The One-Sixty is Merida’s recently updated enduro bike. Using the very same frame as the One-Forty, it takes all of that goodness but simply ups the travel, unlocking the frame’s hidden potential and creating an absolute ripper that’s nothing short of capable. While it’s mega proficient downhill, the One-Sixty 500 is equally as impressive when it comes to cranking back up, all while delivering some serious bang for the buck and engaging yet forgiving trail dynamics. Not only is it one of the best mountain bikes on the market, it’s a very solid stepping stone into enduro racing.
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Merida One-Sixty 500 - Technical details
The One-Sixty’s name does little to hide its intentions in Merida’s range. As its name suggests, it gets more travel than its 143mm equipped trail bike sibling, instead opting for 162mm with a 29-inch wheel slapped in the back. If you’re of the mullet persuasion, the One-Sixty will happily accommodate thanks to a neat flip chip found in the suspension linkage. Not only does this retain the bike’s geometry when run with a 650b rear wheel, but it also ups the rear travel to 171mm.
This bike uses the very same frame as the much loved One-Forty but dissimilar to the carbon-framed One-Forty 8000 that we tested earlier this year, this alloy-framed bike has dropped a couple of features. These include the integrated Fidlock bottle mount and space for storage in the downtube. In practice, these differences go easily unnoticed. However, the alloy frame is equipped with a service port found just under the bottom bracket that’s been included to aid fettling with the internal cable routing. Speaking of, the frame gets full internal cable routing with cables entering the frame through the headset. There’s also a bottle cage mount, and a mount high on the downtube allowing for the attachment of accessories such as bolt-on gear straps. There’s space for up to a 2.5in rear tyre and a Universal Derailleur Hanger (UDH).
As far as previous iterations of the One-Sixty go, Merida has seriously moved forward with the new bike's geometry and sizing concepts. This time around, the brand has dropped the traditional small, medium, and large sizing in favour of describing the bike’s sizes as X-Short, Short, Mid, Long, and X-Long. Shaping each size with low stacks and long dropper posts offers riders a choice of bike size to suit their riding style, allowing for easy sizing up and down.
With the sizes, the bike varies in wheel size. This means that all sizes, apart from Long and X-Long rock mullet wheel setups, whereas the larger frames get full 29-inch wheels. However, any size can run either wheel size thanks to a flip chip in the linkage.
With a change of mindset towards sizing and geometry, Merida has also tweaked the suspension layout fairly dramatically compared to the old version. Now, the One-Sixty uses the FAST (Flexstay-Adjustable-Size-Tuned) kinematic. Instead of a Horst link, this bike employs a flex stay and the suspension’s progressivity increases as the frame size gets larger with the assumption that riders who pick the bigger bikes are heavier and/or ride harder. Given that flex stays are most commonly found on carbon bikes, it’s impressive that Merida has gone to great lengths to include it in its alloy offerings.
Because of its longer travel fork, the One-Sixty’s geometry changes a little compared to the One-Forty. The Long-sized test bike features a 498mm reach, a 64-degree head angle, and a 79-degree seat tube angle. There’s then a 437.5mm chain stay and 27.5mm of bottom bracket drop. And because it’s a Long size, this one gets 29-inch wheels at both ends.
To top things off, there's a hard-mounted short rear fender included with the bike, and a longer one can be bought separately which is also hard-mounted onto the seat stays.
Merida One-Sixty 500 - Componentry
Merida’s spec choices push the One-Sixty 500’s price-to-performance ratio up as there’s nothing particularly blingy hung on the bike, but it’s all stuff that works well and takes performance to heart in exchange for relatively little money. Up front, the bike gets its 170mm of suspension from a RockShox Yari RC (although the most recent build gets a Domain), which uses the same chassis as the brand’s old flagship enduro fork, the Lyrik, but features simpler internals.
The bike’s 162mm of rear travel is damped by a RockShox Deluxe Select+ shock, which is again fairly simple but the simplicity of both the shock and fork make both of them quick and easy to set up.
There’s then a Shimano Deore 12-speed drivetrain which is paired with Shimano Deore M6120 brakes with four-piston calipers. The brakes are completed with 203mm rotors at both ends. It's worth noting that these are resin-only rotors, meaning that you can only use them with resin brake pads, but we’ll get onto that in detail a little later.
