After losing its sponsorship on the WorldTour, Merida has hit back by launching a new Reacto. Billed as the fastest road bike the brand has ever made, the fifth-generation aero bike is claimed to be ‘around 5% faster than the previous model with similar spec’.
A large part of this improvement is credited to a narrow wing-shaped cockpit, which is said to be the source of half the Reacto’s improvements. Further aero improvements come via a deeper head tube and a slimmer seat tube to save both weight and watts. Other additions include a pair of aero-optimised bottles, which are still in development, a wider 32mm tyre clearance and a broad range of spec options for British and European customers.
Merida Reacto 2026 builds start from £2,400 / €2,800, with the option for premium builds paired with top-end Shimano and SRAM groupsets along with a Classified hub to support 1x configurations.
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The aerodynamics
The Reacto has been Merida’s top aero bike since its introduction in 2011. Last updated in 2021, the previous generation was piloted to two Monument wins courtesy of Merida’s former WorldTour team, Bahrain Victorious. While the brand has since dropped from the WorldTour over the winter, the new Reacto was developed alongside the brand’s former Grand Tour riders.
On the whole, Merida focused its testing on a riding speed of 45kmh and a cadence of 84rpm – the same criteria as the Tour Magazine test. In the early phase of development, Merida’s engineers used ‘an aluminium skeleton’ to test several different tube profiles in the wind tunnel, allowing the brand to experiment with potential shapes without needing to 3D print a new frame. Ultimately, the goal was to create a bike that would result in a drag score lower than 200W in that Tour Magazine simulation.
The Reacto One, the top spec, managed to reach that target, having accumulated 196W of drag at 45kmh. Overall, the brand says it’s 5% faster than its predecessor. In other words, it is said to be ten watts more efficient than its predecessor in Merida’s test conditions.
Aerodynamic drag at 45kph (Tour Magazine conditions)
- Reacto One: 196W
- Reacto 10K: 202W
- Reacto Team: 203W
Deeper head tube, thinner seat tube
As a result of the wind-tunnel and CFD (computational fluid dynamics) tests, many of the tubes on the new Reacto have been altered to improve airflow. Towards the front, this is noticeable at the forks and the head tube, which appears deeper than its predecessor, following a wider trend within the aero bike space.
Towards the rear triangle, the seat tube has also changed in appearance, this time looking thinner. While the seat tubes of most aero bikes, including the previous Reacto, tightly follow the shape of the wheels, the new model has a unique cutout between the bottom bracket and the seat stay junction. The slimmer shape saves weight, and the brand claims it benefits the Reacto’s aero performance by one watt at 45kmh.
The bike now accommodates a tyre clearance of 32mm on the front and rear.
Lighter seat post
In the pursuit of comfort, weight and aero gains, the seatpost was a key point of focus for Merida’s designers.
On a weight front, the seatpost’s weight has been cut by roughly 35%, now totalling 106g. Some of those savings have been attributed to the relocation of the Shimano Di2 battery, which can now be found towards the bottom bracket.
The seatpost clamp system has completely changed to benefit both weight and aesthetics. On the previous model, it used to be positioned in a triangle shape under the top tube. In the new model, the triangle has been removed, and the clamp appears on the rear side of the seat tube in what Merida says is a ‘more accessible location’.
Flex is said to have been improved with the new seatpost too, plus a standard 0mm offset is claimed to support a more comfortable ride fit and a more efficient pedalling position.
Otherwise, a cutout towards the saddle clamp is expected to house an integrated light, but that is still to be developed. For the moment, it is covered by a piece of rubber.
New handlebar, with UCI illegal widths available
To improve frontal aero performance, Merida has introduced the Team CW 1P handlebar for the updated Reacto. Weighing 320g, the bars follow a seagull-like shape, similar to that on the Colnago Y1Rs. The brand claims the new cockpit offers a five-watt saving when compared to the older generation’s system.
‘When we started the development of the Reacto, it was shortly before the UCI introduced the rule for lever inclination limitation,’ Merida product manager Jens Steinsberger says. ‘At that time, flare was of interest. We then made an adjustable prototype and used it for track testing so we could adjust the width and the flare angle. We used it for aero testing on the track with some of the former [Bahrain Victorious] riders, and finalised the geometry based on their feedback.
‘We were ready with the project, and then we heard rumours last spring that the UCI would change the rules again’.
Steinsberger is referring to a set of new UCI rules on equipment brought in at the beginning of 2026 in an attempt to improve rider safety. The governing body has ruled that bars can’t be wider than 400mm. The rule also states that ‘the inner edges of the brake levers’ must be no more than 320mm apart. For context, the narrowest Reacto cockpit is 305mm wide in the hoods and 380mm wide in the drops. However, to compete in UCI-sanctioned events, from Grand Tour to local level, cockpits must comply with the rule. The news came late in the day for Merida’s engineers, who had already settled on the Reacto’s new cockpit.
‘Some of our models were already too narrow. We didn’t want to lose all the drag reduction achieved with the original designs, so last summer we decided to have one more size option, which is actually as narrow as the UCI allows,’ Steinsberger continues. ‘We have a lot of options, and it’s possible for everyone to have even a faster handlebar option than the UCI permits.’
The brand has clarified that ‘most of the bikes coming to production will have the legal handlebar, but the illegal widths will be available after market. The Reacto One and 1K, however, are specced with the UCI-illegal handlebars. The remaining models feature wider handlebars: the SL1P from the previous generation Reacto and a revised CW1P.
Aero bottles on the way
Like with the Trek Madone, Wilier Filante and Argon-18 Nitrogen, the Reacto has designed a pair of custom aero bottles and cages to minimise drag.
