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SOME THINGS DON’T NEED TO BE COMPLICATED. WELCOME TO THE NEW ONE-TWENTY.
Does performance have to be complicated or expensive? We think not. We know that creating something simple but impressive is a real challenge but we committed to this when developing the new One-Twenty. We've taken the essence of the original One-Twenty and refined it for today's mountain biking challenges. The new bike is a strong climber, perfect ground coverer and fun packed, daredevil descender. This all comes in an affordable, easy to maintain, high performance package.
VERSATILE 'JACK-OF-ALL-TRADES'
Since the introduction of our One-Twenty, our 29er mid-travel bike has always been seen as the jack of all trades, that offers the perfect 'one bike does it all' solution for many mountain bikers. And while there have been lots of technical development and innovation that has created impressively capable bikes like our Big Trail hardtail or our One-Sixty enduro bike, it was time to give our One-Twenty more refined tools to deliver for today’s demanding mountain bikers.
FAST, AGILE, FUN AND CAPABLE RIDE
We see the One-Twenty as the perfect bike for riders who don’t just do one thing but want a capable ‘do it all machine’ that can be taken out on a long XC ride one day followed by a demanding trail session the next. For us, the One-Twenty is the simple, fun solution to hitting the hills without worrying about what lies ahead; steep climbs, rough descends, swooping flow trails and a few flat sections thrown in for good measure. By taking elements and inspiration from the Ninety-Six and One-Forty/One-Sixty, we've delivered the pedal and climbing capability of our XC and marathon bike, the confident handling, looks and sizing concept of our long travel trail and enduro bikes to deliver a fast, agile, fun, capable ride - the perfect mix!
SHORT TRAVEL BIKE TO MATCH TREND FOR LONGER TRAVEL
The One-Twenty has been the quiet success of the Merida mountain bike range, loved by riders. The media focus on lightweight XC short travel bikes on one side and enduro bikes on the other, the short-travel ‘trail’ bike often flew under the radar. Encouraged by the down-country trend, the interest in ‘short travel trail’ bikes have increased. With more progressive geometries to deal with today’s more demanding trails and the down-country trend shifting towards longer travel, it was time to give the One-Twenty a once over. Sitting between the marathon and XC focused Ninety-Six and the long travel One-Forty trail bike, design elements from both bikes have been incorporated into the new One-Twenty. Our 130 mm travel bike delivers great ground covering capabilities, impressive climbing prowess and surprising descending strength.
MORE CAPABLE, MORE AFFORDABLE AND ALL WHILE NEEDING LESS MAINTENANCE
Our ambition was to make the One-Twenty more capable and more affordable and easer to maintain. With more capable equipment and a wealth of trails being available to the growing family of mountain bikers, we simply ride different trails today to those when the sport originated. We decided to recreate the One-Twenty from the ground up to deliver a simple, high performing platform at an aggressive price point. Incorporating the P-FLEX suspension system from the Ninety-Six and One-Sixty/One-Forty featuring a horizontally mounted rear shock, we've delivered clean lines and a simple to look after system that performs on the trail. Alongside the P-FLEX suspension system, we've incorporated the AGILOMETER geometry and sizing principles, whereby riders choose the frame size based on the riding characteristics they are looking for rather than seat tube length. Furthermore, we focused on the aluminium which is very much the backbone of the Merida production history. The well proven spec allowed us to offer top performance at an affordable level.
DEAL WITH TODAY’S MORE DEMANDING TRAILS
PROGRESSIVE GEOMETRY AND SIMPLE DESIGN
FEATURES & INNOVATIONS
P-FLEX SUSPENSION WITH INCREASED TRAVEL
The most dramatic update on the new One-Twenty is the new P-FLEX suspension platform. The compliance of the material and the specific shaping of the tubes allow the frame to flex near the seat and chainstay junction, making a pivot point obsolete. This makes for a simple rear end, reducing weight and adding stiffness. The very progressive leverage curve from sag to full travel helps to absorb even the hardest impacts, giving our 130 mm rear travel bike impressive trail capabilities beyond those you'd expect for a bike of this travel.
