Cycling News & Blog Articles

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 popular and useful bike accessories used by regular riders to add layers of flexibility to their bike. GPS Where yer bin? That question can […]

The post Accessorise your Bike! appeared first on Merlin Cycles Blog.

After months of “Will it / Would it / Should it Happen…” It’s finally upon us, the Olympics are kicking off in Japan. Yes, the Covid19 disrupted four year Olympic cycle has finally come around, albeit without spectators. The time when we get to watch all those sports which we rarely see, like Greco Roman […]

The post Tokyo Olympic Cycling Guide appeared first on Merlin Cycles Blog.

Stuck in a rut? Mid-year plateau? Same old rides? Lost your mojo? It is easy to just keep riding the same routes and the same rides, it can get a little bit repetitive and you could start to feel stale. Here are some options to give you a fresh outlook on pedalling… Swap It Up! […]

The post Lost Your Mojo? appeared first on Merlin Cycles Blog.

The longer we ride and the more experience we gain, the more we learn, right? Here’s some tips and skills gleaned from years of messing about on bikes.   Comfort Are you spending more time on your road bike but picking up annoying aches and pains along the way? Wider tyres If you are serious […]

The post Fast-Track your Road Skills… appeared first on Merlin Cycles Blog.

Unreliable bikes can ruin bike rides. Follow our top tips to add reliability to your rides, so you can spend more time on the roads and trails. Pure Filth Keep your bike clean! It might seem like a massive pain and can often be the last thing you want to do after a bike ride, […]

The post Dial In Reliability appeared first on Merlin Cycles Blog.

High quality and great value are the two core attributes for our own Merlin Wear clothing range. Last week saw a new shipment of summer clothing enter the warehouse. Three types of Bib shorts and new jerseys have boosted our existing Merlin wear range. Here’s the details of the new stock and our existing Merlin […]

The post Merlin Wear Summer Clothing appeared first on Merlin Cycles Blog.

As gravel riding has become more popular and more products and bikes are out in the market, there is some kit which is simply the stuff of dreams. Here’s our pick of shiny stuff from the top of the gravel pile. De Rosa Ekar Gravel Bike Whether you view it as an all-Italian thoroughbread or […]

The post Diamonds On Gravel 💎 appeared first on Merlin Cycles Blog.

Eagerly anticipating even more socks & boxer shorts? Avoid sock overload in your drawers by forwarding this list of potential gifts around your family, what’s the worst that can happen? Oh yes, more cycling socks, at least they are useful… Assos Equipe G1 Socks £7.50   Troy Lee Designs XC MTB Gloves (From) £10.50 Muc […]

The post Father’s Day Gifts appeared first on Merlin Cycles Blog.

The Giro D’Italia reaches its climax in Milan this weekend with two lancashire born riders in the top 5. We follow on from part 1 last week, as we continue to appreciate the volume and variety of bikes and associated products heralding from Italy. Aside from some outsourcing of manufacture, these companies are 100% Italian […]

The post Forza Italia! (Part 2) appeared first on Merlin Cycles Blog.

As the Giro D’Italia gets to the pointy end of the race (and with two Lancashire riders in the top five after stage 11), what better time to consider the volume and variety of bikes and associated products heralding from Italy. Aside from some outsourcing of manufacture, these companies are 100% Italian and the cornerstone […]

The post Forza Italia! (Part 1) appeared first on Merlin Cycles Blog.

Our intrepid team has faced it all so far in the 2021 season – Cold, Rain, Cold Rain and more Extreme Cold. However, they have battled through the start of the season with some very promising results. Bex Rimmington As well as great multisport race results, Bex has lodged a solid set of time trial […]

The post Team Merlin Race Update appeared first on Merlin Cycles Blog.

You are not alone. The last thing anyone wants to do when they climb off their bike, is give it a clean. However! As we all know, the best way to make your bike last and keep working properly is to keep it clean. Got 10 minutes? You’ve had a shower, got dressed, maybe had […]

The post 10 Minute Wash & Go appeared first on Merlin Cycles Blog.

While it might seem odd to cycling newcomers, many riders use glasses all year round – not just when it is sunny. Eyes need to be particularly well looked after, afterall, they are very delicate and 80% of all the information received by the human brain is received through the eyes. Glasses offer eye protection […]

The post 2021 Cycling Glasses Guide appeared first on Merlin Cycles Blog.

With our wealth of experience and knowledge of bikes and associated gear here at Merlin, we like to put our own name to products which we really like, as well as stocking the big brands. It gives more choice and price points for quality bike gear, and we are all for that. Last week saw […]

The post Look What’s Fresh @ Merlin appeared first on Merlin Cycles Blog.

Unfortunately, as you are no-doubt aware, bike parts are harder to find and cost more. Sadly, the knock-on affects from Brexit and the Covid 19 Pandemic, aside from the horrendous human cost, looks to be ongoing disruption to global supply chains and a period of relative uncertainty. So, what can you do to minimise costs […]

The post Make It Last! appeared first on Merlin Cycles Blog.

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 relatively flat courses. Not too hard to put people off, but still capable of attracted decent quality local riders too. As well as […]

The post 10 Tips – Time Trialling – Beginners Guide appeared first on Merlin Cycles Blog.

In these days of penny-pinching cutbacks, learning to keep on top of your own bike maintenance is a sure-fire way to reduce ongoing costs of being a bike rider. Taking on your own bike maintenance also reduces down time waiting for a service / mechanic. Here’s ten essential tools which will help keep your machine […]

The post Top 10 Tools for Bike Riders appeared first on Merlin Cycles Blog.

Just as some locks are better than others, some ways of locking up your bike are better than others too. Here’s our quick guide to the Do and Don’ts of securing your bicycle. DO buy the best lock that you can afford. Ideally you actually could do with two U-locks or a U-lock and a cable […]

The post Essential Anti Theft Tips for Your Bike appeared first on Merlin Cycles Blog.

You what? 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. Forget about disc brakes, power meters and zwift, sock length and colour have both been THE hot topics in the cycling world. So what should you look for in […]

The post How to Choose the Right Cycling Socks appeared first on Merlin Cycles Blog.

With 2021 looking relatively ‘normal’, compared to 2020 at least, the World Tour Riders are set to do battle in the historical one-day races of Europe – The Classics. Steeped in cycling history, the classics often offer far more in terms of fireworks and entertainment than Grand Tours. The big five Classics are known as […]

The post 2021 Spring Classics appeared first on Merlin Cycles Blog.