This Merida Silex 700 may be lower down the brand's gravel range of bikes but, with a mixture of some major tweaks to the geometry and overall design for 2024, plus a great selection of kit it is an affordable gravel machine which is capable of taking on more technical terrain than most.
This Merida Silex 700 may be lower down the brand's gravel range of bikes but, with a mixture of some major tweaks to the geometry and overall design for 2024, plus a great selection of kit it is an affordable gravel machine which is capable of taking on more technical terrain than most. With some rather classy paint jobs the whole range looks great, too.
The fork length here has increased from 397mm to 415mm which not only allows for a bigger tyre clearance and means that the Silex is capable of running a suspension fork without it affecting the handling.Speaking of tyre clearances, they have been improved to 47mm on a 700c wheel up from 42mm on the previous model, aided at the rear by dropping both chainstays.
As I said above, you get a good spread of gears. A little gappy in places due to the range on offer but not a huge issue overall.The shifting is clean and crisp even when the groupset is covered in dust or mud from previous rides and I’m a big fan of the shape of the hoods here. The GRX 820 shifters have embossed lines on the top which helps with grip especially when trying to brake on a descent in the wet or with sweaty hands.
Throughout the review period, they showed themselves to be reliable and with a claimed weight of 1,760g they aren’t too heavy to affect the overall ride.They are tubeless ready which is probably a route you’ll want to go down for off-road riding. The 45mm Maxxis Rambler tyres are too so other than some valves and sealant you won’t need to spend anything else for the conversion.
The GRX groupset gives a good spread of gears and the bike isn’t heavy, so climbing is a pleasure. Again, the tall front end helps here as you don’t put much pressure on your lower back which means I could stay in the saddle even for the steepest climbs.The handling, as I mentioned before, also means that the Silex is a surefooted descender and that all adds to the fun.
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