The Merida presents itself as a comfort tourer. The equipment list of the "AM 5000" includes a complete Shimano "XTR" groupset. From the brakes and gears to the cranks and hub, Merida relies on the top parts from the Japanese company. Together with a frame weight of 2711 grams, which is appropriate for the class, this results in a total weight of 12.3 kilos, which is suitable for uphill riding. Compared to the competition, we noticed a slight reduction in the fork; instead of the Fox "Talas RLC", there is a "Talas RL" in the head tube. The difference lies in the lack of adjustable compression damping. However, due to the good basic set-up, this hardly matters.
The absolute stiffness of the frame is fine, at 60.7 Nm/°. The test team was impressed by the response behaviour of the rear suspension. The switchable platform of the Fox shock remained mostly switched off: The supported single pivot shows little tendency to bob and always responds finely. It effortlessly takes the sting out of even big bumps and promises plenty of downhill fun. The position on the bike is ideal for long, relaxed tours without time pressure. If you want to trim the bike a little more towards enduro, mount wider tyres on the DT "EX 5.1" rims, which can handle this without any problems.
CONCLUSIONS: The Merida "AM 5 000" favours understatement. Unspectacular at first glance, the high-quality equipment and the unique hydroforming design are only recognisable on closer inspection.
TUNING TIP: Mount the bottle cage.
Homepage: www.merida.de
