Today I rode over to Filip Sport to talk about the possibilities of
building up a bike. Yes, it is decided, I have ordered a Merlin Works
4.0 bike at ABG today. The ride over to Hoeilaart , and back , was one of the fastest I have ever
done on some parts of the Overijse Bloso routes. This bike really makes
me fly, the suspension mellows out all the trail irregularities and I
can fully concentrate on pedalling. One thing I cannot do with a
hardtail, that is for sure. With a hardtail, you cannot keep on pedalling all the time, lest you get a coup-de-racquette in your back. The ICT suspension deals with this beautifully and you feel more relaxed on your bike due to the greater comfort. Even though I have been biking pretty tough
rides these last 4 days, I still felt remarkably fit . Whether this is
due to the bike or if I am just in the form of my life remains to be
seen but this bike for sure makes me ride pretty fast. I added a few
steep climbs I would normally hardly make with a hardtail and this bike took them all quite easily, I just had to pedal and point it in the right direction. In climbing it rivals the Moots YBB which I still feel is among the best bikes to ride up a hill with. I can keep the Merlin testbike until
this saturday and I am planning at least 2 more rides with it. I feel this bike is a major step forward in the way I bike. Filip of
Filip Sport will build up the bike. The buildup will consist of Shimano
XTR front and rear derailleurs, shifters and crankset; Hope Mono Mini
Pro discbrakes with Shimano XTR rotors, Dt Swiss XR1540 disc wheels and
either a Race Face X0 or Thomson seatpost. I will use my Morati M-bar
and the Rock Shox Reba World Cup that has been lying around waiting for
a bike for almost a year now. I have not decided if I will use 160/160 brake rotors or will opt for a 180mm at front. I have that last setup on the Moots and the stopping power is awesome but a bit over the top, even for the Ardennes. Normally the frame will be delivered within 3 weeks.
Ride Stats : 49.5K and 335heightmeters in 2h7mins
7674/71935
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