The final piece of the Winspace puzzle (Why I have the Merida Reacto 6000)

[@randorecumbent]

5 bikes. It's OK to admit you have a bike problem. It's the first step to recovery.

[@CamNicholls]

haha - but do you know a specialist I can speak with....seriously?

[@davidd1492]

Don't ever forget the factor of "N". It makes it all OK. No specialist needed,session complete.

[@CamNicholls]

@@davidd1492 haha

[@pmb0001]

Hahaha - N+1 is where it is at - don’t fret I have double that number but I have the addiction under control….I hope.

[@JibbaJabber]

Yea, he has a bike problem alright. ONLY 5 BLOODY BIKES!!! Call yourself a cyclist. You're not even at the base of Ventoux.

[@RealMeatyBalls]

Oh yeah we got control wheels now shits getting real!

[@bikerjk1205]

The Fulcrum Racing 800 db wheels on the Reacto weigh 1960 grams, so you could easily drop 500 grams in bike weight with a set of carbon wheels.

[@durianriders]

1250g disc wheels + discs and lockrings = 1500 gram. How much would he have to spend if he went to a Specialized dealer? 3750 AUD and they are flexy AF compared to a rim brake wheelset.

[@craigdonovan4277]

Cam: Hi my name’s s Cam and I’m a bikaholic. It’s been three weeks since my last bike purchase. Other bikaholics: Hi Cam.

[@chrisprice5806]

its a business expense and eventually will be resold

[@rallyslag185]

I know you're currently concentrating on these 'aero bricks' at the moment, and it's great keep it up. But what would be great in future if possible would be to try and borrow an SL7 or something, purported to be a lightweight and aero 'one bike to rule them all' wouldn't it be great to see how fast it was up Gyndia compared to bikes such as the Cannondales and also on a flat compared to the Winspace and Reacto say, see if it can live up to its hype

[@michal1693]

From a perspective of people who buy whole bikes and try to decide between those 3 products certainly this is super valuable content. I build and service my own bikes. (whole 2 of them). I wouldn't even weight those bikes that way (one bike alloy wheels, other carbon).

[@michaelkim324]

Cam your videos are great! Really loving the new bike comparisons.

[@CamNicholls]

Cheers Michael.

[@AdamEwart]

I find it interesting, and a bit ridiculous, that people see need to argue your points on various topics, as if it even makes a difference. Most of your findings or observations really are anecdotal or personal to your own experience, and never intended to imply one thing is universally better than another. Honestly, these types aren't even worth drawing attention to, or give any air time at all. Furthermore, loving no pants Thursday, please make this a regular feature! 😍😍😄

[@dishboy14]

Mate, you are a legend! Thanks for posting these great videos. Your videos always make me smile! :)

[@CamNicholls]

Cheers David, appreciate that mate.

[@glennong3563]

"Magnificent Head" hahahahaha too good. love the random outtakes, makes it easier to watch and listen to as a fellow aussie, the humour is outstanding

[@CamNicholls]

haha cheers Glenn

[@davidtyler5129]

Once again you’ve delivered Cam. Yes the day our kids tell us to in a way ‘bugger off and let me get to school’, does leave a somewhat emptiness in ones gut. I remember. I must admit to having bike envy and would love to add a BMC and Factor to my shed. As always, enjoyed the presentation. 🚴‍♂️

[@colinanderson2815]

Calibration complete, love it Cam !!!

[@jjustinmbirchb]

Hey Cam, your specialized cleat plate which is stuck on- Try putting the bolts back into the other two holes to hold the plate inside the shoe and then try wrenching on the stuck bolt

[@Raptors0524]

Mate, I love your videos. Thank you for making them! I know how much time you invest in the channel and I appreciate them. I also love getting a glimpse at your beautiful country. I live in 🇺🇸 and I hope to visit one day!

[@CamNicholls]

Cheers Matthew, appreciate that mate.

