“The bicycle is the noblest invention of mankind.”
— William Saroyan

Merlyn Mechanics is a cycling based business that offers race support and training for everyone from the seasoned bike mechanic to the beginner cycling fanatic.  In addition, Merlyn Mechanics provides custom wheel builds, and maintenance as well as various cycling products. 

About Merlyn

Merlyn Townley has over 30 years experience in the cycling industry and has worked both as a bicycle mechanic in shops since 1980 and provided neutral support for over 1,000 national and international races, Merlyn has represented companies such as Mavic, Shimano, Pedro’s, Campagnolo and SRAM.  Merlyn is also the originator of neutral support for Cyclo-cross worldwide according to the Union of Cyclists International (UCI).  He has also served as a mechanic or team manager for over 20 teams worldwide, including the Dansko Woman’s Pro Team, Australian National Team, the U.S. National Team, the Japanese National Team, Specialized Lulu Lemon.  In addition, Merlyn served as head mechanic for the Odyssey 2000 cycling tour, a one-year, worldwide cycling expedition that encompassed 45 countries on six continents with 250 riders.  Additional races include Mountain Bike World Championships, the Tour of Canberra, Paris/Brest/Paris, the Harold Sun Tour and the Wachovia GP, among many others. 

One of only 11 category one licensed bicycle race mechanics worldwide, Townley has also organized and taught the East Coast certification clinic for USA Cycling’s Race Mechanics. 

Born and raised in New England, Merlyn attended RISD majoring in Industrial Design and Landscape Architecture.  His diverse work experience also includes working as a volunteer with the American Red Cross Disaster Services since 1988 in areas such as Hurricane Wilma, the Rhode Island Night Club Fire and the World Trade Center, among over 2500 other local disasters.  Merlyn’s volunteer work also includes helping during the Tsunami disaster relief.