I also appreciate the addition of a GS (medium cage) rear derailleur. This doesn’t affect the performance at all, but the cassette swap adds about 35g. Merida has swapped in a Shimano 105 R7000 cassette and a KMC X11 chain, presumably for cost-saving reasons. This doesn’t affect the braking performance (they’ll still stop you just as fast), but it can be disconcerting for other riders when cycling in a group. The only real downside to the groupset is that the disc brakes have a tendency to howl on wet, mucky days. Shimano’s Ultegra R8000 groupset, with hydraulic disc brakes, is as excellent as ever. Simon Bromley / Immediate Media Drivetrain, wheels and tyres I’d want a longer and narrower setup than the stock front end build – but, this would be an easy thing to achieve because the Reacto uses standard parts. How to ride faster without pedalling harder.It means a change in stem length, or handlebar – often needed for an optimised bike fit or simply to improve your aerodynamic efficiency – is simple. But, giving up a small amount in aerodynamic drag for a large increase in user serviceability and customisation options is likely a worthwhile trade-off for the majority of amateur cyclists and home mechanics. This front end almost certainly gives up a few grams of drag compared to the fully integrated cockpits found on the 2021 Canyon Aeroad or Trek Madone SLR, which also look incredibly slick. Any standard 1⅛ inch stem will fit the fork steerer, it just won’t integrate with the headset spacers as cleanly. You don’t need to use the ‘correct’ FSA stem, though, if you don’t want to. The only real downsides of the SCR system are that it requires a proprietary headset and spacers, and the aero profiled stem isn’t a lightweight option either, at 220g for a size 120mm. Thanks to the use of FSA’s SMR (Smart Cable Routing) system, the gear and brake cables are, for the most part, tucked tidily away from wind. The only non-standard parts are the FSA ACR headset and spacers. Part of this is undoubtedly due to cost-saving measures (the higher-end Reacto models use a Vision Metron integrated handlebar), but the Merida Expert CW handlebar is a comfortable shape, plenty stiff when yanking on the drops in a sprint, and the profiled tops help close the aero performance gap on pricier setups. It goes against the grain of modern aero bike design and uses a non-integrated, non-proprietary setup, with a standard, aluminium handlebar and stem. The cockpit, for example, is a highlight for its practicality. Merida Reacto 6000 buildįor the most part, the Reacto 6000’s build is very good. ![]() Part of the reason this bike weighs what it does, though, is because of compromises made to meet an impressively competitive price of £2,800. While it definitely affects how a bike feels, it doesn’t meaningfully impact how fast it is from A to B, unless you only race up long, steep climbs. Nevertheless, I’d argue (as I often do) that bike weight isn’t actually overly important to the performance of an aero race bike anyway. The weight of the components and finishing kit also make a big difference, and the total weight of this bike, at 8.53kg without pedals or bottle cages, is admittedly not particularly impressive on paper. ![]() Of course, comparing frameset weight alone doesn’t show the full picture. ![]() That’s nothing worth losing sleep over on a bike like this. Simon Bromley / Immediate MediaĪccording to Merida, that difference in mass is around 200g, with a size medium CF3 frame and fork claimed to weigh 1,165g and 490g (+/- 3 per cent) respectively. In my experience, it’s very reliable in the long-term too. Merida has opted for a Shimano press-fit bottom bracket, which gave me no trouble during testing.
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