The Merida Silex 7000 might be the most comfortable gravel bike we've ridden — and it's not even trying to race you.

We tested the Silex 7000 back to back with the Cannondale SuperX and the Titan Racing Switch Carbon Comp, and the contrast couldn't be bigger. Where those two want to race, the Silex wants to disappear into the hills for a week. Merida built this carbon gravel bike for exploring, not sprinting — mechanical Shimano GRX shifting, a wide-range mountain-bike cassette, 180mm rotors with genuinely serious stopping power, and tyre clearance up to 45mm (42mm once you fit mudguards). It comes ready to ride out of the box, complete with a water bottle, mini tool, and tubeless valves — a detail none of the other bikes we've tested this year bothered with. At roughly 9.55kg, it lines up with a Specialized Diverge, minus the suspension and the price tag. It's also home to the best small feature we've found on any bike this year: a magnetised Fidlock bottle cage that's worth the price of admission on its own. At R65,000, both our reviewers landed on a 9 out of 10 — not because it's flawless, but because for anyone chasing distance over speed, almost nothing touches it.

0:00 — First Impressions: Smooth Criminal

1:16 — Meet the Silex 7000

2:45 — Shimano GRX & That Stopping Power

6:13 — The Fidlock Magnetic Bottle System

9:12 — Comfort Test: Smoother Than a Diverge?

10:42 — Weigh-In: 9.55kg With All the Extras

11:38 — The Price Reveal: R65,000

13:02 — Final Verdict: Scoring the Silex 7000

14:25 — Closing Thoughts

# === LISTEN ON THE GO ===========================

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5GselFmeym7YgYXtcyPUXU

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/active-hobo/id1846864699