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Sequoia Merz

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2017 Sequoia Merz

Jim Merz is a legendary frame builder, so it should stand to reason that any frame bearing his name has to be, well, legendary in its own right. We were up to the challenge, but we thought it would just be easier to ask him to help us construct the Sequoia Merz Edition. Each bike will be hand-numbered and only produced one time, starting this spring. It features a Pro-level frameset in an Expert build, with an exposed brushed stainless chainstay and custom colors/graphics that tie back to the heritage of Merz Bicycles. Meanwhile, the stem, seat clamp, and Cruzero wheels are all custom anodized in a warm grey. And lastly, each bike will come with a Swift Industries saddle tool roll that's been custom-made in Seattle. The Sequoia's path to adventure starts at the frame, which we constructed from Premium Cr-Mo tubing. This material is coveted for its strength, respectable weight, and tuned ride quality. And we took this a step further by selecting tubes that are specific to each frame size, further ensuring that every frame rides exactly as we intended. Of course, this is only a piece of the equation, with the next being its dedicated Adventure Geometry. This geometry is unique in that it skews the line between a traditional road bike and a dedicated touring rig. You'll find an ample wheelbase and low bottom bracket for control, but the chainstays and tube angles ensure that you'll be able to travel efficiently and quickly, regardless of whether or not your rig is loaded. Digging into the details, the frame is outfitted with an ample number of mounts for water, racks, and fenders. And for the build, we included reliable parts, like a SRAM Force 1 groupset, powerful hydraulic disc brakes, and hand-built Cruzero wheels that are cased in wide, 2Bliss Ready tires.

Technical Specifications

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FRAMESET

FRAME

Heat-treated custom-butted Premium Cr-Mo & stainless steel size- specific tubing, internal light cable routing, Adventure Geometry, flat disc mount, fender/rack mounts, stainless steel drive-side chainstay

FORK

Specialized FACT carbon, tapered, internal light cable routing, flat mount disc, water bottle/rack/fender mounts

SEAT BINDER

Specialized, alloy, 29.8mm

WHEELS

FRONT WHEEL

Specialized Adventure Gear Cruzero

REAR WHEEL

Specialized Adventure Gear Cruzero

FRONT TIRE

Specialized Adventure Gear Sawtooth, 2Bliss Ready, 700x42mm

REAR TIRE

Specialized Adventure Gear Sawtooth, 2Bliss Ready, 700x42mm

DRIVETRAIN

CASSETTE

Shimano Deore XT, 11-speed, 11-42t

CHAIN

SRAM PCX1

CRANKSET

SRAM Force Carbon X-SYNC w/ 42T

CHAINRINGS

42T

BOTTOM BRACKET

SRAM GXP, 73mm

REAR DERAILLEUR

SRAM Force 1, Type 2.1, long cage, 11-speed

SHIFT LEVERS

SRAM Force Hydraulic Disc

COCKPIT

HANDLEBARS

Specialized Adventure Gear Hover

SEATPOST

Specialized CG-R, FACT carbon, single bolt, reflective, 27.2mm

STEM

Specialized Pro SL, alloy, 4-bolt

SADDLE

Body Geometry Phenom Comp, hollow Cr-Mo rails, 143mm

BRAKES

FRONT BRAKE

SRAM Force 1, hydraulic disc, 160mm rotor

REAR BRAKE

SRAM Force 1, hydraulic disc, 160mm rotor

ACCESSORIES

PEDALS

Nylon, 105x78x28mm, loose balls w/ reflectors

* Weights based on production painted frames as pictured. Actual weights will vary based on colorway, frame size, and component variation. Specifications are subject to change without notice.

Geometry

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505254565861
Crank Length165mm (00.6118.328.013)170mm (00.6118.328.014)172.5mm (00.6118.328.015)172.5mm (00.6118.328.015)175mm (00.6118.328.016)175mm (00.6118.328.016)
Handlebar Width400mm420mm440mm440mm460mm460mm
Stem Length75mm90mm90mm100mm100mm110mm
Saddle Width143mm143mm143mm143mm143mm143mm
Seatpost Length350mm400mm400mm400mm400mm400mm
Seat-Tube Angle75.5°75.5°74°73.5°73.3°73°
Head-Tube Length90mm110mm130mm150mm170mm190mm
Head-Tube Angle70°70.5°71.5°71.5°72°72.5°
Chain-Stay Length435.7mm435.7mm435.2mm435.1mm434.9mm434.9mm
Front-Center595mm606mm611mm626mm637mm644mm
B-B Drop70mm70mm67mm66.5mm65mm65mm
B-B Height289mm289mm292mm292.5mm294mm294mm
Bike Stand-Over Height736mm750mm772mm791mm812mm832mm
Fork Length (full)400mm400mm400mm400mm400mm400mm
Top-Tube Length (horizontal)508mm522mm550mm570mm587mm603mm
Seat-Tube Length440mm460mm480mm500mm520mm540mm
Stack525mm546mm566mm584mm604mm625mm
Reach372.2mm380.8mm387.8mm396.9mm405.9mm412mm
Trail77mm74mm67mm67mm64mm61mm
Fork Rake/Offset50mm50mm50mm50mm50mm50mm
Wheelbase1021mm1032mm1037mm1053mm1064mm1071mm
Geometry

Rider Reviews

  • 4.7
  • 3 Reviews

Almost perfect.

I came to this after a Specialized Tricross Elite Steel Disc that i built up with sram red bits and loved that bike. The sequoia has been good but not great for my style of riding. (20-60 mile mixed surface rides, 2-3 bike camping trips a year, weekly commute style rides with some bags. Most of my beefs have to do with the geometry and the components. The wheelbase and chain stays are quite short. I have a 44 shoe(10.5) and it hits the derailleur very often. The henge saddle while beautiful is quite uncomfortable because the foam density and angles. The headset develops lots of build up from lube coming out possibly a variance problem unique to my bike. The CGR has so much set back that you often have to run saddles as far forward as possible. It also has developed cracks at the collar even though I torque it to spec. The special tool roll swift bag is pretty useless. (its like 1980's Jannd quality) The shimano cassette has big spacing jumps and will leave you wishing you swapped out at purchase. Small small gripes. Overall a wonderful bike and I hope to get it dialed into a blissful setup soon.


Name:
Bikeoutlier

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Love it, go anywhere and have fun

I love this bike, it's a get on and go anywhere with a smile bike. It's always ready to make you smile as you take a trail you think it cannot handle. Steel is real.


Name:
Bernie

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