[@karlasidera]

Just got 1 today of the Merida Reacto 6000,helped me decide on getting this one cam.will give this one a road test tomorrow.keep posting more videos like this.👍

[@mcb3307]

Great video and glad you retested the Winspace

[@CamNicholls]

Cheers mate, yes - I've been meaning to do it for a while but Melbourne travel has gotten in the way. Also needing to wait for a low wind day!

[@jimmyhor78]

Fantastic content! Keeps getting better and better.

[@CamNicholls]

Cheers mate

[@SonnyDarvishzadeh]

I can imagine having 5 different bikes, but DIFFERENT. you have 5 race bikes 😅

[@lambo2224]

thank you kindly for the freehub soundchecks

[@pvj9289]

Cam is living he´s best bike life :-)

[@jeffvalore5010]

Hey Cam, when you get around to doing all 3 bikes on the same wheels, I think it's be great to specifically note that the same tires are also being used. We tend to focus on "the wheels" without mentioning what tires are on each bike. In my own testing between different wheels and tires I've seen tires have the single most dramatic effect on times. I recently got a Trek Domane that comes stock with Bontrager R2 tires, and swapping them for Schwalbe Pro Ones cut a massive 6m9s off a 90min ride. Where as the times between my bikes if I ran the same wheels and tires were really close, within a minute over a 90m ride at the same power avg.

[@FlatSpinMan]

I’m not a fast rider and don’t really care much about upgrades etc, but I bought some Continental 5000s a few months ago to replace whatever stock tyres I’d been using and holy shit it made such a difference. Everyone says so, but I couldn’t believe how different it felt. It was a bit faster, too,on a climb I’ve done often and usually in better shape.

[@travismcgarry]

I love been 2 weeks on the 50mm Hyper wheels and damn I’m impressed so far…

[@timsgarage1861]

I saw your breath and wearing all that cold weather gear then I thought this must be an old video. Then I remembered where you're located lol.

[@CamNicholls]

haha, yes, we still have winter here on the Sunny Coast Tims

[@DaveCM]

I guess I am a lucky dad. I have twin girls and they never did the "Dad, don't walk us all the way" or "drop us off down the street" thing. Even in high school I dropped them off every morning until they started driving themselves. I would get out to help them get their backpacks and instruments out and they would hug and give me a kiss in front of the school and in front of everyone. They just didn't care.

[@rallyslag185]

Really liking this content! Glad you've done some science and taken the same bike up Gyndia with both power meters because you can calculate a percentage difference between them now to account for reading errors. Interesting to see the Winspace is still the same speed and makes you realise how fast the Cannondales were, also that those alloy Zipp wheels are also still faster. Really looking forward to seeing all the bikes with the same wheelset coming up, keep up the good work!

[@eggzacute]

Love the content Cam, would love to hear more about Caden wheels vs Winspace Hyper and others you have ridden in your time

[@CamNicholls]

Cheers mate, and yes, it's on the list for down the track!

[@sambam007]

Merida reacto is such a great bike . Been riding one 6 months now and for an aero bike it’s pretty comfy. Doesn’t skip a beat and been doing a number of hill climbs each week on it . Love it

[@DB-tv7kf]

Hey man any update on how the bike has been holding up

[@sambam007]

@@DB-tv7kf still riding the Merida and still impressing me. Swapped wheels with carbon 60mm deep sections running tubeless. Cycled up Cheddar gorge last month was rock solid on the down hill parts too. I’m sure the endurance Scultera is more comfy with a more relaxed geometry but I got use to the aero and my heart went with the Reacto . I don’t regret it.

[@primarottabikes]

Great content as always. Eager to see how the T1500 will be in the full review. We are about to buy a few of them to bring to Brazil. Cheers Cam!

[@davemellor4697]

Love the review Cam...honest and informative.

[@chrisibberson9742]

My 2007 caad 9 with mavic ksyriams and 105 comes in at 8.3kg thought we were going forward with bikes!

