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Merlin Cycles Shakes it Up with Malt 725 Steel Hardtail MTB

Written by Ron Frazelle
Melin Cycles Malt Complete outsidePhoto c. Merlin Cycles
12 Comments
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Not to be confused with the titanium bike manufacturer, Merlin Metalworks, UK-based online bike shop Merlin Cycles has reintroduced their Malt 725 mountain bike frame. Merlin Cycles states that this new Malt 725 has been redesigned to suit modern riding styles, making it better than ever.

Melin Cycles Malt complete against rock
Photo c. Merlin Cycles
Melin Cycles Malt complete front side

The new Malt can now fit a 29″ wheel and sports a 67-degree head angle. These two features alone, make it a kind of do-it-all hardtail, good for the trail, singletrack, or all-around adventure. Geometry is set around a 120mm travel fork, but according to Merlin Cycles, it can accommodate a fork with up to 140mm of travel.

Melin Cycles Malt frameset side

Made from Reynolds 725 CROMO steel tubing which is a lightweight, strong steel alloy that’s known for its excellent ride quality, Melin Cycle’s Malt should be a comfortable and efficient hardtail.

Melin Cycles Malt Reynolds sticker
Melin Cycles Malt rear dropouts

With the efficient power transfer of a hardtail, the Malt would be a great choice for both cross-country or any type of trail riding.

Melin Cycles Malt downtube logo

Malt Frame Features

  • Fits 29″ or 27.5+ Wheels
  • Made From Reynolds 725 Cr-Mo Steel Tubing
  • English Threaded Bottom Bracket
  • Tapered Headtube
  • External Cable Routing
  • Stealth Dropper Routing
  • Boost 148mm Axle

Malt Geometry

Malt frameset Geo drawing
Malt frameset Geo chart

Malt Frame Specs and Retail

  • Frame: Reynolds 725 Cr-Mo, 148×12 TA
  • Headset: Not Included
  • Bottom Bracket: Threaded English 73mm
  • Seatpost Size: 30.9mm
  • Seatpost Clamp Dia: 34.9mm (Not Included) 
  • Cable Routing: External
  • Weight: 3.1kg (6.8lbs)

Retail: $428 (includes frame and rear axle)

MerlinCycles.com

Ron Frazelle
Ron Frazelle
615 articles

Ron Frazelle is the Cycling Lifestyle Editor for Bikerumor, he has been writing about bicycles and the cycling way of life for 7+ years. Prior to Bikerumor, he worked in the bicycle industry, living and breathing bicycles since 1995. He is based in Anaheim, California, Frazelle is an avid cyclist of all disciplines, camper, father to 6 children, husband, musician and self-proclaimed retro-grouch.

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Tim
Tim
1 year ago

The frame looks great and the price is right. But when did hardtail frames start to weigh in the neighborhood of seven pounds (over 3 kilos)? There was a time when a decent steel frame weighed 4.5 pounds (2 kilos) or so. OK, frames got bigger because wheels did first, and people ride more aggressively. But an increase of a whole kilo?

3
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JNH
JNH
1 year ago
Reply to  Tim

Those sub 2.5kg quoted weights were usually for the smallest sizes, which by current standards are teeny tiny little things. 3kg for a cromo frame sounds about right to me. Frames with higher end (and thinner walled) tubesets come out lighter. For example Cotic’s Solaris is about 2.6kg for a large, but they’re a good chunk more than $428 too.

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Tim
Tim
1 year ago
Reply to  JNH

I do have a medium 26er Tom Teasdale made of True Temper OX Platinum that weighs a bit above 4lbs.

3
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JNH
JNH
1 year ago
Reply to  Tim

That’s a piece of history right there.

3
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Tim
Tim
1 year ago
Reply to  JNH

Indeed it is! I have a lot of great memories of Tom- I wanted a custom bike with 16″ chainstays and a 2.3″ rear tire. I went to Indy Fab. They said right away they could do it, then said it was impossible after they had my money. “We can do 16.63″ (like .1” shorter than standard!). So-called custom bikes! It was 6 weeks before I got a refund. Went to Dean. A week later they called and said it couldn’t be done and I had my refund check in days.
I went to Tom and he completed the job in 6 weeks for less than half the price of Indy Fab. He made lots of great suggestions and added a dual brace at the disc mount to withstand some trials moves. This was also in 2003 a the height of the “freedom fries” moment and I was about to travel to France. The only thing Tom had to say was, “Enjoy the wine!”
I went to get a third frame from him a couple of years ago and was so sad to learn he’d passed away unexpectedly while riding. God speed, Tom!

8
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Roobai
Roobai
1 year ago
Reply to  Tim

I didn’t know what ‘freedom fries’ were so I looked it up –

“On March 11, 2003, Republican U.S. Representatives Bob Ney and Walter B. Jones directed the three House cafeterias to change all references to French fries and French toast on menus, and replace them with Freedom fries and Freedom toast, respectively.” 

how pathetic, lol.

3
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David
David
1 year ago
Reply to  Tim

There are now hugely strenuous front impact tests that bikes have to pass, including one which measures the backward flex of the front wheel in a head on. Steel frames are renowned for flexibility, hence comfort, but to pass this test they have to weigh a ton. Unfortunately.

1
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ShadLife
ShadLife
1 year ago
Reply to  Tim

I think they make them a lot stronger now. Basically newer hardtails are made to handle jumps, drops and big hits unlike hardtails of the past that were not DJ bikes.

My 4130 Chromoly 20 inch BMX frame is just shy of 5 lbs and it’s double butted high end air hardening tubing. So I suspect that these larger frames weigh more simply because there is more material.

I don’t worry about weight loss with frames as much as I do wheels and tires where it really matters.

0
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nooner
nooner
1 year ago

Looks like this frame is 1x only, you might want to mention that..

0
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Bret Miedema
Bret Miedema
1 year ago
Reply to  nooner

Why? That’s the standard. It be weird if it had a derailleur mount

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Richard
Richard
1 year ago

Sadly, Merlin dont know what they are selling. I contacted them a while back about the missing geo info (seat angle, BB drop, stack, etc.) and they dont know. I asked if they had the CAD drawings but no response. Can only assume its a batch of pre-made frame they have bought and repainted. Kinda makes sense, what company would intentionally spec a 533mm seat tube on a trail hardtail in these days of dropper posts!

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james
james
1 year ago

How is Merlin Metalworks _not_ filing a copyright lawsuit?

0
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