This is my 1980 Mercian Olympic, purchased from The Spoke in Boulder, Colorado. The Olympic was Mercian's entry-level frame, nothing fancy, but all 531 db. The importer specified a few extra braze-ons, and I had the frame repainted, spread to 126, and additional braze-ons added in 1990. Over the years it has been used for loaded touring, commuting, day rides--you name it. It spent about 8 years in the garage rafters, having been superseded by a Cannondale T700 and a Rans V-Rex, before I resurrected it in 2005. In 2006, I had it powdercoated by Spectrum Powderworks, then applied the transfers myself.

Now I ride it often, commuting to work and taking day rides in the country. It would make a fine light touring bike, but for loaded touring, I have to say the Cannondale and Rans are both more stable and take wider tires.

Components are mostly stuff that I had sitting around, from the 90's to the 70's:
Wheels - Specialized 32-hole hubs, 15/16 ga db spokes, Mavic rims, Avocet tires
Crankset - Campy Record, now with TA triplizer 42T ring, on a Shimano bb with 3 mm of spacers on the drive side
Gears - Ultegra rear, Campy Athena front, Shimano 14-28 7-speed freewheel, Shimano 7-speed indexed downtube levers
Brakes - Shimano 600
Saddle & post - Brooks B17, Campy Super Record
Headset - Stronglight Delta
Stem & bars - Nitto Technomic Deluxe, SR Custom
Pedals - Performance $30 pedals
Saddlebag - Carradice Barley
Fenders - SKS

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