Part 1: Introduction and Disassembly
Part 2: Disassembly (continued) and Restoration
Other than cleaning the disassembled components, the bike frame was also cleaned and waxed to get a nice glossy finish. Here are the pictures showing the results!
Large downtube with bottle cage bosses
After waxing the frame for a couple of times with Hi Glaze 88, it is now glossy, maybe even more than the original condition!
View of the rear triangle
View of the seat tube. All clean and glossy.
The D-shaped aerodynamic seat post, with the special rubber insert for added comfort
Hidden seat post clamp for a clean appearance. Works well with no slippage.
Now, let's take a look at the component specifications for this bike. Before the cleanup, it was not ideal for highlighting the various components as they are too dusty. With all the components cleaned and restored, this is the best time to show the component specifications.
Shimano 105 5800 2x11 speed road shifters. Reliable performance at a great price point.
The damaged silver name plate was changed to a new one
Controltech aluminium stem. This seems to be a 110mm length stem.
Internal cable routing, with the shifter cables running into the top of the top tube, through a plate specially designed for this purpose.
Tektro direct mount brakes, works OK but lacks power and smoothness compared to Shimano direct mount brakes.
One way to improve braking power is to change out the original Tektro brake pads, to the Shimano brake pads taken off from the Shimano Ultegra 6800 brake calipers.
The rear section of the rear brake caliper outer casing was changed out to a new section, as shown here. It exits from the side of the downtube and routes in a smooth curve to the rear brake caliper, which is mounted under the bottom bracket.
Another view of the hidden rear brake caliper. Maybe good for aerodynamics, but troublesome for adjustments, and braking feeling is not really good due to the longer and more complex cable routing.
FSA BB386 crankset with the Shimano 105 5800 front derailleur. All cleaned up and looking new.
View of the crankset from the left side
52/36T chainring combination, which is a popular mid-compact gearing nowadays. Shiny chain and clean chain rings.
Totally cleaned up drivetrain, front derailleur and bottom bracket area. Way different from the dusty condition when we first got the bike.
Shimano 105 5800 11 speed rear derailleur
Shimano 105 5800 11-28T 11 speed cassette, all clean and shiny again!
Even the tires and rims were cleaned by wiping with a wet rag. Looking new again! Continental Ultra Sport tires, 700x25C for a bit more comfort compared to 23C tires.
Overall weight of 9.0 kg without any accessories or pedals. Not lightweight, but acceptable for this aero setup, with a heavier frameset, heavier high profile wheels and also the not-so-lightweight Shimano groupset.
Front view of the restored Merida Reacto 4000
Looking fast with a small frontal area
Aero frame looks good with these high profile rims
With the bike fully restored, it looks like a brand new bike again!
All it needs now is to put on a pair of pedals, and it is ready to roll!
With this bike restoration, I have learnt more about this bike and the setup. For those who are considering an aero road bike with a good component specification, this is one bike you can consider. If you have a larger budget, you can consider the higher grade Merida Reacto 5000 which has Ultegra components.