Merida gives their road family an e-bike update with an adaptable & versatile family of 3-in-1 all-road e-bikes. Merida’s all-new eScultura, eSpeeder & eSilex all share one single alloy frame, with the same neatly integrated eBikemotion powertrain. Then, three different carbon forks and completely unique builds give each its own distinctive road, commuter, or gravel bike personality.
2021 Merida all-road e-bikes – eScultura, eSpeeder & eSilex
After successfully building a popular group of fun, trail-ready eMTBs, Merida is turning to giving all road (all-road?) bikes a bit of a boost. While the eMTB family has gone for maximizing assist power & range, the e-road family is more about lighter weight and more natural-feeling support… like a tailwind.
Mahle’s eBikemotion X35+ e-bike powertrain gives that smooth pedal assist via a 250W, 40Nm motor in the rear hub and a 250Wh battery hidden inside the downtube.
While most mountain bikes prefer higher torque, the X35+ rear hub motor delivers a more “neutral support” feel, with minimal drag when pedaling beyond its 25km/hr assist limit.
Each model variation also gets its own motor software mapping, tailored towards its riding style.
It’s the same e-bike system that we’ve seen in a number of e-road bikes recently from the likes of Cannondale, Orbea & Scott’s claim of the “world’s lightest e-road bike“. But Merida is doing it at much more attainable prices than most of those – actually less than 1/3 the cost of that ‘lightest’ Scott for any of these Meridas, with about a 2.5kg weight gain.
e-Road e-bikes – Tech Details
All three e-road models share the same new hydroformed, triple-butted 6066 alloy eAL700c frame with a claimed weight of 2331g (M/51cm), plus a 480g carbon fork for the eScultura & eSpeeder or 520g for the eSilex’s full-carbon fork. Inside the relatively small downtube is the main 200Wh battery that Mahle claims to provide around 75km of assist range, and it’s all controlled by the simple multi-function iWoc button on the toptube.
There’s also a charging port just above the BSA threaded bottom bracket, where you can also attach an additional 250Wh external range extender battery to double your pedal-assist distance.
No matter which e-bike you pick, you get the same internal cable routing through Merida’s latest Wire Port 1.5″ headset, but front brake routing stays external until hitting the fork leg.
The shared frame, from road to gravel bikepacking also means tons of accessory mounts for all. The alloy frame gets four sets of bosses in the main triangle (intended for 2 bottles, a range extender & a folding lock), plus another set under the downtube. There’s also full fender compatibility & rear rack mounts. Then, the eSilex fork adds a standard 2-pack cage mount to each leg.
The shared eAL700c frame has clearance for up to 700x45mm (42mm w/ fenders) or 650bx47mm tires. It feature flat mount brakes, a 12mm front axle, and 30.9mm seatpost.
e-bike All-road Geometry
It gets the same balanced “comfortable but sporty” geometry across all models – able to work across three somewhat different riding styles. Even with different forks, all have the same 400mm axle-to-crown length to preserve the same handling character.
The only variation is up to 12mm change in axle height shifting center-of-mass, and shifting Trail by up to 5mm based on differing tire diameters of the models 650×47, 700×32, or 700×40.
Merida eScultura e-road – Specs & pricing
The eScultura retains the classic road o all-road nature of the standard Scultura Endurance. Its carbon fork gets a bit of an aero profile touch, and the single complete bike build leans towards an endurance road bike.
It features a mechanical shift, hydraulic brake Shimano 105 compact road groupset, a regular drop bar, tubeless-ready wheels, and 32mm Maxxis Pursuer road tires.
The 2021 Merida eScultura 400 sells for £3000 / TBD€ with a claimed weight of 13.4kg, and plenty of room to add bigger tires if you want to go more all-road.
Merida eSpeeder e-commuter – Specs & pricing
The eSpeeder is the fast, flat bar commuter version of the adaptable e-bike platform. It gets bigger 40mm Continental Contact Urban tires, a 620mm wide bar, and 1x drivetrains with Shimano hydraulic disc brakes.
For £2350 / 2250€, the 2021 Merida eSpeeder 200 is the naked build with an Alivio 1x, at 13.89kg.
Or spring for the 15.47kg £2600 / 2450€ 2021 Merida eSpeeder 400 to bump up to Deore 1×10, and get full-coverage mud guards, a rear rack & integrated Lezyne lighting.
Merida eSilex e-gravel – Specs & pricing
Lastly, the two eSilexes are the more capable gravel & adventure builds – like the original Silex. They get the bikepacking-ready fork, GRX 1x groups, flared drop bars, and off-rad-ready knobby gravel tires.
The 14.11kg 2021 Merida eSilex 400 sells for £2750 / 2700€ with 700c wheels and 40mm Maxxis Rambler tires, plus a GRX 2×10 (11-36T).
The top-spec 14kg 2021 Merida eSilex+ 600 opts for smaller, wider tubeless-ready 650B wheels and 47mm Continental Terra Trail tires, plus a GRX 1×11 setup (11-42T).
Merida also offers a full range of Silex-ready gravel cages & bikepacking bags to outfit any of these new e-bikes for adventure.
