ride of the Extralight!


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## fast ferd (Jan 30, 2009)

Ria said:


> fast,
> 
> Nice pick-up. Think about using acetone to remove those old decals. Either leave it decal-less or get a new set to apply. The older Merlin's are keepers. New sealed b/b are available for the older Merlin's if that's what you have. Enjoy the durability and ride of the Extralight!


Merlin sent me their newer decals. However, a friend of mine agreed to give me a set of the old 90's version. How lucky is that? 

Fortunately, mine uses the conventional bottom bracket. Otherwise, I would've been screwed trying to install a 7800 crankset.

I'll post pics when I complete the build. Maybe somebody said it somewhere on this forum, but these old Merlins have a surprisingly nice ride. Underrated perhaps. And maybe accused of being overpriced. The welds on my '94 are very clean, too. Amazing craftsmanship.


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