The One-Sixty in its 500 build rolls on Merida’s wheelset but the brand has been nice here and has kitted the bike with some proper tyres. At the front, there’s the popular 2.5in wide Maxxis Assegai with an EXO+ casing and mega sticky Maxx Grip rubber compound. At the back, there’s the Maxxis Minion DHR II in 2.4in width and impressively, it comes with a burly Double Down casing. This tyre then benefits from Maxxis’ Maxx Terra rubber.
Wrapping up the build, the finishing kit comes from Merida, including the 780mm wide handlebar, 40mm stem, and a huge 200mm dropper post. Handily, the Merida Comp SL saddle comes complete with a multitool slung underneath and there’s a small selection of Allen and Torx keys found in the rear axle’s handle.
In terms of the grips, it’s the usual affair we’re used to from Merida. The ones on the One-Sixty are grippy yet super hard which I’m sure many will change out from the get-go, though given that grips are a personal and relatively cheap product, we’ll forgive Merida for this.
Merida One-Sixty 500 - Performance
Compared to the One-Forty, slinging a bit more suspension travel onto the frame opens up the potential hidden within. It’s fast and super confidence-inspiring, which are the two key points every enduro bike should tick. But yet, Merida has done well in crafting a bike that doesn’t completely throw good trail manners out of the window either.
The One-Sixty is a unique feeling bike, even though many others are encroaching on its geometry philosophy. Its effective steep seat tube plants weight very centrally, and almost directly over the pedals but because the seat angle is so steep, the reach’s actual length is well hidden. It doesn’t feel long at all when sat on the bike, making it far more approachable than its geo sheet suggests.
Merida’s work in creating the FAST kinematic has resulted in a seriously capable suspension platform both up and downhill. The One-Sixty 500 is incredibly stable under pedalling forces, especially considering the travel it carries. When pedalling, the shock hardly bobs, which results in a very efficient platform that makes the bike feel lighter up the hill than you would think. It’s by no means a light bike though and things can feel rather lethargic when deep into a big ride and even more so when the super tacky and rather weighty rubber comes into play.
Though climbing performance is important, I’ve found that the huge benefit of this beautifully composed kinematic is in its all-out responsiveness. After slamming into catch berms, a few pedal strokes are greatly rewarded with a mass of forward momentum. Even though 162mm is a fair amount of travel, the One-Sixty blends a fun-loving character with a down-to-business sentiment as it transfers enough feedback with enough support and progressivity in the suspension to make the most out of smaller trail features. All while rustling up the composure to take on tech at speed with full confidence and predictability.
While progressive and well crafted, it must be noted that it does take some work to get the absolute most out of that kinematic, partially due to its weight, and the amount of travel it’s equipped with. Ahead of small trail gaps, the One-Sixty requires a bloody great pre-load to reach that mid-stroke pop. But it’s a given on a bike like this and a compromise when you consider its ability to soak up trail imperfections.
This is the only area where I’ve felt a bit of a trade-off through mellower trails but despite the One-Sixty being quite a lot of bike in terms of length and travel, it does not feel so when the trails aren’t seriously gnarly. Through easier going trails, it’s proven to be one versatile machine, remaining rewarding and engaging even when the trail’s not littered with chunks.
But the bike is at its happiest when at speed. The rotational mass of its 29-inch wheels combined with its extended wheelbase and sorted rear end rustles up impressive stability, which promotes confidence. During rides where I’ve been well off of my best, the One-Sixty has made up for my lacking brain power and its long front-centre is fully to credit for that. I’ve been able to point it towards anything, whether it’s a steep chute, a technical section or a fast motorway section and, nine times out of ten, it makes it feel easy all because of the stability it gathers at speed. Under such situations, the lack of sophistication from its dampers does show but, for the money, it’s really hard to find fault here.
That stability and lengthy front end translate into a bike that takes steep trails well within its stride but, boosting confidence through these areas, is the bike's low top tube and seat tube. Combined with the super-long dropper post that comes as standard, the One-Sixty offers tonnes of space to move around the bike. I've found myself buzzing my arse on the rear wheel more frequently simply because the saddle's so well out of the way that it's become so easy to move weight toward this area of the bike. Rather than a negative, this is a big positive and proof that there's so much room to manoeuvre.
