SHUT THE GATE! Merida announce new lightweight eOne-Sixty SL and eOne-Eighty electric mountain bikes
Taking a look at Merida’s New eOne-Sixty SL and eOne-Eighty
New Merida eOne-Sixty SL eMTB
Merida marks a new addition to the lightweight e-bike market with the drop of the new eOne-Sixty SL. Rolling on the Bosch Performance Line SX drive unit, the carbon-framed, 160mm travel bike offers an all-mountain experience in a lightweight package.
The eOne-Sixty SL represents a shift towards an enduro-focussed geometry and handling, in a light and nimble package with the Bosch Performance Line SX motor allowing this bike to be around 3.5kg lighter than Merida’s lightest full-support e-bike.
For fans of the mullet, the eOne-Sixty SL is adjustable to work with either a full 29er or 29”/27.5” set up, via a FLIP CHIP integrated into the seat stays. The eOne-Sixty SL retains some key features of the One-Sixty, including flex stay technology and an overhauled sizing range. Similar to the new Big trail, reviewed in this issue, the frame has been created with an extremely short seat tube, allowing a low standover and ability to run a long dropper post.
As a lightweight e-bike, climbing position is important, and the eOne-Sixty SL features all the right numbers: a slack 64 degree head tube angle married up with a steep 78.5 degree seat tube angle, making longer rides and hill-lovers comfortable on the ascents, while maintaining stability and capability on the descent.
But what about the spec? The eOne-Sixty SL features similarities in its suspension kinematics to the One-Sixty, boasting 160mm travel married up with a 160mm fork, and the progressive leverage ratio means that the eOne-Sixty SL is coil-shock compatible.
The Bosch Performance Line SX sneaks seamlessly into the eOne-Sixty’s lines, with a non-removable, integrated 400Wh Compact PowerTube, that can be boosted with the PowerMore 250Wh range extender battery in the bottle cage mount. The eOne-Sixty SL uses Bosch’s integrated Smart Controller in the top tube alongside the Wireless Mini Remote on the handlebar for a sleek look, plus the option of a Purion 400 display. For a deeper dive into how the Bosch Performance Line SX motor rides, check out our review in this issue.
READ: Inside the Bosch Flow App
Diving a bit deeper into the range, the eOne-Sixty SL will be released in three models, in a single colourway per model, with five sizes from XShort to XLong.
eOne-Sixty SL 10k Silk Anaconda Green $16,999
- Fox Float 36 Factory and Float X Factory
- SRAM Maven Ultimate Brakes
- SRAM XX Eagle Transmission drivetrain
- Approximate weight 19.5kg
eOne-Sixty SL 8000 Gunmetal Grey $11,999
- RockShox Lyric Select+ and Super Deluxe Select+
- SRAM DB8 Stealth brakes
- SRAM GX Eagle Transmission drivetrain
- Approximate weight 20.3kg
Merida eOne-Sixty SL 6000 Silk River Clay $9,499
- Marzocchi Z1 and bomber
- Shimano Deore brakes
- Shimano Deore drivetrain
- Approximate weight 20.8kg
We are excited to get our hands on this lightweight beast. Having recently ridden and reviewed Bosch’s Performance Line SX motor on a 140mm trail bike, we can’t wait to up that travel for extra fun on the descents, in a lightweight ‘pedalling friendly’ platform.
New Merida eOne-Eighty eMTB
For those of you not sold on the lightweight e-bike boom, or simply needing an extra aggressive option for huge hits and gnarly runs, Merida has also released the new eOne-Eighty. Keeping it a Bosch affair, the eOne-Eighty is the longest travel e-bike Merida has released, and the new generation of Bosch Performance Line CX motor, in a huge 180mm package aboard a 6061-alloy mullet-only frame.
READ: How to travel with your E-Bike
For those looking to self-shuttle the big hits, or those who spend more time in the air than on the trail, the eOne-Eighty could be your best option. The eOne-Eighty is triple-crown compatible, but at this point only comes with single-crown forks.
The new Bosch Performance Line CX motor features a whopping 800Wh battery, and is compatible with the PowerMore 250Wh range extender for a truly epic day out on the trails.
Ready for the big hits, the bike features a 64.5-degree head tube angle with a 78.5-degree seat tube angle, in almost a mirror of the bike’s little sister, the eOne-Sixty SL.
Some nice features to mention include the Acros Block Lock headset to avoid handlebar/top tube mishaps, fitted with SRAM UDG, 220mm rotor front (and compatibility for a 220mm rotor on the rear) with the Trail Mount accessory mount and saddle-mounted multitool.
Deviating from the eOne-Sixty SL, the eOne-Eighty adds a pivot point on the seat stay in place of the flex stay. Merida reports that this system reduces side load on the shock as well as saving weight and complexity. Despite this being a big-hitting rig, Merida offers sized-tuned kinematics that increase progressiveness through the sizes, ensuring that both a 50kg whippet and a 120kg clydesdale can both get the most out of the eOne-Eighty. The bike has a weight limit of 140kg. The eOne-Eighty can accommodate a coil shock.
The eOne-Eighty is offered in three sizes from Short to XLong and in three models, in a single colourway per model.
eOne-Eighty 900 Anaconda Green $10,499
- RockShox Zeb Ultimate and Vivid Ultimate
- Shimano XT Brakes and Drivetrain
- DT Swiss HF 700 Wheelset
- Approximate weight 27.2kg
eOne-Eighty 700 Gunmetal Grey $9,199
- RockShox Zeb and Vivid Select
- SRAM DB8 Stealth Brakes and GX/NX drivetrain
- MERIDA EXPERT TR II rims with Shimano TC500 hubs
- Approximate weight 27kg
eOne-Eighty 500 River Clay $8,499
- RockShox Zeb and Vivid
- Tektro Gemini M535 Brakes with Shimano Cues Drivetrain
- MERIDA EXPERT TR II rims with Shimano TC500 hubs
- Approximate weight 27kg
