The next road season is fast approaching and it’s that time of year when teams are drip-feeding new kit and bikes in preparation.
Some teams make only minor changes, while others completely revamp their look, like Bahrain Victorious, who ditched their traditional red for a white ensemble. It’s not an entirely new look, as it was used in the 2023 Tour de France, but as always at the beginning of a new season, it will take some getting used to.
In addition to the new kit, the team’s Merida bikes have also received modifications, and we were able to get our hands on Matej Mohoric’s React bike for a closer look at a recent training camp.
red out, white in
Mastering bike design is something of an art, but when it comes to bikes in 2024, the Bahrain Victorious errs towards even more subtle limits. A white colorway, much like the team’s kit, dominates the bike, but is accented by a pale blue and gold design on the top tube. Apart from the sponsor logos, the fork is the only part of the bike where the white theme is broken up, again with a pale blue zigzag design.
We think it’s a great look, although it’s unlikely to tickle the fancy of those who like unconventional designs – although if you saw it at the Paris-Roubaix finish line, where you’re unlikely to see a white design. That may vary withstanding the rigors of French farm roads.
The new design is significantly different from the brighter red color the team has used since its inception, but it’s not entirely new, as a similar design first debuted at the 2023 Tour de France. Labeled ‘Pearl White’, the kit is designed to symbolize Bahrain’s pearl fishing, a theme that will return in 2024.
Reacto: All-out exercise bike
As you can tell from the bike’s aero silhouette with its deep, bulky tube profile, the React is Merida’s aero product, alongside the brand’s pure climbing bike, the Scultura.
First released in 2011, the React has been a regular in the World Tour peloton for years now and has been in the Bahrain Victorious arsenal since its creation in 2017. Before that, it was used by Lampre Merida, which was sponsored by the Taiwanese brand. For the four seasons.
In keeping with modern trends, the latest version ditches the seatstays and chunky chainstays, giving us the deep tube profile we’re used to.
Shimano’s World Tour dominance continues
Shimano has been a dominant groupset brand at the World Tour level for many seasons now, and they show no signs of slowing down in 2024. As of the latest count, the Japanese brand can count 15 teams on its roster, up from 14 teams in 2023 after AG2R. Citroën withdraws from Campagnolo – This is bad news for the historic Italian brand, which will no longer sponsor any teams at cycling’s highest level in 2024. However, with Bora-Hansgrohe recently discovered using SRAM, that number is likely to return to 14 teams. Device.
In any case, 14 out of 18 teams is a great number and Bahrain Victorious is one of the teams contributing to this number. Their riders will once again be using the Dura-Ace groupset. This, according to our calculations, on Mohoric’s bike he had a 54/40t setup. This changes throughout the season as riders change their cranksets depending on the race to optimize their setup for the specific Pal course.
vision components
Bahrain Victorious also partners with Vision, which provides both wheels and handlebars.
The Metron 60 SL wheels have a rim depth that lives up to their name and are naturally on the more aero side for an aero bike. Vision’s lineup also has shallow options suitable for multi-day mountains, but typically he comes with Scultura rather than Reacto.
The Vision Metron handlebar at the front provides a sleek look with no visible cables. This is the norm rather than the exception, and in a modern world tour peloton you’d be hard-pressed to find a cable running from the bike. Of course, this is due to aerodynamics, and even small cables can add extra resistance and wattage. In a race, tire width can be the difference between winning and losing, so every watt counts.
Bahrain Victorious, who completed the bike, uses Continental Grand Prix 5000 tires. There is no official confirmation as to the width of Mohoric’s bike, but we suspect he is 28mm, which is by far the most popular option in the modern peloton. A Prologo Scratch M5 saddle sits atop his Merida seatpost.