[@cosminciuraru]

Hey Cam, great to see the channel growing and you having access to funding for new projects. More importantly, the revenue to fund this content is not coming from the bike industry advertising or promotions, which i find quite rare in the niche you are. This should encourage unbiased views. Would love to see the Emonda SL7, just got one on the weekend and cannot wait to ride it. It looks stunning just looking at it! The SL6 Pro has had a fair bit of coverage else where, but the SL7 none really. The SL6 would reach more people though, I was planning to get that one but got a good deal on the SL7.

[@gac4460]

Stay with the 165mm cranks mate, if top track sprinters manage to generate enough power with them, then I reckon they're good enough for you, 😉👍

[@global_nomad.]

looking forward to seeing the wheel control tested results...recent shortages do mean buying a whole bike has become the only real option, buying a frame and finding all the parts being so problematic...but then if you have 5 bikes to swap components around on, maybe thats the solution...thanks for the tip

[@garthgordon9054]

Ur shoe issue: might be able to be fixed by think out the shoe liner or soul liner, if it comes down to it, u might have to cut away some of that liner if it’s sued in, after u get to the bolt, u should be able to grab ahold of it from the inside, with needle nose pliers. Good luck.

[@richardhutchings1980]

The Merida is a Heavy Beast. It must be those alloy wheels

[@osh241]

7mm is the difference between teastin' an pleasin' !! My Mrs will confirm that..

[@glennoc8585]

The reacto and winspace do look similar. I tried 165 and sold them in after a few weeks, just awful loss of power especially up hills. I like to get out the saddle 50% or more up hills and you notice the loss of leverage. In saying that if you do flat riding only and track 165 could be ok. When you consider many petite woman cyclists still ride 170 there must be something in the leverage.

[@GCPerformance18]

How much stack you got on that cleat for the speed play? You have that big of a leg length discrepancy?? Is it more femur, tibia, or pelvic rotation? I love Merida bikes, I wish they were sold over here. Really fell in love when nibali was riding them

[@chrisgomez1159]

Gc in the house keep seeing crossover youtube comments haha love it. Have a good day 👍

[@CamNicholls]

6mm. We don't know. Could be muscular also. Often it starts as at a skeletal level and then compensation makes it worse at a muscular level. According to Neill, anyway. I don't know!

[@GCPerformance18]

@@CamNicholls yea I was gonna say that’s a huge amount of stack, I mean maybe if your really curious one day, you could get an X-ray to figure it out…… “for the content” lol but anyways man love the content just thought it was crazy interesting

[@stanleyling6116]

Ah Cam, You got me excited when I saw trio comparison. I thought it would be a review and your thought on them. Thank for the video upload and eagerly waiting for this trio comparison.

[@CamNicholls]

Cheers Stanley, review coming soon!

[@stanleyling6116]

@@CamNicholls Can't wait and thank you in advance. :) I have these same trio within my radar.

[@christianemeiners9224]

Cam, is there an AA (Aerobike Addicts) chapter near you; you should visit them ;-) no, really, I wonder what models will join your collection next. Great video, as alway, enjoying it very much. Cheers

[@mechpatt]

Yeah, stings a little when the kids tell you not to walk them all the way! Special days taking the kids to school 🧡🧡

[@CamNicholls]

Yes agreed...I have been trying to convince them to let me walk with them! Somedays I win, others I don't.

[@mechpatt]

@@CamNicholls When Dad is no longer cool for school 💔! Anyway, gives you more riding time 😂, really building into an interesting channel, keep it up 👍

[@patrickparisienne1917]

Smashing it mate!

[@pakelly99]

if you’re ever in taiwan, please bring a jar of vegemite 🤠

[@pigupigu]

Vegemite is trash. Can send you some Marmite.

[@NeverTakeNoShortcuts]

I know that moment where your kids tell you they love you, but you can't walk them in anymore...

[@ryjayhar20]

Thanks for the update on the 165 cranks. I am currently running 165s on my road bike largely because of your bike fitting video and like them so far but still wonder if they will hold me back in a sprint or climbing. I'm hoping to find time to do some actual testing between 165s and 172.5 before I fully commit, but like you, it's just so hard to find the time!

