Chain Waxing. Is it Worth It?
Firstly, I will put my hand up. I admit it, I am old. I rode my first bike race before ‘Back to the Future’ was out at the Cinema. That old. Over th... Read more.
Road Bike Revamp
In a world where we have bikes targeted at every conceivable type of terrain and rider, it’s easy to overlook the fact that the humble road bike can do mu... Read more.
5 Bike Fix Tips for Summer
Are you wheeling your bike out of its hibernation, because summer is just the best time for a bike ride? Maybe you are feeling guilty for just riding your bike,... Read more.
TDF 2023 – Which Race are you Watching?
The week before the Tour De France is always an exciting week. However, there seems to be more than the usual pre-race discussions around the biggest bike race ... Read more.
Orro Road Bike Range
The Orro road bike range offers a wide selection of options depending on what type of rider you are and what type of bike you are looking for. The range is divi... Read more.
Orro Gravel Bike Range
The gravel bike range produced by Orro covers a lot of bases and price points. The bikes are ideal for those wanting the flexibility to head off the beaten trac... Read more.
Summer Style
The summer season is well and truly upon us. If you love the warmer days, longer evenings and don’t even mind summer rain, don’t miss any opportunit... Read more.
Bags of Possibilities…
The world of bike bags has got much bigger in the last few years. Since the huge popularity of gravel biking and bikepacking, lots of manufacturers have taken t... Read more.
Ride in the Heat?
When temperatures creep over 20 degrees C, we get all giddy. While some moan it’s too warm, bike riders are thinking long rides and tan lines. However, th... Read more.
Four Weeks on Two Wheels
There are some compelling reasons for not driving cars as much these days. Over the last few years, as a family, we have been driving less and less. Over the la... Read more.
10 Tips – Going for Endurance
If you are that way inclined, there is no greater feeling than watching your bike’s computer click over into triple digits – 100 Miles… (altho... Read more.
Summer Bikepacking 101
Have you ever dreamt of loading up your bike with essentials and hitting the roads and trails? Long summer days are ideal for Bikepacking, spending time in the ... Read more.
Create More Time to Ride
Frustrated with only getting out for a weekend ride on your pride and joy? With the longer days of summer, here’s our top 10 Ways to create more time to ride.... Read more.
5 Budget Summer Essentials
When it comes to cycling kit, great quality and decent value are two elements which rarely come together in the same product. However, through Merlin’s lo... Read more.
The Best Road Cycling Shoes of 2023
Road cycling shoes, much like bikes themselves, vary hugely in terms of price and specification. Let’s look at the main components and differences to help... Read more.
How to Choose the Right Cycling Socks
You what? Cycling socks are just socks? Now you’ve put your foot in it… Road cycling socks have become much more important in the last few years. Fo... Read more.
Tips for a Top Sportive
Sportive season is in full swing, they can be a fun way to ride on different roads and making new friends. Maximise your chances of enjoying a succesful event b... Read more.
10 Tools ALL bike riders NEED!
A decent set of tools are essential for keeping you riding and minimising running costs. Here at Merlin we are big believers in learning how bikes work and what... Read more.
6 Handy Bike Hacks
Misplaced a tool and need a job on your bike doing? Fear not, check out our bike fix hacks. The temporary hacks below are not supposed to replace an item in you... Read more.
Gravel Goodness
As gravel riding has become more popular and more products and bikes are out in the market, there is an ever growing amount of exceptional bikes and kit availab... Read more.
10 Ways to Improve Bike Performance*
*Without adding a motor. Riding a bike is great fun, that’s why we do it. However, regular riding can gradually make your bike less efficient. Here are 10... Read more.
10 Tips to Ride Faster!
With summer on it’s way (hopefully), we all know this is a great time to ride road bikes. So, how would you like to ride a little bit faster or hang on to... Read more.
Pedals – Beginner’s Guide
One of the biggest changes you can make to improve your bike riding is moving from regular shoes or trainers, to specific cycling shoes and pedals. So what are ... Read more.
Forza Italia! (Part 2) There’s more…
As the 2023 Giro D’Italia begins this weekend (6th & 7th May), we continue to appreciate the volume and variety of bikes and associated products heralding... Read more.
