{
  "id": 13104788,
  "title": "Merida Reacto 9000 review: the updated aero bike is here, but is it still the value-for-money king?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/merida-reacto-9000-review-the-updated-aero-bike-is-here-but-is-it",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-09T11:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Cycling Weekly",
    "slug": "cycling-weekly",
    "url": "https://www.cyclingweekly.com/reviews/road-bikes/merida-reacto-9000-review-the-updated-aero-bike-is-here-but-is-it-still-the-value-for-money-king"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Merida Reacto 9000 is a high-performance aero bike that has been updated with some significant changes from its predecessor. Despite these upgrades, the question remains whether it still stands out as the best value-for-money option in the market. The bike's design features a more pronounced wheel cutout on the seat tube and a cutout on the S-Flex carbon seatpost, both of which are intended to enhance comfort by providing vertical compliance over rough surfaces without sacrificing lateral stiffness for out-of-the-saddle sprints. The bike is available in two colour options, a slate grey and black, and a 'Effect Silver' with a metallic silver and bronze finish. The frame is the most affordable in the range to feature the top-spec CF5 V carbon, and it's designed to accommodate up to 32mm tires, which should be sufficient for most riders. However, the bike uses a press-fit BB86 bottom bracket instead of a threaded one, which might not be to everyone's liking. The bike comes equipped with Shimano's Ultegra R8100 Di2 groupset and a 60mm-deep pair of Reynolds BL60 wheels, which help to dominate flat rides. The bike's price of £6,250/$8,500 is still quite reasonable when compared to other top-tier aero bikes on the market.",
  "summary": "Now in its fifth generation, the latest Reacto features a new carbon layup and clearance for 32mm tyres",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}