I didn’t really have much in mind with doing a custom build, but what materialized was sort of a community of parts. I tapped into some long-time favorite companies to get the feeling I wanted out of the ride, but I also wanted to throw on some products from local Northwest brands that I think are doing cool things. When it all came together, Merlin was born. Merlin was named for it’s gorgeous and seemingly magical paint job, as well as it’s proximity to many wild Cougars (the kitty cat type, mind you). In my all-time favorite movie, the cinematic classic that is Top Gun, Merlin was the rio to Cougar. This bike is so quiet that I am regularly afraid that I’m going to run into an unsuspecting cat on the trail. It must be those XTR hubs… Without further ado, here’s what Merlin is rocking.
Touchpoints are a big deal to me. I can not ride any other grip than Sensus Dissdaboss. Sensus has spoiled me with this grip. It’s small diameter, and ultra mega grippy, and my prior pair lasted for ages. Speaking of touchpoints, the PNW Components Loam Lever feels so good under thumb