Forza Italia! (Part 1)
The 106th Giro D’Italia begins on the weekend of 6th and 7th of May, on the Abruzzo coast. What better time to consider the volume and variety of bikes an... Read more.
10 Hidden Gems @ Merlin
We have a fair bit of stock here at Merlin. There are brands and items which we sell that can get lost in the bulk and quantity of other products. In the olden ... Read more.
All You Need to Know About Bike Tyres
Tyres provide the vital connection between you and the road or ground. They are also responsible for providing a large percentage of comfort as well as affectin... Read more.
Which Disc Brake Pads Should You Get?
What’s the difference between all the disc pads? Which ones should you get for your bike and your type of riding?... Read more.
Different Types of Road Bikes Explained
Do you know your Aero Bike from your Sportive bike? Or your Gravel Bike from your Time Trialer? Here’s how drop-bar bikes differ. With their big, 700c whe... Read more.
Going Gravel?
Sick of tarmac? Keen to get off busy roads? Longing to explore new routes? Maybe get a little dirty, while gripping drop handlebars? A Gravel Bike could well be... Read more.
7 Tips – BIG Comfort on BAD Roads
While all bike manufacturers tell us their frames are laterally stiff (side to side) and vertically compliant (absorbing shocks and road vibrations), the condit... Read more.
Ride for Transport
So you have ditched public transport or decided to leave the car at home...... Read more.
10 Tips – Time Trialling Beginners Guide
As the UK evenings get lighter and there is some warmth in the air, it’s that time of year in the UK when local club time trials start. Often 10 miles on rela... Read more.
Accessorise Your Bike!
We all know that bikes are great. How can you make them even greater and fit more with your lifestyle? Accessorise! In this blog we look at 5 of the most popula... Read more.
What’s Fresh at Merlin
As we roll into British Summer time in the UK, it’s a great opportunity to spend more time on the bike or just plan some summer rides. We’ve been bu... Read more.
Introducing – Crono Shoes
Here at Merlin we are proud to be the official UK outlet for Crono shoes from Italy. High quality, hand-made shoes from a factory which have been focussed on pr... Read more.
12 Tips SAVE POWER! It’s a low watt life…
Forget the ‘old-school’ fun, enjoyment and health aspects of cycling, it’s all about the watts and power in these marginal-gains obsessed days... Read more.
Avoid These Bike Service Mistakes…
In these days of high prices, supply chain struggles, together with the cost of the living going through the roof, more and more thrifty bike riders are beginni... Read more.
10 Tips – Summer Sportive
Spring is a great time to plan a summer sportive ride. It’s a great chance to capitalise on your fitness As well as sportives and mass participation event... Read more.
Which Inner Tube?
While some riders have gone down the tubeless trail (particularly off-road riders), there are also many who don’t want the hassle and faff of setting up t... Read more.
Road Bike Spring Refresh 2023
The daylight is stretching more into the evening, lambs are playfully skipping around fields, Easter eggs are sold out in the shops, this can only mean one thin... Read more.
Plan Ahead for Summer
As the UK Spring turns into Summer (bear with me, ignore the snow outside 🙂) it is a good time to look at your summer cycling clothing. Is it starting to loo... Read more.
2023 Cycling Glasses Guide
While it might seem odd to new riders, many cyclists, mtb’ers and gravel’ers use glasses all year round – not just when it is sunny. There is a go... Read more.
How to Choose a Gravel Tyre
There are a lot of different tyres available for gravel riding. These differ in how they fit the rim, their size (width & diameter) and tread pattern. So wh... Read more.
Solo or Group Ride?
Ride your own ride or go with others? There are definitely benefits and negatives for both solo and group riding, which do you prefer? Group rides or the freedo... Read more.
Merlin Spring & Summer Clothing
High quality and Great Value are the two core attributes for our Merlin Wear clothing range. From socks to jerseys, we’ve got you covered. Here’s th... Read more.
All Aboard! Get on a Rail Trail…
When disused railway lines get re-purposed into trails for bikes, they often become an ideal alternative to busy roads. Just because they are not economically v... Read more.
