TESTED: Merida Big.Nine SLX Edition

Photographer: Gerard Lagana

Merida are one of the biggest bike manufacturers in the world, and that always shows in the finish on their bikes, and the level of components they can put on a bike at a given price point. For value, they are often very hard to beat. Merida have a lot of models under $2000, in both the Big Nine range and the Big Trail. We tested the Big Trail 500 in 2020, and if you're after a high value trail hardtail, look them up. The Big Trail 500 has a 140mm travel RockShox Recon fork, Shimano 11-speed wide range group set, dropper post, a great wheel set and excellent trail geometry for $1999. We'd love to have one in this test as well – alas they're so popular that Merida Australia are waiting for a restock. The Big Nine is a more classic cross-country hardtail, with a 100mm travel fork and agile handling, suiting riders tackling cross-country trails, bikepacking adventures and fast paced rides.

Features

The Merida Big Nine SLX Edition has an alloy frame with a 135mm quick release rear axle. There is neat internal routing, plus mounts for mudguards and racks if needed. The frame has good tyre clearance for a 2.25” maximum tyre, and the Manitou Markhor fork has an air spring, plus rebound damping adjustment and a remote lock out. The Shimano SLX drivetrain is a stand out for shifting performance, and the brakes have excellent feel and stopping power.

Geometry and Handling

Merida's Big Nine frame has a classic 70 degree head angle and 73 degree seat angle, paired with a short reach. This means you have a fairly agile bike that handles on a dime, but is less stable on fast and rough descents. You'll find the bike is easy to move around on flatter trails, but more of a handful in steep, technical terrain. This isn't a fault, but it's the intended purpose of the Big Nine. As such, it has flat bars and a longer stem to suit the shorter reach of the frame.

Ergonomics

While the geometry is the steepest and shortest on test, the bike is designed like that, with a slightly longer stem to make sure it handles as it should, and fits true to size. Importantly, Merida offer a wide size range from Small through to XXL. The Shimano brake levers use the new iSpec mount for greater stiffness, but still with the longer lever blade. I found the 760mm wide bars spot on, and the saddle and lock on grips were comfortable.

Components

The Merida Big Nine SLX Edition is at the top of the price range within the 8 budget bikes we tested recently, and as such it has the best group set on test, with a Shimano SLX 12-speed drivetrain, including crank set, plus an upgraded Deore XT rear derailleur. The cassette is Deore, so a little heavier, and the brakes are M4100 two piston.

Merida have fitted a 100mm travel Manitou Markhor Comp fork, which has an air spring, remote lock out and rebound adjust. It's a Boost, through axle fork, but I did find it was mostly underdamped, even when running a lot more pressure than recommended, so while it added comfort it didn't always aid control.

Merida's own rims are quite narrow, but a good quality build. The Maxxis Ikon tyre is a well-rounded cross-country tyre, howvere the 2.2” model fitted has a very thin sidewall, and the tyres need a lot of pressure for much support when on the trails and in rocky corners. It's the perfect choice for mixing it up between bike paths and easy trails.

On the whole, this is a thorough parts package, and one certainly in keeping with what the Merida Big Nine is targeted for.

Fun Factor on the trail

It wasn't that long ago that I was riding and racing a hardtail with the same geometry as the Merida Big Nine. So while it's a little steeper and shorter – it works! The Merida Big Nine climbed like a dream, and made short work of rolling firetrails and nicely prepared singletrack – which is common in most rider's local singletrack networks.

Zipping from corner to corner, and stabbing the pedals to get a bit more speed for small step ups was all taken well within the Big Nine's stride. Out of the saddle and hauling on the bars, the Big Nine responds as you'd expect, and the Shimano 12-speed drivetrain shifts under load admirably.

On faster descents, a steady hand on the tiller is rewarded by a bike that reacts fast to your input. Where I found the Big Nine faltered was in rockier corners, and in terrain where the bike would have repeated hits. Be it rocky step downs, extended rock gardens, and even G outs and V ditches. In these moments, both the fork and the wheel set would be overwhelmed. I found it hard to set the fork up so it didn't blow through the first half of its travel, and the rebound damping didn't have much impact given the higher spring rates needed. The light tyres and narrow rims meant you either had to run high pressures and deal with the lack of traction, or have a wheel and tyre system that had too much movement when pushing into corners and features.

But to be fair – this isn't strictly what the Big Nine was designed for. The Big Nine is best on those fast, swoopy trails. It's great for the big exploration rides on firetrails and paths, and blasting around the trails that aren't littered with rock gardens.

What made it fantastic to ride was how well the brakes and gears worked through the entire test period. I think that seamless shifting and reliable braking go a long way towards a rewarding riding experience, and the Merida Big Nine really nails that.

Our take

The Merida Big Nine SLX Edition stands out for a few reasons in this group test. It has the best overall group set, and this will result in a bike that has smoother shifts, even under load, for longer. Parts that have a longer service life mean you will be able to enjoy riding the bike for longer between services, and they will likely have a longer life as well.

The Merida Big Nine SLX Edition is going to suit a few types of people. One would be the person wanting to get off road and explore. Forget a dropbar gravel bike, a 29er hardtail is the perfect gravel bike! You'll have the traction and comfort to go explore some wild back roads, forest roads, and wooly firetrails on the Big Nine. It'll also suit the riders looking for a bike for mixed use. Meeting friends for a quick ride on the trails at 6, but need to be at the office by 8? No stress, the Big Nine is a fantastic bike to punch out the commute, as much as it suits some fast laps on the local trails. If you know you want more, pure off-road performance, look to the Big Trail range, even the Big Trail 500 at the same price of $1999.

Merida Big Nine SLX Edition – full specs

RRP: $1999
Weight: 12.34kg
From: merida-bikes.com

Available Sizes: S, M, L (tested), XL, XXL
Frame Material: Aluminium
Fork: Manitou Markhor Comp, 100mm
Shifter: Shimano SLX 12sp
Derailleur: Shimano Deore XT 12sp
Crank: Shimano SLX, 32t, 175mm
Bottom bracket: Shimano BB52 external
Chain: KMC X12
Cassette: Shimano Deore 12sp 10-51t
Hubs: Shimano MT400
Spokes: 14g stainless, black
Rims: Merida Comp CC, 20mm internal
Tyres: Maxxis Ikon 29×2.2”
Brakes: Shimano M4100, 180/160mm rotors
Stem: Marin 3D forged
Handlebars: Merida Expert CC, 760mm
Seatpost: Merida Expert CC, 90mm
Saddle: Merida Comp SL