Dear  Mercian,

Please find attached a photo of my fully built Pro Lugless, made from 853 Pro Team, Finished in Electric Blue Pearl and Fitted with Ultegra 6800.

My first ride suggested I’d made the right choice as it felt like ‘my bike’ within the first few pedal strokes. The fit was perfect, and I’m happy with all the advice you gave when putting the frame spec together. The paint is stunning and photos do not do it justice. The effect of sunlight on the paint is a joy to behold.

I recently completed the Velo Birmingham 100 mile closed roads event, so feel I have done enough to judge the bike properly. Most competitors were on all kinds of the latest machinery, but I lost out to NONE of them in terms of performance from the bike. It accelerated on demand and darted through gaps accurately and safely. The closed roads nature of the event meant corners could be taken at speed and the bike held its line flawlessly, where I’m sure my carbon bike would have run wide.

At one of the feed stations, a couple of fellow competitors were wrestling bikes into a space next to mine. I overheard one of them say to his mate ‘…watch out, that’s a Mercian’, so it commands respect, even when parked!

It really is a special piece of kit and I have no regrets in waiting the 10 months or so it took to arrive. I’ll drop in the shop every now and again for advice and parts.

Many thanks,

Nick