Not much to report here, I bought a Mercury and got delivery in mid-February. I wanted a quick, low maintenance commuting bike. That's what I got, I'm happy.
It is a quick, robust, flat handlebar bike. The disc brakes and transmission make it nice for the stop-start-accelerate-STOP of city cycling. The amber sidewalled Panaracer tyres and black frame make it look a lot more traditional than it can ride.
I got Hope disc brakes, mudguards, a SON dynamo. I've had 2 small niggles; losing a mudguard bolt (which Thorn replaced free) and having the Rohloff gearbox cable connector come off. Re-attaching was a matter of finger tightening a bolt, and is something you would do anytime you put the back wheel back on. Novelty to me, but trivial once you have fixed a puncture.
I got ergo bar ends, they are overkill for my commuting. I prefer to have my hands near the brakes and usually cycle with the right hand touching the Rohloff shifter. It is nice to use the wider positions, it just doesn't happen very often, and the Ergos are used less often again.
Not sure there is much to add, got back on my 20 speed road bike the other day and was shocked at how much effort I had to put into getting into the right gear for different pieces of road. It may not be complex, but stop-start commuting really plays to the Rohloff.
Update Feb 2013, 1 year on.
Very happy with the bike. Very pleasant commuting for a year. It weighs in at a kilo or so heavier than my road bike but even with 700x28 tyres rolls at a good average speed. Starts & stops are well behaved and prompt, road handling is secure and fluid. After a couple of months winter's commuting the SON dynamo & Schmidt lamp combination have been a good experience. Mudguards can be a weak point, no complaints or rattles here.
Overall a positive long-term report.
