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jono84
@alvinstraight
Found one of these (Merida Silex) on sale a couple of weeks ago. Really tried to resist as I initially found it really pretty ugly (...head tube...), but wanted a winter/cheap gravel bike, and this was significantly less than some of the other options I was looking at (Cannondale Topstone, Canyon Grail AL, Fairlight Secan) plus available right away. On the plus side is also that it is a bit different geometry-wise from my Isen.
I'm still struggling a bit with the way that it looks, but the weight is pretty decent (just north of 10kgs); it actually rides well (especially downhill); has room for at least 45s or 2.1s in 650b (currently running 42s); and was about £640. This is the same frame as the more expensive alu-models, and the same geometry as the carbon models.
Basically, it is like a lighter Sequoia, pretty fugly, but also without the hipster-tax.
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