The 100% anti-squat at the sag point aids efficient pedalling, rapidly decreasing to minimise the influence of the chain deep in the travel. The new suspension design is very active, encouraging riders to take off on the smallest edges and lips out on the trail. This was achieved by creating a very progressive leverage ratio in combination with the P-FLEX rear end. To maintain this active suspension during braking, the anti-rise is below 100% over the complete travel.
Some may assume that aluminium would not withstand the deflection over time. Extensive testing, on the One-Twenty and on our longer travel One-Sixty aluminium frames by the independent Zedler Institute, challenging the bikes well beyond industry standards, has eliminated any doubts about its long term durability.
PROGRESSIVE, BUT AGILE GEOMETRY
A low standover height allows shorter riders, to opt for longer reach/bigger size if stability is key. The One-Twenty is available from XShort to XLong. Paired with a 66° head angle that is only 2° steeper than the One-Sixty but 1.3° slacker than the outgoing One-Twenty, the trail stability is further increased, while the 78.5° seat angle makes for a well-balanced position above the bottom bracket for efficient pedalling and climbing. While the short seat tube creates a low standover height, it can still accommodate long travel dropper posts of up to 170 mm in size S and M and 200 mm in size L and XL.
In comparison to its long travel counterpart, the One-Sixty, the seat angle on the One-Twenty is slacker, the head angle is steeper, and the reach is shorter, making it fun and nimble on flatter trails and tracks. Whilst the two bikes have many characteristics and features in common, our new One-Twenty is the slightly more playful, agile ‘little brother’ of our One-Sixty.
AGILOMETER SIZING
CHOOSE THE SIZE FOR YOUR RIDING STYLE
Alongside the suspension platform, the One-Twenty adopts the AGILOMETER sizing system, introduced on the One-Sixty/One-Forty. Riders select their size independent of seat tube length & rider height, choosing the size based on the desired handling and reach: Riders seeking stability go for a longer reach/bigger size; riders favouring agility opt for a shorter reach/smaller size. The reach of the new One-Twenty has grown by 30 mm compared to its predecessor.
ONE FRAME - TWO DIFFERENT BIKES
SHORT TRAVEL TRAIL BIKE OR ALL-ROUND BIKE FOR MARATHONS AND TOURS
The newly designed frame is available in two different configurations, serving two different user groups. On one side, the 130 mm travel One-Twenty, taken the ‘one bike does it all’ spot in the Merida range, showing its strength on long XC and marathon long days as much as on fast and twisty trail and enduro track sessions. And on the other, the 110 mm Ninety-Six LITE is aimed at the more XC and marathon-focused rider looking for a more budget-friendly alternative to the full carbon Ninety-Six models. Both bikes are based on the same frame, and the different travel and slight changes in geometry are due to the stroke length of the shock as well as specification details, for example, fork travel.
TRAIL READY COCKPIT
The One-Twenty cockpit features our trail-proven Expert eTRII stem that fits perfectly to the Wireport top cap and offers a harmonious look even with larger numbers of spacers. We pair the stem with our 780 mm wide Team TR alloy handlebar for the perfect balance of control and agility. The Wireport internal cable integration finishes off our cockpit and gives it a clean and uncluttered look.
TYRE CLEARANCE AND REAR FENDER
With tyre clearance for up to 2.5” wide tyres, our One-Twenty offers plenty of space for even the most aggressive trail tyres. And for extra protection of rider and machine we have incorporated the fitting options for our bolt-on rear fender, first introduced on our test and award-winning One-Sixty and One-Forty range.
WIRE PORT
A Merida-designed system that allows all control cables to enter the frame through the ACROS headset, creating a clean and uncluttered look without making structural changes to the frame, all while reducing cable rattle and potential frame scuffs.
EXTERNAL ON-BOARD STORAGE
To give the rider the option to keep weight off their back, we have added a long list of on-board storage solutions to the One-Twenty. The frame can take two water bottles without the use of any adapters. Key spares such as an inner tube, Co2 cartridge, mini pump and replaceable UDH dropout can be stored using our optional Trail Mount bracket underneath the top tube.
EVEN MORE STORAGE SOLUTIONS
For additional storage and to keep the key tools in easy reach, we have our Merida V-Mount multitool under the saddle and our 4/6 mm Hex key on the removable rear through axle lever.
