Merida One-Forty 6000 endurance test: Merida's All Mountain on a diet - 1000-km interim results

Merida has permanently reduced the price of the One-Forty 6000 to 5199 euros (old RRP: 5799 euros). In return, the industry giant has put together a detailed equipment package centred around a lightweight carbon frame. The all-mountain fully with 150 millimetres of travel at the front and 140 millimetres at the rear is the Taiwanese company's mid-range model.

With 29-inch wheels and Merida's Agilometer geometry concept, it seems to be made for many kilometres of trail. We wanted to find out how durable the exciting One-Forty with Shimano SLX equipment is and invited the 15.3-kilo bike with flexing seat stays for an endurance test. How did the Merida perform over the first thousand kilometres? Where could we further optimise the spec?

>> Here we present the Merida One-Forty 6000 endurance test bike in detail. <<

We put the Merida One-Forty on a diet

As our first ride impressions have already shown, the One-Forty is a racy bike for long days on the trails thanks to its firm suspension and lightweight carbon frame. Unfortunately, the weight of 15.32 kilos without pedals doesn't quite match the sporty character of the One-Forty. quickly puts the brakes on riding pleasure, especially on undulating terrain. The daily routine of the endurance test includes extensive tours with between 1000 and 2000 metres of altitude. Here too, the Merida could benefit from a radical diet. At 2295 grams (BIKE measurement), the Marzocchi Bomber Z1 fork is no lightweight and the Shimano SLX drivetrain is one of the best value for money, but not one of the lightest MTB drivetrains.

The Merida comes from the factory with all sorts of bits and bobs. The product designers have really gone to town on the details, such as the tool bag, multitool and tube holder. As delivered, the One-Forty carries half a bicycle workshop with him. In total, the standard accessories add up to a whopping 603 grams. If you can clear the storage compartment in the down tube and get rid of the gadgets, you can save well over half a kilo in weight.

Personally, I like to decide for myself how many tools and spare parts I take with me. On short after-work rides, I can do without the complete package and just put a multitool in my jersey pocket. On long rides, I have a rucksack or hip bag with me anyway and prefer to benefit from the handling of a lightweight bike. The many transport options on the One-Forty are a great feature, but I would only make full use of them on multi-day tours such as a Transalp. - Jan Timmermann, BIKE editor

Tuning tip number one: Lightweight tubeless wheels

But tools and spare parts are only one of the sources of the All Mountain's excess weight. Our laboratory scales measured a wheel weight of 5461 grams (complete front and rear, including tyres, tubes, cassette and brake discs). This is in the middle of our Comparative tests for entry-level all-mountain bikes up to a maximum of 3300 euros and looks bad on the significantly more expensive Merida.

The standard wheels with Shimano SLX hubs and Rodi rims do not come with tubeless rim tape, nor are tubeless valves included in the scope of delivery - which is surprising considering the wealth of detail and the tubeless repair kit supplied in the down tube.

The result after the first 300 kilometres: two punctures on the front wheel with a simple Maxxis Exo tyre casing. With the Exo+ casing, the rear tyre is significantly more resistant. Overall, the tyre pressure with the standard wheels has to be high to avoid punctures. This reduces the otherwise decent downhill potential of the Merida One-Forty more than any other detail. So the absolute tuning tip: convert to tubeless!

To reduce the weight, we treated the Merida with the Roval Traverse SL II 240 6B carbon wheels for 2300 euros a few absolute luxury parts. Not a must, of course: comparably light and equally good aluminium wheels are available for around a third of the money. Naked, the tuning wheelset weighs just 1611 grams and, when fitted tubeless, it saves over 600 grams compared to the standard equipment.

More than half a kilo weight loss in rotating mass you notice the One-Forty immediately. While the standard wheelset still rolled sluggishly through the terrain, the Roval accelerates much faster and suits the sporty riding characteristics of the all-mountain full-suspension bike much better. The handling of the Merida benefits from the lightweight tubeless wheelset both on climbs and descents. The tyres now also provide noticeably more grip because the air pressure can be lower.

Optimised cockpit height on the Merida One-Forty

With the agilometre size concept, Merida is pursuing an exciting geometry approach. A telescopic seatpost with up to 230 millimetres of adjustable travel and long reach values should make the L-frame of our test bike suitable for taller riders despite a 445 millimetre short seat tube. This works well in practice. With a height of 190 centimetres, our test rider would normally reach for a size XL, but on the One-Forty the riding position in size Large fits without any problems.

What doesn't quite suit tall riders is the 105 millimetre short head tube. With a handlebar rise of 18 millimetres and an extremely steep seat angle of 79 degrees (BIKE measurement), there is a lot of pressure on the wrists on flat terrain. In addition, the front end is quite low in relation to the other dimensions, even on descents. Although this creates a lot of pressure on the front wheel, it also reduces the feeling of safety on steep descents.

The fork steerer length leaves room for 20 millimetres of spacers ex works. If you want to go higher, you either have to fit handlebars with more rise or an angled stem. We opted for a Funn Equalizer stem with ten millimetres of rise and also fitted a carbon handlebar from Syntace to save even more grams.

