Buying 1st road bike. Anyone recommend Merida?

[benholliday]

I've recently caught the cycling bug and have started to do a few commutes on my old mtb (25mile round trip). I'm now looking for my 1st road bike. Have about £500-600 to spend but this is savings so want to make the right choice! My local independent shop have a range of Merida bikes and I have been shown around the ride 90 (rrp £600). Can anyone recommend this make and/or in particular this model? Possible alternative is the Raleigh revenio I, same rrp at a different independent. Don't really want to go to halfords or evans as heard their build quality is poor? Thanks for any advice. Ben

 

[MikeW-71]

Merida is a good brand, one of the biggest manufacturers who also make frames for other brands too (eg. Carrera so I've heard). They supply the Lampre pro team with bikes.

I wouldn't completely discount getting a bike from Halfords/Evans though. It's true that their mechanic skills can be variable, but it's also not a hard job to go over a new bike yourself and make sure that things are tightened properly and move properly.

 

[Cycleops]

Both are good bikes, although the name Merida is a relatively new one, but a dependable brand. If you feel more comfortable with the Raleigh brand go for that, they produce some great value bikes. By the way, it is considered "good form" to post a link when asking these questions on here.

 

[gersin008]

I bought a Merida Race Lite in March 2013, still got it and still love it

 

[themosquitoking]

Mate of mine bought a ride 94 recently and he loves it, i think it's a very nice looking bike and might very well have bought it if it was around last year when i got my Defy. Stand them side by side and it's hard not to say the merida is a better bike, haven't ridden it though as he's a lanky old thing and it's about the size of a horse.

 

[Easytigers]

Hi there, recently bought an RT-58 from Planet X and really like it...it's light for the price and has good components :-) £600

 

[Peteaud]

Merida own almost half of specialized FWW.

Good bikes imho.

 

[Scooby03]

A bit of truth in most of the above, but also a fair amount of myth.

Merida was founded in 1972 and is the 2nd biggest bike manufacturer on the planet.

They haven't made Carrera bikes since 2003.

The connection with Specialized is true, and nowadays Merida make for just themselves, Specialized and a couple of small brands.

The Ride 90 gives you a heck of a lot of bike for the money. Don't be fooled by cheap frames with fancy rear mechs.

The Ride 90 has a triple butted 6066 hydro formed aluminium frame with a tapered head tube and a full carbon tapered fork. All features of far more expensive bikes. It is the same frame they use on their £1,000 bike, the Ride 94.

Beats the Raleigh into a cocked hat.

 

[benholliday]

Thank you very much for all the advice. I assume the guy mentioning 'good form' to post link meant a link to the a website showing the products in question? I will likely go for the merida in the spring but have decided I will likely pick up a cheap road or even hybrid to cover me for the winter as my route to work is back roads that are bumpy and gravely at various points. Any thoughts? Thanks again

 

[benholliday]

http://www.propelbikes.co.uk/product/ride-90/

link to merida and local shop in question

 

[Scooby03]

Rob at Propel is a really fantastic guy, have a chat with him.

Incredible knowledge and experience and awesome speed on a bike!

Have you considered a cyclo cross bike?

 

[Mike!]

If you want something cheap for winter not many road bikes will take "proper" full length mudguards which i assume you'll want. I'd look out for a second hand Sirrus or something along those lines or if new you can't really go wrong with a Carrera Subway but it may look to "MTB" for you

 

[Scooby03]

Hi mike!

Your pic is of the Merida logo, do you work for them, or just a fan?

 

[cyberknight]

Rui Costa seems to have done ok on them

 

[Mike!]

Hi mike!

Your pic is of the Merida logo, do you work for them, or just a fan?

My best bike is a Merida (Scultura 905). Love it, underrated bikes IMO due to not being a big name (at least in the UK) and not being sold at all in the US due to the links with specialized (whom Merida own 49% of).