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 ?

 

[chriswoody]

Just thought I'd add a few thoughts and experiences with SRAM 1x12 drivetrains.

As you may well be aware, I use my bikes year round, in all conditions. The trails here are a real mix, but have a lot of sand which sticks to the transmission as well as being very wet and muddy in the Winter. What I don't do though is use my bikes on greasy salty British roads, so I don't know if that would accelerate wear. I don't have the world's most rigorous cleaning schedule, from time to time I will wipe the chain over with an oily rag and drip new oil on each link. It's not unheard of for me to get a bit lax and the chain to run dry or go superficially rusty. Given the above, I will get on average about 3200 km per chain and I generally use three chains before changing the cassette. I use a Shimano chain checking tool and change the chain when it just about drops into the links. I've never really taken note of mileages with my older bikes or tracked maintenance before, so I really don't know how that compares with cheaper triple or double groupsets.

I've not had direct experience with Apex Xplr, but I have ridden SRAM NX Eagle, Rival and GX Eagle. Aside from a dodgy B screw on my GX Eagle derailleur, I've had nothing but positive experiences with SRAM drivetrains, they are strong, robust and reliable. SRAM's engineering is a little bit more agricultural compared to Shimano, which is more akin to a Swiss watch. That said I find the simpler engineering means it is much more home mechanic friendly.

Would I recommend 1x on a "daily beater"? Due to the high cost of consumables I would generally say no, however, seeing the way you care for your bikes, I suspect that you would be able to get some good mileage out of your drivetrain components so maybe for you it would work. Reliability wise, my own experience has been really positive, I've not found 1x to be problematic at all no matter how caked in crud or neglected it's been. Overall I've put close to 20,000km on SRAM 1x drivetrains, not just local trail bashing but bikepacking all over the place as well.

If you get chance, give that Merida a ride and see what you think, it certainly looks a nicely built and specced bike for the money.

 

[sevenfourate]

Just thought I'd add a few thoughts and experiences with SRAM 1x12 drivetrains.

As you may well be aware, I use my bikes year round, in all conditions. The trails here are a real mix, but have a lot of sand which sticks to the transmission as well as being very wet and muddy in the Winter. What I don't do though is use my bikes on greasy salty British roads, so I don't know if that would accelerate wear. I don't have the world's most rigorous cleaning schedule, from time to time I will wipe the chain over with an oily rag and drip new oil on each link. It's not unheard of for me to get a bit lax and the chain to run dry or go superficially rusty. Given the above, I will get on average about 3200 km per chain and I generally use three chains before changing the cassette. I use a Shimano chain checking tool and change the chain when it just about drops into the links. I've never really taken note of mileages with my older bikes or tracked maintenance before, so I really don't know how that compares with cheaper triple or double groupsets.

I've not had direct experience with Apex Xplr, but I have ridden SRAM NX Eagle, Rival and GX Eagle. Aside from a dodgy B screw on my GX Eagle derailleur, I've had nothing but positive experiences with SRAM drivetrains, they are strong, robust and reliable. SRAM's engineering is a little bit more agricultural compared to Shimano, which is more akin to a Swiss watch. That said I find the simpler engineering means it is much more home mechanic friendly.

Would I recommend 1x on a "daily beater"? Due to the high cost of consumables I would generally say no, however, seeing the way you care for your bikes, I suspect that you would be able to get some good mileage out of your drivetrain components so maybe for you it would work. Reliability wise, my own experience has been really positive, I've not found 1x to be problematic at all no matter how caked in crud or neglected it's been. Overall I've put close to 20,000km on SRAM 1x drivetrains, not just local trail bashing but bikepacking all over the place as well.

If you get chance, give that Merida a ride and see what you think, it certainly looks a nicely built and specced bike for the money.

I REALLY appreciate your time, experience and expertise on the drive-train side of things. THANKS hugely !

My absolute 'doubt' was over that / the drive-train / 12-speed / wear side of things primarily. And its use or (The way 'i') would use it.

And i absolutely hear and take on-board everything you say. And yes - i'm the most OCD cleaner / lubrication devotee there is. If it wouldn't provide a fair useage to me - it's not going to do that for anyone.

The shop told me last night that all Speedsters share exactly the same Geometry. Sure the 500 model for example has Carbon forks....but if they got in a base model in my size (This is lowestoft. and for the majority of buyers very price dependant)....i could then try and order from that accordingly.

On their (Merida's) size chart and after punching in all my measurements i'm at the lower end of XL. I think i'm likely to get a large and go with a set-back seatpost, longer stem if required and riser bars from there to balloon it out. Seeing as this bike will do the most miles - i should really go for a bike fit at or before that point of buying those parts. Which i know i'd find hugely interesting.

Cheers muchly again Chris.