According to chief developer Jürgen Falke, only the name of the 140-millimetre tourer is reminiscent of the old One-Fourty. Visually, the more sweeping frame design is striking, along with clever equipment and more suspension travel. The bike should actually be called One-Fifty, at least that's how much travel the fork has, and we measured the rear end at 142 millimetres. This is where you'll discover the most far-reaching change: Merida has switched from a supported single pivot to the Virtual Pivot Point system (officially called VPK at Merida, the abbreviation VPP is trademarked by Santa Cruz). The aim of the virtual pivot point is to eliminate drive influences. This works on the 2013 model as long as you are sitting in the saddle. However, if you crank up a steep gravel ramp while pedalling, the shock bobs up and down noticeably - typical VPP. The only remedy is the Climb function of the Fox CTD shock. However, even the predecessor One-Forty can't do without the platform, the riding position is rear-heavy and the shock dives on steep ramps without the platform.
In terms of sensitivity and characteristics, the suspension of the 2013 model is on a par with its predecessor. The numerically one centimetre more travel on the Talas fork effectively squeezes out six millimetres on difficult trails. Nevertheless, the new One-Forty calls out much louder for downhill challenges: the lower bottom bracket, the higher stiffness and the slacker steering angle provide more control and smoothness when things get really bumpy. The equipment is also much more coherent and well thought-out. The wider cockpit (710 mm instead of 680 mm handlebars), the Kindshock dropper post and a complete SLX groupset extend the One-Forty's range of use towards demanding terrain and high speeds. In direct comparison, the 2012 model seems less stable - you instinctively reach for the brakes earlier. You can also tell from various frame details (e.g. quick release instead of thru-axle at the rear) that the 2012 bike is technically outdated. Nevertheless, the One Forty XT is still a comfortable touring bike. So if you want to go easy on your wallet, you can grab a bargain with confidence - we found it online for as little as € 1999. A wider cockpit can easily be retrofitted, even the telescopic seat post would be included.
