This is my first foray into 10 speed and I had heard the Tiagra groupset was decent enough, while not light weight and as smooth shifting as 105 and up. Having owned the bike for a month I have nothing but praise for Merida and Tiagra. The bike is well set up and fits like a glove. The Tiagra shifts smoothly and had been 100% reliable. I prefer the slightly upright riding position that the longer head tube allows, so my back feels nice and relaxed even after a long ride.
I've covered about 500km in that time, helping to improve my cardiovascular fitness and have even dumped a few kg. I like to think that I will shed more weight from my body than I ever could with a lighter frame or groupset. Once I am a more confident rider and have many thousand km's under my shortening belt I am sure I will upgrade to something a little more fancy but after my experiences so far and the excellent customer service from my LBS I am positive I will be moving up to a higher end Merida with 105 or Ultegra.
Massive shoutouts to Star Cycles at Elizabeth in South Australia for the excellent service!
