FIRST LOOK: Merida One-Forty 6000

Words and photos: Georgina von Marburg


Merida is one of the underdogs amongst the big brands, but their bikes have been silent achievers for fifty years now. They were one of the leaders in the eMTB revolution, producing the award winning eOne-Sixty, and their Ninety-Six cross-country range has seen huge success between the tape. They’ve recently turned their efforts to their trail and enduro range, totally revamping the One-Sixty and One-Forty, the latter of which we’ve been excitedly waiting to test.

Merida’s products are conveniently self-explanatory, with their names correlating to suspension travel. The One-Forty, sitting just below their enduro specific One-Sixty line, has 143mm travel in the rear and 150mm travel up front. The One-Forty 6000 on test lies in the middle of the range at $6,399 and parts to match.

This kind of “trail” bike at this moderate price point is hugely popular, or at least appeared to be the bees knees during the COVID-induced mountain bike boom. The One-Forty strives to be the ultimate all-rounder, alongside rivals such as the Specialized Stumpjumper and Trek Fuel EX. It claims to be the “pinnacle of modern trail riding,” with the travel and aggressive geometry to tackle the “toughest trails in the world,” but a low weight and steep seat angle to gallop to the top again.

Its proudest features are the interchangeable wheel sizing for mullet setups without changing the geometry or ride quality. They’ve also stripped back the rear suspension, removing one of the pivot points to save weight and maintenance, along with the introduction of a flexstay rear triangle. This is all summarised in the catchy “Flexstay-Adjustable-Size-Tuned suspension kinematic” title; in essence, all the above features are tuned to each specific frame size. 

I personally love this kind of bike, as these modern trail bikes suit the Aussie gradients perfectly. The head angle sits at 65 degrees, while the seat tube angle has steepened from 75 degrees on the old model, to 80 degrees on the new. We’ll delve into the new sizing further along, but the chain stay length has also slightly increased to 437.5 across all sizes. Basically, the new One-Forty is designed to charge harder and climb faster than its predecessor. But would it live up to all the marketing hype?

Initial Impressions

Pulling the 6000 out of the box, the most noticeable feature is the horizontal shock, mounted quite high in the frame. Fitted with the RockShox Deluxe Select +, I went straight to the handy RockShox Trailhead app and adjusted the pressure and rebound to their recommended settings for my weight and desired sag. While matching in colour, the 6000’s front suspension mixes things up with a Marzocchi Bomber Z1; this is basically just an off-brand Fox 36, so I set up the air pressure and rebound accordingly.   

The 6000 is equipped with a Shimano SLX groupset, minus the XT shifter and KMC chain. I have had issues with the new generation of Shimano hubs, so I’m apprehensive about their durability on a bike like this. It has 203mm rotors, which may seem huge for the bike’s intended purpose, but we’re seeing this size as standard on more and more long travel bikes. The Maxxis DHF (front) and Dissector (rear) tyres are a thoughtful choice, balancing proven grip with rolling efficiency.

There were a few small features which added further value to the 6000 package. The addition of an integrated rear mud guard should keep the typically dirtiest part of the frame relatively clean. The saddle is equipped with Merida’s V-Mount tool box, complete with a multitool, and a Fidlock water bottle is mounted to the frame.

But perhaps the most unique feature is the dropper post, and this is where the new sizing structure comes into play. The seatpost is Merida’s own Team TR adjustable travel dropper post, allowing the user to adjust the drop from 30mm to 230mm. This versatility compliments Merida’s new sizing, which encourages riders to choose a frame size based on their desired ride qualities and style, not a designated stand over height. Instead of Small, Medium, Large, etc., the One-Forty comes in XShort, Short, Mid, Long, and XLong. This is a super intuitive way of thinking about sizing; for example, if you’re a tall rider but want a smaller frame for ease of handling, you can opt for the Short or Mid size. Similarly, a shorter rider can opt for a larger size than normal if they want a more stable ride.

I generally prefer a more poppy and playful ride, and frequently ride tight and technical trails, so I opted for the Short size. I would usually ride a size Medium in most brands, but the reach on the One-Forty Mid size was going to provide a more planted and stable platform. So I opted for the Short size and the adjustable dropper post meant achieving the maximum drop wouldn’t be an issue regardless of the frame size.

After one short ride, do feel that this is on the smaller size for me, despite technically having the same reach as my Medium Pivot Switchblade. But more time on the bike should reveal it’s strengths and weaknesses. 

We’ll be testing this on the iconic trails of Mystic and Mount Beauty in Victoria over the coming weeks, so stay tuned for the final review in Issue #204!