Merida Big Nine TFS XT-D

Cue David Attenborough voice-over … Once a moment filled with excitement and wonder for the enthusiastic bike-watcher, now the spotting of a species from the 29er family in the wilderness is so common it barely warrants comment. The present-day bike-watcher has seen this family grow exponentially from a single awkward species of steel single speed, to a diverse genus that ranges from racing XC hardtails through to all-mountain dual suspension bikes. Recently there’s been a real population increase within the recreational hardtail subset of the 29er family. The species under the spotlight here is the Merida Big NineTFSXT-D.

The unwieldy name contains quite a bit of information as to its characteristics. WhileMeridause the ‘Nine’ moniker elsewhere, the ‘Big’ preceding it alludes to the extra three-inches (63mm to be precise) of wheel diameter present on all of the Big Nine bikes. Next up,TFSis an acronym that stands for ‘Techno Forming System’. This relates to the mandrel-forming (mechanical pressing) technique that is used to form the tubes into shapes more complex than your regular continuous round tube. Finally, ‘XT’ refers to the Shimano XT gearing; a notably higher spec level than you expect see on a hardtail at this price point.

The Big NineTFSXT-D sells for $2,099 and the frame is made from 6061 aluminium. Prominent joints such as those at the head tube have been double-pass welded to achieve a smoother look. This is clearly a cosmetic consideration as the welds down near the bottom bracket (hidden behind the crankset) have not received the same treatment. In terms of aesthetics, I thought M. Big NineTFSXT-D was a bit samey and inoffensive, clearly aiming for the race-bike look, but without being over-the-top. It received both positive and negative comments from various people though so as you’d expect it’s a personal thing.

A neat evolutionary adaptation to the larger wheel size can be seen in the seat tube, which is kinked ever so slightly in its lower portion. The goal is to provide greater clearance between the big rear wheel and the front derailleur, allowing the builder to shorten the chainstays and make the handling more nimble. Despite this design, chainstay length remains fairly conventional at 445mm. By comparison, their more racy carbon Big Nine does tuck the wheel in more with 440mm chainstays, and some brands run them as short as 425mm on their XC hardtails.

Beyond the kinked seat tube, the frame of the Big Nine TFSXT-D is fairly basic and quite appropriate for a bike of this price level. Regular English bottom bracket and 1 1/8^th inch headset are tried and proven without being cutting edge, and the 1,912g frame weight sits comfortably in the middle its competition.

Do-it-all Adaptation

The drop-outs and seat stays are equipped with rack mounts, while the right-hand chainstay even features a built-in Hebie kickstand mount. Cross-country racer types may feel these are unnecessary blemishes but in practical terms there’s no harm their inclusion. Besides,Meridauses this frame on all of their 29ers from $999 through to our $2,099—a price range that doesn’t target the purist racer crowd. The rack and kickstand mounts really open up the options with this bike; whack on some panniers you’ve got a very practical commuter or multi-day touring bike. If there’s a perfect mountain bike for commuting and touring, it’d be a 29er hardtail.

There are a total of four models that share the same frame. While it lacks the fancy new-age touches such as a tapered head tube or a post mount for the rear brake, it is a good quality lightweight frame that will be quite a standout on some of the lower-end offerings. At the higher price point of the Big NineTFSXT-D it gets the job done but won’t attract too much attention. What it does allow is the use of some pretty good running gear for the asking price.

A Shimano XT equipped 29er with a decent quality alloy frame sounds pretty phenomenal for around two grand. However there’s no such thing as a free lunch, and that level of gearing is going to mean compromises somewhere. In this case it’s pretty clear that the brakes, wheels and forks don’t marry up with the quality level that’s so prominently announced within the model name. The M505 brakes are roughly Deore-level but lack the newer and more powerful Servo-Wave lever design that features on the true Deore brakes. The M435 hubs drop a notch further to an Alivio-level item. Compared to the XT group, these parts sit two and three quality levels down in the Shimano line-up. A closer look reveals that the drivechain isn’t quite full XT either. The chain comes from KMC while the HG-62 cassette is an SLX-level model—a far closer match to the XT gear but worth mentioning nonetheless.

You’ll see plenty of 29er hardtails in this price bracket sporting the RockShox Recon fork. However, not all Recons are built alike and the Silver model fitted to the Big NineTFSXT-D runs heavier steel inner legs; these add around 300g when compared to the Gold model with its alloy inner legs. While they do come with a remote-actuated lockout, it’s a simple on or off affair—there’s no adjustable compression damping as found on some of the more upmarket Recon models.

Despite the heavy-ish fork and wheels, our Big NineTFSXT-D tipped the scales at 12.89kg with pedals. This is slightly underMerida’s quoted figure of 13.1kg and it’s pretty decent for a 29er around the two grand mark. It was also good to see the inclusion of Shimano clipless; the M520s aren’t particularly light but they are bombproof and it’s one ‘extra’ that you won’t have to factor into the initial purchase price.

Living the Big Life

For the purposes of this review, the Big NineTFSXT-D became my daily ride. I hung up my commuter bike and rode it 20km a day, mixing it with traffic, hopping gutters and popping off speed humps. TheMeridaalso saw action in the regular Wednesday night after-work trail rides, and on the weekends I’d throw it in the back of the station wagon and head out to some more testing trails.