OUTSTANDING BRAKE PERFORMANCE
To go flat out, you need good brakes. Only powerful and controllable brakes give you the confidence to brake late and accelerate out of the corner. With that in mind, we spec most of our One-Twenty with 200 mm rotors and 4-pot front brakes. Our top model even gets the full 4-pot treatment. To keep the rear brake from interfering with the P-FLEX rear end, we use our proven CNC machined brake bracket, which also helps to dissipate heat on long descents.
LONG TRAVEL SEATPOST
The short seat tube creates a low standover height for extra clearance, so the One-Twenty comes with long travel dropper posts of 150 mm in size XShort and Short, 170 mm in size Mid and 200 mm in size Long and XLong.
EASY INTERNAL CABLE ACCESS
Similar to its bigger brothers, the One-Forty and One-Sixty, our One-Twenty also gets a small but very effective Merida Service Port. This opening underneath the down tube, just in front of the bottom bracket, makes internal cable routing and servicing fast and simple. The opening is not meant for any internal storage but is ideal to reach the internally run gear, brake and dropper post cables.
PROTECTION AS STANDARD
Only a quiet bike is a fast bike. To keep the frame protected from trail debris as well as make it run smoothly and quietly over rough terrain, we have fitted a number of foam patches, foam sleeves and ribbed protectors on key parts of the frame. The large high-density foam patches on the lower part of the downtube protect the frame from trail debris, while the ribbed chainstay protector paired with an additional inner seat stay protector keep any noise and damage from chain slap under control. And to eliminate any cable rattling, all inner cables are run through noise-deadening foam sleeves. Simple but hugely effective.
FAQs
Thanks to the very progressive leverage ratio, a coil shock would fit the kinematics but we recommend using air shocks as they're lower weight and easier to adjust.
Yes, a shock with a piggyback can be mounted. helps to keep the suspension performance consistent during long descents. If upgrading to a piggyback shock, we recommend the Rock Shox Super Deulxe with the following tune: 190X45 0L1 PRL 320 HBO
We recommend forks with travel between 110 mm and 130 mm. The 130 mm fork is ideal for use as an allround bike and the 110 mm fork for a modern XC/ marathon course.
Yes, category 4 means that enduro riding and racing are allowed and approved.
Even though the Merida development team are big fans of mullet bikes (as seen on the One-Sixty/Forty and the eOne-Sixty), we have chosen 29" wheels across all sizes due to the improved rollover performance.
Fitting a 27.5" rear wheel into the frame would be possible but this would impact the geometry; the head tube angle and seat tube angle would be much slacker, and the bottom bracket would be critically low.
No, there is no adapter required.
Seat Tube
+ 0.5l bottle - all sizes
Downtube
+ 0.5l bottle - XShort
+ 0.68l bottle - Short and MID
+ 0.76l bottle - Long and XLong
The focus of the new One-Twenty was on simplicity and affordability so the adjustable Team TR wasn't added. All sizes benefit from long travel dropper posts.
+ 150 mm travel - XShort
+ 170 mm travel - Short and MID
+ 200 mm travel - Long and XLong
Leverage ratio
In general, we wanted more progression to work well with newer rear shocks with bigger air chambers. Increasing the shock progression to 14% (from sag to 95%) means we give greater support at the end of the travel and increased control in demanding situations. With less suspension travel compared to enduro bikes, the ONE-TWENTY’s more progressive leverage curve (compared to the ONE-FORTY) helps to absorb hard impacts even with less travel.
Anti-Squat
The anti-squat graph describes the suspension behaviour during pedalling. We wanted a reasonable amount of anti-squat at the start and middle part of the travel, to provide highly efficient pedalling performance. However, the anti-squat value becomes much less when you are deep into the travel, where pedalling efficiency is of little concern. The end result is a suspension kinematic that pedals well with very little pedal bob, but is active and unhindered on descents and big hits.
Anti-Rise
The influence of the braking on the suspension is described by the anti-rise figures. Compared to the previous ONE-TWENTY, we have reduced the anti-rise to make the suspension more active under braking. At sag, the anti-rise is a little less than 100%, which helps to keep the bike level under braking, whether on steep or smooth fast trails. But deep in the travel, the anti-rise decreases, leading to unhindered suspension performance for increased grip while slowing down on rough terrain or after big drops.