The Inside Track Talking with Jürgen Falke, Product Director, Merida Bikes

What development targets were set for the new Reacto Evo and what bikes did you consider as benchmarks? The benchmarks in terms of aerodynamic performance were the Cervélo S5 and Specialized Venge but both bikes have limited head-tube stiffness and harsh seatposts. That’s why pro teams on these bikes mostly just use them for certain situations. Our aim with the Reacto Evo was to create a top performing all-round chassis with excellent aerodynamics but without penalties in terms of weight, comfort or stiffness. Comparing competitor’s aero performance in current reviews, only the Giant Propel performs at a similar level as our Reacto Evo does. How did you establish the priority window of wind angle performance? We followed the wind-tunnel test method created by the German magazine Tour, using a defined range of 0-20º yaw angles with 5º steps. This allows us to use a wide base of competitor’s aero data from a neutral source using the most advanced standard (rotation of the bike to drive and non-drive side, and a dummy rider with moving legs spinning at 90rpm). What are the benefits of the underslung rear brake? Our rear brake location creates less turbulence behind the seat-tube, allowing smoother airflow behind the frame. What are the effects on the aerodynamics of mounting bottles? We always tested with one round water bottle placed on the downtube. This was the configuration we used for all wind tunnel testing because it represents the reality during pro racing. Did you have to persuade the team to ride this bike or did they understand the benefits and make their own choice? Last year, the riders could choose either the Reacto or our lightweight Scultura. After comparing both frames at the wind tunnel using identical wheels and finding a huge saving of 16 watts at 45kph (21W at 51 kph), we decided that the Reacto must be the new team bike for 2014. This year, there is no choice, except for cobblestone races. No pro can afford to give away 20W and the weight penalty versus the Scultura SL is less than 200g. We gave the reasons for our decision and the racers are on board, as they’ve understand what they gained. To what extent did R&D carried out for the Warp TT inform this bike? We started the Reacto Evo after the Warp TT was finished, and you can believe that we learned a lot about aerodynamics during that complex project. No single detail was carried over directly to the Reacto Evo but we used many aspects of the TT-bike in a diversified way. The most similar details are the connection of the seatstays to the seat-tube and the ‘ fastback’ tube profile concept.