ChainLove
Gear Merchant
Merlin XLM 25th Anniversary Frame
It's no secret that we bought Merlin and have big plans to re-invigorate this heralded brand. Among the super-cool stuff we uncovered during the acquisition was a stash of XLM frames in the back of the warehouse. Now if you don't know, XLM stands for Extra Light Mountain. This means that it's the trail-going equivalent of Merlin's legendary Extralight road frame. The XLM 25th Anniversary Frame is outfitted with gold decals to celebrate this milestone for the company that began in Cambridge, MA in 1986. We have a limited supply of these frames, and we're offering them at a nice price so we don't expect they'll last long.
The XLM helps us remember why titanium is a premiere material for the construction of hardtail mountain bike frames. Without modern suspension wizardry, the natural resilience of titanium softens the abuses of the trail. And lest we get nailed for not standing firm to our convictions, we'll admit that we love carbon bikes. But here, thinking of mountain bikes and our propensities for the occasional crash into rocks and brush, the strength and durability of titanium is unquestionably attractive. Merlin uses custom-drawn, US made 3/2.5 tubing for the XLM, and it's nice to know that all of their seamless tubing exceeds aerospace standards for dimensional consistency. If crash-proof is a concern of yours, along with lightness, then Ti is hard to
beat. And perhaps the best part is that your bike can look as good as new with a few extra minutes, a Scotchbrite pad, and a can of Pledge.
Merlin outfits the XLM with oversize tubing to ensure stiffness for sharp handling, but the double butted top and down tubes shave precious grams keep the overall weight down. What you'll feel on the trail is truly snappy acceleration making climbing a breeze. Their MTS size-specific tubing ensures that a medium has the same ride qualities as a small or large. Each tube's wall thickness and diameter is selected to match the frame size. For the most part, the XLM is built on classic "NORBA" geometry, with 71/73˚ head and seat angles. It's a proven configuration and all but guarantees that you'll go fast and be comfortable.
One of the traits of Merlin's bikes is their use of S-bend stays, and that's what you get here on both the seat and chainstays. The shaping leaves you with greater heel and ankle clearance on the outside and more room for knobby tires on the inside. The down tube also bears some manipulation, as it's flattened on the underside, just below the intersection with the straight head tube. The shaping ensures proper clearance for the control knobs on the top of a suspension fork. With a brush of artistry, Merlin adds engraving on the head tube, bottom bracket, and 6/4 Ti dropouts. Aside from the immaculate welding, the engraving is another unmistakable Merlin touch.
Built for carving tight singletrack, the Merlin XLM 25th Anniversary is ideal if you're looking for a three pound frame to serve as the foundation for a supremely light bike. And it won't be good for just one season; titanium's durability is a wonderful thing. The XLM uses top tube cable routing to prevent damage or contamination in rocks or mucky trails. It has two water bottle mounts and IS disc brake tabs on the left dropout. It has a straight head tube with a 34mm ID to accept traditional 1-1/8" headset cups. It requires a 31.6mm seatpost and a 34.9mm high-clamp front derailleur. The geometry is best suited for use with a 100mm fork. The XLM is available in Small, Medium, and Large.
Merlin Bikes are warranted to be free of defects in materials and workmanship for the life of the original owner. The details of the policy can be found on the Merlin warranty page.
Price: $849.99 (39% Off!)
Regularly: $1399.00
Buy Now
It's no secret that we bought Merlin and have big plans to re-invigorate this heralded brand. Among the super-cool stuff we uncovered during the acquisition was a stash of XLM frames in the back of the warehouse. Now if you don't know, XLM stands for Extra Light Mountain. This means that it's the trail-going equivalent of Merlin's legendary Extralight road frame. The XLM 25th Anniversary Frame is outfitted with gold decals to celebrate this milestone for the company that began in Cambridge, MA in 1986. We have a limited supply of these frames, and we're offering them at a nice price so we don't expect they'll last long.
The XLM helps us remember why titanium is a premiere material for the construction of hardtail mountain bike frames. Without modern suspension wizardry, the natural resilience of titanium softens the abuses of the trail. And lest we get nailed for not standing firm to our convictions, we'll admit that we love carbon bikes. But here, thinking of mountain bikes and our propensities for the occasional crash into rocks and brush, the strength and durability of titanium is unquestionably attractive. Merlin uses custom-drawn, US made 3/2.5 tubing for the XLM, and it's nice to know that all of their seamless tubing exceeds aerospace standards for dimensional consistency. If crash-proof is a concern of yours, along with lightness, then Ti is hard to
Merlin outfits the XLM with oversize tubing to ensure stiffness for sharp handling, but the double butted top and down tubes shave precious grams keep the overall weight down. What you'll feel on the trail is truly snappy acceleration making climbing a breeze. Their MTS size-specific tubing ensures that a medium has the same ride qualities as a small or large. Each tube's wall thickness and diameter is selected to match the frame size. For the most part, the XLM is built on classic "NORBA" geometry, with 71/73˚ head and seat angles. It's a proven configuration and all but guarantees that you'll go fast and be comfortable.
One of the traits of Merlin's bikes is their use of S-bend stays, and that's what you get here on both the seat and chainstays. The shaping leaves you with greater heel and ankle clearance on the outside and more room for knobby tires on the inside. The down tube also bears some manipulation, as it's flattened on the underside, just below the intersection with the straight head tube. The shaping ensures proper clearance for the control knobs on the top of a suspension fork. With a brush of artistry, Merlin adds engraving on the head tube, bottom bracket, and 6/4 Ti dropouts. Aside from the immaculate welding, the engraving is another unmistakable Merlin touch.
Built for carving tight singletrack, the Merlin XLM 25th Anniversary is ideal if you're looking for a three pound frame to serve as the foundation for a supremely light bike. And it won't be good for just one season; titanium's durability is a wonderful thing. The XLM uses top tube cable routing to prevent damage or contamination in rocks or mucky trails. It has two water bottle mounts and IS disc brake tabs on the left dropout. It has a straight head tube with a 34mm ID to accept traditional 1-1/8" headset cups. It requires a 31.6mm seatpost and a 34.9mm high-clamp front derailleur. The geometry is best suited for use with a 100mm fork. The XLM is available in Small, Medium, and Large.
Merlin Bikes are warranted to be free of defects in materials and workmanship for the life of the original owner. The details of the policy can be found on the Merlin warranty page.
Price: $849.99 (39% Off!)
Regularly: $1399.00
Buy Now
