I love my gravel bike. It's very versatile, if I put knobby tires on it I can ride off-road, I commute with it, can go touring or bikepacking. If you race cyclocross often, it makes sense to get a CX bike, but it really isn't necessary!
Thats funny, this bike was posted on MyDealz for about 900€ three weeks ago. It's still available for 899€. Gladly I found a better deal for a better bike. Thanks for the review! =)
I’ve got the cx500 2016 and in truth I find it’s an excellent all rounder got slicks for road and cross tyres for everything else and find it’s comfortable for long periods on the bike, because it’s getting old I’m looking at changing it but tbh can’t find a bike for me that’s offering much more under £5000, I love my Merida think it’s brilliant bike
As an alternative I've ordered Scott speedster gravel 10 disc. Haven't found anything similar with 105 and hydraulic brakes for the price (~1270€ with a discount in a LBS in Lithuania).
In my experience any bike in this price range will come with terrible and heavy own-brand wheels. I bought a CX bike with cantilever brakes a few years ago, simply because I had a pair of really nice spare wheels lying around and know I could stick them on the bike and make it so much nicer to ride...at least the original rear wheel does a decent job as a trainer wheel on the turbo...
You'd wanna check out the Votec VRX Comp for 1500€. It comes with SRAM ROAM 30 wheels. Not sure how good they are in terms of performance but they come tubeless ready at the very least.
yeah, direct-sales bikes like Canyon or Votec are probably the exception from this rule, you can actually find a decent pair of wheels on a 1500 Euro bike. I have a Votec VRC carbon road bike and it came with a 800 Euro pair of Easton wheels...on a 2000 Euro bike...no idea how they calculated that price but they have since become more expensive :)
@SickBiker ..... Im confused with merida chart.. because the reach for the size 50cm and 52cm is the same. im 175cm in height. if im going to buy a Merida CX500. what size would i get. Would it be 50 or 52... i would prefer upright postion when riding.
Excellent Review, i"m looking at a Merida Cyclocross at the moment as i love the Merida Brand, also, after watching you Race i may be tempted to do a bit of Fun Racing.
What happens to Silex sizing since it has quite different geometry than other gravel bikes? Does it remain same as any other road bike? Even Merida doesn't follow their usual sizing options for Silex. They have 47, 50, 53 and 56cm for Sliex.
"the pros use 1x for cyclocross" Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel the 2 strongest riders at the moment don't..... both had 2x this year and at this years World Champs
Hmm, I don't think the Silex would be cutting it for me as a Gravel Bike. It's propably very suitable as a commuter and on a bit of rough terrain but I want a Gravel Bike which would be somewhat suited for an aero position to go fast on the road as well and that geometry doesn't look as if it would lend itself to that very well. I think there are more versatile options out there in terms of Gravel bikes.
I am just about to buy a Silex 600. I am confused by sizing. Sizing charts for Silex seem to be like any other but the bikes geomatry should change the sizing chart, right? I am 178cm, 80cm inseam. My local shop ordered me a size M(50cm). But the charts say I need a bigger one. I am a total begginer so I do not really know what to look for. Any advice? Thank you.
Just ordered Silex 300 - model and struggling with exactly same question. My local shop also recommended smaller size frame even when official merida charts point to bigger one. I'm not 100% sure if I understood everything perfectly, but it seems that silex has very high "stack" height and long frame that makes use of normal sizing chart generally wrong choice. Lets hope that our local shops are right and received bikes are correct sizes.
Thanks for your many reviews! I like them 😉 I am looking for a bike, for riding to work every day. The way is mostly a cycle path, with a short distance of forest track. I thought of the merida 500 (2017) or the merida 400 (2018). I could not find a big difference?! 😳 But after this review, the silex would be the better choice? Many years ago I had a normal road bike. And now just a mountain bike. Did you (or some of the community) have some advices for me? I would be very thankful
Arahorn yes, after trying many different kinds and producers, I ended up with a cube road bike. It fits best and I can use it very well for my intensions 😉
I would get the same if I were you, because for the short forest track you can simply put on 28mm tyres if they will fit. If it's got disc brakes then that would be easy. I think a CX bike might be overkill if you're doing mostly cycle paths with a little forest track. You want as light as possible for the conditions you're riding in, a road bike is most efficient for those conditions.
