Merida has unveiled a new version of its Speeder flat-bar road bike, giving the long-running aluminium model a gravel-focused makeover with space for tyres up to 50mm wide, and the price of the Speeder 100 drops to £800. We’ve always rated Speeders for their practicality, comfort, and strong spec for the money, so we’re interested in this new direction.
“Traditionally aimed at the commuter and fitness rider, the new Speeder has ‘gone gravel’ and has adopted modern gravel bike attributes, like ample tyre clearance, multiple fixing points and stable geometry, while retaining the upright riding position, comfort and day-to-day versatility that has made the Speeder range a huge success worldwide,” says Merida.
Bigger tyres
Speeders previously came specced with 32mm tyres and had space for 35mm. The 2027 bikes come with 45mm tyres and have space for 50mm “for increased comfort and traction”.
The exact tyres fitted depend on the Speeder model you go for, but we’re talking about Schwalbe G-ONE Allroad, Schwalbe G-ONE Comp, and Kenda Piedmont.
We’ve reviewed several Merida Speeders here on road.cc over the years and they’ve always done well. Stu Kerton reviewed the £1,000 Merida Speeder 300 towards the end of last year, for example, and called it: “A nimble, flat-barred commuter, urban runabout or back lane blaster”.
That model had Maxxis Detonator 32mm tyres, and although Stu liked the bike a lot – particularly its nippy handling – he wasn’t a big fan of the tyres, finding them “quite dead feeling”.
You’d imagine that larger tyres would add versatility across different surfaces, and we’ve certainly got on very well with Schwalbe G-Ones in the past.
> Read our Merida Speeder 300 2025 review
Merida says, “The stock bike will come with fast-rolling 45mm gravel tyres, which make covering distance in the city a breeze while adding extra grip and control on looser surfaces, such as a canal path or gravel track. The larger air volume of the tyres increases comfort and improves puncture protection on rough surfaces and pothole-littered roads. And with a 45mm tyre fitted, there is still space to add fenders [mudguards] to the Speeder, making it the perfect all-year-round bike.”
Aside from the ability to take larger tyres, the new Speeder comes with more fixing points than before. You can fit mudguards and a rack, for example, and there are more fixing points on the underside of the top tube.
The Merida Speeder 500 (above) comes with additional mounts on the outside of the fork leg.
Tweaked geometry
Merida has also tweaked the Speeder’s frame design, sloping the top tube more than previously. This means that you’ll have more seatpost exposed, allowing additional deflection to increase comfort.
“The extra exposure is paired with a thinner 27.2mm seatpost, which further supports the comfort the Speeder delivers out in the wild,” says Merida
“Another element we looked at to improve riding comfort and handling was slightly slackening the head angle. This results in the Speeder being more stable and controlled when taken off-road or on rougher terrain and can help to master more challenging riding situations.”
What sort of bike is the Merida Speeder?
Merida reckons the changes it has made mean that the Speeder will now appeal to new riders.
“In the past, we would have described the ‘classic’ Speeder customer as a rider who uses the bike for daily chores like commuting or shopping, while also adding some extra miles at the weekend to stay in shape,” says Merida. “He or she was not a cyclist as such but enjoyed using their bike as a form of transport and a way of staying fit.
“With the changes we have made to the Speeder, the typical rider is slightly different in our eyes. Commuting and making the Speeder work for its money is still high up on the agenda, but what you do with the bike outside its ‘working hours’ has broadened significantly. It still offers a great way to stay fit, but riders now venture further than just country lanes. They see the SPEEDER as a companion for the occasional gravel tour or even a weekend-long bikepacking trip. It now, more than ever before, offers an alternative to our more sport-focused bikes like the Silex, Mission or Scultura Endurance for riders who prefer a flat-bar setup and have a keen eye on costs.
“Above this, we see the Speeder as the perfect town bike for bike enthusiasts who spend lots of time on their high-end road or mountain bike, but want a bike that is ideal for trips into town, the occasional more leisurely tour with friends or for the daily ride into work.”
The 2027 Merida Speeder range
The Merida Speeder has always had a classic (high top tube) frame and now a low step-through frame option has been added across the range .
All frames are aluminium, it’s just that the Speeder 500’s AL-A version has a carbon-look smooth finish while the other models get a standard finish that keeps the prices down.
The top-level Speeder 500 has a carbon fork borrowed from Merida’s Silex gravel range while the other models use the same rigid aluminium model.
The Merida Speeder 500, 300 and 100 are all equipped with 1x drivetrains; it’s just the Merida Speeder 200 that uses a double chainset and front derailleur.
Speeder 500 £1,500
Frame Speeder AL-A IV aluminium
Fork Merida Silex II CF2 carbon
Groupset SRAM Eagle/Rival XPLR 12-spd, Tektro Orion M6020 hydraulic disc brakes
Wheels Merida Expert SL III rims, Joytech hubs
Tyres Schwalbe G-ONE Allroad 45mm
Speeder 300 £1,000
Frame Speeder AL-C IV aluminium
Fork Merida Speeder AL aluminium
Groupset Shimano CUES U6000 11-spd, Shimano M200 hydraulic disc brakes
Wheels Merida Comp SL II rims, Shimano QC300 hubs
Tyres Schwalbe G-ONE Comp 45mm
Speeder 200 £850
Frame Speeder AL-C IV aluminium
Fork Merida Speeder AL aluminium
Groupset Shimano CUES U4000/U3020 9-spd, Shimano MT200 hydraulic disc brakes
Wheels Merida Comp SL II rims, Shimano QC300 hubs
Tyres Kenda Piedmont 45mm
Speeder 100 £800
Frame Speeder AL-C IV aluminium
Fork Merida Speeder AL aluminium
Groupset Shimano Essa 8-spd, Shimano MT200, hydraulic disc brakes
Wheels Merida Comp SL II rims, Shimano QC300 hubs
Tyres Kenda Piedmont 45mm
