THE NEW BIG.TRAIL

It’s the bike for riders who want to hit their first red trail. It’s the bike for riders that want to hit the redline on their old trails. The BIG.TRAIL has been the riding buddy that’s always ready to take on a fresh challenge. Our trail hardtails follow a simple recipe, but they’ve always been at the cutting edge. Starting with fat 650b Plus tyres, the BIG.TRAIL has evolved into a progressive geometry 29er – and now, we have refined the recipe even further. Why? Because riders want to push harder and have more fun. They want more choice in how their bike handles and they want all of that wrapped up in a slick but affordable package. That’s why we’ve taken our AGILOMETER sizing concept from our award-winning full suspension range, so fit is freed from handling. We’ve pored over the geometry, revising it over and over again, all to make an even better bike without ruining what made the original a success with trail riders all over the world.

It’s faster, it’s more fun, and it’s your new favourite trail partner - welcome to the BIG.TRAIL II.

 Entering the world of trail riding, the BIG.TRAIL featured a slack 65.5° head angle and a steep seat angle, both of which helped make our BIG.TRAIL a solid descender even when the trail was littered with roots and rocks while maintaining impressive climbing ability due to the central seating position over the bottom bracket. It featured internal cable routing, bottle bosses for two bottles, trail-ready tyre clearance, and long insertion depth for dropper posts, paving the way for upsizing or downsizing, allowing riders to find the perfect size for the riding characteristics they were looking for.     

Like with most mountain disciplines, as the bikes become more capable, riders take them to more challenging places, which in turn pushes the development further. This is no different for our trail hardtail, which, due to its capabilities, found its main playground on demanding tracks and trails, and to make it perform even better on the terrain it is exposed to, we looked at a number of changes and upgrades for our BIG.TRAIL – Mach II.

To further aid the stability on steep and demanding terrain, we have also slackened the head angle by 1.5° going from an already progressive 65.5° to 64.0°. This, combined with a large BB drop (70 mm, up from 66.5 mm), gives the rider the hugely desirable feeling of ‘sitting in the bike’ rather than ‘on top’. It provides plenty of stability and confidence when things get rowdy. With key elements such as the steep seat angle and extended reach, along with other progressive geometry updates, the BIG.TRAIL now fits very much into the new generation of MERIDA performance mountain bikes, offering very similar riding characteristics to the award-winning ONE-SIXTY and ONE-FORTY ranges, as well as the highly regarded ONE-TWENTY models.  

With one of the first bikes that featured an extremely low stand over height combined with a long insertion depth seat tube, it allowed riders to up or downsize fairly easily. They could choose a smaller size with a shorter reach for agility or a larger size with a longer reach for more stability. This is now reflected in the sizing, which changes from Small, Medium, Large…to SHORT, MID, LONG. 

As an added extra, the seat tube diameter has been increased to 34.9 mm so that it can accommodate our travel-adjustable MERIDA TEAM TR II dropper post, giving the seat tube / top tube / seat stay junctions additional strength and is ready to take modern long travel dropper posts. The BIG.TRAILs come standard with a 150 mm dropper post on the XSHORT frame, the SHORT and MID will have a 170 mm dropper, the LONG features 200 mm, and XLONG will have a 230 mm travel dropper post. And finally, the sizing has been brought in line with the rest of the MTB line-up, making it easier for riders to switch between different models, as, for example, a LONG on a ONE-SIXTY is pretty comparable with a LONG on the new BIG.TRAIL.
 

The latest version of the WIRE PORT headset (featuring the new 2-piece top cap configuration) makes servicing and replacing cables extremely straightforward and allows foam tubes (for maximum noise reduction) to be fitted easily. The stems and spacers used are easily interchangeable as they are not specific to our WIRE PORT headset routing, allowing for a more personalised setup if required. All in all, the uncluttered look of the cable routing gives our BIG.TRAIL a real premium look.  

To increase the heel clearance and provide the BIG.TRAIL with ample space for trail tyres, we are running a 55 mm chain line and to further improve the durability of the top tube seat tube junction as well as ensure interchangeability with the MERIDA TEAM TR II adjustable dropper post from the ONE-SIXTY/FORTY/TWENTY range, we now use 34.9 mm diameter seat posts.

A key factor in the development of the outgoing BIG.TRAIL was that it should offer impressive performance, handling and capability at a great price. While the new BIG.TRAIL sees a number of changes, this price focus remains the case. Although we are introducing new and exciting frame features and updating the geometry, the BIG.TRAIL range will continue to offer amazing trail performance at an affordable price. However, as more experienced riders have discovered the capabilities of the BIG.TRAIL, we will also continue to offer more performance-oriented versions based on the same frame but with a more high-end specification.

Most cables, including gear, rear brake and dropper post cables, enter the frame through a specifically designed 2-piece headset cover, creating a clutter-free cockpit and reducing cable rattle. The proven WIRE PORT system can be found on the majority of road, mountain, gravel and full-suspension bikes. The ACROS parts of the WIRE PORT system offer impressive longevity due to their sophisticated seals and allow for quick and easy bearing replacement and cable maintenance when the time comes.
 

To give the BIG.TRAIL perfect wheel stiffness and maximum braking power, our BIG.TRAIL range is fitted as standard with 148x12 mm Boost and 180 mm Post Mount direct rear brakes, which sit well protected inside the rear triangle.

Big fun, big value - the BIG.TRAIL is back! Our trail hardtail has always been guaranteed to put a smile on your face with a mixture of hard-hitting trail riding ability and huge value for money, but we've been back to the drawing board to make it even better. Longer reach paired with a slacker head angle means it's even more of a ripper on the downhills, while a steeper seat angle means it'll dispatch technical climbs with ease. New frame protection keeps it riding silently and the new, sleeker frame design looking good for longer. When it comes to grins per mile, the BIG.TRAIL is always number one.