Hello! I want to buy a Merida Silex 400, 2020 and I am afraid that the carbon fork is not the best choice for me. I have 94 kg. What do you think about this?
I have the 300 2018 model for 750Euros on sale. I mounted 42mm tires and could still mount fenders. How much more do you need when commuting?! It even has jagwire compressionless housing. Overall it is nicely spec'd, if you need more, spend more. The only thing I would wish is full length cable housing routed externally to keep things clean and accessable. Internal routing may look good but is a pita when something needs to be replaced.
New bike prices suggest they are luxury like espresso machines and grinders. Just bikes seem to be more luxury than espresso but then latter don't come in carbon cases. Though, both suck one into and it's hard to drop 'em.
btw Bezzera has started sales of fancy machine with transparent and illuminated side panels, this is what I'd call high end - high over practicality. Bikes aren't just practical, I must agree, they are also a bit of fetish thingies.
It's pretty much same bike as the Merida cyclocross 500 that you reviewed about 2 or 3 years ago.. is it. Frame and it's geometry is same. Can you please tell us the size of your bike, and how many cm is the handlebar lower than saddle.. How much you need to rise handlebar to feel comfy.. upright. have always thought that this bike is pretty high.. also long too. especially long. And when I look the geometry chart, then the sizes 50 and 52 have same reach and also 54 and 56 too. Isn't that weird? Maybe the stem length is different?
PS. I think, that the upright position is good on city traffic, you can see easier and show the signals with your hands, but.. I would not buy Silex for my self, because it has even longer reach than this Cyclocross 400. And top tube too.. while stem is shorter.. So when I would need to fit it, with shorter stem, then I'm limited.. I would get sore neck and shoulders there with such far away handlebar.. Hands reached out at front.. it's not good position for my neck and shoulders. I could only ride on drops with that bike and never on hods. While that handlebar design.. It's noot very comfortable to reach the levers from drops.. I think. Maybe it works for some, but definitely not for me..
Dude, you buy CX IF you will race CX, otherwise it doesn't make sense. If you want a bike with drop bars and large(r) tires get gravel bike, it shall be more comfortable because of the more relaxed geometry. This is what Dani said in the video, and this is the general opinion of many.
2:45 "Cable Routing" Needs RGB. (Sorry I couldn't help myself, "Cable Routing" is a phrase you hear constantly on PC building guides, and RGB lighting is the biggest fad in PC builds right now. It's basically just a meme that people say everything is better with RGB, even though RGB is functionally useless, but kids these days LOVE to have all RGB components.)
I love my gravel bike. It's very versatile, if I put knobby tires on it I can ride off-road, I commute with it, can go touring or bikepacking. If you race cyclocross often, it makes sense to get a CX bike, but it really isn't necessary!
Thats funny, this bike was posted on MyDealz for about 900€ three weeks ago. It's still available for 899€. Gladly I found a better deal for a better bike. Thanks for the review! =)
Brece Luu for which one?
I’ve got the cx500 2016 and in truth I find it’s an excellent all rounder got slicks for road and cross tyres for everything else and find it’s comfortable for long periods on the bike, because it’s getting old I’m looking at changing it but tbh can’t find a bike for me that’s offering much more under £5000, I love my Merida think it’s brilliant bike
As an alternative I've ordered Scott speedster gravel 10 disc. Haven't found anything similar with 105 and hydraulic brakes for the price (~1270€ with a discount in a LBS in Lithuania).
I already am happy with the Merida CX100, if ever I would get a bike with drops that I can also use in off-roads.
Sir, what is the max tire that can put in Merida Cx100?
got the scott speedster for 600 second hand. Loving it so far.
