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Merlin XLM (eXtra Light Mountain) Frame


The XLM is a weigtht rediced version of the Merlin Mountain frame. The reduction is performed by using another Ti tubing set. The top tube and down tube are single butted. The head tube, seat tube, and chainstays are double butted.

The seatstays are "center butted" made thinner in the central area where the cantilever brake bosses are welded in place. The 7/8" diameter seat stays resist flex and twist. The head tube angle is designed to compensate for a suspension fork use.

The XLM uses a 27.2mm seatpost.

Merlin XLM frame
Frame Size (inches, center to center)*13.5"15.0"16.25"17.5"18.75"20.0"21.5"
Head Angle (in degrees)*70.571.071.071.071.071.572.0
Seat Angle (in degrees)73.573.573.573.072.572.572.0
Nominal Top Tibe length (in inches)21.0021.7522.3823.0023.6324.2525.00
Chainstay (in inches)16.7516.7516.7516.7516.7516.7516.875
Wheelbase (in inches)*39.840.441.141.642.142.543.3
Standover Height (in inches)*27.628.629.630.331.232.333.9
Bottom Bracket Height (in inches) *11.611.611.711.811.811.811.9
Head Tube length (in inches)3.283.754.004.255.006.007.50
Steerer Length (in inches)5.005.505.756.006.757.759.25
Frame Weight (pounds)2.672.762.872.953.083.213.36
* with Rock Shox Judy SL or Manitou 4 and rider weight aboard
For easier comparison to other frames, the "nominal top tube" lengths in the specification chart are measured as if the top tube were horizontal

The XLM comes in 7 sizes.

Bike-Pro does not sell this frame
Merlin has the Suggested Retail Price for this frame set at $2495
It has a dealer cost of $1650 plus about $10 in freight cost.





In-depth Information About Metals

Aluminum
Aluminum is extracted electrolytically from bauxite ore. It is made by the electrolysis of aluminum oxide which is found in larger concentrations within bauxite ore. Bauxite is a mixture of the hydroxides of aluminum, together with other impurities such as oxides of iron, titanium, and silicon. Bauxite is produced by the weathering and change of aluminum silicate rocks usually found in tropical and semitropical regions where climate has produced an accelerated weathering process. Bauxite is not a rare ore and is widely available in the US, the Caribbean, and Europe. Approximately 4 pounds of read the full article...

Beryllium
Beryllium is a specialty metal that is steel-grey metal in color, with an extremely low density, making it very light weight. At 1.85 grams to the cubic centimeter, its density compares to that of magnesium. It is also a high strength metal, making it possible to design light weight, thin membered parts with ahigh stiffness. A column made of beryllium to support a load placed directly downward on top of it, will have a greater load carrying capacity, and be lower in weight than any other metal of equal size.

Until the 1950's beryllium was used read the full article...

Titanium
The element titanium was discovered in 1763 by an English cleric, William Gregor who was an amateur chemist with an inquiring mind. It was in the black sands of Cornwall that he discovered the new element that had up to that time, attracted little scientific interest. A few years later, an Austrian, Klaproth, extracted the same element from an ore widely known as "rutile", which is a mineral consisting of titanium dioxide (one titanium atom, two oxygen atoms), that is a reddish-brown substance with a slight metallic luster. While rutile is the highest grade read the full article...

Metallurgic Hardness Testing
There are three types of tests used with accuracy by the metals industry,they are the Brinell hardness test, the Rockwell hardness test, and the Vickers hardness test. Hardness is the property of a metal which gives it the ability to resist being permanently deformed (bent, broken, or have its shape changed), when a load is applied. The greater the hardness of the metal, the greater resistance it has to deformation. Since the definitions of metallurgic ultimate strength and hardness are rather similar, it can generally be assumed read the full article...


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