Spring 2023 – Top Gravel Bike Products
Following on from the last couple of weeks Road and MTB products, this week it’s our pick of Gravel bike goodies. So if you like your surfaces loose-to-sk... Read more.
It’s Inflation Innit?
Inflation has become a bit of a hot topic in recent times, everything getting more expensive and costs involved with day-to-day life going through the roof. Wel... Read more.
Bike to the Future…
With a bit of regular care and attention, you can turn your two wheeled loved-one into a bona-fide Time Machine! 100 years from now people could be looking at y... Read more.
Brand Focus – Craft
Clothing brand, Craft, are probably the biggest of the cycling manufacturing company’s coming from Sweden. As you might expect, the Scandinavian terrain a... Read more.
Brand Focus – SunRace
Who are SunRace? SunRace products are specified by many of the world’s leading bicycle manufacturers and are also sold extensively in the aftermarket. Alongsi... Read more.
Brand Focus – A2Z
The brand A2Z is the brainchild of a group of hard-core cyclists. They have been designing and manufacturing components and accessories for disc brake systems s... Read more.
Brand Focus – Controltech
The late 1980s were the early days of the mountain bike boom in the US and the UK There were lots of manufacturing businesses which started their journey in the... Read more.
Brand Focus – DMR
The DMR brand began in the mid 1990’s in the UK. The mountain bike boom years in the United Kingdom saw the brand develop rapidly and gain a lot of long t... Read more.
Brand Focus – Pivot
American brand, Pivot, have been focussed on producing mountain bikes since 2007, developing Trail and All-Mountain bikes with a strong following in the mountai... Read more.
Spring 2023 – Top Mountain Bike Products
Following on from Road products last week, here are some great options for those who like their tyres fat and their shorts baggy. Top products for Spring 2023 t... Read more.
Brand Focus – 100%
The uniquely named brand started out back in the early 1980’s in the fast and furious world of Motocross. Since then they have pursued fresh markets 100% ... Read more.
Brand Focus – Kinesis
Kinesis began in the late 1980’s, when former Giant bicycles employees left the company to start a new venture. The brand is based in the heart of Worldwi... Read more.
Brand Focus – Maxxis
From starting off producing bicycle tyres, Maxxis has diversified into tyres for motor cars, caravans, trailers, race karts, mowing and 4×4 Off Road vehicl... Read more.
Spring 2023 – Top Road Products
Time to look forward to Spring yet? Daffodils on the roadside, Spring lambs playing in the fields…Yes please, bring it on! Here are some top products for ... Read more.
Brand Focus – Evoc
Born from a love of mountain sports, adventure and travel, Munich based brand, Evoc, have designed, developed and produced some very innovative products. The na... Read more.
Brand Focus – Wahoo
In the world of GPS bike computers and home trainers, Wahoo have been pushing forward and developing markets. In their relatively short time of existence, they ... Read more.
Brand Focus – Niner
US based brand, Niner, began life back in 2005, just as 29er mountain bikes were hitting the trails – hence the name. The Colorado based company are fully... Read more.
Brand Focus – Orro
There aren’t too many high quality bike brands based in the UK. Orro produce beautifully engineered bicycles. Inspired by nature, all Orro products are de... Read more.
Merlin Malt Gravel Bikes
Our Merlin Malt gravel bikes have been a strong seller over the last few years. We specced our first gravel bikes back in 2017 and the latest Malts are the resu... Read more.
Brand Focus – Spinergy
Wheel specialists Spinergy first rolled into the cycling world in 1990. The US based brand arrived on the scene with a revolutionary product which showcased the... Read more.
Brand Focus – Simplon
It would be easy to look at the Simplon range of E-bikes and think the brand must have launched on the E-bike wave in the last few years. However, the reality i... Read more.
2023 Bike Check
Maybe you’ve got hooked to Zwift, been out running or down the gym through the worst of the winter months? Follow our bike check guide to make sure your b... Read more.
Brand Focus – Zipp
The late 1980’s saw several manufacturers start up with a focus on producing fast carbon fibre wheels. Zipp was one of those companies, they initialy set ... Read more.
Those Noises You Don’t Want to Hear
Listen to your bike. Just like your other loved ones, it will tell you when it’s not happy or getting worn out. Those clicks, squeaks, rattles and knocks are ... Read more.
