Merida Cyclo Cross 4

The Merida Cyclo Cross 4 is a disc equipped cyclo cross bike, with eyelets and time tested designs that make it into an appealing option as a winter trainer, especially once you see the £999 asking price.

I know Merida more from their commitment to mountain biking, so it's no wonder that they've gone disc with the Cyclo Cross 4. It is in fact their only 'cross bike that is being brought to the UK and actually bottom rung of their 'cross ladder - the full Merida range is disc-equipped. Clearly Merida UK see 'cross more as an option for those looking for a versitile utility bike, that can go from riding to work to being raced around the local school football pitch on a Sunday. I couldn't agree more really and on first sight, the Cyclo Cross 4 certainly fills that role.

I'm torn on the idea of discs in cross. I see the benefits: zero brake judder, better braking and improved mud clearance but in my experience, I have little experience of those problems. In the dry, cantilevers do just fine and when it does get muddy, braking becomes even less of a requirement as momentum is lost as soon as you stop pedaling. The other point is that while discs offer more power, braking requires traction and that is often the limiter when it comes to cyclocross bikes with narrow tyres.

The Merida is issued with Hayes CX5 mechanical disc brakes. I haven't used this set before but they didn't do much to shift my opinion on discs. I found they felt spongy - like a hydraulic system that needed bleeding - so didn't feel better than a set of decent cantilevers, perhaps worse. The poor feel could be down to the chicken brake levers on the tops; all the extra routing often creates bagginess.

As a do it all bike, mostly used on roads and bridal ways, the discs do tidy things up and save the faffing of getting cantilevers setup correctly - more of a fit and forget - personally though, I'd prefer a set of cantilevers here.

Regardless of the brakes, riding the bike on and off-road was lots of fun. The tight geometry begs to be thrown through corners and taken sideways. I had plenty of those smile inducing moments when you bring the bike back from the edge of grip. Thanks to a short head-tube and wheelbase, the bike feels like a racer, but also meant I did clip my toes. I even shouldered the bike a few times but found the top tube rather uncomfortable. In addition, the down tube cable routing wasn't great when trying to wrap my arm underneath, though the 105 shifting did remain constant without any maintenance throughout the test, despite the exposed cables.

Doing a little loop in Bristol, I took the bike on the man-made mountain bike trails. With plenty of tight corners it can often feel a bit cumbersome on a 'cross bike but the Merida took to them well. It was here I found the discs did triumph, providing a predictable, modular level of braking on the hardcore surface.

Wheels are a set of Merida branded Novatechs - from one Taiwanese brand to another - and like most disc hubs, the rear is 135mm, so you can't go swapping in a turbo wheel from your road bike even if you wanted to. They were solid and did the job well considering the £999 price point. A carbon fork helps to dampen any vibration you're likely to experience. Maxxis Raze tires sit on the rims, which are an intermediate block profile I got on with off-road and didn't find too bumpy on-road.

Other than the discs, the Cyclo Cross 4's looks are to me bit bland. It's surprising to see external 1 1/8in headsets these days, especially on a 'cross bike and the gussets, which bring attention to the welding, look a bit old-fashioned to my eyes. Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and many may see style in an otherwise hydro-welded, tapered steerer world.

The price has to be one of the most attractive features of this bike. For just shy of £1000, you're getting a lot of bike: Shimano 105, FSA chainset, carbon fork and disc brakes with cartridge bearing wheels. That's a lot more than most road aluminium road bikes at this price, where you'll normally find a Tiagra or even Sora groupset.

The Merida Cyclo Cross 4 is a great option as a first entry into 'cross. It also makes for a great winter steed or commuter, thanks to eyelets for mudguards. It'll open up new training routes as you can dip off into the woods or carry on up that bumpy farm track. The brakes were less than stellar but once the industry gets fully behind road discs there'll be plenty of potential for an upgrade.

Verdict

Great value starter 'cross bike that'll also do the job as a winter trainign bike or commuter steer… it's lots of fun too.