1991 Merlin Elevator

Here's a quick peek at a very unusual Merlin. Back in the late 80s and early 90s the elevated chainstay craze was sweeping the nation and it seems like no brand was immune to its immense pull. Not even the king of subtlety and elegance was able to resist the trend and so the 1991 Elevator was born. Word on the street is that Merlin made a mere 150 of these frames and only offered them in 1991. They were available in small, medium and large and this one is an example of the latter. This bike hasn't seen much trail use and is in very good condition. The components are all over the place but there are a few highlights such as steel CQP cranks, Grafton brakes, beautiful albeit cut Syncros post, mint Flite Ti seat and a few other nice odds and ends. 

This is a very unusual bike and quite beautiful. I actually used to own one of these back in 2001 but never saw it built. So this time I will at least take this one out for a ride and see what it's like. I may switch a few things over here and there to make it more rideable, but for the most part it could hit the trails after a couple hour tune up and adjustment.