Verdict:
By every objective measure, the Reacto One isn't a groundbreaking bike, but subjectively it's brilliant. A really enjoyable bike to ride, and I love that Merida went a bit wild.

For:
Progressive spec.
Comfortable ride with confident handling.
Value for money is pretty good, when compared to others of this level.

Against:
Sub-par aero performance despite having an unfair advantage.
Heavier than competitor bikes of similar aero performance.
UCI-illegal bars could cause issues if you want to race it.

Score:
72%