UKH

Hey,

So I've been looking for a bike for a while now and went to a local bike shop today. I found the Merida bikes straight away. The scultura line up specifically. They stocked the 100 currently and are getting new models of both the 100 and 400 next week. I wanted to ask what the main differences are between the 2 of them that make about the roughly 300 pound difference? And does anyone have experience with these bikes or Merida in general, if so how are they?

Thanks

In reply to Removed UserBlaseSlayer:

The difference is the groupset (shifters, drivetrain, brakes). The 100 has the entry level Shimano Claris groupset, while the 400 has Shimano 105. 105 gives you lower weight and is 11-speed, while Claris is only 8-speed. 

As for Merida, they're well made bikes at a reasonable price with the Scultura classed as the lightweight/climbing model. 

Personally, I'd hunt about on the used market for a good quality rim brake 105 bike. Bikes are a lot like cars - they depreciate massively in the first year, despite the fact there's nothing wrong with them! Plus as the industry is pushing discs, used rim brake bike prices have plummeted in the past year. You can pick up a two year old carbon frame rim brake Giant TCR, Trek Emonda, Scott Addict etc for under £1,000 and use the savings to buy a decent headunit and a quality pair of bib shorts. 

In reply to SteveJC94:

Used bike?  Good luck with that until 2023.  Given the difficulty in getting new bikes in the next year (many models being unavailable until 2022), a huge uptake in cycling during the pandemic, and rental bikes being held onto like a post Xmas belly, there will be very few available until probably 2023.

If you can get hold of a new bike today... grab it with both hands as they're like dragon teeth at the moment!  Get the better model if you're sure you'll continue cycling (will be cheaper in the long run with not having to upgrade).

In reply to Removed UserBlaseSlayer:

Wife has a scultura and absolutely loves it. Very comfy and light 

In reply to crayefish:

The assertion that all used bikes are trash and will soon crumble/fail always baffles me - if you're buying a mid to high end used bike, the previous owner has more than likely looked after it as their pride and joy. Done well, you can pick up a bargain.

Give the frame a detailed inspection, remove the wheels to check for damage to the dropouts and drop the fork out to check for the ring of death on the steerer tube. If the seller won't let you do that, walk away. 

Case in point - my last 2 bikes have both been 1-2 year old used models, bought at less than 70% of the new value and were both in near mint condition. You just need to be prepared to hunt about for a few weeks and drop on to what's available rather than have an exact make and model in mind.

Having said that if you can get a new bike through the Cycle to Work Scheme, the potential savings are massive 

In reply to SteveJC94:

Oh, that's not the assertion at all. The assertion is that the used market is not currently operating as it used to. People are selling used bikes at a MUCH higher price than they used to, often fairly close to the price they were new. That's not to say that there aren't bargains our there, there just aren't as many as usual.

In reply to Alkis:

Agreed, people have gotten greedy with resale prices but as you say if you're patient, it can be well worth it. Unfortunately the lead times on new bikes at the moment (5 months for a Canyon Ultimate) mean that a bit of creative thinking is needed to get something with reasonable spec in budget. 

In reply to Removed UserBlaseSlayer:

One thought against getting a second hand rim braked bike, compared to a new disc braked bike, is that if you ride it enough, you'll need to replace the wheelset once or twice, which would plausible absorb any money saved in buying a second hand rim braked bike, with £200 being definitely budget for a wheelset worth riding, though fairly unlikely, 'three hundred and something' would be more realistic, more worth spending.

My first full sus bike is a second hand yellow limited edition Calibre Beastnut which is one of Calibre's last full sus frames a front mech can be fitted to, so I'm not against second hand bikes. It's currently a 1x11 set up, but it's nice to know I can run a double or triple up front.

In reply to Removed UserBlaseSlayer:

See whether you can get a trial ride.  If you like it, get the best model you can afford.  There is nothing quite like having a brand new bike.

In reply to SteveJC94:

Can't find a single thing that isn't pretty much the same price as a new one at the moment. I've seen bikes that sell  new for 300 pounds listed for 500. I'm new to biking so I wouldn't be confident in my ability to check one out either. Not to mention cycling isn't massively popular where I am so there are fewer deals near me. Thanks for the thought though.

In reply to SteveJC94:

Nothing wrong with used bikes and pretty sure my post reflects that.  My point was that they just aren't many for sale these days.  Due to a huge bike shortage, people are either not selling them (as no new bike to replace/upgrade it) or they're getting snapped up super quick.

Any used bikes for sale now will either be very odd sizes or worn/outdated simply because people are holding onto their bikes because they can't get new ones.

In reply to crayefish:

Nothing wrong with second hand, but if you've fallen in love with a new one you can afford - get it !

In reply to SteveJC94:

It’s not greed is it? It’s what the market will bear - in a perfect world with good product longevity then second hand should be not too much less than new.

In reply to GrahamD:

My point was, given the shortage, any bike that is available is the perfect bike.   2nd hand, new, frankenbike, if its available, its 1000 times better than no bike!

Totally agree though... knowing you're their 'first' can be priceless 😁

In reply to SteveJC94: ''You can pick up a two year old carbon frame rim brake Giant TCR, Trek Emonda, Scott Addict etc for under £1,000 and use the savings to buy a decent headunit and a quality pair of bib shorts.''

Got a link for that?

In reply to Dr.S at work:

Do we have a perfect world with good product longevity, and why shouldn't greed be being a factor?

I'm not out to have an argument, more, I'm wondering where asking the above might lead. When I think about it, I'd be thinking 'whoopee' at a shortage or new bikes, if I was after getting what I could for my second hand bike.

In an agreeable way, I'm not sure if I agree, but that's fair enough. 

In reply to wbo2:

Have a hunt about on Facebook marketplace and you'll come across a few bargains - if they've been listed for several weeks and not sold, you've got good scope to haggle. For reference at the start of the year, I picked up a 1 year old Propel Advanced 2 (rim brake) for £1,200. It took me 3 weeks to find something reasonably priced, it wasn't the exact model I was after and meant driving from Manchester to Sheffield to pick it up, but needs must 

In reply to Timmd:

Re longevity - actually I think we probably do for road bikes, mine is 9 years old now and functionally is as good as new.

My mountain bike is not as old, and certainly no longer good as new!

fair point on some degree of greed being possible.