Bikeboard puts the ONE-TWENTY through its paces

Ahead of this year's MERIDA EX 3-day enduro race, we launched our new mid-travel ONE-TWENTY and gave the participating press the opportunity not just to ride the bike over the two days before the event kicked off but also ride it throughout the demanding event weekend.

The team from Austria's Bikeboard cycling website did just that and had plenty of opportunity to see how our 130 mm short travel trail bike could handle the generous amount of climbing, demanding stages and rather challenging weather and ground conditions.

And to jump straight ahead – they loved it.

The team was impressed with the geometry and riding position, particularly the extra-steep eat angle, that "efficiently put pressure on the pedals, and it was pleasing to see that Merida also realises such angles on a trail bike. Even when things get really steep, the front wheel of the One-Twenty always sticks to the ground with good control despite its short chainstays - but not least thanks to the steep seat angle".

Further to that, the new suspension configuration left its mark, and "presently surprised" while even "on technically difficult sections", it "hardly gets out of control and allows you to follow the desired track".

The AGILOMETER sizing, newly introduced on last year's ONE-SIXTY and ONE-FORTY and now part of the overall ONE-TWENTY concept, managed to shine when the test team changed frame sizes halfway through the test period to benefit from the increased stability of the longer size. He commented: "...the fact that it still worked, in my opinion, illustrates all the more impressively that Merida's modern geometry approach, where a rider can choose from different frame sizes, is the path that the entire bike industry should follow. Some companies learn faster than others".

Their final statement, after they spend five challenging days of riding and racing on the ONE-TWENTY, some of them in extreme weather conditions:
"Once you've spent hours riding through pouring rain, flowing streams and muddy bends on the trails, you develop a special relationship - good or bad - with the bike that accompanies you on such adventures. In the case of the One-Twenty, I must admit that despite its limited suspension travel, it has grown on me over the short period I spent on it. I don't really need to say any more!"

To read the full and very detailed review, which is unfortunately only available in German, please click here.

For the full specification and frame features of the new ONE-TWENTY 700, please click the link underneath DISCOVER THE BIKE.

To find out more about the bike, including key features, R&D and design thinking, as well as the intended use, please check the micro page here.

To see the complete ONE-TWENTY range, please click here.   

Note: The bike tested was the MY2024 ONE-TWENTY 700. Quotes are translated from the original German.