The Mercian Ventura Allroad frame brings a classical style to one of the latest genres in the dropped barred cycling world, and it blends the old and new impressively well. With tyre clearances that would have embarrassed some gravel bikes a couple of years back, mated to the stunning ride quality of its handbuilt steel frame, and with the option of custom geometry, you can design and spec your dream ‘one bike does it all’ machine.
Mercian Ventura Allroad Frame: The ride
Mercian has been building bikes for 80 years, and after some turbulent times entered voluntary liquidation back in 2024. It was subsequently bought by a group of four Derby-based businessmen – all self-professed “passionate cyclists” – and the Allroad is part of that renewal process.
Bob Smith of Mercian describes it as, “A road bike that’s happy on all surfaces. It’s no monster cross gravel steamroller, nor is it a staid tourer. It’s a little of each with a pinch of get up and go added.”
That’s what was promised, and thankfully that was what was delivered.
If you’re a long term reader of my reviews, you’ll know full well that I have a soft spot for a steel frame, but just by speccing it as a material isn’t going to sway me. It has to be used in the correct way in terms of tubing choice, butting and profile to create that supple, yet performance orientated ride quality – and that’s exactly what Mercian has achieved with the Allroad.
The feel of the surface through the frame is exceptional, with loads of feedback and a real feeling of connection and involvement between rider and bike. It’s a really fun bike to ride, and I found it rewarding too. It’s an easy bike to ride, but it manages to be that without being boring or uninspiring. Ask for a bit more and your effort is rewarded.
I will point out that the bike I’ve been riding is one of the early development bikes using Reynolds’ 725 tubing, whereas the frames created for customers will use 853 – a material that should provide an even better ride quality and also reduce the weight, based on personal experience.
At 9.65kg with this build, it weighs pretty much the same as my Fairlight Secan 2.5, and like the Fairlight, the Mercian feels nimbler and sprightlier than the scales would have you believe.
I felt the off-the-shelf geometry of this Allroad worked really well. It’s long enough in the wheelbase to promote stability and confidence while the front end is relaxed enough that it still feels direct and capable enough to handle some fast descents without feeling a handful when you move over to gravel or other loose surfaces.
The geometry feels more road-like than gravel bike, which I like. It also means that if you never took it off road, it wouldn’t be a waste of its talents. For me it would make the perfect commuter, winter trainer or credit card touring machine, while offering versatility that means you could try out routes off the beaten track.
It’s nippy enough to be used as an endurance road bike too. I completed a couple of three-hour road rides on the Mercian with some 36mm slicks fitted and other than the small restriction of the 1x gear system, it felt just like I was on a quick and comfortable road bike.
It’s way more versatile, usable, and even quicker, than some bikes using the Allroad name, such as Ribble’s Allroad range, that don’t really excel anywhere.
Against the likes of a carbon fibre frame, steel equivalents can come up a little short in terms of stiffness around the bottom bracket area, but while I found the tiniest bit of flex on the Allroad when really hammering it up a climb, it was well within the limits of what I’d expect for this kind of bike, and certainly didn’t feel like I was wasting anything in terms of effort.
Overall, from a ride point of view, I found the Allroad absolutely nails its brief. It’s a quick, comfortable multi-surface road bike with a loveable personality.
Mercian Allroad Frame: Build options
As I mentioned above, the Allroad is built using Reynolds 853, which is a seamlessly drawn, air-hardened and heat-treated steel, creating double-butted (variable wall thicknesses) tubing in various profiles depending on where it’s employed within the frame. The only exception is the tapered head tube which is manufactured by Columbus.
As is the full carbon fork that Mercian specs with the Allroad’s frame which can take up to 47mm tyres. The frame will take 45mm and has the option of including mudguard mounts.
Everything bar the fork is created in house. Bob pointed out that he’d built the bike ready for me to ride after it was painted by Mark and Ben, the frame having been built by Tim.
Everything is finished to a very high standard indeed with aesthetically pleasing welds and a solid, deep paintjob.
The Allroad frame uses a threaded bottom bracket, and the BB shell is lugged to add strength in this area.
Mercian offers off-the-shelf frames in 2cm increments, but as it offers a full custom geometry build for the same price, the majority of customers go down that route.
For the base price of £2,650 (£1,200 deposit) for the frame, you can have that custom geometry and a single paint colour on the frame and the fork from a choice of 64 stock colours, while for a small additional charge your bike can be created with any RAL colour.
On its website Mercian has a gallery and full details of the paint process, and if you are in the market for a completely bespoke service then I recommend taking a look through it.
Aside from the frame option, Mercian offers a selection of builds aimed at either the gravel or road side of things, depending on your intended ride style, split into three pricing options for each: Core, Premier and Elite.
