MBR says the One-Twenty 700 is "durable, practical and fun"

Great balance of efficiency, agility and stability.
Modern shape and sizing.

a fun short travel trail bike at a decent price

Both ends deliver 130mm as mentioned and are well-balanced with decent sensitivity and support

it ticks a lot of boxes for budget-conscious riders coming into the sport wanting to do a bit more of everything, or even for experienced shredders

The rear shock is well tuned with good suppleness and support. Merida has done its homework with the suspension feel and added progression in the leverage curve compared to its longer travel bikes to help absorb bigger impacts with less travel. I didn’t ever notice bottoming the rear end harshly riding aggressive trail/enduro tracks, and, overall, there’s a neutral and supportive feel that’s easy to set up and never feels quirky or does anything unexpected.

very comfortable for a short travel rig with a sorted seated climbing position, and a ride feel that’s solid and stiff but also compliant

A key trait of the 700 is coming over as neutral and pretty easy to live with

One-Twenty just gets on with it with minimal fuss. Pedalling is efficient (even with the shock fully open) and there’s enough stability to get a shift on downhill