Mountain Bike Reviews Forum banner

Merlin Works 4.0

47K views 142 replies 32 participants last post by  Big Bad Wolf 
#1 ·
hi there,

are there any Works 4.0 owners out there or did anyone already have a chance to ride this bike?
Any experiences, pros and cons you could share?
Am interested to learn some details about this babe.
thx
Nick
 
#53 ·
The bike has been delivered yesterday. Reason for the long wait was the Thomson seatpost. The Belgian importer folded in september and because I wanted a silver-colored Elite this was very hard to find. So after searching around a bit (and getting a lot of 'sorry, we only have them in black' ) my LBS contacted the Thomson factory in the USA directly and hey presto within 4 days the seatpost was delivered.. So thumbs up to Thomson :thumbsup:
With a weight just shy of 24 pounds the Works 4.0 is as light as my Moots YBB and just half a pound heavier than my Litespeed Obed.

I was pleasantly surprised, this is a good weight for a 17.5 frame 4" full suspension bike.
Weather has been really bad around here so the first ride - mainly to check out the riding position, cut the suspension tower and brake in the pads - will have to wait until it dries out.
You can check out the pictures HERE in the meantime. Gallery will be updated when things develop.
 
#54 ·
Big Bad Wolf said:
I was pleasantly surprised, this is a good weight for a 17.5 frame 4" full suspension bike.
Weather has been really bad around here so the first ride - mainly to check out the riding position, cut the suspension tower and brake in the pads - will have to wait until it dries out.
You can check out the pictures HERE in the meantime. Gallery will be updated when things develop.
Adri, 10.9 kg is just fantastic. :thumbsup:

That bring me back to Merlin / Litespeed in my evalutaion for the next bike in 2008. Disregard all the rumors about the American Bicycle Group. What counts are the products - your's is a awesome bike!
 
#58 ·
#59 ·
I may have missed this as I'm very tired so I did not read every post (my bad). I saw earlier on you said you could replace the gaudy Merlin stickers with more traditional ones. Is that true? Have you? Can you tell me how you got the stickers and how they were replaced? How do you like the ride? No complaints?
Thanks,
Liz
 
#61 ·
dirtmistress said:
I may have missed this as I'm very tired so I did not read every post (my bad). I saw earlier on you said you could replace the gaudy Merlin stickers with more traditional ones. Is that true? Have you? Can you tell me how you got the stickers and how they were replaced? How do you like the ride? No complaints?
Thanks,
Liz
Liz, I am assuming you are asking me..?
No, I did not change the stickers. I don't mind them. Merlin has all the stickers you want.
As for my ride impressions. I did not yet ride my 4.0 but I spent a week riding a test bike last august. The ride reports are HERE.
 
#62 ·
Big Bad Wolf said:
Liz, I am assuming you are asking me..?
No, I did not change the stickers. I don't mind them. Merlin has all the stickers you want.
As for my ride impressions. I did not yet ride my 4.0 but I spent a week riding a test bike last august. The ride reports are HERE.
Thanks! I did read some of your report some time ago but I do need to reread it to jog my memory. I'm not fond of the Merlin stickers. I think they take away from the frame. They are too big for me but that is just my opinion. I have a '91 and a '95 Merlin and now a Santa Cruz but I really, really want the 4.0. I did see you got sub 24. That is my goal for sure. I'll keep an eye on this thread and anything you can tell me about your bike, let me know! Take care!
 
#64 ·
Big Bad Wolf said:
Will do.
If you are in the market for a 16.25 Works 4.0 , I know of a new frame for sale..never used.
PM me if interested. Frame is in France though
WOW! Yeah, France may be a bit far and then I'm sure there are import/export fees. Too bad. We go to France and tour every year in may except the one coming up. The Euro is killing us! I'm very sad about it. uumm.. nah! Anyway, I'll stay in touch with you.
Thanks, Liz
 
#65 ·
4.0 Standover Height

I noticed that the standover heights listed on Merlin's site for the 4.0 don't vary much across the different frame sizes. They start at 30.0 for a 15" frame, and go all the way up to 31.0 for the 20". If that's correct, it's something to think about for (us) shorter riders. I'm 5'8", and would consider 30" to be higher than I'm comfortable with. Doesn't seem to make sense, since the seat tube lengths vary by 5" from smallest to largest frames. Anyone have the scoop on this?

