Behind the brand: Jon Woodhouse, Social Media and Content

It takes a whole range of skills to bring a Merida bike to market, from the engineers who design them to the skilled workers who build them, but we also need to make sure that people know about what we're doing, which is where our marketing team comes in. That's where Jon Woodhouse comes in. He's responsible for Social Media and Content, so he can be found writing posts, making videos and helping with anything else that lands on the plate of our small but busy marketing team.

When it comes to his favourite part of the job, it's the variety that he loves the most: "One week I can be writing copy for the website or shooting my own videos and the next I can be organising a photoshoot and press launch for a new bike - there's always something new happening!".

Jon has a background in mountain bike journalism, having worked for the likes of Singletrack, BikeRadar and off.road.cc over the years, so he's got a lot of contacts and experience when it comes to the press. He's also retained a reputation as something of a magpie, as he's always interested in what the R&D team are up to with an eye for trying it out himself. That's where his most used MERIDA bike came from, with a ONE-SIXTY prototype frame built up with an assortment of both functional and fancy parts.

"The One-Sixty was one of the first bikes I helped to launch after joining Merida and it's still probably my favourite - it's really capable and versatile plus it pedals well for a 170 mm bike. This one has really soaked up the punishment from years of riding and racing and despite it looking a little worn, it performs just as well as when it was new."

As he is based in the Forest of Dean in the UK, he's lucky enough to have plenty of mountain bike trails right on his doorstep as well as the plentiful riding in South Wales a short trip away. As a very keen mountain biker, he also has a Big Nine hardtail for cross-country riding and an eOne-Sixty on hand for when tired legs or lack of time mean an assisted ride is the best way to have fun.

When it comes to his favourite riding spots, the local trails are up there - but "Finale Ligure in Italy is one of my favourite place, with loads of excellent trails that take you down to the beach for a cool-off afterwards - plus there's also amazing Italian food and drink".

His dream riding destination would have to be New Zealand, but any kind of high Alpine riding floats his boat, whether in Europe or beyond. "There's something really special about being high up in the mountains and seeing a trail wind down in front of you, plus the sheer amount of descending you can do through all sorts of terrain always blows my mind".

To keep up with Jon, you can follow him on his Instagram here.