We had the frame built with the Centaur parts that had been on our former Merlin, plus a few new pieces to fit the larger, 1-1/8-inch steerer tube on the new bike. Shown below are photos of the finished product. The Merlin frame is very, very nicely finished--they have the art of welding titanium nailed. The welds are smooth, the beads almost other-worldly perfect. The tried-and-true Tom Kellogg geometry handles well--the bike is stable enough for easy hands-off riding, but dives into turns confidently. We ran the frame's specs through a calculator and came up with just under 6 inches of trail--right on the money for great handling (Merlin matches fork rake to frame size to keep trail within proper parameters). The Agilis' compact geometry's looks take a little getting used to, but it has a cool, techno appearance that we like (although it's worlds away in looks and philosophy from our Richard Sachs). A few cool features: the oversized top and down tubes, the massive 7/8" chainstays, the one-piece machined brake bridge, and the oversized integrated head tube. Thoughtfully made and bomb-proof, we'll be riding this bike a lot.
Specs: Frame:
Merlin 3/2.5 Titanium Alloy (read about it at http://www.merlinbike.com/english/bikes/agilis.html) About Centaur--We've used Daytona/Centaur equipment for more than a year now (as of March 2003), and can confidently say that it is perhaps Campagnolo's best value. You get a very nicely finished gruppo that works very nearly as well as Record, with a not too significant weight penalty. All this for $589.88 from Branford Bike (a Campy Only sponsor)--at this price, you can buy two Centaur gruppos for the price of one Record gruppo, and have about $100 left over . . . For more info, check out Branford Bike's Centaur page, at http://www.branfordbike.com/gruppos/gruppo3.html
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