When tested with a rider on board, Merida claims one aero bottle, housed on the down tube, saves 2.5 watts at 45kmh when compared against a traditional bottle and cage. If paired together with another bottle on the seat tube, the bidons save 3.4 watts at 45kmh according to Merida’s testing.
The aero bottles are still in the works, however. The brand says they will be put on the market ‘when they’re ready’, meaning they won’t come stocked at release. From the samples we saw last week, however, it appears the bottles will be able to stand on their own, something rival brands haven’t been able to achieve yet.
Small changes in overall weight
In terms of weight, the Reacto hasn’t shed much.
The Reacto’s CF5 frame, found on the top specs, tips the scales at 950g, an 11g reduction from the previous model. The CF3 frame, made using a more affordable carbon layup, is 250g heavier and appears on the lower-grade specs. The geometry of both frames is the same, however, and both are the same level of stiffness.
When fully built, the Reacto Team is the lightest bike in the range, coming to 7.1kg in a medium size.
Merida Reacto specs and prices
The Merida Reacto boasts a broad range of equipment across the 11 spec levels.
The top-level Reacto One (£10,000) comes with a 1x Dura-Ace Di2 groupset, the UCI-violating handlebars and a Classified hub. For contrast, the budget-friendly Reacto 9000 (£2,400) comes with a mechanical Shimano 105 groupset and tips the scales at 9.1kg.
In the UK, prices range from £2,700 to £10,000. As for EU customers, prices vary from €2,800 to €11,500. All bikes are available in sizes from XXXS to XL.
Merida Reacto specs and prices
Merida Reacto One
- Price: £10,000 / €11,500
- Frame and fork: Reacto CF5
- Groupset: Shimano Dura Ace Di2 1×12
- Bars: Merida Team CW 1P
- Seatpost: Merida Reacto S-Flex
- Saddle: Prologo Nago R4 PAS
- Wheels: DT Swiss ARC 1100 Dicut DB 65 Classified
- Tyres: Continental Aero 111/Continental Grand Prix 5000S TR, 700x29C
Merida Reacto 10K
- Price: £9,500 / €11,000
- Frame and fork: Reacto CF5
- Groupset: SRAM Red AXS 2×12
- Bars: Merida Team CW 1P
- Seatpost: Merida Reacto S-Flex
- Saddle: Prologo Nago R4 PAS
- Wheels: Reynolds BL 60 Pro
- Tyres: Continental Grand Prix 5000S TR, 700x28C
Merida Reacto Team
- Price: £9,500 / €11,000
- Frame and fork: Reacto CF5
- Groupset: Shimano Dura Ace Di2 2×12
- Bars: Vision Metron 5D ACR EVO
- Seatpost: Merida Reacto S-Flex
- Saddle: Prologo Nago R4 PAS
- Wheels: Vision Metron 60 RS i23
- Tyres: Continental Grand Prix 5000S TR, 700x28C
Merida Reacto Pro
- Price: £7,500 / €8,750
- Frame and fork: Reacto CF5
- Groupset: Shimano Dura Ace Di2 2×12
- Bars: Merida Team SL 1P
- Seatpost: Merida Reacto S-Flex
- Saddle: Prologo Scratch M5
- Wheels: DT-Swiss ARC 1600 Spline
- Tyres: Continental Grand Prix TR, 700x28C
Merida Reacto 9000
- Price: £6,250 / €7,250
- Frame and fork: Reacto CF5
- Groupset: Shimano Ultegra 2×12
- Bars: Vision Metron 5D ACR EVO
- Seatpost: Merida Reacto S-Flex
- Saddle: Prologo Nago R4 PAS
- Wheels: Reynolds BL 60 Expert DB
- Tyres: Continental Grand Prix 5000S TR, 700x28C
Merida Reacto 8000
- Price: £5,000 / €5,750
- Frame and fork: Reacto CF3
- Groupset: Shimano Ultegra 2×12
- Bars: Vision Metron 5D ACR EVO
- Seatpost: Merida Reacto S-Flex
- Saddle: Prologo Scratch M5
- Wheels: Reynolds AR 60 DB
- Tyres: Continental Grand Prix 5000S TR, 700x28C
Merida Reacto 7000
- Price: £4,750 / €5,500
- Frame and fork: Reacto CF3
- Groupset: SRAM Rival AXS 2×12
- Bars: Merida Team SL 1P
- Seatpost: Merida Reacto S-Flex
- Saddle: Akero RS PAS T2.0
- Wheels: Vision SC 60 i23
- Tyres: Continental Grand Prix 5000S TR, 700x28C
Merida Reacto 6000
- Price: £3,800 / €4,400
- Frame and fork: Reacto CF3
- Groupset: Shimano 105 Di2 2×12
- Bars: Merida Team SL 1P
- Seatpost: Merida Reacto S-Flex
- Saddle: Akero RS PAS T2.0
- Wheels: Vision SC 60 i23
- Tyres: Continental Grand Prix 5000S TR, 700x28C
Merida Reacto 5000
- Price: £3,000 / €3,500
- Frame and fork: Reacto CF3
- Groupset: Shimano 105 Di2 2×12
- Bars: Merida Expert CW
- Seatpost: Merida Reacto S-Flex
- Saddle: Akero RS PAS T2.0
- Wheels: Vision Team 35
- Tyres: Continental Grand Prix TR, 700x28C
Merida Reacto 4000
- Price: £2,400 / €2,800
- Frame and fork: Reacto CF3
- Groupset: Shimano 105 2×12
- Bars: Merida Expert CW
- Seatpost: Merida Reacto S-Flex
- Saddle: Akero RS PAS T2.0
- Wheels: Vision Team 35
- Tyres: Continental Grand Prix, 700x28C