The original Merida Silex launched back in 2018 as a drop-bar gravel bike that was designed to be highly capable off-road. Featuring XC-inspired geometry along with loads of mounts for fitting bottles, bags and racks, the Silex earned praise for its stable ride and practical approach.
The gravel scene has evolved a lot since then, not just in terms of the bikes and equipment, but also the events and races that people are getting involved in. As a result, we’ve seen gravel bikes split largely into one of two categories. You’ll now find bikes targeted at fast gravel racing, like Merida’s own Scultura Endurance GR model, and then you have more adventure-oriented gravel bikes like the Silex. Featuring bigger tyres and more upright geometry, the Silex is suited to riders who are embarking on longer backcountry rides across rougher terrain. And with its ability to fit mudguards, bags and pannier racks, it’s also an appealing option for those who are after an all-rounder to cover everything from commuting through to bikepacking.
What’s new with the 2024 Merida Silex?
For 2024 the Merida Silex receives a totally new frame and fork. The frame is offered in carbon (1,220g) and alloy (1,900g) variants, and it’s matched to a new full-carbon fork (540g).
Merida has increased tyre clearance, and the new Silex will now accommodate 700x45C rubber. Thanks to the dropped chainstays it remains compatible with both 1X and 2X drivetrains.
The frame is also ready to take an internally-routed dropper post, and indeed the top-spec model comes with a RockShox Reverb AXS XPLR fitted as standard.
Further hinting towards the Silex’s intentions, Merida has fitted 180mm disc rotors front and rear on every model. On the carbon fork and carbon frames the flat mount brake callipers are bolted to the ‘Disc Cooler’, which is a vented piece of forged alloy that’s designed to act as a heat sink to reduce the chance of brake fade on long descents.
The carbon frames also incorporate a Fidlock base mount on the downtube, and you’ll find heaps of accessory mounting points for bottles, tools and bags across the frame and fork. There’s even internal routing through the fork to accommodate the necessary wiring when running a dynamo hub-powered front light.
Unfortunately the new Silex follows the industry trend to route the cables and brake hose through the upper headset. Mercifully the complete bikes come with a regular handlebar and stem however, which means there’s no additional faff when it comes to basic adjustments or changing the stem out for a different length.
Geometry
The main change to the geometry on the 2024 Merida Silex is the head angle, which gets a full 1.5° slacker to now sit at 69.5°.
Merida has also designed the frame to be able to accommodate new-school gravel suspension forks such as the RockShox Rudy and Fox 32 TC. This has been achieved by shortening the head tube but extending the length of the stock rigid fork. As a result, the bars sit at a similar height to the previous Silex, while the longer fork legs means that the geometry is retained if you do decide to fit a suspension fork.
2024 Merida Silex price & specs
There will be six models available in the 2024 Merida Silex range, three that use the carbon frame and three that use the alloy frame. Prices will start at $1,799 AUD for the Silex 200 and will top-out at $10,999 AUD for the Silex 10K.
Regardless of price, all models come with the same full-carbon fork, 700x45C Maxxis Rambler tyres, and 180mm brake rotors front and rear.
We really like the look of the Silex 7000 ($4,299 AUD), which arguably offers the most bang-for-your-buck with its full carbon frame, Easton EA70 AX wheelset and brand new Shimano GRX 1×12 groupset. Read on to see the specs and prices of the entire range below.