Cheers,
Pat
 
#66 ·
Looking for one?

I don't know that much about this frame, or if they are hard to get or not, etc. But if anyone is looking for one, my LBS actually has one that's been hanging in the shop for some time.....they might be willing to give a good deal. I think it's a 17.5", approx a medium frame I would think. It's frame only, and never built up before. If interested, PM me and I can get you in contact with them.

I hope this isn't considered SPAM.....I'm not associated with the shop, other than being friends with the owner (only LBS in a small Indiana town.) I just see the darn thing hanging up there every time I go in!

Randy
 
#73 ·
niota vs. works 4.0 review

drmark67 said:
I would like to know how the Merlin Works 4.0 compares to the Litespeed Niota Ti in terms of handling and performance.
I had an original Niota Ti that I broke and replaced it with the 4.0 back in the spring '07. I've put just under 1000 miles on the 4.0(according to my computer) including (2) 24 hour races. I took the niota on several long distance rides (60mi+) as well as a couple 12 hour and 24 hour races. I personally weigh in at just under 200lbs, am 5'10'' and have a 17.5 4.0. I had a ML Niota. I am a gear masher and I do not pedal in perfect little circles like the magazines say you're supposed to. My opinion is that the litespeed is a more nimble, quicker handling ride while the merlin is more stable but slower to maneuver in both slow and high speeds. I prefer the quickness for my riding style. Also, the Litespeed's suspension design seems to put up with my bigger gear mashing than the merlin is doing for me. I replaced the shock with an RP3 on the merlin but it still seems sluggish compared to what I remember of the niota's responsiveness.

To sum up:
the niota is quicker handling and its suspension is more comfortable and forgiving to gear mashers. It depends on your riding style, but personally I miss my niota. The merlin is very stable for fast descents but feels a lot bigger than it should when trying to maneuver.

So that's my 20 cents. Good luck. For those of you who are not dissuaded from the merlin purchase by my tyrade, I may have a 4.0 w/ XT for sale if I can figure out what I would like to get to replace it.

-Tim
 
#74 ·
Morlysafer:
Thanks for the feedback. I don't share the same sensations that you have on the Merlin, but then I'm no gear masher. I felt it competed with my YBB in the tricky technical bits, as well uphill as downhill, which is quite a reference.
I do agree it feel very stable in the downhills, as it damn well should.
I'm 1m80 and weigh 70kg (155pounds and 5 foot 10 inches..)
:p ..
Oh, and there's one other difference.. you broke the Litespeed.. ;)
 
#75 ·
Big Bad Wolf said:
Morlysafer:
Thanks for the feedback. I don't share the same sensations that you have on the Merlin, but then I'm no gear masher. I felt it competed with my YBB in the tricky technical bits, as well uphill as downhill, which is quite a reference.
I do agree it feel very stable in the downhills, as it damn well should.
I'm 1m80 and weigh 70kg (155pounds and 5 foot 10 inches..)
:p ..
Oh, and there's one other difference.. you broke the Litespeed.. ;)
Your comments are well met. Hopefully the ellsworth rear will stand up to the test and for that reason it certainly earns more points. As you implied, the sluggish acceleration is much more likely to come from my gear mashing than from any frame design. Also, the merlin, and all merlins for that matter, is much more appealing to the eyes with the fantastic build quality, cleaner welds, etc. than the litespeed is. I've been riding my hardtail a lot more lately and am so pleased with the ride of the HT that I'm considering making it my full time ride. The problem is 3 or 4 hours into a long ride/race when my back starts to complain.
I do like the stability in the downhill in some applications. Generally though, I like a little more nimbleness. I think the culprit is the longer wheelbase.
 
#76 · (Edited)
I just put on another stem/handlebar combo. The Morati was only 110mm and I couldn't get the postion right.
This stem is an 120mm Hi-Light titanium one, and the handlebar is a carbon Race Face Next SL.. the combination weighs 30 grammes less than the Morati as well. :p
Here is a pic after the build. Bike is ready to roll now, but since they are predicting snow it will have to wait yet some time;)



 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top