And two years later, he changed his view on cyclecross bikes...hahaha
Great review Danny! Have you tried the Focus Mares? I've always liked the looks of that bike. Not as common here in the U.S.
Suuper video!!! Great to learn from the experts. Thanks.
In my experience any bike in this price range will come with terrible and heavy own-brand wheels. I bought a CX bike with cantilever brakes a few years ago, simply because I had a pair of really nice spare wheels lying around and know I could stick them on the bike and make it so much nicer to ride...at least the original rear wheel does a decent job as a trainer wheel on the turbo...
You'd wanna check out the Votec VRX Comp for 1500€. It comes with SRAM ROAM 30 wheels. Not sure how good they are in terms of performance but they come tubeless ready at the very least.
yeah, direct-sales bikes like Canyon or Votec are probably the exception from this rule, you can actually find a decent pair of wheels on a 1500 Euro bike. I have a Votec VRC carbon road bike and it came with a 800 Euro pair of Easton wheels...on a 2000 Euro bike...no idea how they calculated that price but they have since become more expensive :)
Super helpful. Thanks!
@SickBiker .....
Im confused with merida chart.. because the reach for the size 50cm and 52cm is the same. im 175cm in height. if im going to buy a Merida CX500. what size would i get. Would it be 50 or 52... i would prefer upright postion when riding.
Excellent Review, i"m looking at a Merida Cyclocross at the moment as i love the Merida Brand, also, after watching you Race i may be tempted to do a bit of Fun Racing.
Felt has a solid gravel bike for that price point, I also like the Jamis Renegade too
What happens to Silex sizing since it has quite different geometry than other gravel bikes? Does it remain same as any other road bike? Even Merida doesn't follow their usual sizing options for Silex. They have 47, 50, 53 and 56cm for Sliex.
What do you think about Merida Silex serie ? Will you make a review ?
"the pros use 1x for cyclocross"
Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel the 2 strongest riders at the moment don't.....
both had 2x this year and at this years World Champs
Hmm, I don't think the Silex would be cutting it for me as a Gravel Bike. It's propably very suitable as a commuter and on a bit of rough terrain but I want a Gravel Bike which would be somewhat suited for an aero position to go fast on the road as well and that geometry doesn't look as if it would lend itself to that very well. I think there are more versatile options out there in terms of Gravel bikes.
I am just about to buy a Silex 600. I am confused by sizing. Sizing charts for Silex seem to be like any other but the bikes geomatry should change the sizing chart, right?
I am 178cm, 80cm inseam. My local shop ordered me a size M(50cm). But the charts say I need a bigger one. I am a total begginer so I do not really know what to look for.
Any advice?
Thank you.
Just ordered Silex 300 - model and struggling with exactly same question. My local shop also recommended smaller size frame even when official merida charts point to bigger one. I'm not 100% sure if I understood everything perfectly, but it seems that silex has very high "stack" height and long frame that makes use of normal sizing chart generally wrong choice. Lets hope that our local shops are right and received bikes are correct sizes.
The Silex has a sloping frame, therefore the sizing for the Silex of different than, say, for their cyclocross or road bikes.
Thanks for your many reviews! I like them 😉
I am looking for a bike, for riding to work every day. The way is mostly a cycle path, with a short distance of forest track.
I thought of the merida 500 (2017) or the merida 400 (2018). I could not find a big difference?! 😳
But after this review, the silex would be the better choice? Many years ago I had a normal road bike. And now just a mountain bike. Did you (or some of the community) have some advices for me? I would be very thankful
Have you ended up buying something yet?
Arahorn yes, after trying many different kinds and producers, I ended up with a cube road bike. It fits best and I can use it very well for my intensions 😉
I would get the same if I were you, because for the short forest track you can simply put on 28mm tyres if they will fit. If it's got disc brakes then that would be easy.
I think a CX bike might be overkill if you're doing mostly cycle paths with a little forest track. You want as light as possible for the conditions you're riding in, a road bike is most efficient for those conditions.
