Merida One-Twenty 7 XT Review

This is a very different bike to the usual XC race machines I normally ride. It is the type of bike that encourages you to have fun and push boundaries.

120mm may not sound like a lot of travel and by modern standards it isn't, but I ended up throwing it downhill like a hooligan. Lets not pretend here, I normally like both wheels attached to the ground and speed to be a result of my own input rather than gravity assisted. However the Merida encouraged me to get the pads out of the shed for the first time in years and try a style of riding that is slightly different.

The frame is technically a single pivot design with surprise, surprise 120mm of travel courtesy of a Fox EVOL shock. The shock leverage is controlled by a linkage and is mounted to the lover swingarm at the other end. This works a treat, you feel well supported when pedalling with the rear end beautifully controlled over moderately rough stuff  the suspension doing a great job of keeping the rear wheel on the ground. Taking it a step further even I was able to easily use the maximum amount of travel on offer.

The XT edition I was riding came with a 130mm travel Rock Shox Sektor fork. This is the let down of the bike. The action of the fork is nowhere near as smooth and reactive as the rear suspension, which leaves the bike feeling a bit mismatched. I tried running the fork at quite a low pressure to encourage a more supple feel, but it still felt wooden. The bike I had was the 2016 version and I notice Merida have specced a Fox fork this year, perhaps this will have resolved the problem.

The full XT drivechain works beautifully as I have come to expect of Shimano. Even the slightly tired groupset on my demo bike never skipped a beat, even as I stumbled over jumps and drops.

It isn't the lightest bike in the world, but the aluminium frame is pretty easy on the scales compared to the competition. Coupled with the fork and shock lock outs you can propel yourself uphill efficiently, but the fun begins when you've got to the top of the hill. It sure brings a smile to your face on the way back down. You'll get the most out of this bike when you ride it aggressively, and chuck it around a bit. The handling is on the money and the rear suspension is impressive. The Merida One Twenty is a bit of a blast!