Merida has been busy, with launches of its new One-Twenty, One-Sixty FR and Big Nine mountain bikes earlier this autumn. Now it’s time for a long-awaited update to the popular Silex gravel bike.
The first generation Silex arrived in 2018, a time when the term ‘gravel riding’ was relatively new. Back then few brands offered a gravel bike, with sporty cyclocross bikes or heavy tourers often being the only options to choose between. Five years on and the gravel and adventure riding scene has evolved rapidly and for many riders a drop bar gravel bike is the go-to machine for four-season road riding as well as multi-surface riding. So how does this all-new 2024 Merida Silex compare to the best gravel bikes?
Two gravel frame platforms for 2024
The original Silex took design cues from endurance road bikes of the time, with a tall head tube giving a relaxed riding position and 38mm tires adding some degree of comfort. But even though this outgoing version sports frame mounts for bags and racks, the relatively short wheelbase and lack of tire clearance for wider (upwards of 40mm) tires limits its capability and versatility.
For the 2024 model year Merida has refocused its gravel bike offering, with two distinct frame platforms. The Scultura Endurance GR has a high performance gravel racing focus, with this fully-overhauled 2024 Silex now biased more towards bikepacking and adventure riding on rougher off-road terrain.
Frame – fully refreshed
This new take on the Silex may well have a leaning towards practicality but Merida still had low weight on the design brief. There are Carbon CF (1220g frame weight for a size M) and aluminum Lite (1900g) models, both paired with a carbon fork (540g) and using 12mm thru-axles front and rear. There are five frame sizes available on all models.
Maintaining the relaxed riding position was a key consideration on the new Silex, along with increasing its comfort and capability with higher volume tyres. To achieve this, Merida uses a taller, suspension-corrected carbon fork, paired with a shorter head tube, with clearance for 45mm tires (or 42mm with fenders/mudguards) on 700c wheels front and rear. Merida believes this wheel and tire package gives the optimum mix of compliance and confidence across multiple surfaces, so it is 700c wheels only for the new Silex, with no option for the 650b size.
Frame geometry has been tweaked slightly, with a slacker 69.5 degree head angle (and corresponding longer front center) boosting control in rough terrain and adding stability, especially when loaded with bags. And naturally for a gravel bike for 2024, the new Silex frames are compatible with an internally routed dropper seatpost.
Packed with neat details
With improved off-road ability and bikepacking as a focus, Merida has equipped both the aluminum and carbon Silex frames with a full selection of mounting points. The top tube sports a bag mount on top and a tool/tube mount below and the carbon CF frames get an integrated Fidlock base mount on the down tube. This allows any Fidlock-compatible accessory/bottle to be used or it can be switched out for an optional blanking plate. There's a third cage mount below the down tube – useful for a tool keg or additional cargo.
The carbon fork is fully loaded too with industry-standard triple cage mounts on each fork leg. It also has internal routing for a hub dynamo but no drilling on the crown for a compatible light.
A heavily loaded bike needs decent brakes. Here Merida has boosted power by breaking from the norm and fitting larger (MTB size) 180mm rotors front and rear. This is aided by a neat ‘Disc Cooler’ heat sink in the disc mount (a finned piece of forged aluminum) that’s standard on the carbon frame and fork. Although the aluminum frame misses out on this tech it does get rear rack mounts to add practicality, a feature that's omitted from the lighter carbon Silex frame.
Merida claims to have kept the new Silex gimmick free, but as is the current trend its cable and rear brake hose are piped through the headset with what the brand has named ‘Wireport’ cable routing. One benefit of this clean front end is that bar-mounted bikepacking bags will sit neatly and be potentially more stable too.
2024 Merida Silex model range
All the 2024 Merida Silex bikes, whether in carbon or aluminum are available in five frame sizes (XS, S, M, L, XL) and each model has two color choices. With an eye on keen pricing, the aluminum frame bikes starts with the 200 model at £1,275 / €1,500 (Eire).
Merida Silex 10K
- Silex CF II carbon frame
- Silex CFII carbon fork
- SRAM Red AXS/XO Eagle AXS 1x12 drivetrain
- SRAM Red AXS hyd disc brakes
- SRAM Reverb XPLR AXS dropper post
- Reynolds Black Label G700 Pro 700c wheelset
- Maxxis Rambler EXO TR 45mm tires
- Price £8,750/€10,500 (Eire)
Merida Silex 7000
- Silex CFII carbon frame
- Silex CFII carbon fork
- Shimano GRX 820 1x12 drivetrain
- Shimano GRX 820 hyd disc brakes
- Merida Expert CC carbon seatpost
- Easton EA70 AX 700c wheelset
- Maxxis Rambler EXO TR 45mm tires
- Price £3,000/€3,600 (Eire)
Merida Silex 4000
- Silex CFII carbon frame
- Silex CFII carbon fork
- Shimano GRX400 2x10 drivetrain
- Shimano GRX400 hyd disc brakes
- Merida Expert CC carbon seatpost
- Merida Expert SL II alloy 700c wheelset
- Maxxis Rambler EXO TR 45mm tires
- Price £2,250/€2,700 (Eire)
Merida Silex 700
- Silex Lite II aluminum frame
- Silex CFII carbon fork
- Shimano GRX820 1x12 drivetrain
- Shimano GRX820 hyd disc brakes
- Merida Expert CC carbon seatpost
- Easton EA70 AX 700c wheelset
- Maxxis Rambler EXO TR 45mm tires
- Price £2,350/€2,820 (Eire)
Merida Silex 400
- Silex Lite II aluminum frame
- Silex CFII carbon fork
- Shimano GRX400 2x10 drivetrain
- Shimano GRX400 hyd disc brakes
- Merida Comp CC alloy seatpost
- Merida Expert SL II alloy 700c wheelset
- Maxxis Rambler EXO TR 45mm tires
- Price £1,650/€1,980 (Eire)
Merida Silex 200
- Silex Lite II aluminum frame
- Silex CFII carbon fork
- Shimano Sora 2x9 drivetrain
- Promax DSK-330R mech disc brakes
- Merida Comp CC alloy seatpost
- Merida Comp SL II alloy wheelset
- Maxxis Rambler EXO TR 45mm tires
- £1,275/€1,500 (Eire)