[@CamNicholls]

No worries Ryan and interesting to hear. Cheers

[@chanc2]

The frame of the Merida and the frame of the winspace look almost identical to each other.

[@watcher24601]

Looking forward to the 3-way test with the best wheels. The stock wheels are definitely a weak point for the Reacto and I am interested to see what better wheels can do for it

[@mikexhotmail]

Thank you very much

[@TheManuelv86]

Love the comparison. Since frame (and parts) availability in Central Europe is somewhat limited (try to build a disc brake bike atm^^) I went with a Winspace T1500 frame and so far I am really happy with it. Went with the matt black one (again availability) and it just looks awesome.

[@CamNicholls]

Nice one Manu, that is a great choice colour wise. The more I ride the Winspace the more I am enjoying it.

[@dougdewar7896]

RESCUE YOUR SHOES - Cut the fabric inside the shoe to get at the insert that turns. Use a vice grip to grab the turning piece so you can loosen the cleat....

[@k04s4]

Giant looks the best to me! Aero is amazing!

[@chrisobyrne5675]

Rossi needs his own channel.

[@fezzwheel2572]

At 8:37 to try to get the bolt off, try a spray of the good old WD-40 Let sit for a bit and try again....

[@CamNicholls]

I have sprayed so much WD-40 on it I got high and had a headache for days! haha

[@fezzwheel2572]

@@CamNicholls Kid got creative with a Pen on our leather couch. WD-40 did the trick, house stank for days. Guess if this didn't work, you might have WD-39

[@patrickparisienne1917]

Try ‘Nutbreaker’ or “Freeze ta Nuts Off”, both Nulon products from a Burson’s Auto parts.

[@pavlos..]

Do you sell your 'used' bikes on Bike Chaser? I waiting for the Factor to be sold

[@somnumna2606]

That’s like waiting for a guy to dump a hot looking girl so you can ask her out! I can’t see that leaving the stable in a hurry. Move on lol.

[@adamhaygreen5496]

Cam, can I ask whether you'd go Reynolds 42mm or Hyper 50mm wheel set, both workout to exactly the price currently? Cheers and keep up the great work, a very solid catalogue of work so far 👌

[@reloshirleyt]

I gotta say the winspace hyper wheels sounds the best

[@robertwhyte3435]

I haven't seen a test I like comparing crank lengths. So, I've decided to do my own. I have a lot of history on 175 and 172.5 cranks and that includes power data. So, I've got a set of 165s now and I'm going to ride them until I think I've topped out what I can get out of them and compare. I know it's not a scientific test because I know what I'm riding but I also know I'm trying to optimize my performance more than pick a winner. So, after a month or so I'm going to compare what I'm doing with 165s to what I was getting with 172.5 and if I'm not getting better numbers I'm going back to the 172.5s. It'll be interesting t see what you do and come up with. Good luck.

[@CamNicholls]

Nice one Robert, let me know how it goes please!

[@Loekie-de-leeuw]

Than you also should install the 172.5 again to make a better comparison. Otherwise it could just be your fitness level.

[@robertwhyte3435]

@@Loekie-de-leeuw This isn't going to be strictly a scientific test but I agree it would be better to go back and forth for maybe even six months. I may do that but if I'm not putting out better power at the end of a month on the 165s and I go back to the 172.5s and get better results I don't think I'll bother. What I'm really trying to do is account for adaptation and a month might not even be enough but it's the investment I'm willing to do.

[@gmbmedia28]

Merida Reacto 6K what a beautiful bike.

[@yisraels4555]

So the Merida is only 1 kg lighter than my 1985 Trek 560 steeI racing bike. Hmmmm just got a full 105 set and waiting for some new wheels to put it all together.

[@paulwilliams6745]

Don’t feel bad I have 4 bikes and always want more

[@Alan_Hans__]

It's obvious to me why you have the Merida Reacto 6000. EVERY other bike you showed had a freewheel on it that was screaming like a banshee. Bikes are meant to be pedaled, not heard.

