FLOW MTB - On Test | The 2020 Merida One-Twenty 700 Is A Mega Package For The Money

FLOW Mountain Bike tested the 2020 MERIDA ONE-TWENTY 9.700 and rank it as a refreshingly affordable contender amongst all of the high-end (and usually $10,000+) trail bikes that have been entering the trail bike market. As an aluminium pedal bike without a motor but with an impressive variety of spec, they've claimed that it's one of the best value mountain bikes. Here's what else they've had to say:

In terms of its designation, the One-Twenty slots into Merida’s mountain bike lineup as the versatile trail speedster. Aiming to bring together the efficient climbing performance of the 96 (the 100mm travel XC race bike) with the descending fervour of the One-Forty (the burly 140mm travel All Mountain rig), the One-Twenty is a straight-up trail bike. It rolls on 29in wheels and is equipped with 120mm of rear suspension travel with a 130mm travel fork up front.

Of course the One-Twenty isn’t strictly a brand new platform. The current generation frame was released for the 2019 model year, and you might recall that we did in fact test and review a One-Twenty 8000 only about six months ago. That was one of the top-end spec levels built around a high-zoot carbon frame, and it left us thoroughly impressed with its refined suspension performance and zippy character on sinewy singletrack.

The bike we’ve got on test here is the One-Twenty 700, which is the top-spec option with the alloy frame. For less than $4K, it’s a helluva package for the money, with impressive attention to detail on the areas that count.

Just like the top-end carbon models, you’re getting 120mm of rear travel via a floating link suspension design. There’s a big volume RockShox Deluxe shock with a trunnion bearing mount to aid small-bump sensitivity, while a RockShox Revelation fork up front uses the same chassis as the pricier Pike, albeit with a simpler Charger RC damper inside.

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Check out the 2020 MERIDA ONE-TWENTY 9.700 here >>