With all the boutique bikes in this test, it may surprise some of our readers that they are secretly dreaming of a Merida. A mountain bike from one of the biggest bike manufacturers in the world, of all things? What's the attraction? Admittedly: We were also sceptical at first. But if you take a closer look at the Merida One-Forty 10k, you quickly realise that it's not just manufacturers with cult status or small luxury brands that are capable of triggering "want-to-have" reflexes.
>> All dream bikes in our test can be found in this article: The readers' dream bikes: The 6 most popular bikes in the test <<
Merida One-Forty 10k: Lots of practical equipment details
Back to the appeal. The appeal of Merida's new all-mountain bike, the One-Forty 10k, lies not only in its dazzling paintwork and stylish design, but above all in the details. The newcomer comes with a storage compartment and a neoprene bag in the down tube for provisions and spare parts. The lid for this is located under the bottom bracket and is secured by an Allen screw. The appropriate spanner for the screw is located in the rear thru axle. But that's not all: mini mudguards on the rear triangle and fork bridge catch the worst of the dirt, and Merida fits the magnetic Fidlock bottle cage ex works. The mini tool under the saddle is also included in the purchase price.
Telescopic support with variable adjustment range
Another USP of the Merida One-Forty is its in-house telescopic dropper post with 230 millimetres of travel. By comparison, the maximum stroke of the Reverb models from Rockshox is only 200 millimetres. But the real advantage of Merida's
Limotec-TR dropper is its variable adjustment range. The seat height can be adjusted not only via the seat clamp, but also with the seat post itself. This means that even smaller riders can reach for the longer frame for a smoother ride without being limited by the maximum seatpost insertion. And last but not least: Thanks to the flipchip on the shock linkage, you can also convert to a smaller 27.5-inch rear wheel depending on your preference.
The Merida One-Forty is fast downhill
With so many technical refinements and clever details, the crucial question arises: Does the Merida One-Forty also have what it takes to be a dream bike on the trail? In short, no. Because although the suspension responds sensitively downhill, it handles rough terrain less confidently than the best all-mountain bikes in this price range, despite the generous suspension travel. On moderate trails, however, the One-Forty can still handle a lot of speed thanks to its long reach and 65-degree head angle. The steep, very linear suspension curve offers a lot of counter pressure over the entire suspension travel and encourages an active riding style. The Merida almost exudes more of a trail bike feeling than all-mountain flair.
Good performance even uphill
The same applies to the uphill performance. While the majority of modern all-mountain bikes are merging more and more with the even more downhill-orientated enduro bikes, the Merida One-Forty 10k actually still gets you over all the mountains. The developers laid the foundation for this with the very modern and propulsion-orientated geometry. A seat angle of 79 degrees, a reach of more than 500 millimetres and a 50 mm stem - this combination results in a sporty riding position. These dimensions also allow a lot of pressure on the front and control over the front wheel. However, if you prefer a more leisurely ride, you can choose a size smaller or swap the stem for a shorter model to soften the riding position.
The drive-neutral rear triangle emphasises the sporty character of the One-Forty. Despite 148 millimetres of travel, the rear remains pleasantly quiet when pedalling. The total weight of 14 kilos (without pedals) is also impressive given the generous travel and solid tyres. The Merida accelerates light-footedly and makes you want to go on long tours. At the latest after this realisation, the initial scepticism of our pedal-happy test riders finally gave way to the "want-to-have" reflex.
Conclusion on the Merida One-Forty 10k by Max Fuchs, BIKE test editor:
Even if Merida is not directly associated with exclusive luxury bikes, the industry giant has put an object of desire on its wheels with the One-Forty 10k. The riding characteristics are impressive. The many well thought-out details are additional arguments in its favour.
This is Merida
Ike Tseng founded the Merida brand in 1972 with the aim of improving the perception of bicycles manufactured in his home country of Taiwan - with success. Together with industry giants such as Giant and Co, Merida is now a contender for the title of "largest bike manufacturer in the world". In contrast to most of the smaller manufacturers in this test, the Taiwanese company does not limit itself to building mountain bikes. Quite the opposite: the proportion of off-road two-wheelers without a motor is only 30 to 40 per cent.
Technical data and notes Merida One-Forty 10k
Manufacturer information
- Price: 11,699 euros
- Available from specialised dealers
- Frame material: Carbon
- Frame size: XS / S / M /L / XL (Tested size L, 44 cm)
Measured values
- Weight without pedals. 13.96 kg
- Frame weight: 2694 g
- Weight of wheels: 4725 g
- Acceleration of running wheels: 3964 kg x cm²
- Handlebar width :780 mm
- Frame rigidity (absolute): 49 N/mm
Equipment
- Wheels: Reynolds Blacklabel 329 Trail
- Tyres: Maxxis Minion DHF/Dissector Maxxterra Exo/Exo+,TR 29 x 2.50/29 x 2.40
- Fork: Fox 36 Float Factory FitGrip2
- Shock: Fox Float DPS Factory
- Front/rear suspension travel: 150/148 mm
- Brakes: Shimano XTR BR-M 9120 / 203/203
- Gear system: Sram X01 Eagle AXS 1x12
- Ratio/bandwidth: 32; 10-52 / 520 %
- Telescopic post / stroke / Ø: Limotec Merida TR / 230 mm / 34.9 mm
Valuation
- Driving behaviour uphill: 23.75 from 25
- Chassis efficiency: 17 out of 20
- Rolling resistance: 8 out of 10
- Weight: 6 of 15
- Inertia impellers: 5 out of 10
- Bottle cage: 7 out of 10
- Driving behaviour downhill: 29.75 from 35
- Front suspension: 19 out of 20
- Rear suspension: 21.25 out of 25
- Saddle retractability: 10 out of 10
- Brakes: 14.25 out of 15
- Tyre grip: 12.75 out of 15
- Driving stability: 6 out of 10
TOTAL UPHILL: 66.75 OUT OF 90
TOTAL DOWNHILL: 113 OF 130
- Other: 27 out of 30
- Ease of maintenance: medium
BIKE test rating*: super - 206.8 out of 250 points
*The BIKE judgement reflects the laboratory measurements and the subjective impression of the test riders. The BIKE judgement is independent of price.
BIKE judgements: super (250-205 P.), very good (204.75-170 P.), good (169.75-140 P.), satisfactory (139.75-100 P.), with weaknesses, unsatisfactory.
Max Fuchs
Editor