2024 Merida Silex 10K
- Frame | Silex CF2, Carbon
- Fork | Silex CF2, Carbon, Tapered Steerer
- Wheels | Reynolds Black Label G700 Pro, Carbon Rims, 25mm Inner Width
- Tyres | Maxxis Rambler EXO 700x45C
- Drivetrain | SRAM Red eTap AXS 1×12 w/42T Crankset & 10-52T X01 Cassette
- Brakes | SRAM Red eTap AXS w/180mm Rotors
- Bar | Easton EC70 AX, Carbon, Width: 400mm (XS-S), 420mm (M), 440m (L-XL)
- Stem | Merida Team CC, Alloy, 80mm Length
- Seatpost | RockShox Reverb XPLR AXS Dropper
- RRP | $10,999 AUD
2024 Merida Silex 7000
- Frame | Silex CF2, Carbon
- Fork | Silex CF2, Carbon, Tapered Steerer
- Wheels | Easton EA70 AX, Alloy Rims, 24mm Inner Width
- Tyres | Maxxis Rambler EXO 700x45C
- Drivetrain | Shimano GRX 1×12 w/42T Crankset & 11-51T Cassette
- Brakes | Shimano GRX820 w/180mm Rotors
- Bar | Merida Expert GRII, Alloy, Width: 400mm (XS-S), 420mm (M), 440m (L-XL)
- Stem | Merida Team CC, Alloy, 80mm Length
- Seatpost | Merida Expert CC, Carbon
- RRP | $4,299 AUD
2024 Merida Silex 4000
- Frame | Silex CF2, Carbon
- Fork | Silex CF2, Carbon, Tapered Steerer
- Wheels | VP Hubs & Merida Expert SL II Alloy Rims, 23mm Inner Width
- Tyres | Maxxis Rambler EXO 700x45C
- Drivetrain | Shimano GRX 2×10 w/46-30T Crankset & 11-36T Cassette
- Brakes | Shimano GRX400 w/180mm Rotors
- Bar | Merida Expert GRII, Alloy, Width: 400mm (XS-S), 420mm (M), 440m (L-XL)
- Stem | Merida Team CC, Alloy, 80mm Length
- Seatpost | Merida Expert CC, Carbon
- RRP | $3,199 AUD
2024 Merida Silex 700
- Frame | Silex Lite II, Alloy
- Fork | Silex CF2, Carbon, Tapered Steerer
- Wheels | Easton EA70 AX, Alloy Rims, 24mm Inner Width
- Tyres | Maxxis Rambler EXO 700x45C
- Drivetrain | Shimano GRX 1×12 w/42T Crankset & 11-51T Cassette
- Brakes | Shimano GRX820 w/180mm Rotors
- Bar | Merida Expert GRII, Alloy, Width: 400mm (XS-S), 420mm (M), 440m (L-XL)
- Stem | Merida Team CC, Alloy, 80mm Length
- Seatpost | Merida Expert CC, Carbon
- RRP | $3,399 AUD
2024 Merida Silex 400
- Frame | Silex Lite II, Alloy
- Fork | Silex CF2, Carbon, Tapered Steerer
- Wheels | VP Hubs & Merida Expert SL II Alloy Rims, 23mm Inner Width
- Tyres | Maxxis Rambler EXO 700x45C
- Drivetrain | Shimano GRX 2×10 w/46-30T Crankset & 11-36T Cassette
- Brakes | Shimano GRX400 w/180mm Rotors
- Bar | Merida Expert GRII, Alloy, Width: 400mm (XS-S), 420mm (M), 440m (L-XL)
- Stem | Merida Team CC, Alloy, 80mm Length
- Seatpost | Merida Comp CC, Alloy
- RRP | $2,299 AUD
2024 Merida Silex 200
- Frame | Silex Lite II, Alloy
- Fork | Silex CF2, Carbon, Tapered Steerer
- Wheels | VP Hubs & Merida Comp SL II Alloy Rims, 23mm Inner Width
- Tyres | Maxxis Rambler EXO 700x45C
- Drivetrain | Shimano Sora 2×9 w/48-32T Crankset & 11-34T Cassette
- Brakes | Promax DSK-330R Mechanical Disc w/180mm Rotors
- Bar | Merida Expert GRII, Alloy, Width: 400mm (XS-S), 420mm (M), 440m (L-XL)
- Stem | Merida Comp CC, Alloy, 80mm Length
- Seatpost | Merida Comp CC, Alloy
- RRP | $1,799 AUD
