”FUNCTIONAL AND SLEEK IN APPEARANCE, WITH WELL-THOUGHTOUT, MINIMALIST ENGINEERING…”

the exceptional cornering characteristics this bike has; it corners like it’s on rails, with minimal rider input. Holding a steady arc around a turn and squaring off a turn when the trail requires it are equally easily done. Acceleration and pick-up out of corners was impressive too, despite the slightly hefty wheel weight.

One thing we did notice is that we were penalised by a mildly choppy rear end when we left our braking too late on blown-out trails; but that’s not a train smash, and it’s easy enough to work around – just hitting the brakes a little earlier and more smoothly is the solution.

The wide inner-diameter rims coupled with decent rubber from the Maxxis stable provide good braking performance, rolling speed and bite in the turns – the Minion DHR2 is a reliable performer in most conditions. Additionally, we found the bike very easy to pull back on line if we drifted slightly.

The dropper post has a smooth feel and proved reliable; although, on a bike like this, we felt it could do with another 25mm of travel. But in the air the bike is confidence-inspiring, as well as forgiving – we came up short on a triple jump on one of our trails, and the 160mm rear absorbed the impact without blowing through all of the travel. GOOD VALUE

A huge positive is the pedalling performance; the Merida really lunges forward with every pedal stroke. Remarkable, for a 160mm bike. (And it means the old “One more run?” is never out of the question!)

At this price point, the Shimano brakes are completely underrated – they performed exceptionally well. Merida have also put some thought into the build, speccing a 200mm front rotor, which adds a welcome element of modulation to brake performance. Drivetrain-wise, the Shimano SLX derailleur and Sunrace cassette delivered ample range and reliability through every test.

The advanced geometry, faultless kinematics and clever build kit combine to make a playful trail bike that’s never out of its depth – on the world enduro circuit, or on your local gravity-orientated trails.