Preview: Merida One Forty 600

As we roll into season 2019, a trend for amazingly affordable but very capable bikes is already starting to emerge.

There are a couple of reasons for this; SRAM's new NX Eagle groupset has allowed bike makers to add 12-speed systems to cheaper machines, while companies like Rock Shox is producing lower-end products with higher-end performance.

Case in point; the $2999 Merida One Forty 600.

It's a nicely turned out alloy duallie, running 27.5-inch wheels and 140mm of travel front and rear. The four-bar rear end is held up by a trunnion-mounted Rock Shox Deluxe RL, the front is suspended by a Sektor, while NX Eagle combines with Shimano for the groupset.

Merida's in-house stuff abounds for bars and stems... but it's all good stuff, with nice bends and decent widths.

A dropper post is part of the mix, as is a set of top notch Maxxis DHR/Rekon 2.6-inch wide tyres.

Out of the box, the Merida goes together well, though sussing out the internal cabling is a bit of a chore. It comes up beautifully in the sunshine, though, with a titanium paint finish and fluro green highlights.

You'll need to grab the new issue of MBA to find out what our testers thought, but here's a hint - super impressive.

Specifications

Frame   Merida One-Forty

Shock     Rockshox Super Deluxe RL, lockout

Fork        Rockshox Sektor RL 150mm

Headset    Merida M2339

Handlebars    Merida Expert TR 780mm

Stem      Merida Expert TR 35mm

Shifter   SRAM NX Eagle

Rear Derailleur                  SRAM NX Eagle

Cassette               SRAM 1230 NX Eagle 11-50t

Chain     SRAM NX Eagle

Cranks SRAM Descendant 6K, 32t

Bottom Bracket SRAM

Brakes Shimano MT-500

Wheels Shimano MT400 hubs to Merida Expert TR rims

Tyres      Maxxis Minion DHR II/Rekon 27.5x2.6

Saddle  Merida Comp CC

Seatpost               Merida Expert TR 125mm drop

Weight                   14.2kg

Wheel Size           27.5

Available Sizes  XS, S, M, L (tested) & XL

Price      $2990

www.merida.com.au