[@andyg9991]

So while Im watching the vid Cam, @4:34 while both bikes are leaning against the Lexus, it would seem the Winspace is running more drop saddle to bars than the Merida? Have you made sure your position on all bike is identical? Even something like bar width would mean results are near useless when only a couple of seconds are concerned as we all know that the least are part of any bike is the fat lump riding it...and by fat lump I mean me, not you :-)

[@Saltydog547]

I love your addiction. How i wish i could own so many bike. Can you do a view to compare the weight of each bike?

[@sifi7950]

The Reacto is not to be underestimated, Mohoric has just won a +200km flat stage, to add to his previous climbing stage, on a top specced model in the TDF

[@mynewcolour]

I got triggered by the … 🤐👌

[@devinmorrison7131]

How can you "test" aero bikes against each other when they don't have the same tires ? The rolling resistance of different tires and inner tube setups can be vastly different, hence skewing results significantly.....

[@CamNicholls]

I'll be testing all bikes with the same wheels and tyres asa part of the test

[@cliffordchaperon6795]

you go to a lot of trouble - we all appreciate this

[@h4rdcor31]

We know you are all about the road bikes, have you thought about trying to get a endurance bike like the Canyon Endurace or a Specialized Roubaix?

[@pablohoney52]

Hi Cam. I see you have tan wall tyres on a couple of bikes. I need to replace my Conti gp5000 tl & fancy tan wall 25c tubeless tyres. Seem a bit rare here in the U.K. I ride for pleasure on an ex-team Ridley/Bora Ultra 45s, so like a racy look. What are you running: any suggestions?

[@BikeLife154]

I’ve just switched to 165mm cranks after using 172.5 for many years. I feel the top end speed is lower with the 165s and surprisingly I don’t find any positive difference on my knees. It’s not what I was hoping it would be.

[@CamNicholls]

hhhm, interesting to hear mate. I guess they're not for everyone. Have you tried moving your cleats all the way back?

[@BikeLife154]

@@CamNicholls moved the seatpost up and saddle forward slightly to compensate, but ended up moving the seat back. I feel my fit is all out of sync. Shoes rubbing every part of my feet now, but were good on 172.5. Haven’t moved the cleats back yet. In fact, was thinking to move them forward to compensate for the decrease in crank length.

[@russellbrooks2354]

Hey Cam. More great content thank you. How do you fined the Look cleats to use, clipping in and walking etc? I’ve been wanting some Assioma pedals for a while now but been put off by the thought of changing from SPD SL pedals. Thanks again for a entertaining content!

[@yonglingng5640]

In terms of unclipping, Look Keo feels easier due to the smaller cleat profile, but it also has a smaller footprint compared to SPD-SL when walking (SPD-SL doesn't allow your shoe to tip to the side easily). With that said, I switched to SPD-SL for the sake of pedal serviceability (I have the tools to service them and I like the internals) and the fact that I'd like to stick with Shimano too.

[@russellbrooks2354]

@@yonglingng5640 many thanks for the reply and advice.

[@pmcmpc]

Given that it's a lot cheaper, wouldn't it have been better to get a Reacto 8000 with 105 or Ultegra? Price would have been roughly equivalent. The 8000 is way lighter than the 6000, and would have much lighter wheels.

[@benjaminho5178]

Reacto vs propel!

[@cornishalps9870]

My TT bike I got for £300 from 2009 is lighter than the merida, in fact also my Merida cross bike with road wheels is a tiny bit heavier

[@db613]

Now you need to review two bikes that have not been reviewed the Ventum NS1 and the Focus Izalco Max

[@hippoace]

the power pedals do make it easier to compare bikes since the swap is straightforward

[@CamNicholls]

Yes agreed

[@stevelong9178]

so what I took from that is. you need to purchase more cranks and Hyper wheel sets and shoes.