Brand Focus – Zefal
There are not many cycling product manufacturers as old as Zefal. For 140 years the French based company has been producing accessories for bikes. What’s ... Read more.
10 Ways you are Ruining your Bike?
Got a bike that you love, cherish and adore? Clothing that makes you feel like a bike riding superhero? Take care of them. Here are 10 ways you might be ruining... Read more.
Australian Road Champ’s 2023
Last week saw the best Australian bike riders line up in their respective road cycling events. The Australian Championships are usually the first in the world t... Read more.
Brand Focus – Vision
Hawaii is not the first place you would think of for founding a bicycle component company. However, Kona is the home to the Ironman World Championships each yea... Read more.
Brand Focus – Park Tools
Park Tools began back in 1956 when Howard Hawkins and Art Engstrom invented a bike stand that held the bike off the ground allowing easy, access to any part of ... Read more.
Brand Focus – Vittoria
The large collection of bike brands from Italy often have a deep history in the sport. Italian based tyre manufacturer, Vittoria, is no exception Early Days Ita... Read more.
Brand Focus – Wizard Bikes
Wizard Bikes are a sub-brand of Merlin Cycles Ltd. The Wizard brand offers low-cost, high-quality bikes – delivering reliable, fun transport for all membe... Read more.
Brand Focus – Ibis
The early 1980s in California saw many early mountain bike brands begin their trail to off-road dominance. 1981 was the year Ibis came into being. Scot Nicol wa... Read more.
Love ❤️ Winter Outdoors?️
With the Northern hemisphere winter half way through – Come on, we can do this! Regardless of whether you are a road or off-road rider, it’s fair to... Read more.
Low Cost Winter Products
Riding a bike regularly doesn’t have to be a costly experience, check out our hand-picked range of budget-busting low-cost products and accessories to kee... Read more.
Keep Surviving Winter – like a BOSS!
It’s that time of the year again in the northern hemisphere. Summer is a distant memory, it’s now either cold, wet or miserable, or maybe all three&... Read more.
Brand Focus – Veloflex
Describing themselves as the tyre artisans, Veloflex have been producing specialist tyres, deep in the heart of Italy, since the early 1980’s. The brand h... Read more.
No Tubes for 3 Years
Following the initial ‘12 Months Tubeless‘ and the following ‘24 Months Tubeless‘ it’s time for 3rd edition. Spoiler alert! The pu... Read more.
2022 – Blog Top 10
It is that time again; Christmas tunes on the radio, ‘The Italian Job’ on TV, it’s time to take a look at the most popular blogs of 2022. If y... Read more.
2023 – BYOB! (Build Your Own Bike)
In this modern world, where bikes of every type are squeezed through the industry marketing machine, there is still something to be said for building your own b... Read more.
It’s ‘Love Your Chain’ Day…
Ok, there isn’t an official ‘Love Your Chain Day’. But there really should be… If there is one vital bit of the bike which can get negle... Read more.
Brand Focus – TRP
The brand is widely known for their braking systems whch have been their sole focus since they began manufacturing. TRP started life as Tektro in 1986, the bran... Read more.
Brand Focus – Troy Lee Designs
Two elements in life were strong and constant for Troy Lee – Racing and Art & Design. This was the case when he was 12 years old and is still the same... Read more.
Brand Focus – Token
Token was founded in Taichung Taiwan in 2002 by James Chang. However, in reality the brand started many years before that. James’ Mechanical Engineering b... Read more.
Brand Focus – Topeak
Topeak is a company founded in 1991, right in the heart of worldwide bicycle production, Taiwan. The company has since evolved to become one of the world’s la... Read more.
Brand Focus – Time
French company, Time have been around for some, er, Time… Sorry, since 1986. One of a raft of companies setting out create a new French revolution in cycl... Read more.
Brand Focus – Stan’s No Tubes
Since 2001, Stan’s No Tubes have been focussed 100% on tubeless technology. In 2001 they developed a method to replace inner tubes with a liquid sealant t... Read more.
