Merida has announced three new electric bikes: the eScultura drop-bar road, eSpeeder flat-bar hybrid and eSilex gravel bike. It’s the first time that Merida has had a range of electric road bikes and all use the same alloy frameset, but with different setups for the bikes’ different uses.
Merida’s new eAL700c frameset is designed to run with both 700c and 650b wheels. There’s clearance for 42mm (700c) or 47mm (650b) rubber, so there’s plenty of room for gravel bike tyres, as well as wide road bike tyres.
Merida also follows the modern trend for cable integration, with the rear brake and derailleur cables routed into a slot under the stem and through the headset cap. The front brake hose runs externally.
Mahle rear hub motor
All three ebikes are powered by the Mahle ebikemotion X35 rear hub electric motor, which is also found on the latest Orbea Gain. It’s an update on the X35 motor already used extensively by a number of brands on their ebikes, including Colnago and Wilier .
The main changes from the original X35 are in the control software, but there’s also a new scalloped flange to the motor, which offers 250 watts of output and 40Nm of torque.
Merida says the addition of the Mahle motor adds limited drag once you exceed the 25kph maximum support level, or if you decide to ride with it switched off, and the support characteristics are tuned differently for each ebike to suit their different intended uses.
Mahle’s system is lightweight and the 250Wh battery is fully enclosed in the bike’s down tube, which makes for a slimline silhouette that's quite hard to differentiate from a normal pedal-powered bike.
The control button for assistance level is sited on the front of the top tube and doubles as a battery level indicator.
You can fit a 250Wh range extender bottle battery and there are extra mounting points for this low on the down tube, so you won’t lose the ability to carry two water bottles. There’s another set of mounting points under the top tube too.
Merida eScultura
The eScultura 400 is priced at £3,000 and comes with 32mm road-focused tyres. There are mudguard mounts too, which Merida says make the eScultura a good option for cycling to work as well as leisure rides.
The eScultura also has a carbon fork, with an aero blade profile. Merida quotes a 480g fork weight and a 2,331g frame weight for a medium.
Merida eScultura 400 spec
- Frame: eScultura Lite alloy
- Fork: Merida Mission CX CF3 carbon
- Motor: Mahle X35 , 250Wh battery
- Groupset: Shimano 105
- Gearing: 50/34t, 11-32t
- Brakes: Shimano 105 hydraulic disc
- Wheels: Merida Expert SL alloy
- Tyres: Maxxis Pursuer 32mm 700c
- Bar: Merida Expert CW alloy
- Stem: Merida Expert IR alloy
- Saddle: Merida Comp SL
- Seatpost: Merida Expert CC 30.9mm carbon
- Weight: 13.4kg
- Price: £3,000 / €TBC
Merida eSilex
There are two models of the eSilex on offer: the eSilex 400 fitted with 700c wheels and priced at £2,750 / €2,699 and the eSilex 600 with 650b wheels priced at £3,000 / €2,899.
The eSilex comes with a gravel-specific carbon fork, designed for stable handling off road and weighing a claimed 520g.
As well as the mounting points on the frame, the eSilex has two bosses on the fork legs for extra carrying capacity.
The eSilex is kitted out with either Maxxis Rambler 700c x 40mm or Continental Terra Trail 650b x 47mm tyres.
Both specs have a Shimano GRX groupset (1x 11-speed on the eSilex 600 and 2x 10-speed on the eSilex 400) and Merida's Expert GR gravel-specific, 12-degree flared bar.
Merida has put together this video on the eSilex, which captures the essence of what this type of bike is all about.
Merida eSilex 400 spec
- Frame: eSilex Lite alloy
- Fork: Merida Silex CF2 carbon
- Motor: Mahle X35 , 250Wh battery
- Groupset: Shimano GRX400/600
- Gearing: 46/30t, 11-36t 10-speed
- Brakes: Shimano GRX 400 hydraulic disc
- Wheels: Merida Comp SL 700c
- Tyres: Maxxis Rambler 40mm 700c
- Bar: Merida Expert GR alloy
- Stem: Merida Expert IR alloy
- Saddle: Merida Comp CC
- Seatpost: Merida Expert CC 30.9mm aluminium
- Weight: 14.11kg
- Price: £2,750 / €2,699
Merida eSilex 600 spec
- Frame: eSilex Lite alloy
- Fork: Merida Silex CF2 carbon
- Motor: Mahle X35 , 250Wh battery
- Groupset: Shimano GRX600/812
- Gearing: 40t, 11-42t 11-speed
- Brakes: Shimano GRX hydraulic disc
- Wheels: Merida Expert CX 650b alloy
- Tyres: Continental Terra Trail 47mm 650b
- Bar: Merida Expert GR alloy
- Stem: Merida Expert IR alloy
- Saddle: Merida Comp CC
- Seatpost: Merida Expert CC 30.9mm carbon
- Weight: 14kg
- Price: £3,000 / €2,899
Merida eSpeeder
Merida is offering two models of the eSpeeder flat-bar electric hybrid bike at launch: the 200 for £2,350 / €2,249 and the 400 EQ for £2,600 / €2,449, with the latter coming kitted out with mudguards and a rack.
There’s a kickstand and Lezyne lights on the 400 EQ as well.
Both models have a carbon fork that Merida says weighs 480g, and a single-ring Shimano drivetrain: 10-speed Shimano Deore for the 400 EQ and 9-speed Shimano Alivio for the 200.
Merida eSpeeder 200 spec
- Frame: eSpeeder Lite alloy
- Fork: Merida Mission CX CF3 carbon
- Motor: Mahle X35+, 250Wh battery
- Groupset: Shimano Alivio/Merida Comp TK chainset
- Gearing: 42t, 11-36t 9-speed
- Brakes: Shimano MT200 hydraulic disc
- Wheels: Merida Comp SL alloy
- Tyres: Continental Contact Urban 40mm 700c
- Bar: Merida Expert CC alloy
- Stem: Merida Expert IR alloy
- Saddle: Merida Comp SL
- Seatpost: Merida Expert CC 30.9mm aluminium
- Weight: 13.89kg
- Price: £2,350 / €2,249
Merida eSpeeder 400 EQ spec
- Frame: eSpeeder Lite alloy
- Fork: Merida Mission CX CF3 carbon
- Motor: Mahle X35+, 250Wh battery
- Groupset: Shimano Deore/Merida Comp TK chainset
- Gearing: 42t, 11-46t 10-speed
- Brakes: Shimano MT200 hydraulic disc
- Wheels: Merida Comp SL alloy
- Tyres: Continental Contact Urban 40mm 700c
- Bar: Merida Expert CC alloy
- Stem: Merida Expert IR alloy
- Saddle: Merida Comp SL
- Seatpost: Merida Expert CC 30.9mm carbon
- Front light: Lezyne E-Bike Power
- Rear light: Lezyne E-Bike Super Bright
- Weight: 15.5kg
- Price: £2,600 / €2,449
