FRAME TECHNOLOGIES

When creating high-end aluminium frames, we use our proven PROLITE 66 (6066) aluminium, as it is incredibly light and durable. In addition, it works exceptionally well with our hydroforming technology, allowing us to create complex shapes, featuring triple butted wall thicknesses, an almost carbon-like appearance and the best possible stiffness-to-weight ratio. While lesser alloys might be cheaper, it is the ideal choice for high-performance bicycle frames.

To get the most out of an aluminium tube in terms of shape or varying wall thickness, we apply various forms of manipulation. The most complex but also the most effective is hydroforming, where an aluminium tube is inserted into a negative mould, and a hot emulsion of water and oil is forced through at pressure. The end result is a perfectly shaped aluminium tube that enables us to create beautifully crafted and lightweight aluminium frames.

By using a specific tube shape and careful design of the seat- and chainstay of our hardtail bikes, we enable them to work like flat leaf springs, absorbing surface bumps and reducing vibrations. This makes the rear end more comfortable, can improve power delivery and has a positive impact on rider fatigue. In particular, on performance bikes that are ridden over long distances and uneven surfaces, this can have a great effect on the overall riding performance and enjoyment.

Steering precision is vital to safe and confident handling, and the X-TAPER HEADTUBE allows us to significantly boost this precision. A larger headset diameter at the bottom paired with a smaller one at the top helps to deal with the strains modern riding and equipment can put on the headtube, all without adding unnecessary weight. It allows tapered forks to be fitted with ease and delivers precise and confidence-inspiring steering.

This is a process we use to give a nice flat finish to our welds instead of the scaled, 'stack of coins' effect TIG welded joints often have. The welder uses the welding torch to go over the joint twice, helping to smooth out the filler material. It takes a lot of skill to do this, but it delivers strong and smart-looking frames that have the appearance of a carbon fibre frame at first look.

On the majority of our frames, we run the gear and brake cables and hoses through the frame. The cables enter and exit the frame through smooth sockets, or we use one of our other systems like SMART ENTRY or WIRE PORT to be routed through. Running the cables inside the frame protects them from the elements, gives a clean and neat look and can offer aerodynamic advantages.

DOWN TUBE EXIT is a feature seen on some of our frames with internally routed cables. By slightly overlapping the downtube where it connects to the bottom bracket, it leaves a small space that allows cables to exit easily. This means they are easily accessible for routine maintenance or replacement, but it prevents excessive movement and noise that can cause wear and distraction.

Many of our frames offer internal cable routing, where the gear and brake cables are run through the frame for maximum protection and a clean look. Some internally run cables can rattle when riding over uneven surfaces, but our SMART ENTRY system prevents this from happening. Cables, housings and brake hoses are clamped under tension to prevent noisy cable movement. All inlets are completely interchangeable to deal with any kind of cable or wire.

Shimano's Di2 electronic shifting system offers fast, smooth and reliable shifting. In particular, in the road world, it has proven itself as the primary choice when top performance is at the top of the agenda. With that in mind, we have a broad selection of performance road frames that are Di2 READY and can accommodate the electrical cable, battery and other little tweaks that the system requires.

NANO MATRIX CARBON is a special kind of carbon fibre where we add extremely tiny, nano-scale particles to the resin that binds the individual carbon fibres together. These then work on a molecular level to protect them from damage. It’s so effective that it can actually increase the finished carbon fibre’s impact resistance by up to 40%, allowing us to build stronger and lighter composite frames that result in a faster and tougher bike.

This is a method we use to manufacture our carbon fibre frames. First, the carbon fibre that makes up the frame is laid around special formers. We then use a bladder to compress the layers against the outside of the frame mould, giving a smooth and wrinkle-free internal finish, removing any voids in between the layers of carbon that can cause potential weak points, resulting in a stronger, lighter frame.

We use a minimum of 6061 grade aluminium on all our bikes. It’s particularly well suited to being shaped with our hydroforming and technoforming processes, which allow us to vary the wall thickness to create double-butted tubing and complex frame shapes. It’s also an alloy that welds easily, and once it has been carefully heat treated to maximise strength, it means we can create strong and lightweight bicycle frames for you to enjoy.