Brand Focus – Spatzwear
2017 was the year that Spatzwear launched. Founder, Tom Barras, had studied Industrial Product Design and also had a solid stint as a full-time bike rider. Thes... Read more.
Brand Focus – Speedplay
The Speedplay company was bought by cycling tech’ giant, Wahoo in September 2019. However, the pedals are still widely known as Speedplays… Before t... Read more.
Brand Focus – SeaSucker
Florida based brand Seasucker began in 2005. The family owned business started off making marine accessories for boats which used an innovative vacuum mount tec... Read more.
15 Tips – Get WINTER READY!❄??
Are you prepared for riding in the Winter months? Here are our top tips for going into battle against the elements this winter… Mudguards If you are ridin... Read more.
Brand Focus – SKS
German brand SKS started out over 100 years ago, in 1921. They manufacture a wide range of accessories for bikes. The company is proud to be producing goods in ... Read more.
2023 Merlin Malt G2 Claris
It’s Back… Here at Merlin we were surprised at how quickly the original G2 Claris bikes disappeared in 2020. Even by wild 2020 standards, they came ... Read more.
Brand Focus – Sidi
Sidi are arguably the most iconic name in road cycling shoes and an undoubted market leader. The current president, Dino Signori, used his initials to name the ... Read more.
Brand Focus – Selle Italia
Selle Italia is one of the longest running businesses producing bicycle components. We are not talking last century, but the one before that! They started makin... Read more.
Brand Focus – Rotor
Back in 1994, Pablo Carrasco, an aeronautical engineer, and Ignacio Estellés, a lawyer, had a vision that it would be possible to revolutionise cycling technol... Read more.
Brand Focus – San Marco
Founded in 1935 by Luigi Girardi, San Marco have been in business nearly 90 years. The company produce saddles by hand and hand finish them in its Italian facto... Read more.
Brand Focus – RockShox
RockShox are the worlds’ leading manufacturer of suspension forks and rear suspension units. With 30 years of experience in the industry, they are the mos... Read more.
Brand Focus – Restrap
Leeds based brand Restrap got started in a back bedroom in 2010. Founder, Nathan made himself some pedal straps, his mates wanted some too and before he knew it... Read more.
Brand Focus – Ritchey
In the 1980’s and 90’s there were several huge MTB brands emanating from the US state of California. These industry cornerstone brands really helped... Read more.
Brand Focus – Ridley
Formed in Belgium in 1996, Ridley has grown rapidly to become a big brand and a worldwide force in bikes and framesets. Early Days Jochim Aerts had ben involved... Read more.
Brand Focus – Renthal
Kickstart the Business Over 50 years ago Andrew Renshaw and Henry Rosenthal used their names to create their company name, Renthal. Working from an engineering ... Read more.
Brand Focus – Ravemen
The range of bike lights available these days is dazzling. So for a relatively new company, such as Ravemen to enter the market, not only must they bring great ... Read more.
Brand Focus – Race Face
Canada is home to some large worldwide cycling brands. While Cervelo, Argon 18, Norco and Rocky Mountain produce a wide range of bikes, there’s one brand ... Read more.
Brand Focus – Polar
When brand names are instantly associated with the products they sell, you know they are dominant players in their market. This is true of Polar. The company ha... Read more.
Brand Focus – Praxis
As bike brands go, Praxis is a relatively new business, starting just 15 years ago. However, Founder David Earle had plenty of experience before starting up the... Read more.
Brand Focus – Pirelli
The Italian tyre manufacturer Pirelli are one of the oldest tyre brands. They began an experimental tyre production-run for velocipede tyres in 1890 – jus... Read more.
Q&A – With Spatzwear
It’s over five years ago that I headed out on Barden Moor with Tom Barras. It was a filthy day in August, wet and windy – definitely Yorkshire Dales... Read more.
Winter Gravel
Entry level to mid-range gravel bikes are a great option for keeping the wheels turning through winter. “But, what about the rain and filth?” I hear... Read more.
Brand Focus – Pedros
Boasting an extensive range of tools, lube and maintenance products, Pedros have become a brand which bike riders around the world rely upon. But who is Pedro? ... Read more.
