The 2025 Merida Silex 700 is designed for adventure seekers who also appreciate practicality. Built with an aluminium frame and a carbon fork, the Silex 700 delivers excellent performance without breaking the bank. Its Shimano GRX 12-speed 1x drivetrain offers smooth, precise shifting and powerful braking, making it a reliable choice for gravel adventures and daily commutes alike. The bike's mountain bike-inspired geometry, combined with 45 mm Maxxis tubeless-ready tyres, ensures a stable and enjoyable ride whether you're tackling rugged backcountry trails or navigating urban environments.
Merida’s SILEX turns every ride into an adventure, offering versatility for multi-day gravel bikepacking trips or fun commutes to work. It’s been lauded by the cycling press for its outstanding off-road capability, which is achieved through a slacker head angle and increased tyre clearance. With space for 700x45 mm tyres (or 42 mm with fenders), the Silex provides confident handling on all surfaces. Whether it's the stability you need for loaded bikepacking or speed and fun for gravel racing, the Silex delivers.
Every Silex model comes equipped with practical features like multiple mounting points for water bottles, fork cages, and other accessories, ensuring it can carry everything you need for a true adventure. The bike's sleek WIRE PORT cable routing reduces cable clutter, perfect for when you're using handlebar bags. The carbon fork not only improves handling but also includes mounts for more cargo and dynamo hub compatibility, allowing you to power lights on long tours. The Silex can run either a 1x or 2x drivetrain, giving riders the flexibility to choose their preferred gearing setup for any terrain.
Adventure-Ready Features:
- Award-winning aluminium frame with dropped chainstay, providing 700x45 mm tyre clearance.
- Multiple mounting points for cages, bags, and fenders, making it ideal for bikepacking and long-distance riding.
- WIRE PORT internal cable routing, which keeps the cockpit clean and prevents bag interference.
- Carbon fork with additional cargo mounts and internal routing for a dynamo hub, enhancing the bike’s versatility.
- Relaxed head angle and mountain bike-inspired geometry for confident off-road handling.
- Shimano GRX 1x12-speed groupset, offering wide-range gearing and reliable performance on all surfaces.
- Hydraulic disc brakes with 180 mm rotors, providing powerful stopping power even when fully loaded.
As off.road.cc says:
"The SILEX 700 has great geometry for rugged gravel trails with a stable and fun ride."
Specifications:
- Model Year: 2025
- Frame: SILEX LITE II (XS, S, M, L, XL)
- Fork: MERIDA SILEX II CF2, carbon with cargo mounts
- Wheelset: Easton EA70 AX
- Front Tyre: Maxxis Rambler, 45 mm, tubeless-ready
- Rear Tyre: Maxxis Rambler, 45 mm, tubeless-ready
- Hubs: MERIDA EXPERT TR
- Crankset: Shimano GRX820, 1x
- Bottom Bracket: Shimano SM-BBR60
- Cassette: Shimano M7100, 12-speed
- Chain: Shimano M7100
- Shifters: Shimano GRX820
- Rear Derailleur: Shimano GRX822
- Brakes: Shimano GRX820 with Shimano RT64 rotors, 180 mm
- Brake Lever: Shimano GRX820
- Headset: Acros ICR MERIDA EXTERNAL neck with diecast split ring
- Stem: MERIDA TEAM CC III, 80 mm for all sizes
- Handlebar: MERIDA EXPERT GRII
- Grip: MERIDA ROAD Expert
- Seat Post: MERIDA EXPERT CC
- Seat Clamp: MERIDA EXPERT
- Saddle: MERIDA EXPERT SL
A Proven Performer:
The Silex series has garnered critical acclaim since its debut. The second generation builds on the success of the original, which introduced MTB-inspired geometry to the gravel world with its long top tube and short stem combination. This provided confidence-inspiring handling, making the bike popular with both the press and consumers.
As gravel riding evolved into racing and adventure-focused disciplines, the Silex adapted to meet these new demands. With a 1.5-degree slacker head angle, larger tyres, and increased cargo-carrying capacity, the new Silex is even more capable off-road. The aluminium frame is equipped with five bottle bosses and rack mounts, offering plenty of luggage options. It’s also ready for internal dropper posts and dynamo systems, further enhancing its adventure credentials.
In fact, Matej Mohorič showcased its prowess by winning the 2023 Gravel World Championships just a week before its launch, demonstrating that the Silex is not only ready for adventure but also race-winning performance.
Updated Design for Gen 2:
The second-generation Silex now features a revised fork design, allowing riders to swap to a suspension fork without altering the geometry. The longer fork and shorter head tube also give the bike a more streamlined, visually appealing look. All models (except the Silex 200) come equipped with powerful hydraulic disc brakes with 180 mm rotors. On carbon models, CNC'd aluminium disc cooler fins help reduce operating temperatures by up to 35%, which is essential for fully-loaded bikepacking trips.
In summary, the 2025 Merida Silex 700 is an adventure-ready gravel bike that offers fantastic versatility, performance, and value for money, making it perfect for riders who want to explore the road less travelled.