The main story from Merida at Eurobike was the new One Twenty; which is their (surprise surprise) 120mm trail bike.
One Twenty
The one twenty is available in two wheel sizes – S – L get a 27.5in wheel, and M – XL get a 29in one. So there’s a fair amount of overlap. The top end ones come with a carbon front end and an aluminium back end. Merida say this is because a carbon back end costs a packet, and you don’t get much out of it in terms of stiffness and weight.
It’s running a floating pivot instead of the multi-linkage of yore.
Nice little rocker keeps weight down (and is blue).
Total internal cable routing is under tension so there’s no more rattling apparently. The bikes are long. 29in bike sports 69degree head and 75 degree seat angle, and the 27.5 job has a 68 degree H/A and a 74 degree seat. Travel is the same for both wheel sizes. There a 5 models – 2 with a carbon front end (topping out at £3,800) and three full alloy ones (down to £1,250).
Merida Ninety Six
The Ninety Six marathon XC bike is back back back, redesigned for 2016. RS1s, short travel back end, carbon post, much lightness. Stick a dropper post and a 120mm fork on this thing, though and we reckon it’d be a trail monster. The Ninety Six goes from £3.5K and tops out at a heady £6K.
One Sixty and One Forty
Stalwarts in the longer-legged Merida range, the One Sixty and the One Forty get Bold New Graphics, and some component changes. The One Sixty 900 we reviewed in issue 99 now comes with Fox 36 forks, a SRAM chainset and SRAM brakes for £3,200; the 800 runs a Manitou up front for £2,300.
The One Forty 900 (£2,800) now sports Pikes, and a full 1x groupset. Shimano is nowhere to be seen, which is interesting. The 700 (£2,400) runs full 2x XT, Fox 34s and an X-Fusion dropper.
More information on Merida is here.
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