MERIDA ONE SIXTY 5000 Review

With its lithe carbon frame and internal cable routing, the MERIDA’s design alone is enough to make you putty in its hands. Right now, the bike only comes in three sizes (S, M, L), but MERIDA have stated that an XL version will drop this fall/winter. The rear is built around a floating link design with a trunnion-mounted RockShox Super Deluxe and 160 mm of travel. Up front, there’s a RockShox Yari fork with 170 mm of travel. The rest of the spec is fairly price point, but it all performs well. However, the spec isn’t perfect: the dropper post is limited to 100 mm of drop, and the Shimano M506 brakes lacked strength and consistency on long descents. MERIDA have paired the entry-level NX drivetrain with a 10-42 cassette, which widens its gearing so you won’t feel compromised.

With a comfy position and efficient pedaling, climbing is quick whatever the gradient. With a 35 mm stem, you might be wishing for a little more length while descending so that you can shift your weight more centrally and get more weight over the front wheel. Steering is responsive at all speeds, and it’s more rapid than a hare through tight turns. The high bottom bracket isn’t ideal when trying to pitch the bike into corners and berms at speed; lower would be better.

The slack 65.3° head angle on the ONE-SIXTY gives the goods when the trail steepens. Packing so much travel, the suspension works well together and even though the rear isn’t the plushest, it does give sufficient mid-stroke support, plus good feedback and traction while braking.

The MERIDA ONE SIXTY 5000 in detail

Fork Rock Shox Yari RC 170 mm
Shock Rock Shox Super Deluxe R 165 mm
Brakes Shimano M506
Drivetrain Sram NX
Seatpost MERIDA Expert Dropper 100 mm
Stem MERIDA Expert TR 35
Handlebar MERIDA Expert TR 760 mm
Tires Maxxis Minion DHR II TR EXO 3C / Minion DHR II TR EXO Dual
Wheelset MERIDA Expert TR

The geometry of the MERIDA ONE SIXTY 5000