A pair weeks in the past, Merida debuted their all-new do-it-all, inexpensive One-Twenty mountain motorcycle. It’s a no-nonsense 29er path motorcycle with (just a little confusingly) 130mm of journey entrance and rear, and whole motorcycle costs from as low as 2280€. I had the risk to trip the brand new motorcycle over the route of 5 difficult days in the United Kingdom at a very good enduro racing tournament that driven the motorcycle to its limits, and perhaps just a little past.
It’s obviously a motorcycle that may care for the whole lot out of your native singletrack loops to a full-on underbiking on technical enduro monitor. Plus, it gained’t cost a fortune…
2024 Merida One-Twenty 130mm alloy mountain motorcycle
Merida’s One-Twenty helps to keep its category-defining middle-of-the-road title, 5 generations in – even supposing it has grown in features and journey over the past 15 years. To Merida, One-Twenty implies that house between XC & Enduro racing – a candy spot for the path using most common mountain bikers if truth be told trip. Should you aren’t racing XC you almost certainly don’t desire a weight-weenie cross-county motorcycle. And in the event you aren’t actually racing for the enduro podium, pedaling round on a long-travel gravity-inspired system could also be overkill.
Fashionable succesful geometry and 130mm of journey from a 29er gets you the whole lot in between. And to be fair, you need to almost definitely dabble in just a little of racing on both XC or EN excessive if you wish to push the limits. I surely did, and got here away with a grin on my muddy face.
My ideas at the new 2024 One-Twenty
I if truth be told rode the former Merida One-Twenty when it debuted 5 years in the past. And I got here away inspired with the aptitude of that short-travel 120mm path motorcycle with just a little of contemporary geometry and a 130mm Pike fork up entrance. However no longer most effective does this new motorcycle get just a little extra journey out again.
It additionally will get a lot more modern geometry – 1.3° slacker head attitude, 3° steeper seattube, and a 3cm longer Achieve in my dimension Massive/Lengthy with the similar 435mm chainstays.
The brand new path motorcycle additionally will get a simplified single-pivot suspension design with flexing alloy seatstays, that’s sure to make carrier more effective. And the brand new horizontal surprise place makes room for two water bottles and a mini instrument strap, in combination a super spice up for all-day epic rides.
In my thoughts, the inner cable routing in the course of the headset is a wash. Positive it makes for a ‘cleaner-looking’ cockpit, nevertheless it’ll price you extra to exchange that headset down the street in a couple of years.
Weight-wise, the top-spec Massive/Lengthy One-Twenty 700 I rode is 15kg, just about precisely the similar +/- 100g because the in a similar fashion NX-spec’d alloy motorcycle I rode 5 years in the past. What this new one saves in simplicity, it just about provides again in beefier, extra succesful elements. A cast transfer in my thoughts. However, prior to now there have been a 12.8kg carbon model. That lighter choice used to be much more pricey, however now you don’t get the selection, even supposing you might have the funds. That surely makes this a extra available motorcycle to the hundreds, however it’s going to by no means be a path motorcycle for weight weenies.
2024 Merida One-Twenty 700: First Rides
The particular motorcycle I examined used to be the One-Twenty 700. It’s the top-spec construct Merida provides for the brand new motorcycle, nevertheless it’s not at all top class. The entirety in this 3720€ construct has been sparsely picked for its efficiency:price ratio.
The RockShox Pike Choose fork and Deluxe Choose+ rear surprise are almost definitely the fanciest of the bunch. Proving that Merida understands that well-performing suspension is the spine of this motorcycle.
The mechanical SRAM NX Eagle drivetrain isn’t fancy, however works really well. The mineral oil 4-piston SRAM DB8 brakes additionally do their task, and are a shockingly nice change for riders (like myself) who would generally desire the efficiency of mid-level Shimano brakes to these of SRAM.
Space-brand tubeless-ready aluminum wheels with a 29mm inner do properly to make stronger the two.4″ Maxxis Forekaster tires. The wheels don’t come with tubeless tape or valves, out of the bikeshop (or sealant). So then, it’s going to price you a couple of dollars extra to get the motorcycle into a contemporary ridable state. However the important thing substances are there. Tire selection could also be an enormous private desire, influenced via the place you trip. A dry day with the Forekasters proved they are able to be a succesful path tire. But if the elements were given tremendous rainy (like I trip again at house), the ones changed into the proscribing issue for a way a long way I may just push the motorcycle. So I swapped in some Continental Kryptotals
What’s The EX Enduro?
My checking out grounds for the brand new Merida One-Twenty used to be The EX Enduro race in Exmoor Nationwide Park in southwestern England. For two days sooner than the development, I took in some casual-pace using at the steep rocky and rooty trails of the area below sunny skies and heat temps. It used to be beautiful a laugh and at ease using, with lengthy grime street climbs, frolicking a laugh descending, and beautiful coastal surroundings.
The brand new motorcycle climbed conveniently. It descended optimistically. And I used to be glad so that you can elevate a variety of water and spares to be self-sufficient for a protracted day trip.
Racing The EX Enduro on a brief journey path motorcycle
Then, the rains got here. So I swapped in some extra competitive tires.
Morning time rain and dense clouds got here in… actually we raced an afternoon within the cloud. After which it dumped. As onerous as it would rain. Most probably the heaviest rain I ever if truth be told rode in – and I trip one year a yr. So onerous that the wallet of my water-proof jacket stuffed with 1-3cm of water inside of them. So onerous that one singletrack racing level become 5 mins racing down a muddy circulation the place you was hoping that there have been no large holes or sharp rocks lurking below the murky water that used to be speeding downhill with you.
21 levels (1 canceled on height of an open hill so we didn’t all get struck via lightning), 3 within the night time with Publicity lighting.
Greater than 4000m of descending, after pedaling to the tip of each and every hill, or oftentimes simply pushing again up, too. I believe I bottomed out the fork perhaps thrice. Possibly I bottomed out the rear finish 2x. And I most effective crashed as soon as.
Just about the whole lot from steep climbs below scorching solar, to warming and drying out via the hearth on the finish of the day.
Pushing the One-Twenty to its limits
The motorcycle did the whole lot I may just hope for in a 15kg brief journey path motorcycle. The suspension by no means felt harsh, and typically easy out bumps small and massive.
Now don’t get me flawed – I used to be under-biked. This used to be the similar tournament the place Merida introduced the One-40 and One-Sixty platform final yr. And both of the ones motorcycles would possibly had been a extra suitable have compatibility – particularly since each be offering lighter, carbon-framed builds.
However the One-Twenty labored properly. I driven it to the boundaries – and over the bars as soon as. But it surely used to be no worse for the wear and tear. A minimum of no longer after a just right wash down and a few contemporary chain lube.
Parting ideas
All in all, the brand new One-Twenty is a extra succesful all-rounder path motorcycle than ever. Presented in aluminum, it’s additionally about as available as you need to hope for in a contemporary full-suspension mountain motorcycle. Plus, it kinda feels bombproof. If you’re new to using – it’s a cast first motorcycle. If you have already got a mild XC race motorcycle and need one thing just a little extra burly. Or you have already got a large journey motorcycle and need one thing extra pedaling-friendly – it’s additionally a sexy cast 2d motorcycle.