Whilst experimenting with a different stem, I had a harmless crash which caused the handlebars to twist. As the part was slightly larger than the original stem, the crash left a scratch in the top tube. Fortunately, this only affected the paint layer and did not go as far as the carbon material - annoying but harmless.

To suit personal preferences, the contact points with the bike were changed with the saddle and grips. The change from the standard saddle with heavy steel frame and tool holder was also good for the diet.

After a total of 1000 kilometres, I have already replaced many parts on the Merida One-Forty 6000. Not because the parts were defective or bad per se, but to reduce the weight and fulfil my preference for long trail tours. With the high-quality chassis of the One-Forty, it's worth spending some extra money on tuning. Jan Timmermann, BIKE test editor

Where does the rattling come from?

After only 300 kilometres in the endurance test, the Merida already failed a high background noise level negative. The frame is well protected and the rubber on the chainstays keeps the chain nice and quiet thanks to the integrated slats. Nevertheless, the One-Forty rattled unmistakably on the descent.

One cause was quickly identified, but has not yet been remedied: The brake pads of the Shimano SLX four-piston stoppers have slight play. While the function of the brake system is flawless, the pads in the caliper are rattling away - a common problem with Shimano brake pads with cooling fins. However, it may be possible to solve the problem. We will report back.

Another cause of the annoying rattling only became apparent when the many tool parts were removed. There is a removable lever in the rear wheel axle, the hexagonal mount of which enables the front and rear wheels to be released. Unfortunately, there seems to be a discrepancy in the fit and the lever rattles in the axle. So: Get rid of it! We would like to keep the Fidlock bottlewhich Merida delivers with the bike. Unfortunately, this also developed an annoying rattling noise. We are already in contact with Fidlock to solve the problem.

There are few things on an expensive MTB that annoy me as much as constant rattling. Merida protects the carbon frame better ex works than most other manufacturers do. Unfortunately, small details are still loudly noticeable. - Jan Timmermann, BIKE test editor

On the trail: the riding characteristics of the Merida One-Forty

While the focus so far has mainly been on the details and tuning potential of the Merida One-Forty 6000, this interim report is also intended to show how the all-mountain full-susser has performed so far in riding conditions. The MTB spent the first 1000 kilometres mainly on the trails of the front Bavarian Forest. After the weight reduction, the bike proved to be a good companion for extensive trail tours.

On steep climbs, the geometry approach with a super-steep seat angle works well. The front doesn't even think about climbing and the Merida pulls efficiently up to the summit. On occasional excursions into the somewhat flatter terrain of the Jura ridge around Regensburg, however, the downside of the extreme seat angle also became apparent. Long, flat pedalling sections quickly leave a feeling of pressure on the wrists due to the front-heavy weight distribution. Meanwhile, the rear suspension shows its sporty side. Although there is a slight amount of bobbing, the One-Forty is still one of the most efficient all-mountain bikes.

In addition to the 26,500 metres in altitude, the four months of testing so far have included around 7,500 metres of descending during bike park visits and shuttle rides. On descents, the One-Forty benefits from its length. The reach of 502 millimetres (in size L) stretches the rider far over the bike and ensures a secure straight-line stability at high speeds. Despite this, the chainstays are not too long at 436 millimetres and keep the Merida agile.

The freedom of movement over the top tube, which is made possible by the short seat tube and the long dropper post, is impressive. In technically difficult sections, such as on the Chilli Enduro Series trails around the Geißkopf bike park, this results in secure handling. The bike's playfulness also benefits from the slightly higher front end. On the rather tame trails of the front Odenwald, the Merida was always able to pull fun manuals and incorporate jumps.

Firm all-mountain suspension for long tours

Due to the manageable adjustment options of both the Marzocchi Bomber Z1 suspension fork and the Rockshox Deluxe Select+ shock, the suspension setup is pleasantly simple. Both are rather firm in the Merida One-Forty 6000 and give the All Mountain a sporty, but not exactly comfortable ride.

On steep terrain, however, the Z1 tends to bottom out and offers little support. On fast hits, it also reaches its limit earlier than more expensive forks with higher quality damping. So far, the Marzocchi has performed well, but not very well.

A glance from the price tag to the equipment list of the Merida One-Forty 6000 is a little sobering at first. But of course: the well-made carbon frame, the scope of delivery and the wealth of details also have a value and have to be paid for. All in all, the deal works. - Jan Timmermann, BIKE test editor

The rear suspension of the Merida One-Forty 6000 also has its limits. On long trails, such as those in the Bavarian Forest with almost 1000 metres of descent in one go, the small deluxe shock tends to heat up quickly and lose sensitivity. A large-volume shock with a reservoir could help here.

The kinematics of the One-Forty are designed for high anti-squat values, which improves pedalling efficiency, but also results in noticeable pedal kickback on downhills. Overall, the affordable suspension of the Merida One-Forty 6000 is better suited to long tours than radical, long descents.