Does performance have to be complicated or expensive? We think not, and while we know that creating something simple that works impressively well is a real challenge, we committed 100% to this challenge when developing the new ONE-TWENTY. Our intention was to take the 'Alleskönner' essence of the outgoing ONE-TWENTY and set it up for today’s mountain biking challenges. The new bike had to be a strong climber, perfect ground coverer, daredevil descender, fun packed, affordable and with a simple to look after and reliable top performing design – simply a 'mountain bike for mountain biking'. 

We very much see the ONE-TWENTY as the perfect bike for riders who don’t just do one thing but want a capable ‘do it all machine’ that can be taken out on a long XC ride one day, followed by a demanding trail session the next, all without feeling that you are sitting on an over or under equipped machine. For us, the ONE-TWENTY is the mountain bike for mountain bikers. The simple and fun solution to hit the hills without worrying about what lies ahead - steep climbs, rough descends, swooping flow trails and some flat sections thrown in for good measure. 

With trends going towards more progressive geometries to deal with today’s more demanding trails and the down-country trend shifting towards longer travel, it was time to give the ONE-TWENTY a once over. Sitting in travel in between the marathon and XC focused NINETY-SIX on one side and the long travel trail bike ONE-FORTY on the other, and with design and concept elements of both bikes being found on the new ONE-TWENTY, our 130 mm travel bike delivers great ground covering capabilities, impressive climbing prowess and surprising descending strength for a bike of this travel. We very much see the ONE-TWENTY as the perfect bike for riders who don’t just do one thing but want a capable ‘do it all machine’ that can be taken out on a long XC ride one day, followed by a demanding trail session the next, all without feeling that you are sitting on an over or under equipped machine.

Our key priorities with the ONE-TWENTY were to make it more capable, more affordable and all while needing less maintenance. With more capable equipment and a wealth of trails being available to the growing family of mountain bikers, we simply ride different trails today than when our young sport was born. It was our intention with the new ONE-TWENTY to create a new, from-the-ground-up, simple but performance-delivering platform at an aggressive price point. Incorporating the P-FLEX suspension system from the NINETY-SIX and ONE-SIXTY/ONE-FORTY featuring the horizontally mounted rear shock, delivers clean lines and a simple-to-look-after system that performs on the trail.  Alongside the P-FLEX suspension system, we also applied the AGILOMETER geometry and sizing principles, whereby riders choose the frame size based on the riding characteristics they are looking for rather than seat tube length.  Furthermore, we focused on aluminium, which is very much the backbone of the MERIDA production history, as well as sensible yet proven spec packages, allowing us to offer top performance at an affordable level.

The most dramatic update is on the new ONE-TWENTY is the new P-FLEX suspension platform which, due to the compliance of the material and the specific shaping of the tubes, allows the frame to flex near the seat and chainstay junction, making a pivot point obsolete. This makes for a simple in construction rear end that also saves weight and adds stiffness. The very progressive leverage curve from sag to full travel helps to absorb even the hardest impacts, helping to give our 130 mm rear travel bike impressive trail capabilities beyond what you would expect for a bike of this travel.  

The 100% anti-squat at the sag point aids efficient pedalling, rapidly decreasing to minimise the influence of the chain deep in the travel. The overall goal of our new suspension design was to create a very active and ‘poppy’ behaviour that encourages riders to take off on the smallest edges and lips out on the trail. This was achieved by creating a very progressive leverage ratio in combination with the P-FLEX rear end. And to maintain this active suspension during braking, the anti-rise is below 100% over the complete travel. While many would assume that our chosen frame material would not be able to withstand the deflection over time, extensive testing, on the ONE-TWENTY and on our longer travel ONE-SIXTY aluminium frames by the Zedler Institute, which went well beyond industry standards, has eliminated any doubts in its long term durability.

The newly designed frame is available in two different configurations, serving two different user groups. On one side, the 130 mm travel ONE-TWENTY, taken the ‘one bike does it all’ spot in the MERIDA range, showing its strength on long XC and marathon long days as much as on fast and twisty trail and enduro track sessions. And on the other, the 110 mm NINETY-SIX LITE is aimed at the more XC and marathon-focused rider looking for a more budget-friendly alternative to the full carbon NINETY-SIX models. Both bikes are based on the same frame, and the different travel and slight changes in geometry are due to the stroke length of the shock as well as specification details, for example, fork travel.  

To go flat out, you need good brakes. Only powerful and controllable brakes give you the confidence to brake late and accelerate out of the corner. With that in mind, we spec most of our ONE-TWENTY with 200 mm rotors and 4-pot front brakes. Our top model even gets the full 4-pot treatment. To keep the rear brake from interfering with the P-FLEX rear end, we use our proven CNC machined brake bracket, which also helps to dissipate heat on long descents. 

Similar to its bigger brothers, the ONE-FORTY and ONE-SIXTY, our ONE-TWENTY also gets a small but very effective MERIDA SERVICE PORT. This opening underneath the down tube, just in front of the bottom bracket, makes internal cable routing and servicing fast and simple. The opening is not meant for any internal storage but is ideal to reach the internally run gear, brake and dropper post cables.  

Only a quiet bike is a fast bike. To keep the frame protected from trail debris as well as make it run smoothly and quietly over rough terrain, we have fitted a number of foam patches, foam sleeves and ribbed protectors on key parts of the frame. The large high-density foam patches on the lower part of the downtube protect the frame from trail debris, while the ribbed chainstay protector paired with an additional inner seat stay protector keep any noise and damage from chain slap under control. And to eliminate any cable rattling, all inner cables are run through noise-deadening foam sleeves. Simple but hugely effective.  

Technological advancements can often help to solve a problem or make daily tasks more enjoyable and easier, but not if it makes things more complicated and difficult to manage. It is a real challenge to design and create something that is simple, easy to operate and look after but that also works extremely well. That is exactly what we believe we have achieved with our new ONE-TWENTY. While it might not have ‘Bluetooth connectivity’, ‘wireless charging’ and sophisticated app control, it does deliver tons of fun out on the trail. Welcome to the new ‘analogue’ ONE-TWENTY.