Merida

Merida Benelux was established in 1997 by Peter Koperdraad. The business is a significant partner of mother concern Merida-Bikes Taiwan thanks to its location in important cycling countries.

Merida founder Ike Tseng (1932-2012) was a visionary and a man with a sense of honour. During a trip through the United States in the 1970s, he came across a sign hanging from the door of a bike shop saying that bikes made in Taiwan would not be taken in for repairs because of their poor quality. When he read that, something stirred. Shortly after that, in 1972, Merida Industry Co. Ltd.'s first factory in Yuanlin, Taiwan, opened its doors.  The name 'Merida' was not chosen lightly by the man whose motto was 'move with passion and courage'. The three syllables' Me-Ri-Da' can be loosely translated to mean 'the intention to produce only beautiful and high-quality products to allow everyone to reach their destination in the most pleasant way possible.'

Today, some 1.5 million top-quality bicycles sporting Merida on the frame are produced annually. In part due to the efforts of Ike Tseng, Taiwan has grown into the global leader in the field of cycling technology.

German engineering and design

Merida's R&D department is located in Magstadt on the outskirts of Stuttgart. Here, a team of highly skilled technicians are constantly working with well-known German gründlichkeit on the next generation of Merida bicycles.  Thanks to their in-house modern test lab, an extensive workplace, and close collaboration with professional athletes, new designs are thoroughly tested to the limit. This enables the team to constantly refine existing concepts and develop new designs.

Experience centre in Apeldoorn

Peter Koperdraad is proud of the Merida Experience Center in Apeldoorn! The spacious showroom features a comprehensive display of most of the collection. And you can do more than inspect the bicycles. It is also possible - and even the intention - that the bike is put to the test. With its unique location on the outskirts of National Park de Hoge Veluwe, the Merida Experience Center is the perfect base from which to experience a challenging test ride.

Benelux

The business is active in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxemburg. A separate sales and service team service the Belgium and Luxemburg market.