Flat-bar general purpose ATB / Hack……

[sevenfourate]

Anyone got an opinion, or better still: experience on this and its components / groupset ?

https://www.merida-bikes.com/en-gb/bike/4881/speeder-500

I will / will have to get a new ‘daily-beater’ at some point. And I’ve had a couple in mind before this point - inc this:

https://winstanleysbikes.co.uk/orange-speedwork-2026-bike

And ‘perhaps’ a few other sub £1500 flat-bar chunky hybrid / Gravel 🙄 type bikes.

BUT - My LBS who I’d love to support has just become a Merida dealer and is awaiting stock. And I’d like to support them. But of course not to my detriment if the components / groupset are known to be unreliable. But on paper flat bars, 32-35mm tyre fitment, carbon forks, 1 x 12 setup and hydraulic brakes looks more than enough for my use.

Any and all thoughts welcomed.

 

[oxoman]

Merida are a massive company and actually make specialized bikes, if I remember correctly. Good bikes usually with well known parts on them.

 

[Jameshow]

Anyone got an opinion, or better still: experience on this and its components / groupset ?

https://www.merida-bikes.com/en-gb/bike/4881/speeder-500

I will / will have to get a new ‘daily-beater’ at some point. And I’ve had a couple in mind before this point - inc this:

https://winstanleysbikes.co.uk/orange-speedwork-2026-bike

And ‘perhaps’ a few other sub £1500 flat-bar chunky hybrid / Gravel 🙄 type bikes.

BUT - My LBS who I’d love to support has just become a Merida dealer and is awaiting stock. And I’d like to support them. But of course not to my detriment if the components / groupset are known to be unreliable. But on paper flat bars, 32-35mm tyre fitment, carbon forks, 1 x 12 setup and hydraulic brakes looks more than enough for my use.

Any and all thoughts welcomed.

What other brands do they stock??

If the the Merida over the orange it pains me to say ....

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Anyone got an opinion, or better still: experience on this and its components / groupset ?

https://www.merida-bikes.com/en-gb/bike/4881/speeder-500

I will / will have to get a new ‘daily-beater’ at some point. And I’ve had a couple in mind before this point - inc this:

https://winstanleysbikes.co.uk/orange-speedwork-2026-bike

And ‘perhaps’ a few other sub £1500 flat-bar chunky hybrid / Gravel 🙄 type bikes.

BUT - My LBS who I’d love to support has just become a Merida dealer and is awaiting stock. And I’d like to support them. But of course not to my detriment if the components / groupset are known to be unreliable. But on paper flat bars, 32-35mm tyre fitment, carbon forks, 1 x 12 setup and hydraulic brakes looks more than enough for my use.

Any and all thoughts welcomed.

Some cheap components on the Orange.

 

[Ajax Bay]

https://www.cyclerecycleuk.com/shop
Though I appreciate my idea of a "daily-beater" may not align with yours:
"a new ‘daily-beater’ . . . perhaps . . . sub £1500".

 

[JonBuoy]

I am surprised to see QR hubs on the Merida.

 

[MichaelW2]

Merida are one of the Big 5 bike manufacturers in Taiwan and build for lots of brands. Their own label bikes have always been outstanding. As long as the rack and mudguard fixings are just standard eyelets and no Specialized propriatory grub screw fixing.

 

[Jameshow]

I am surprised to see QR hubs on the Merida.

Cheaper I guess / old stock hubs

 

[wafter]

Merida are a massive company and actually make specialized bikes, if I remember correctly. Good bikes usually with well known parts on them.

I thought I'd heard that Merida had bought out Specialized after the latter shat the bed post-covid stupidity, however I can't find anything to support that. Merida have apparently owned 49% of Specialized since 2001 however.

Some cheap components on the Orange.

Yeah, they went under a while ago and got bought out so have potentially gone the way of many others; a once-trusted name to be used as a Trojan horse to push overpriced crap upon the unwary

 

[Punkawallah]

Pick up an 80’s steel 10 speed and add flat bars etc. Mine is 70’s, and takes 622mm wheels and35/37mm tyres.

 

[Elybazza61]

Sold Meridas in the shop I worked in and they were generally well specced and few issues and those that were was sorted easily.

The Speeders in various models was the best seller; just note that the fork usually has a mudguard mount under the crown so the 'guard may have to be drilled and they used to be 32c max with mudguards especially if running Marathon Pluses.

 

[sevenfourate]

Sold Meridas in the shop I worked in and they were generally well specced and few issues and those that were was sorted easily.

The Speeders in various models was the best seller; just note that the fork usually has a mudguard mount under the crown so the 'guard may have to be drilled and they used to be 32c max with mudguards especially if running Marathon Pluses.

That’s helpful.

35mm wide rubber if using clip on / external / mudguards I’m told ?