3D printed inserts and a custom chain catcher: Fred Wright's Merida Reacto

As a member of the Bahrain Victorious WorldTour team, Fred Wright has the choice of two Merida race bikes: the Scultura and the Reacto.

For the World Championships men's road race the Englishman opted for the latter, a dedicated aero bike, rather than choosing the former, a lightweight all-rounder that's typically used by the Bahrain riders for mountainous stages and hilly one-day races.

A cursory glance at Wright's World Champs race bike might suggest that this Reacto is a pretty standard affair. But we managed to get up close with his bike ahead of the race in Glasgow and found a few interesting tweaks. Let's dive in...

From the front it is a pretty standard affair. Wright positions his Shimano Dura-Ace shifters a little inwards to help promote a narrow, tucked in position on the hoods but it's far from extreme. 

This angle affords a good view of both the Reacto's X-Taper head tube and the aero properties of the carbon Vision Metron 5D ACR bars. 

From the side we also get a view of the matching Vision Metron stem. It's fully integrated as we've come to expect from modern race bikes with significant aero properties. Wright opts to run his stem with no spacers to help obtain as low a position on the bike as possible.

Also note the shape of that head tube; when it was time to update the Reacto Merida, like several manufacturers, took advantage of the relaxing of UCI regulations to add depth to its tube shapes for aerodynamic gains.

While there's a certain homogenous quality to today's aero race bikes, the Reacto's seat stays give it a little added character. Super low, angular but thin, they presumably help add a little compliance to a what's a stiff bike overall. Here you can also see Wright's name alongside the Union Jack.

Here's where things start to get interesting. Wright's running a 12-speed Dura-Ace Di2 rear mech and corresponding cassette but it's the adornments that catch the eye.

The inside of Wright's rear drop out is fitted with what looks like a custom metal chain catcher (it's the small metal plate located outside the chain), designed to stop the chain dropping off the 11t sprocket. Or perhaps it's just to protect the dropout itself? Either way It's not something we've seen before. And the customisation doesn't stop there.

The rear mech hanger is fitted with what looks like a 3D printed insert, complete with rubber band, that helps to better protect the Di2 cable from any interference, presumably from the chain and during any mid-race wheel changes. Again, it's new to us.

UCI regulations require all those racing to display a number tag on their bike. As such, we continue to see a variety of approaches to how best do this. Wright opted for a custom carbon fibre holder that's been neatly bonded to the Reacto's aero seat post. 

The reigning British National road race champion is one of many riders in the professional peloton who trust Prologo saddles to keep them comfortable during a race. Wright's preferred model is the Scratch M5 that uses individual panels to allow for better unity between the rider's movements during the pedal stroke and the saddle itself.