Jürgen Falke's development team worked closely with the Multivan Merida Biking Team to create the new race fully. The result is the next evolutionary stage of the Ninety-Six. The Merida bike takes its name from the 96 millimetres of rear suspension travel. A prototype of it could already be seen last weekend: José Hermida and Gun-Rita Dahle-Flesjaa were riding it at the World Cup in Nove Mesto. You need to know this: Both are hardtail advocates and have never ridden race fullys in races - until the 2015 World Cup opener.
History of the Merida Nintey-Six
Ralph Näf came second in the 2007 World Championships in Fort William on the first generation. In 2008, the 26-inch bike won the BIKE Milestone Award. The second generation of the Ninety-Six followed in 2011: the shock moved from the underside of the top tube to the bottom and the kinematics were optimised for double drivetrains.
Supplement to the Ninety-Nine marathon bike
In 2012, Merida presented the Ninety-Nine, a race fully that Thomas Litscher and Ondrej Cink used for the entire World Cup season until the beginning of the year. The 29er fully offers 100 millimetres of travel at the front and rear, as well as very smooth geometry and is the Multivan Merida Biking Team's first choice for marathons and stage races such as the Cape Epic. The fact that the Merida Ninety-Nine is an outstanding fully and still has its justification is proven by the latest BIKE test in issue 7/2015. There it wins a BIKE test victory.
New Ninety-Six: more aggressive geo, two wheel sizes
Merida is using its new concept with different wheel sizes for the first time on the new Ninety-Six. "Size Specific Wheeling" means that the small frame heights S and M are equipped with 27.5 inch wheels, while the three frame sizes M, L and XL are equipped with 29 inch wheels. Medium riders therefore have a choice. The 27.5 inch version offers many advantages, especially for smaller riders: it is lighter, the cockpit is lower, the standover height is lower and the geometry with short reach and low stack fits better. Merida listened to the professional racers of the Multivan Merida Biking Team when it came to the geometry. Agile handling and an aggressive geometry with a low front are perfect for difficult World Cup tracks and cross-country trails.
Weight and kinematics of the Ninety-Six
The new full carbon frame of the Ninety-Six in the best carbon fibre quality should come in at 1750 grams (without shock) - a top value and on a par with a Scott Spark or Specialized Epic. The weight saving is partly due to the carbon layup, which was made possible by the new rear triangle system. But these aren't huge leaps in weight, it's more a case of the squirrel eating hard. Merida has slimmed down 100 grams compared to the Ninety-Nine. For example, by integrating the rear brake caliper between the chainstay and seatstay, Merida has saved 30 grams on the Ninety-Six, while the integrated cable routing is ultimately just as heavy as the external cables on the Ninety-Nine. When asked why the shock has been moved back to where it was on the first generation Ninety-Six, developer Jürgen Falke says: "This means we can always put the main pivot point of the rear triangle in the same place. This was not possible with the old system. Now there are only differences between 27.5 and 29 inches." Identical pivot points for all frame heights promise consistent rear triangle function - regardless of whether you are sitting on an S or XL frame. As single-speed drivetrains are almost exclusively used in the Cross County sector, the kinematics have also been optimised accordingly. The rear triangle with full carbon rocker should work extremely efficiently and minimise pedal kickback. The 27.5 inch version has 109 millimetres of travel, while the 29er has 96 millimetres of travel and thus lives up to the model name. The slightly progressive characteristic curve should ensure sensitive response behaviour and work particularly well in the mid-travel range. As a rule, race full-suspension bikes are used to very progressive characteristics towards the end, which means that the last few millimetres are often very difficult to use.
No rattling, easy servicing: the cable guide
The new "Smart Entry" system is designed to simplify integrated cable routing and will now be used on every new Merida mountain bike. Instead of using liners inside the frame, Merida works with clamps at the entry and exit of the cables. This means that the continuous cable sleeves are clamped under tension and can't hit the carbon fibre tubes on rough downhills. The inserts for clamping can be replaced and customised: For example, if you ride a handlebar remote for the shock or a telescopic seatpost with remote, you can fit an insert with one more input and clamp the cable to the head tube input. Inserts for the electronic Shimano XTR Di2 and Fox's iCTD system have also been included.
Three carbon classes and an aluminium version
The top frame of the Ninety-Six relies on the highest quality carbon fibre materials. Merida refers to this as "CF 5", which is said to be 20 % lighter and 10 % stiffer than standard carbon fibre. In the cheaper models, "CF3" material is used, which is slightly heavier overall. Merida combines a carbon main frame with the "CFA" models of the Ninety-Six. There will also be an aluminium version of the new race fullys. However, the carbon rocker is the same for all models.
Geometry
The pro team provided early feedback on the first prototypes of the Ninety-Six from the "fully experts" Thomas Litscher and Ondrej Cink. The result is a very sporty geometry with a short wheelbase, shorter top tube and lower bottom bracket, just like the Ninety-Nine. More modern and agile, as we know it from modern race fullys.
Ride report: First test impressions of the Merida Ninety-Six
As soon as I adjust the handlebar controls and sit in the saddle for the first few seconds, I realise what it means to sit on a World Cup bike: The negative stem combined with the short 100 mm head tube creates a considerable saddle cant. Good for the aerodynamics, bad for my spinal discs. But I could raise the cockpit a little with two small carbon spacers - but I won't do it for now. Because I want to savour the advantages of the low, stretched riding position, which guarantees a lot of pressure on the front wheel without much effort. I set the Rock Shox RS-1 fork and Monarch RL shock to 25 per cent SAG. Check the tyre pressures and off I go on the short, but crisp cross-country test ride.
One click of the Full Sprint lever and the gentle meadow hill forces me out of the saddle - cadence. Tighten the bulkheads in the suspension elements and off I go. Only when my heart rate cracks the 190 mark do my burning legs force me back into the saddle. Downshift, take a deep breath. The Race-Fully doesn't lack the necessary stiffness, even if the test bikes don't yet have standard frames. But that was to be expected, as the Watt machines of the World Cup team would never have given their blessing to a borderline stiff frame. Onwards on the lap, the first downhill. First over two stone steps, then through a washed-out carpet of roots. My choice of line: definitely room for improvement. The bike: confident. Afterwards, a meadow path with a few cross roots invites you to accelerate. On the hardtail I would have had to get out of the saddle, on the Ninety-Six I let the rear end do the work and save my energy. I'm slowly getting used to the sporty position. And the fully, because lately I've been sitting almost exclusively on 29er hardtails. But especially on the damp final climb of the test lap, full of roots and boulders, I realise why José Hermida has rethought his hardtail philosophy. Push, pull, bite: With the chain on the lowest gear that the Sram XX1 offers, I plough my way up the ramp. You can't stand up, otherwise the rear wheel will slip. Locking the shock isn't an option either, as there are small steps and roots lurking everywhere. I'm glad for the firm suspension, which guarantees grip on the rear tyre and efficiently converts my power into propulsion. As the climb recedes and I have soft forest ground under my tyres again, I switch to pedalling in the saddle at a high cadence. The rear suspension acknowledges this with a slight nod. A few more metres in locked mode and then I've completed the lap. A glance at the rubber rings on the fork and shock reveals that I've used a good 100 millimetres of travel at the rear and the full travel at the front. That's how it should be. I wouldn't be able to ride a long marathon with this low cockpit, but I don't have to. Because on Sunday it's José Hermida's turn.