I am confused between merida 100 and focus mares al commuter.
Shame the head tube on the Silex is so ugly :/
Hello! I want to buy a Merida Silex 400, 2020 and I am afraid that the carbon fork is not the best choice for me. I have 94 kg.
What do you think about this?
Cosmin Adrian Gavrila no worries mate. I weighted 97 kg since last time measured .
Don’t worry I’m 135 kg rugby player who likes bike never had any problems with carbon forks
I have the 300 2018 model for 750Euros on sale. I mounted 42mm tires and could still mount fenders. How much more do you need when commuting?! It even has jagwire compressionless housing. Overall it is nicely spec'd, if you need more, spend more. The only thing I would wish is full length cable housing routed externally to keep things clean and accessable. Internal routing may look good but is a pita when something needs to be replaced.
What tires were those? How do they fit in the chainstays?
42mm schwalbe marathon supremes that measure 39mm on the rim. Enough clearance left between the seat- and chain stays.
Thanks for the review, how about merida CX100 2018? Is it a good entry level cx bike for its price?
Beware.....Aluminium Forks!!?
1500 dollars entry level? Sick, bikes are worth half of their price not even after a year from the moment of buying...
Cheers from Romania!
Calin Opincariu that is a entry level price
New bike prices suggest they are luxury like espresso machines and grinders. Just bikes seem to be more luxury than espresso but then latter don't come in carbon cases. Though, both suck one into and it's hard to drop 'em.
btw Bezzera has started sales of fancy machine with transparent and illuminated side panels, this is what I'd call high end - high over practicality. Bikes aren't just practical, I must agree, they are also a bit of fetish thingies.
That green machine is tasty
It's pretty much same bike as the Merida cyclocross 500 that you reviewed about 2 or 3 years ago.. is it. Frame and it's geometry is same.
Can you please tell us the size of your bike, and how many cm is the handlebar lower than saddle.. How much you need to rise handlebar to feel comfy.. upright.
have always thought that this bike is pretty high.. also long too. especially long. And when I look the geometry chart, then the sizes 50 and 52 have same reach and also 54 and 56 too. Isn't that weird? Maybe the stem length is different?
PS. I think, that the upright position is good on city traffic, you can see easier and show the signals with your hands, but.. I would not buy Silex for my self, because it has even longer reach than this Cyclocross 400. And top tube too.. while stem is shorter.. So when I would need to fit it, with shorter stem, then I'm limited.. I would get sore neck and shoulders there with such far away handlebar.. Hands reached out at front.. it's not good position for my neck and shoulders. I could only ride on drops with that bike and never on hods. While that handlebar design.. It's noot very comfortable to reach the levers from drops.. I think. Maybe it works for some, but definitely not for me..
Dude, you buy CX IF you will race CX, otherwise it doesn't make sense. If you want a bike with drop bars and large(r) tires get gravel bike, it shall be more comfortable because of the more relaxed geometry. This is what Dani said in the video, and this is the general opinion of many.
WHY HYDRAULIC? isn't mech disc brakes are not enough?
I think you are just paying the name MERIDA
i have a shimano ironhorse
Look at the Canyon Inflite Al, Hydraulic Ultegra Group and DT Swiss Wheels for almost the same price!
I looked that up, it's a great deal, Shimano 105. Are cyclocross frames heavier than road frames?
Arahorn yes, they are a little bit heavier...
Patrick
I suppose the wider dropouts to get the bigger clearance means there're more frame material.
you should have went for a Merida Speeder 300! :)
just got it.
@@pvsarath I also have one since 3 years.
2:45 "Cable Routing"
Needs RGB.
(Sorry I couldn't help myself, "Cable Routing" is a phrase you hear constantly on PC building guides, and RGB lighting is the biggest fad in PC builds right now. It's basically just a meme that people say everything is better with RGB, even though RGB is functionally useless, but kids these days LOVE to have all RGB components.)
Efficient
The painting and the decals are simply disgusting.