I am 1,75 and got the M/L Giant Revolt.... it is a stretch .... The M in Giant should work well for you. Merida is marginally bigger for the same "size", so best test ride before putting money down.
carbon vs alu .... both Giant Revolt and Merida Silex are mid 30's in Aluminium. So you are heading into the 40's for these in carbon.
1x vs 2x .... I opted for the 2x since I wanted more top end on the road, but needed a granny. That said, this market segment is leaning more and more towards 1x. Slim pickings for 2x in this price range.
Brakes .... at lower price points this is one area where you have to keep your eyes wide open.
Sorry, long winded way to say that at our budget we are looking at :
- New Aluminium ...
- Secondhand if you want Carbon ....
- Even in Aluminium, at the lower price point expect some lower specs on the drive train and/or brakes ....
PS - Prices and specs based on when I purchased in November 2024.
PPS - I am also a @Titan Racing Bikes fan boy .... but they dont have a 2x in this price range, so I did not dig deeper into their offerings. (I wanted something better than their entry level 2x options, but not the budget for their high end 2x options)
