Merida Reacto 9000

The Merida Reacto 9000 is arguably one of the best-value choices in Merida’s updated aero race range, and it rides brilliantly too. This latest iteration of the Reacto feels incredibly fast, very light, and incredibly fun to ride.

Over the years the Reacto models have impressed me with their get-up-and-go and rideability. With this latest version, though, Merida has really ramped everything up to the next level – this 2027 9000 is one of the best-performing aero race machines I’ve ever ridden, easily surpassing the bike Aaron praised so highly back in 2025 and, if I’m honest, many of the other aero bikes I’ve ridden recently.

Those include the likes of Canyon’s Aeroad CFR AXS, Orbea’s Orca Aero and Orro’s Venturi STC to name a few, plus Felt’s new Nexar FRD – which recently smashed practically every Strava segment on my usual testing route. This Reacto has taken things to a new level in terms of speed.

Merida announced some impressive results from wind tunnel tests (carried out by Germany’s Tour magazine) when this model was launched, and after four weeks of riding this 9000, I can vouch that those numbers reflect how it behaves in the real world too.

For me, aero bikes come into their own over around 17mph as the wind resistance starts to build up and, relatively speaking, this is the point where the Reacto seemed to hold speed, and even accelerate with minimal extra effort from me. It’s almost got that holy grail vibe – the never-ending tailwind!

The geometry mirrors the performance. The Reacto is a full-on race machine in terms of numbers, with a short wheelbase, steep head and seat angles, and a low front end. It means the riding position feels purposeful, without going into overtly aggressive.

I’m not an incredibly lean and flexible racer, and thankfully the Reacto doesn’t need you to be. I found it easy to set up a position that was aero enough without having to fold myself into some unholdable contortion to get the best out of the bike. I’m going to go as far as saying the position was impressively comfortable, as is the ride quality of the Reacto.

It’s all about performance, so it’s going to come as no surprise that the Reacto is incredibly stiff throughout. Hit a section of rough asphalt and you’re going to know about it, but the frame and fork manages to cancel out enough of the vibration to stop the ride being harsh. I find that if a frame is going to batter any part of me through poor compliance it’ll be my feet while wearing stiff carbon-soled race shoes, and that didn’t happen here.

Merida has done a great job of keeping the handling balanced. The front end feels very direct and, considering how fast the geometry makes the steering, it remains incredibly easy to control regardless of how fast you are going.

Descending at high speed through technical bends the front tracks beautifully. The steering is sharp and very precise, and when things calm down a bit the handling does too. I found the Reacto just as easy to ride at 50mph as I did at 10mph through busy city streets.

At high speeds the fork does an excellent job of minimising flex, keeping the front wheel composed under steering and braking loads with no hint of understeer.

Aero frames require more material for their large profile tube sections, as do deep section aero wheels, so bikes like the Reacto are never going to be the lightest on the market. Still, at 7.48kg this 9000 model is far from heavy, and it felt sprightly on the climbs or under hard acceleration.

From a ride point of view, Merida has absolutely nailed it with this new Reacto. It’s capable of exploiting all of the power and skill any racer can throw at it, but it will also flatter anyone who just wants a quick bike they can just ride and enjoy.

Merida Reacto 9000: Frame & Fork

This is the fifth iteration of the Reacto – the fourth joined Merida’s line-up in 2020 – and these latest changes have not only improved performance and maintained comfort, but brought things like the tyre clearance bang up to date.

The Reacto can now take 32mm tyres, which brings it in line with that Felt Nexar, Specialized’s Tarmac SL 8 and others. It comes with 28mm wide rubber, which was plenty big enough for what I wanted, but it’s nice to know you can go larger if you wish.

The top end models (including this 9000) get the CF5 frame, whereas the lower models use the CF3. The CF5 is stiffer and lighter thanks to a different carbon composite and layup. For this medium size, Merida claims 905g for the frame.

The frame’s front end sees some big changes, with a much deeper head tube section where it blends with the down and top tubes. Aesthetically the fork looks similar to the old one, but it has deeper and thinner legs to reduce drag.

The seat tube has changed too. There isn’t so much so much material wrapped around the rear wheel, and the seatstays have a rounder profile as they leave the seat tube. They’re still positioned low down though, for aerodynamic reasons.

As you’d expect the brake hoses are directed through the frame and fork for a completely clean profile, and cables for the electronic gearing are hidden away too. For even more wind cheating you’ll find a fully enclosed seat clamp, and the top cap for the headset integrates with the top tube. I personally think it’s a very good-looking bike.

Other details include triple bottle-cage bolts on the down tube, and the standard double on the seat tube. Merida includes its ‘Disc Cooler’ heat sink shields front and rear. The bottom bracket is a Pressfit 86.5.

There are two paintjobs; this black and silver finish, or a black and a blue/silver shade with black flecks.

I’ve mentioned how good the geometry is, but I’ll give you some numbers. This medium frame has a 560mm top tube, a 140mm head tube and a 540mm seat tube. The seat and head angles are matched at 73.5 degrees, and the resulting stack and reach is 557mm and 395mm respectively.