[@gudrune]

On crank lengths, message from a triathlete: AFAIK, shorter is most useful to open up hip angles, improving comfort and performance in tuck position. I found that video very helpful on the topic : kzbin.info/www/bejne/lZvVYWmQi8qYaJo

[@bsmooth5487]

What is the stem size for the traxion?

[@RickRubinesque]

As an Englishman hearing "PANTS off Thursday" from that stunning blonde lady made me spit out my tea. Even more borderline pornographic than those shoes 😳 You've done ever so well for yourself for a gingner! Chapaux 👏

[@davehanhela5997]

If you have 5-6K aud for an off-the-shelf road bike for all training and racing on the road, what would you go for?

[@MrBJPitt]

Have you changed crank length with your headunit with the assiomas? You can't just set it in the app, as head unit overrides it. It's a definite gotcha when running different crank sizes unless you are careful.

[@CamNicholls]

The Assioma's run 172.5 mm crank lengths which is what is on the Winspace and the Merida. The head unit was fully turned off and on for each run with a new calibration.

[@MrBJPitt]

@@CamNicholls sounds like you have that covered then. How many watts difference in reading do you "feel" there is between the Assiomas and quarq? Less than 5 watts?

[@JwallzMTB]

where did you get your yellow long sleeve

[@georgemichaelides4500]

It is $3,700 at 99 bikes but yes good luck getting one so hard to find

[@MarkMash17]

Mate, did you end up doing the tour de Brissy? If so I was probably riding along side you for a bit... Was so much fun

[@EnragedMollusk]

"Super affordable." LOL.

[@kennymcallister2523]

Great videos as always very informative watching your videos of tarmac venge few years ago I was lucky enough to buy both s works bikes Venge and sl6 s works 2020 disc recently traded in against a new s works sl7 basically I feel it’s a baby venge would of loved your thoughts and a review on a sl7 definitely miss the look of my venge thanks again for great videos content

[@CamNicholls]

Cheers Kenny, and Wow, you've had some nice machines. I am desperate to try the SL7!

[@kennymcallister2523]

@@CamNicholls thanks it’s definitely a baby venge I’ve a good relationship with specialized and a local pro rider managed to get me an unbelievable deal on both bikes brand new that’s only reason I could afford it and selling all my other bikes but one was always hanging up so 1 bike enough now and after seeing your video got a kikr bike as I am a runner / Duathlete I gave up Mtb and cyclocross to give all my time to running and road riding

[@sydemoid]

Cam…. When are we getting Propel content?….lol

[@CamNicholls]

haha, that was my last Friday video! I will do a First Impressions and then the triple headed review and then she'll be sold off

[@bnzboy]

165 FTW!!!!!

[@shahrim578]

5 bikes ok time for giveaway haha

[@rommelreyes2209]

would you recommend the reacto 6000 compared to other aero bikes?

[@CamNicholls]

I think you need to swap the wheels out for some carbons.

[@PersonaN007Grata]

Can I ask how tall you are and what size bikes you ride?

[@peterliljebladh]

I noticed that you only have 5 nice carbon roadbike. What on earth are you going to ride on for the other two days of the week?

[@kohpj7770]

Happiness all you have is happiness

[@cml1640]

Bike buying problem man :D Hey Cam, I am planning to buy the Merida Reactor 7000 Force Edition. Is this a good bike? Cheers

[@marksmith9667]

buy the 6000 and spend $4000 on an awesome set of wheels

[@Terrierized]

Pants off thursday while the kids are at school...hmmm more kids?? 😂

[@stewartdavis3798]

Did you change the crank length when you used the Assioma pedals?

[@stewartdavis3798]

I mean the crank length setting in the app

[@chriscross5689]

Merida $1500 cheaper than winspace.. is the winspace worth the extra money though?

[@doublett4193]

Still lighter than my 2010 Giant OCR 3 rimbrake (fully Rebuilt).

[@Dralbastaki]

do u have any training peak programs?

[@u24]

Please weigh the Reacto with the Hyper wheels if possible! Curious how light it can get. Thanks!

[@marionikols4374]

Also curious to see the weight saving pls. Cheers