Silex - Gravel/Adventure

Function has a style all of its own. When Merida introduced the Silex, people didn’t know what to make of this quirky-looking bike designed for riding something called ‘gravel’. Then they rode it - and the awards and positive reviews started piling up. The Silex turns any ride into an adventure, opening up fresh possibilities for fun, whether you’re doing the daily commute or a multi-day bikepacking trip.

Now, it’s even more off-road capable, and they’ve revised the looks to be more modern and elegant - even if they do say so themselves. They’ve kept the versatility that made the first version of this bike a success though, but with greater tyre clearance and a slacker head angle, it’s more comfortable and composed, while refined cable routing and styling means it’s sleeker and slipperier than ever. That’s all without compromising the ability to run a 1x or 2x drivetrain or run whatever combination of guards, racks and luggage works for you.

The Silex has always been an off-road machine, first and foremost, it's not just a road or ‘cross bike’ with a few tweaks. With mountain bike-inspired geometry, it breaks free from the confines of what a drop bar bike should do, tempting you to explore the road less travelled. Take the next turn off-road, head down that singletrack, see what’s over the next hill or load up your gear and turn it into an overnighter. It blends drop-bar speed on hardpack surfaces with mountain bike ability and calm, composed handling.

The Silex isn’t just for big adventures in the middle of nowhere, it’s an incredibly practical everyday machine too. Whether it’s fitted with pannier racks to carry the shopping or mudguards to keep you clean on the commute, it’ll get you there in comfort with a relaxed, upright riding position and composed character, on any surface.

Prices from £1200 to £5000