The wheelbase is 992mm, it has a standover height of 810mm, while the fork (crown to dropouts) is 385mm with an offset of 45mm.

Merida Reacto 9000: Finishing Kit

The 9000 uses Shimano’s Ultegra Di2 groupset with an 11-30T, 12-speed cassette and a 52/36T crankset. We’ve already reviewed the groupset separately, but to sum everything up Ultegra offers 95% of the performance of the range-topping Dura-Ace at a much lower price. The latest iteration of Di2 has a light and smooth operation, and the braking is powerful and easily modulated.

The Reacto 9000 now comes with a power meter. It’s a single-sided 4iiii model mounted to the left crank. Its power data was consistent and tallied well with the Look Keo Carbon power pedals I fitted, with the only downside being the inability to measure leg balance and the like. That’s a minor quibble for me though, and it’s great to see a power meter in this price.

The higher models get the new Team CW cockpit (responsible for 50% of the new bike’s potential drag reduction), but the 9000 doesn’t get it. Instead, it uses Vision’s Metron 5D ACR EVO integrated cockpit, the same model fitted to the previous Reacto 9000. It’s a great handlebar with sleek looks and plenty of comfortable hand positions. It has a lovely feel as it’s stiff, but with enough vibe-damping to keep the harshness at bay.

The seatpost is a Merida product made from carbon with zero setback. They call it the Reacto V S-Flex, and it adds extra compliance to the upper part of the post. It’s subtle, which I like, to the point that you don’t really notice it doing its job. Its damping doesn’t do anything to take away from the feedback being passed through to the saddle either, so you know what the rear tyre is up to.

The saddle is a Prologo Nago R4 PAS (one of my favourite saddles) and its narrow shape and slim profile is perfect for fast riding.

The Reynolds BL 60 Expert DB wheelset finishes off the aero package. With a depth of 60mm they offer an excellent aero boost, and the ride feel is absolutely great. They have a 21mm inner rim width which suits the tyre sizes the Reacto is capable of running. We reviewed a pair of Reynolds Blacklabel 60 Expert DBs back in 2023 and were really impressed, and considering their depth, their weight of just over 1,500g is impressive.

Merida has wrapped them in a pair of 28mm Continental GP5000 TR tyres, and that’s an excellent choice. I’ve ridden pretty much every variation of the GP5000s and rate them as some of the best road rubber on the market. I love them for their supple ride, grip and durability. They are pricey to replace, but worth it on a bike like the Reacto.

In fact, I reckon Merida has delivered an excellent specification here. This is a setup designed by a rider rather than an accountant, and there wouldn’t be a single component I’d change.

Merida Reacto 9000: Value

This fifth iteration of the 9000 is exactly the same price as last year’s model at £6,250, but now includes that power meter. The range tops out with the Reacto One and the Reacto 10K, both priced at £9,500, and there is a Reacto Pro for £7,500 which sits just above this 9000.

The models then drop by a 1000 at a time: Reacto 8000, Reacto 7000 and so on, until you reach the entry level Reacto 4000 at £2,4000. For that money you’re getting the slightly heavier CF3 frame and fork (although they look the same), a mechanical Shimano 105 groupset, 30mm deep Merida wheels, and an alloy finishing kit (albeit with a carbon seatpost).

If you want to build up your own Reacto then the One and the 10K framesets are available for £3,500 each.

So, how do those prices stack up against the opposition? The Felt Nexar I mentioned earlier is available with a similar build to the Reacto 9000 by way of the Pro model. That has an Ultegra Di2 groupset with 4iiii non-driveside power meter, Vision Metron 45 SL wheels, and an integrated carbon cockpit. It’s a fair bit more expensive at £7,013 though.

Canyon’s Aeroad comes in a little cheaper with a similar build including the 4iiii power meter at £6,099. Its name – the CF SLX 8 Di2 – signifies it has Canyon’s second tier CF frame as opposed to the range-topping CFR version. We reviewed the Canyon Aeroad CFR AXS a couple of years ago and loved it.

The Aeroad CFR frameset costs £3,749, which is slightly more than the Reacto’s range-topping CF5 equivalent.

Like the Aeroad, Giant’s Propel aero bike is only available in the pro-level Advanced SL build with the also range-topping Shimano Dura-Ace or SRAM Red groupset. In the 0-Red build the Propel costs £10,499, while the Reacto 10k costs £9.5k. From the next range down, the Propel Advanced Pro 0-Di2 comes with the Ultegra Di2 group, but with a Giant power meter. It costs £5,799.

We reviewed the previous iteration of the Propel back in 2023: the Advanced Pro 1 model, to be precise.

Merida Reacto 9000: Conclusion

This new Reacto is quite literally a brilliant bike. It just does everything exceptionally well, and you don’t need to be a racer with immense bike-handling skills to get the rewards from its ride characteristics. Merida’s designers have really nailed it here, and the fact the price isn’t even that extreme is impressive.