A 1936 Mercury is getting a new life.

[sandmangts]

I started this project back in January and it has proven to be the most challenging rebuild I have done. I have built and restored several modern and vintage mountain bikes but never anything this old. I have always wanted to do a retro mod klunker so when this popped up on Craigslist for a song I had to grab it.

This was the day I got it.

First things first. Gotta get that badge cleaned up.

After lots of consideration I chose a path for the build. I decided I wanted a bike that can handle my morning commute with style and allow me to take the off road route through my local canyon on the way home. There are plenty of hills so I wanted gears but I wanted low maintenence with a nice clean look. I am also used to modern hydro disk brakes so I wanted front and rear brakes with plenty of power.

Here it is during a mock up build to test fit and cold set the rear spacing to handle 135 mm hubs and check the frame alignment.

After the fit test I opted for an inexpensive powdercoat for durability as I intend to take this bike off road. Here are some pics of its current condition.

I used a TruVative bmx to english bottom bracket adaptor with a Shimano UN-72 bottom bracket. The cranks are 172.5mm Electra TA copies with an FSA 42 tooth ring and double bash guard. The truss rods are off an old schwinn and needed to be trimmed a bit. The rest of the build will consist of:
Shimano Nexus 8-speed internal geared hub with a roller brake on Araya 7x rim.
Sturmey Archer 70mm drum brake hub on Pro Stock rim up front.
Magura Moto style brake levers.
Skull Skates moto handlebars.
Pro Neck 2 stem.
Brooks b-72 saddle
Suntour xc-2 pedals

Still have lots of work left. There have been lots of challenges. The bottom bracket adaptor had to be milled to fit. Finding a proper headset, and cold setting the frame was a little scary but I think this will be a great daily rider.

 

[Rat Rod]

:shock: :shock: :shock: DROOLING :shock: :shock: :shock:

 

[user 135]

Way cool build. Lots of neat parts. How are those Electra cranks? They look nice.

 

[thekid]

man! the black makes all the parts "pop" nice project!

 

[Rat Rod]

Electra's site is having trouble when you try to view the crank sets.

I'm guessing those set you back a pretty penny considering they want $299 for a set of hubs.

 

[59punk]

that badge just screams at you with the black.....nice choice!

 

[Rat Rod]

Your part selection reminds me a little of the Schwinn I built last year....only yours has more class. :lol:

 

[sandmangts]

Your part selection reminds me a little of the Schwinn I built last year....only yours has more class. :lol:

That bike was actually one of the bikes I looked at for inspiration. I really like the matte finish and the simplicity of the build. For this one all the parts I have are silver or chrome so I thought straight black with lots of shiny parts would look cool. The cranks were actually priced very reasonably considering the quality. I got them at a bike show for $160 with no sales tax or shipping. I assume the final price will be considerably higher. I don't know how they ride yet but the workmanship is nice.

This bike is going to be a tank. I suspect the build weight will be close to 35 pounds. Good for training, I will ride this to a from work all week and then jump on my 26.5 pound Ellsworth Epiphany for my weekend rides.

 

[deorman]

That's about average weight for that type/era of bike. Looks gorgeous. 8)

 

[sandmangts]

Made some progress. Still waiting on handlebars. The fork is a little tired so I may go with a chrome Tange cruiser fork if I can find one. I like the truss rod look but I do intend to use this bike off road. Once the bars arrive I will be able to continue. Oh and before you ask, yes I am going to cut the post.

 

[Hammond Eggz]

...wow...just...wow...

 

[Gold Street Customs]

Very nice, I need that front pro class wheel....but so do you....I will find one :wink:

 

[59punk]

This is gotta be one of thee sickest frames I've sever seen in my life!!! :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: How are those tires working out? Looks tight!

 

[Half Link]

Did you say “Off Road” :shock: :shock: That bike is turning out Amazing!!

Very nice detail work. Great job! :mrgreen:

 

[sandmangts]

Did you say “Off Road” :shock: :shock: That bike is turning out Amazing!!

Very nice detail work. Great job! :mrgreen:

Yes, it will see some light trail duty. I will leave the heavy drops, hucks and downhills to my Ellsworth. Main use will be my daily commute which is 7 miles in the morning on the road and 9 miles in the afternoon on the trail. Sure I could just get a hybrid or just keep using my mountain bike but wheres the fun in that? I just think of it as training, a few weeks of climbing hills on this should whip me into shape.

I am not so sure about the gearing but the nexus hub came with 3 different cogs to use and they are very easy to change.

 

[deorman]

Yeah, those bikes are pretty tough, but not airborne tough. :mrgreen: I'd guess those cool looking rear dropouts are the weakest link. :| Shore iz purdy. 8)

 

[sandmangts]

Yeah, those bikes are pretty tough, but not airborne tough. :mrgreen: I'd guess those cool looking rear dropouts are the weakest link. :| Shore iz purdy. 8)

Yeah if it is gonna break anywhere that will be the place. The great thing about steel is it can be fixed. Hell I only paid $65 for the frame and all the parts. I sold the morrow hub on the bay for over $70 and paid $80 for the powder coat so if it breaks I don't have alot to loose. Sure would be a shame though. Don't worry, I won't beat on her too hard.

 

[socal_jack]

Seems like in reading some of the Mt Tam and other accounts the main failures were forks(some of this was due to the soft 5/16" axles) and welds in the main triangle. Very soft steel all around, flat forged forks are especially weak definitely want some struts to reinforce them.

 

[deorman]

Changing out the fork is pretty much a given when going performance with an older bike. Like you say, flat forks can be fairly soft, and therefore prone to sideways deflection. Some trusses help, but a lot of them are just window dressing that do nothing. Those upgraded wheels will probably help as much or more. As far as the frame welds go, some are definitely stronger than others. I've only seen one of this specific frame in my life, it seemed to be quite robust.

 

[sandmangts]

Changing out the fork is pretty much a given when going performance with an older bike. Like you say, flat forks can be fairly soft, and therefore prone to sideways deflection. Some trusses help, but a lot of them are just window dressing that do nothing. Those upgraded wheels will probably help as much or more. As far as the frame welds go, some are definitely stronger than others. I've only seen one of this specific frame in my life, it seemed to be quite robust.

The wheels on this thing came out super stiff. As soon as I can find a decent chrome fork like a Tange or Cooks it will most likely change out the forged one. The truss rods on it now offer no additional support in this configuration, strictly for the look at this point. I really don't forsee any problems with the frame. It is built like a tank.