10 reasons to love this bike: Merida Reacto 7000-E

1. It’s a bike of champions

You’ll see the Reacto Team figuring strongly in the forthcoming Giro d’Italia as the race bike of choice for Team Lampre-Merida – including GC-contender Diego Ulissi and previous double stage winner Sacha Modolo. Much of the pro-level tech that goes into that bike has filtered down to the 7000-E model you see here, even though it comes in at less than half the price of the £7k pro bike!

2. It looks great

The matt black paintjob is brought to life with vibrant red highlights that mean the Reacto 7000-E is sure to draw admiring glances when you roll up to that club ride or sportive on it. 

3. It has space-age design

The truncated-teardrop tubing profiles don’t just look cool, they follow NACA (National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics) Fastback design principles to ensure the bike slips through the air with ease.

4. It’s totally aero

Internal cables and a direct-mount rear brake under the bottom bracket keep things tidy, while adding to aerodynamic efficiency. Even tiny details like the integrated seatpost clamp are designed to save every last watt of power. 

5. It’s efficient

That compact rear triangle is designed for optimum power transfer, ensuring that when you put in an effort, the bike won’t suck the speed out of your legs. But if you think that means excessive stiffness, don’t worry – the carbon layup and tube profiles use proprietary ‘Flex Stay’ design to work like a flat spring, absorbing bumps and vibrations.

6. It has a clever seatpost

While the aero profile of the S-Flex seatpost is designed primarily for speed, comfort hasn’t been neglected here either – the cutout near the top means it acts like a 27.2mm seatpost, further assisted by a vibration-absorbing rubber ‘window’ insert.

7. The fork is pretty clever too

An internal reinforcing rib in the ‘double chamber’ fork claims to give it ‘outstanding’ torsional stiffness for refined handling in corners, while at the same time improving vibration-damping flexibility. Neat.

8. It has flawless shifting

For our money, Ultegra Di2 represents the sweet spot in current electronic groupsets, with precise, fast and reliable gear shifting that’s getting ever-more affordable.

9. It has fast wheels

The Fulcrum Racing Quattro wheels with their 35mm rim profile offer a good balance between straight-line speed and deft handling in corners. They’re not the lightest wheels out there, but they’re reliable and fast.

10. It’s a great price

Change from £3,000 for a bike with this level of spec? Where do we sign?

merida-bikes.com