For the gravel builds, prices start at £4,254 with Shimano’s GRX610 groupset, halo wheels and Tifosi finishing kit. For the Premier build you get a jump to Campagnolo’s Ekar 13 – which I was riding here and enjoyed very much – with a set of Mavic’s Allroad wheels for £5,261, while GRX Di2 and Mavic Allroad SL wheels will nudge the price up to £6,210.
From the road side of things, you can have the Core Shimano 105 Di2 build with Mavic Aksium Disc CL wheels for £4,946, while the Premier build includes Campagnolo’s Super Record groupset and Mavic Ksyrium SL wheels for £7,040.
If that’s not bling enough then how about a Dura Ace Di2 build with Mavic’s Cosmic SLR wheels for £9,873? That’s the Elite build, roadie style.
If you want something a little different, a chat with Mercian at the point of ordering can facilitate that.
Mercian Allroad Frame: Conclusion
Mercian has created a beautiful looking machine which also performs exceptionally well – and that’s with me reviewing an off-the-shelf frame made from tubing a grade lower, so I’d expect a frame built specifically for me out of 853 to be even more impressive.
The level of finish is exceptional, as is the experience on hand to create your own individual bike, and that is reflected in the price.
Something like Mason’s SLR will set you back £2,150 for a frameset, for instance. It’s also a beautifully crafted bike (in its case hand built in Italy) and offers a stunning ride quality, but it is off-the-shelf sizing. With this in mind, I’d say that the Mercian represents great value for money when you take into account that brands like Shand charge £500 for custom geometry.
I’ve never ridden a bike from Shand, so I can’t comment on how they perform but its frames are hand built in the UK from Columbus Life tubing. Shand will sell you a frame and fork, but the online pricing is for full builds. Its Stooshie, which is a gravel/allroad machine with 45mm of tyre clearance, costs £4,795 for a build using Shimano GRX 820 and Ritchey finishing kit. That includes custom geometry.
On the whole, the Mercian has really impressed me, both in terms of ride quality and the level of finish and customisation.
Test Report
What does the manufacturer say about this product?:
Launched in September 2025 as part of our 80th year celebrations, the Allroad is a sleek road and gravel hybrid. Designed for high performance across gravel trails and fast roads, the Allroads’ lugless construction offers a clean, contemporary aesthetic combined with lightweight agility. Engineered to excel on varied terrain, the frame offers responsive handling and unmatched versatility with every ride.
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of this product:
Custom geometry
Reynolds 853 double butted tubing
Columbus tapered head tube
Columbus carbon fibre fork
Lugged bottom bracket shell
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested?:
Considering the custom geometry and paint colour, I’d say the Mercian is on par with similar builds on the market.
Tell us what the bike is for and who it’s aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it?:
Mercian says: “A new addition to the Mercian range for September 2025, launched to commemorate Mercian’s 80th anniversary, this versatile all-rounder excels as a fast road bike or an off-roader. With a frame designed to take a tyre size of up to 45mm, the world is your oyster. Road or gravel? You decide.”
Where does this model sit in the range? Tell us briefly about the cheaper options and the more expensive options:
The options are a frame only, builds at three price points for either road or gravel, or Mercian can help you with an individual spec.
Tell us about the build quality and finish of the frame and fork:
The build quality is exceptional, with a lot of attention to detail and a high-quality finish.
Tell us about the materials used in the frame and fork:
The frame is constructed from double-butted Reynolds 853 steel tubing, while the fork is full carbon fibre.
Tell us about the geometry of the frame and fork:
Generally the Allroad has geometry that is designed for riding on both tarmac and gravel, so a longer wheelbase and a slacker front end than a traditional road bike. The Allroad is offered with custom geometry though, so the specifics will come down to you.
How was the bike in terms of stack and reach? How did it compare to other bikes of the same stated size?:
Custom geometry means this will come down to your own preference, but the bike I was riding had what I’d consider to be stack and reach measurements ideally suited to a bike of this size and design.
Was the bike comfortable to ride? Tell us how you felt about the ride quality:
Ride quality was very good with loads of feedback and a supple feel from the steel tubing.
Did the bike feel stiff in the right places? Did any part of the bike feel too stiff or too flexible?:
For a steel frame the overall stiffness is good, helped by the lugged design of the bottom bracket shell.
Was there any toe overlap with the front wheel? If so, was it a problem?:
No.
How would you describe the steering? Was it lively, neutral or unresponsive?:
Neutral.
Tell us some more about the handling. How did the bike feel overall? Did it do particular things well or badly?:
The Allroad has steering that works well on a variety of surfaces, being balanced and steady enough that it never feels a handful, while quick enough to handle high speed descents.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes.
Would you consider buying the product? Yes.
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes.
Use this box to explain your overall score
The Mercian is a showcase of attention to detail and a high level of craftmanship. That’s no good if the finished product doesn’t ride well, but the Allroad rides very well indeed – plus when you include the custom geometry option for no extra cost it brings a certain level of value for money.
About the tester
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