Like most 29ers, it’s one hell of a workhorse. With a long pair of legs it makes a great commuter—get those wheels spinning and you’ll find yourself humming along in the big ring, vying for a place in the Commuter Cup next to the skinny 700c crew. The Maxxis Crossmark tyres roll well and are well suited to a mix of hardpack dirt and blacktop riding. The lockout on the fork remained on whilst on road, with the 2.1 tyres supplying all the suspension required.

Once in the dirt, the components were really put to the test. While the M505 brakes don’t come close the power offered by the XT or even the Deore models, they proved adequate for all but the most demanding terrain and are probably up to scratch for the intended rider of this bike. The wheels didn’t fare quite as well. Whilst the rims stayed true, the bearings in the rear M435 hub came loose fairly early on, requiring a quick but unexpected adjustment. In terms of straight-out performance, the porky fork and basic wheel build do add to the weight of the package, ensuring that the Big NineTFSXT-D is more workhorse than thoroughbred.

While there are clear compromises in the wheels and fork, there’s no denying the quality of the predominantly XT drivechain. The 10-speed gearing was an absolute treat to use with a nice wide range with seemingly endless shifts in between—the crisp shifting action was fantastic for a bike at this price. Swap the XT derailleurs for SLX and you probably won’t detect a difference, as most of the positive and precise shifting feel comes from the XT Rapid Fire triggers. Many manufacturers choose to down-spec their gear shifters to reduce the package price, so it’s nice to see the real McCoy fitted to the Big Nine.

It could be argued thatMeridawould have been better off fitting a mid-range mix of SLX and Deore drivechain parts, directing the dollars into a lighter fork or better quality wheels. Still, you can’t quibble with the crisp shifting and solid feel of the XT kit—just don’t let a stick take out your rear derailleur, as the XT parts will obviously cost more to replace. In the end it’s a matter of looking at where you want to direct your budget and deciding what you’d prefer to prioritise in the component spec.

The finishing kit on theMeridais pretty generic but well and truly up to the task. The Selle Italia X1 saddle looked the goods and was fairly comfortable—although saddles are such a personal thing I barely think it’s worth mentioning. Likewise the dual density grips were fine in gloved hands but a bit nasty if you like to ride sans-gloves. At 660mm the handlebars were wide enough for this style of bike but the limited amount of sweep detracted from their comfort and limited their overall adjustment range.

Confidence in Numbers

Following the trend towards more relaxed geometry on 29ers, the Big NineTFSXT-D has a 70.5-degree head tube angle (not long ago many 29ers were running 72-degree head angles). This adds stability at speed and provides more confident handling. The top tube length is moderately long (620mm on our 19-inch frame for example) butMeridafits a short 70mm handlebar stem throughout the range. Overall this adds up to a moderate reach to the handlebars that’s well suited to recreational riders.

The short stem also sharpens up the steering a touch and places your weight further behind the front axle so you’ll feel safer when faced with a steep descent—it provides quite a confidence inspiring ride. Small jumps and rough downhill sections were easier than expected, and as the trail opened up and speed increased I started to have a lot of fun. The downside comes with the overall rearward weight shift. When coupled with a slackish head angle, climbing steep switchbacks can be tougher and you need to be wary of front wheel washouts when cornering.

After living with Big NineTFSXT-D for a while, I could see how the bike would suit the typical commuter, weekend mountain biker come cycle tourist. While I’d initially seen the heavy fork as a negative, the tougher and more scratch resistant steel inner legs could offer a longer service life. The same could be said of the wheels as long as you take care to maintain the Alivio level hubs. Having the XT-level gears lends a crisp and positive feel to the shifting as well as adding a little extra ‘pose value’. More importantly the handling and geometry is well matched to its intended use. While it’s not XC-fast through tight trails it is solid, confidence inspiring and comfortable when banging out the kilometres—whether that’s on the trail, out on tour or simply on the way to work is entirely up to you.

Thumbs Up

Stable and confident handling

Good drivechain parts

All-round versatility

Thumbs Down

Heavy steel-legged forks

Basic quality wheelset

Specifications

Frame: Techno Formed 6061 Alloy

Fork: RockShox Recon Silver, 100mm Travel

Headset: 1 1/8 Integrated

Handlebars: MeridaPro 660mm

Stem: MeridaPro

Shifters: Shimano XT

Front Derailleur: Shimano XT

Rear Derailleur: Shimano XT

Cassette: Shimano HG81, 11/36 10-speed

Chain: KMC X10

Cranks: Shimano XT 24/32/42

Bottom Bracket: Shimano XT

Pedals: Shimano M520

Brakes: Shimano M505

Rims: Big Nine Pro D

Hubs: Shimano M435

Spokes: Black Stainless

Tyres: Maxxis Crossmark 2.1

Saddle: Selle Italia X1

Seatpost: MeridaPro 2 Alloy

Weight: 12.89kg including pedals (19” frame 1,912g)

Available Sizes: 15, 17, 19 (tested), 21 & 23-inch

Price: $2,099

Distributor: Advance Traders Australia 1300 361 686 / www.merida.com.au