With its extremely long head tube and comparatively short top tube, the stiff, albeit somewhat heavy aluminium frame with a curved top tube appeals to cyclists who want to sit upright comfortably. It is therefore only logical that the frame and fork are designed to flex vertically, which has been achieved remarkably well. The 25-millimetre tyres and triple cranks also fit into this picture. Merida avoids any risks when it comes to the components, fitting the complete "105" groupset, from the gears, brakes and cranks to the well-sealed and well-mounted hubs. As expected, this is good for the function of the bike; components and frame are also visually well-matched. For those who don't like the upright riding position, the Taiwanese manufacturer also offers models with classic road bike geometry.
Price 1,299 euros
Weight 9.3 kilos
Reference/Info www.merida.com
Weight frame/fork/headset bearing* 1,751/476/96 g
Frame sizes** 50, 53, 55, 57, 59, 62 cm
Seat/steering angle 73.5/73.5°
Seat/top/head tube 518/560/21 mm plus 23 mm headset cap
Wheelbase/caster 990/53 mm
Stack/Reach/STR*** 611/377 mm/1.62
Equipment
Fork Merida BC-CF Lite-S
Steering bearing FSA, top 1-1/8, bottom 1.5 inch
Brakes/gears/bottom bracket Shimano 105 (50/39/30 t.)
Wheels/tyres Shimano 105/Alex Race 24/ Maxxis Detonator
Handlebar/stem FSA Wing Compact/FSA OS-190
Saddle/post S. Italia Q-Bik/FSA SL-250 (27.2 mm)
*Weighted weights; **Manufacturer's specification, test size greased; ***Stack/reach: projected vertical/horizontal measurement from centre of bottom bracket to top edge of headset cap; STR (stack to reach): Values from 1.45 to 1.55 indicate a sporty riding position, values below are race-like, above are comfortable
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