MERIDA ONE -TWENTY 9.7000
£3,600 Just how well does this all-rounder trail bike ride?
Merida’s 120mm-travel, 29in-wheeled One-Twenty is designed to bring cross-country speed to the trails, with plush but e cient rear suspension and modern geometry.
The frame
A Nano Matrix Carbon front end – said to o er improved impact resistance over standard carbon fibre – is mated to a rear triangle made from hydroformed 6066 alloy. Merida’s Float Link suspension system provides 120mm of rear wheel travel. This linkage-actuated single-pivot design uses a floating, trunnion-mounted shock, with a bearing in the top shock mount to improve sensitivity. All cables are internally routed, and the frame uses 148x12mm Boost rear axle spacing. It sports a BB92 press-fit bottom bracket and tapered head tube, and is Shimano Di2-ready.
Merida say the One-Twenty has ‘modern trail geometry’, but we think it’s a little on the conservative side for a short-travel trail bike, with a definite cross-country bias. Our large bike had a 455mm reach, 67.3-degree head angle and 75.5-degree seat angle. The 1,184.6mm wheelbase was fairly short for a size-large 29er.
The kit
The 9.7000’s spec is impressive considering its £3,600 price tag. It’s decked out with a full house of Shimano Deore XT kit – 12-speed drivetrain, four-piston brakes and hubs too (laced to Merida Expert TR rims, with a 29mm internal width) – and you can count on reliable performance from the Japanese powerhouse’s components. Suspension comes courtesy of a RockShox Pike Select fork with 130mm of travel and the excellent Charger RC damper, and a RockShox Deluxe Select+ rear shock. Merida have managed to spec branded kit where it makes a di erence by saving money with in-house kit elsewhere, including the saddle (with integrated stash tool) bar, stem and 170mm-travel dropper post.
The ride
This is a bike that’s certainly more at home when ascending or covering flat ground than when working with gravity. The low front end and relatively high rear – thanks to the fairly long seat tube and low stack height – make it easy to get your chest close to the bar on steep ascents, placing you in an aggressive position when climbing seated and allowing you to put plenty of power through the back wheel. However, we constantly wanted to shift closer to the front of the saddle, despite angling it nose-down and slamming it forwards on the rails. With the seatpost extended to full height, it felt like the seat angle left our weight too far back on the bike.
With the suspension set up with around 20 per cent sag, we noticed the One-Twenty bobbing when pedalling hard, both seated and standing. The advantage of this overactive rear end is that it absorbs bumps well and climbing
is a generally composed affair, despite the bob detracting a little from the pedalling efficiency. There is a climb lever on the shock, but its blow-off is set so high that using it compromises comfort and control on anything other than paved roads or fine-gravel fireroads.
With the shock’s damping left open, the rear end deals with bigger holes well. In fact, once deeper into its travel, the One-Twenty feels like it has more than 120mm of squish, even on the climbs. As a whole package the bike is quite sti . This helps when putting the power down, but reduces comfort. Combined with the active suspension, it gives a mixed ride feel.
Merida’s take on modern trail bike geometry is a little at odds with most brands’, being notably less descending-focused. However, the One-Twenty generates speed well over undulations and through rocky sections, especially when pumped aggressively. Unfortunately, setting the bike up to counter pedal bob on climbs and flatter ground (by increasing shock pressure and reducing sag to 10 to 15 per cent) leaves it feeling harsh on anything but smooth trails. Combined with the sti frame, this resulted in too much feedback making its way through to our arms and backside when seated, and at times made it hard to stick to a line or prevent rocks and roots from deflecting us o -course. We found the best compromise for descending was to run around 20 per cent sag and put up with a bit more pedal bob (which is less of an issue on the downhills anyway).
Not only is it hard to find a good suspension balance, but the bike’s short wheelbase, limited reach and steepish head angle make it start to feel out of its depth as soon as speeds increase or the gradient begins to steepen. Alex www.merida-bikes.com
MBUK VERDICT
The One-Twenty generates speed well but, by trying to blend XC geometry with trail bike parts, we feel Merida have missed the mark