Merida Reacto

bonk_king

I'm in the market for a new shiny bike, after having a great 9 years or so out of my old Scott CR1 Pro 2013.

I want a black bike and the one which keeps jumping out at me is the Merida Reacto. It was £3200, which is a fair chunk for me to be forking out. I want the bike, without really knowing much about it, and I've never spent that much on a bike before, so I'm excited but a little apprehensive too.

However, imagine my delight when it has now been reduced to £2465!!! The reviews from cycling weekly and other magazines have been great.

What would seal the deal is a push in the right direction from you guys on here who maybe have first hand experience with this bike, or know someone who has.

Thanks in advance.

slowmart

Considering Merida own 49% of Specialized it’s inconceivable that the two companies don’t share design and manufacturing knowledge.

It’s also interesting that Merida don’t actively sell their bikes in North America.

So if you’re looking at the pedigree of the brand that’s a pretty good base line.

I’ve no knowledge of the bike but most brands are now offering sale prices, unless the cash is buying a hole in your pocket I’d wait to see what other deals crystallise as the new 2024 models are due to be released which means a burning platform for dealers holding old stock.

That said I wouldn’t hesitate in buying a Merida bike the residual value won’t be as good as a Specialized but if your after value Boardman bikes take some beating although they don’t have the cache of kerb appeal of a grand tour manufacturer. If that bothers you at all?

Enjoy choosing your new bike as it’s one of the best things you can do….

daniel_b

If you loved your CR1 as much as I do mine, have you not considered an Addict or a Foil?

I did, and have not regretted it one bit.

*I still have the CR1 of course

bonk_king

I already have a 2020 addict! I bought the addict as my new number 1 summer bike a couple of years ago but it never felt as quick as my CR1, so I carried on using my CR1 as my main summer bike and put mudguards on my addict and that's now my off season mucky weather bike, which I love.

To replace my CR1 with the Foil, from what I can see, would cost a lot more than this new reduced price on my potential purchase of the £2465 Merida which I have my eye on.

Also, all the foil models seem to be electronic gear shifting. I'm not about to go there just yet, lol.

MidlandsGrimpeur2

To be honest, most bikes at a similar price point from the major manufacturers will perform pretty similarly.

You are best off picking the one you like within budget. If that is the Merida go for it.

Oddly, I have only ever seen one out on the roads, which for a company that has such a big market share seems very strange.

I would say as well, tale bike reviews with a pinch of salt. Bike mags etc. rely on getting products for reviews and content so they are often reluctant to be too critical of any bikes or products they review.

bonk_king

After much deliberation I've decided to pull the trigger and go for this bike.

Granted, Merida aren't exactly a brand that sticks out but apparently they've been around for 50 years or so, which surprised me, so they're hardly newbies to the scene. They also have their bikes in the pro peloton, which is a pretty good plug for them, lol.

In my research the only niggling issue with them is that they (I'm not sure if it's on all models) have a built in rear light in the seat post and some have slammed it as being cheap and tacky.

For a while now I've been on the cusp of breaking the 30kph average speed marker, and I think this bike might just get me there! Lol.

Awesome looking bike imo, in my preferred black too! I'll keep you posted.

pep.fermi

Cost and look are certainly important.
But IMHO geometry and asset are the most important things for the bicycle being well suited to you or not. Do you know if this bike is endurance or performance oriented and is that what you want?
I suggest you try it before buying it.

Either way good luck and have fun.

bonk_king

It's a performance bike, similar to my current 2013 Scott CR1 Pro. But that's where the similarities end. My Scott might have looked the part 10 years ago but ongoing tech has meant that modern performance bikes look nothing like their performance breathren from old.

I have an endurance bike, a Scott Addict, which I love.

It's high time I treated myself and dove into that more modern look regarding a performance model.

MidlandsGrimpeur2

I know I said take bike reviews with a pinch of salt, but you may find this interesting. David Arthur is a very experienced bike reviewer and one of the better one's out there IMO.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2xRf8ITXk8

MidlandsGrimpeur2

It's not the exact Merida model, I know, but might help your decision.

bonk_king

Another cracking review for Merida as a brand. I believe the Sculptura in the video is a model up from my Reacto.

He mentions it in the video but it really does seem like Merida are punching above their weight with the quality of bikes they're producing.

The best thing about all this is that if I'd have pulled the trigger a couple of weeks ago, and I have been tempted for a while now, I'd have paid £3200 for this bike! It's only very recently come down to £2465.

With the reviews and that massive price drop, it's almost a no brainer to me now.

Thanks for your input guys, I appreciate it.

pippi_langsamer-2

Scultura isn't the model "up", from your Reacto, but a different model and more of an "all-rounder" rather than the Reacto's full-on aero slant. They share the exact same geometry though. Still aero-influenced tubes etc etc but a bit lighter and more compliant than the Reacto.

I've just recently bought a Scultura 9000 and so far am happy with it. For the price point, it just couldn't really be beaten for the spec' it comes with. Giant Propel was also on my list, but stock was non-existent, and I didn't want hookless rims.

Merida are a huge brand outside of UK/ USA as already mentioned.

My only slight reservations about them as a brand in the UK is they seem to have very little in the way of stock/ spares etc.

hpaul

Obviously you need to upload pictures when you get it. I had a look at that model earlier. Very nice.

If you've not pulled the trigger, the propel is down from 2999 to 1999, you would need to get a set of deep wheels to match the spec I think. End up similar money. Colours are not great. The black is hard to beat imo.

The giant sale is on my lbs at the minute. 20‰ off, takes the pro 2 propel down to a little more than you were prepared to pay initially for the reacto. But you get etap and a power meter.

bonk_king

My new Merida Reacto. This thing is simply stunning. Hopefully, weather permitting, I'll take her out for a spin tomorrow. A few tweaks may be needed. I'm pretty sure I'm going to have a lot of fun on this bike.

sub2

How has it gone OP ?