The bike’s stability does come with some compromises in terms of agility. This just means that the rider has to set up earlier for corners and pick the right line. Where a lot of the bike is so familiar, this is the one area where I’ve felt I’ve had to tweak my riding style a bit. However, this is one area where the One-Sixty’s comparatively steeper head tube angle aids things as it claws back some responsiveness from the front end and as a result of a reasonably short, 437.5mm chainstay. Regardless, when leaned into a corner, the One-Sixty clings for dear life, holding its line with poise and confidence.
Some may complain that the head angle is a bit on the steep side for an enduro bike. At 64-degrees, it could certainly be slacker which will put it right in line with the likes of Specialized's Enduro. This would also help with steep rolls and compressions but I think it’s a wise choice. When climbing, the front end can become a handful if not kept in check. The front wheel can wander but if looked after, it’s not so much of an issue, especially in the context of this bike. Any slacker, and then it’ll become a bit of a problem.
The One-Sixty 500 is a bike that’s so welcoming of big speeds and one that’ll appeal to experienced riders on a budget, which is why as a shame that it comes specced with resin-only brake rotors. Granted they help keep the price down and for those who are perhaps newer to the sport and aren’t carrying tonnes of speed consistently, this shouldn’t be much of an issue. And when riding through dry conditions, they’ve certainly been enough but as expected, when wet, the performance begins to dwindle.
The average UK rider will likely look to change to sintered pads but they’ll have to upgrade the rotors as well to do so. Merida has likely kitted resin rotors to keep the price down but as the brand has treated the customer with great tyres, a small upgrade to its rotor spec will be greatly appreciated. Though, fresh sintered pad-compatible rotors can be picked up for reasonably little money, especially if you’re a savvy shopper.
Rotors aside, the clear take home is that even though some of the One-Sixty 500’s components aren’t particularly sophisticated, and, while that is noticeable, the bike offers a full package that’s more than ready for the UK’s enduro scene. It marries its modern geometry with a competitive spec list at a price that’s tough to argue against. It’s sorted with all of the mod cons too, so it’s a bike that a rider can grow with and upgrade as they please, or move towards more demanding riding.
Merida One-Sixty 500 - Verdict
Before diving into this segment, note that Merida isn’t a direct-to-consumer brand, and even with that considered, the One-Sixty 500 is very competitively priced at £2,750 – more so considering the latest build gets a RockShox Domain fork. Specialized’s cheapest Enduro will set you back £5,000. The cheapest Trek Slash Gen 6 is £4,250 and the most budget friendly Giant Reign is £3,500. Although the Specialized and Trek do get higher-end components for the money, the Giant’s build kit is very similar but it’s a good wad more expensive.
Compared to direct-to-consumer brands, the One-Sixty 500 is still competitive but rather than componentry, you’re investing in its geometry and suspension kinematic. At £2,700 is the YT Industries Capra Core 1 (check out our review of the Capra Core 4) and it does get a more enduro friendly spec list for the cash, such as RockShox’s piggyback reservoir equipped Super Deluxe Select R and there’s a RockShox ZEB base fork but you’re getting SRAM NX Eagle and SRAM DB8 brakes. The Shimano kit on the One-Sixty, I’d argue, is a better choice.
But as I mentioned, the YT’s geometry isn’t as progressive, with a large frame getting a 467mm reach, a 64.2-degree head angle and a 77.4-degree seat tube angle with a wheelbase of 1,248mm. All of those figures look fairly meagre compared to the One-Sixty, touting it more as a long-legged trail bike than a sure-footed enduro ripper.
Then Propain’s Tyee 6 AL starts at £3,000 and Canyon doesn’t even offer a big travelled enduro bike for less than £4,800.
The Merida’s One-Sixty 500 is a full-fat enduro bike that’ll work fantastically for those taking their first steps into enduro riding or for anyone who’s more experienced and after a big travelled bike on a budget. Its blend of excellent behaviour on the pedals and all-out stability results in a bike that’s fun and rewarding over any trail it touches. But most of all, regardless of its radical geometry, it’s welcoming and it's easy to ride very quickly. It’s not without a few compromises, namely its resin-only rotors and somewhat lacking agility but for the money Merida has done a stellar job in building the best enduro bike south of £3k.
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