Brand Focus – Peaty’s
There are not many names bigger in the UK bike industry than Peaty’s. Steve Peat, the legendary Sheffield rider has won more than his fair share of massiv... Read more.
Brand Focus – Panaracer
A post war success story, Panaracer began rubber production in 1952. However, as the popularity of bicycles for use as transport and leisure increased, they soo... Read more.
Brand Focus – NiteRider
There are lots of cycling brands that started out because of an un-met need or requirement. Niterider started out by accident and by necessity. Tom Carroll was ... Read more.
Brand Focus – Northwave
While manufacturing ski-boot liners way back in 1971, little did Gianni Piva know that he was starting one of the biggest worldwide sports brands. The Italian f... Read more.
Brand Focus – Muc-Off
Starting off just before Merlin Cycles in the early 1990’s, Muc-Off began life as X-Lite, founded by Rex and Marilyn Trimnel. Producing a selection of hig... Read more.
Brand Focus – Moon
One of the shining lights in the world of Bike lights, Moon produce excellent quality lights which work extremely well and offer excellent value for money. So, ... Read more.
Brand Focus – Michelin
Over 130 years ago, two brothers Edouade and Andre Michelin had a farm supply shop near Clermont Ferrand in the heart of France. They tried to help a cyclist on... Read more.
Brand Focus – MET
It was back in 1987 is when MET started manufacturing helmets. The couple behind MET, Massimiliano Gaiatto and Lucianna Sala, used to work at Massisilano’... Read more.
Brand Focus – Mavic
Mavic is a French company best known for its range of bicycle wheels and rims. Mavic is an acronym of Manufacture d’Articles Vélocipédiques Idoux et Cha... Read more.
Brand Focus – Camelbak
When a company name becomes the generic name for the products they sell, they have done pretty well, like Hoover with vacuum cleaners for example. This same can... Read more.
Brand Focus – Magura
Early Years Beginning at a time when German manufacturing was booming, Magura started its rise into being a powerhouse of engineering and manufacturing over 125... Read more.
Brand Focus – Knog
Based in the beautiful city of Melbourne, near the banks of the Yarra River, Knog have never produced anything that was challenging to look or performed less th... Read more.
Brand Focus – Lezyne
Compared to many manufacturers in cycling, Lezyne is a relatively new business. Established in 2007 by Micki Kozuschek, a former professional triathlete. Previo... Read more.
Brand Focus – Look
Few bike brands have helped evolve bike riding in recent times as much as French firm Look. Whether creating innovative solutions or edgy designs, Look have alw... Read more.
Brand Focus – KMC
Since the beginning in 1977 with founder Charles Wu, KMC have had single-minded focused on producing the best bicycle chains available from their base in Taiwan... Read more.
Brand Focus – Garmin
Originally known as ProNav, Garmin was set up in Kansas, North America by Gary Burrell and Min Lao in 1989. Garmin became etched into road cycling fans memories... Read more.
Brand Focus – Kask
Based in Italy, Kask specialise in developing, designing, and manufacturing helmets of the highest quality. KASK helmets are at the forefront in cycling, mounta... Read more.
Brand Focus – Hutchinson
As a brand Hutchinson can sometimes be over-looked because of their size compared to their competitors. However, Hutchinson produce some extremely good tyre opt... Read more.
Brand Focus – Giro
Zero to 8 Seconds 37 years ago, founder, Jim Gentes came up with the logo for Giro. He also had a head full of design ideas. Following his first aero helmet des... Read more.
Heading into Winter, on a Road Bike?
While some riders transition onto a bombproof, mud-guarded old hack bike for winter miles, spare a thought for those with one bike for all seasons. With those i... Read more.
Brand Focus – Fulcrum
Fulcrum are a sub-brand of component manufacturer Campagnolo and are based in Arcugnano, Italy. Fulcrum produce wheels compatible with Shimano and Sram groupset... Read more.
Brand Focus – Frog Bikes
Frog Bikes was established in 2013 by husband and wife team, Jerry and Shelly Lawson. They had searched without success for a quality kids bike for their own tw... Read more.
Brand Focus – Fenwick’s
The Beginnings British brand Fenwick’s have been around since 1995. The family business began through trying to help a family friend caravan owner to clea... Read more.
