For the last decade or so, the Merida Reacto has been widely regarded as one of the best-value aero bikes on the market. Its blend of speed, weight, comfort, and price has made it a strong alternative to the Specialized Tarmac, Trek Madone, or Cervelo S5, appealing to riders who think with their head rather than their heart. We've already sampled the fifth-generation Merida Reacto at the global launch in Spain, and while we were impressed with how it fared over the 300km of riding, local testing always reveals a bike's true character and potential flaws. With rumours of a return to WorldTour racing in 2027, it promises more speed via some hefty aero claims and slightly less heft, with the frame now weighing a claimed 950g. But have direct-to-consumer brands and growing competition from the Far East eaten up its USP? Ive spent the summer aboard the Shimano Ultegra Di2-equipped Merida Reacto 9000 on the mixed parcours of South Wales to find out.(Image credit: Future)Design detailsThe new Reacto has seen more changes to its design and aesthetics compared to its predecessor than we often see from new releases; personally, I think that the frame looks the business. The bladed fork legs and deep headtube look purposeful, and the angular seat stay junction creates a bike with better balance than many rival aero bikes, which, in my opinion, can look a little front-heavy. (Image credit: Future)Of course, the frame design prioritises function over form, and the most obvious changes are at the rear end, with a more pronounced wheel cutout on the seat tube and a cutout on the S-Flex carbon seatpost. Both of these are said to aid comfort, allowing vertical compliance over rough surfaces without compromising lateral stiffness for out-the-saddle sprints.This Reacto 9000 model is available in two colour options: a classy slate grey and black, or this Effect Silver, complete with a metallic silver and bronze finish over the naked carbon frame. Im not always a fan of bikes that are half painted, but I love this.(Image credit: Future)The Reacto 9000 is the cheapest in the range to feature the top-spec CF5 V carbon frame, the same carbon-fibre layup we expect to see raced in the World Tour next year. The frame has space for up to 32mm tires, which should be enough for most riders, but unlike many recent releases, it doesnt feature UDH and instead uses a press-fit BB86 bottom bracket rather than a threaded one. SpecificationsMy test bike came equipped with Shimanos Ultegra R8100 Di2 groupset, complete with a sensible 52/36T crankset but rather surprisingly an 11/30T cassette, which gives the bike less gear range than necessary and, indeed, less than what many pros use these days; I would argue that professional races vary less in speed than most amateur rides, so this does strike me as a slightly odd choice and I would guess its been made for one of two reasons: to keep weight down or because of availability.(Image credit: Future)A 60mm-deep pair of Reynolds BL60 wheels helps the bike dominate flat rides. The rims have a pretty narrow internal width of 21mm and are fitted with a pair of 28mm Continental GP5000s TR tyres.(Image credit: Future)For 6,250 / $8,500 you also get an integrated cockpit in the form of a Vision Metron 5D bar and stem which looks clean but at 40cm wide at the tops and flaring out to closer to 42cm at the drops I would argue seems a little out of kilter on a bike with such lofty aero ambitions.(Image credit: Future)PerformanceThe Reacto is undoubtedly an impressive bike to ride no matter the parcours. The lateral stiffness and competitive weight (7.53kg on my scales) meant that it was easy to forget that this is a fully fledged aero bike when climbing out of the saddle, and the changes at the rear end have certainly helped boost comfort to bring it in line with all-rounders such as the Tarmac SL8 (I havent ridden the SL9 yet) and the latest generation of Canyon Aeroad. The handling sees no radical departure from the previous generation of Reacto and thats no bad thing, with the additional road-buzz-cancelling ability of the frame, its a confident descender, and on the whole, the performance of the Reacto is every bit as good as it claims to be. (Image credit: Future)My only real gripe comes with the aforementioned handlebar width. With its aerodynamically enhanced tube shapes and 60mm deep wheels, the Reacto was impressively fast on the flats, but I couldnt help feeling it could have been even better with a narrower bar. Merida does use a much narrower bar on the bikes higher up the models range, but unlike some brands there isnt the option to customise your build at the checkout. The best bet may be to find an accommodating Merida dealer willing to swap the bar for a different size. Im sure Merida has its reasoning, and some people wont want a narrower bar, but I think a lack of component options is an area where established brands need to improve. With regard to handlebars specifically, its also a problem that has become far more expensive to remedy, given the industrys wide embrace of integrated cockpits on race bikes. While this issue is by no means isolated to the Reacto, it could be a reason enough for some to consider looking elsewhere because if a bike isnt optimised for you, it doesnt really matter how good it is. Okay, rant over!ValueThe Reactos party piece has always been that it can mix it up with the best in the business, such as the Tarmac, Madone and Cervelo S5, whether in the wind tunnel, on the scales or out on the road, and then, much like the Giant Propel, it sucker-punches the competition when it comes to price, so weve ascertained that the latest generation can still mix it with the best out on the road, but does it still represent the sensible choice?Well, a similar spec Cervelo Soloist will set you back 750 more, the Specialized Tarmac SL8 Pro is 7,250 / $8,499, so a full 1,000 more than the Reacto and its a similar story with the Madone at RRP. Unfortunately for Merida, and through no fault of its own, I think the playing field has shifted. The Rose Shave FF is not only lighter at 7.1kg, but it also comes with a power meter for 5,800 / $7,678. You can also get a Canyon Aeroad with the same groupset for less; the Aeroad CF SLX may not have the same frame as the range-topping CFR, but it is still very good and has a RRP of 5,699 / $6,499. We havent had the chance to ride Cubes 2027 range yet, but the recently updated Litening Aero matches the Reacto on paper, at least.And thats before we get on to the Far Eastern direct-to-consumer brands such as Quick Pro, Tavelo, X-LAB, etc. This model seems to have done nothing wrong, yet it enters a different world from the one the previous generation of Reacto left behind. Its competitively priced, but it's not quite the no-brainer it used to be.(Image credit: Future)Scoring breakdownDesign detailsJust because its a cool looking bike doesnt mean that this is a case of form over function. The Reacto is as fast as it looks and the paint job is a particular highlight over increasingly boring competition.9SpecificationsA solid albeit not mind blowing build. The Ultegra Di2 groupset is still a top choice but the chain is from a lower tier. The wheels are in keeping with the bikes personality but are quite narrow by modern standards. Id personally prefer a 11/34 cassette rather than 11/30 and some narrower bars (Or the choice to change them).7WeightIts lighter than many aero bikes in a similar build but there are all-rounders which are lighter.8PerformanceThe Reacto can still mix it with the best out on the road. Its fast, competitively light and impressively comfortable.9ValueA few years ago it was probably enough to just undercut the big brands, now theres a whole load of brands that are also competing in this space and the Reacto is no longer the bargain it once was. Its still an excellent value bike, its just not alone.8Overall82%Tech specsPrice: 6,250Size: M/LWeight: 7.53kgGroupset: Shimano Ultegra R8100 Di2Crankset: 52/36T Shimano Ultegra R8100 with power meterWheels: Reynolds BL60Tyres: 28mm Continental GP5000 ST RBrakes: Shimano UltegraBar/Stem: Vision Metron 5DSeatpost: Merida S-Flex carbonSaddle: Prologo Nago R4 PAS