Alternatively…
Save a packet
Drop down to the Shimano 105-specced Reacto 4000 model (£2,250) and you can save yourself a whopping £6,750. Merida claims it has the same stiffness as the Team-e frame but just a bit more weight.
Worth the weight
If you’d rather have something lighter, Merida’s equivalent pro-specced climber’s bike is the Scultura Team-e (£8,600), which swaps straight-line speed for a UCI minimum-nudging weight of 6.88kg.