Manipulating the tube shape and thickness greatly impacts the appearance, weight and functionality of our aluminium frames. One technology that allows us to do that is TECHNO FORMING, where plain aluminium tubes get mechanically formed by using an external form and an internal metal core. The result, beautifully shaped tubes with varying wall thickness, ready to be used to create our technoformed aluminium frames.

Being able to turn your bike into an all-weather commuter that has mudguards and other fittings can be a real plus, in particular when riding on wet and perhaps muddy roads and tracks on a regular basis. To make fitting easy, some of our bikes are F-MOUNT equipped. These integrated fittings mounts make adding mudguards fast and simple. Please note that some bikes require model-specific mudguards.

When using your bike in an urban environment, where you might not always have the option to use a specific bike stand, a kickstand is an ideal solution to park your bike safely. Some of our bikes come with a neatly integrated K-MOUNT, which makes fitting a MERIDA kickstand (or any commercial kickstand) easy. And if you don’t want to have a kickstand and prefer the clean appearance of your frame, the K-MOUNT is neatly tucked away underneath your chainstay, difficult to spot if you don’t know it is there.

Similar to our F-MOUNT, where various fixing points for mudguards are part of the frame offering, the C-MOUNT equipped bikes have the fixing points for a rear rack already integrated, making fitting fast, simple and reliable. The C-MOUNTS are an additional feature that improves the day-to-day versatility by adding loading capacity to your bike, ideal for commuting and shopping trips. Please note that some bikes require model-specific rear racks.

The e-bike motor mount has a sophisticated shape that is only possible to create with casting technology. Casting this piece allows us to create a complex yet lightweight shape that gives an extremely strong connection between the motor and the frame for improved performance and reliability. It also gives the bike and motor a smooth and cleanly integrated appearance.

This is a special kind of tube shape that helps reduce aerodynamic drag while also helping to reduce weight. It’s based around a teardrop profile that was originally developed in the aeronautical industry, but the rearmost portion of the profile is cut short. This reduces the amount of material needed to make the tube, but air still flows around it just as well, giving all the aerodynamic benefits but at a lower weight.

Used on our carbon fibre road and gravel bikes, DISC COOLER is a finned piece of forged aluminium that sits between the brake calliper and frame. The aluminium piece helps to draw heat from the braking system and radiates it away quickly. It reduces the temperatures by up to 35% and helps to keep your brakes working at their best for improved control and performance on long descents and under heavy braking.

A suspension system where the lower shock mount moves as well as the upper link, giving a supple and sensitive feel over bumps. This system allows our engineers to precisely manipulate the leverage ratio, giving ultimate control of the progression of the suspension so that a FLOAT LINK rear suspension system feels like it offers more wheel travel than the numbers alone suggest.

When every second counts, the smallest of details can make the difference between winning and losing, so we look at every aspect of our frames to make them as sleek as possible. By using a seat post clamping mechanism that secures the post with a wedge inside the frame itself, we minimise the turbulence and potential drag while keeping post height adjustment simple, giving a frame that is more aerodynamic and also better looking.

This is a feature on the seat post fitted to some of our most aerodynamic road and time trial bikes. While we pay careful attention to delivering class-leading drag reduction, having a high-performance bike is only good if the rider can perform at their best too. Our FLIP FLOP HEAD allows the seat to be easily moved forwards or backwards with the clamp block to optimise the seat angle and, therefore, rider position and performance.

A special, removable piece fitted to the seat stay bridge that can be attached to the bike to allow full mudguards to be fitted easily for protection from water and dirt, but also completely removed to increase tyre clearance and give a clean, sleek look to the bike when full guards are no longer needed. This gives the bike the benefit of full mudguards when required but no unsightly mounts when they are not.

This system means you only need a single tool to tighten important bolts, making it easy to secure them while out on the trail and also making routine maintenance faster and simpler. The bolts have a specially shaped head on one end that fits into a matching recess in the frame, preventing rotation. That means there is no hardware bonded into the frame itself, so damaged threads or bolts can be easily replaced.

Heat is generated by your e-bike battery when it is being used, but too much heat can reduce the efficiency and lifespan of the battery cells. THERMO GATE is a feature seen on our carbon fibre framed e-mountain bike ranges and while it looks like an air intake, it's designed to work like a chimney, allowing hot air to escape as it rises upwards, keeping your battery cooler and working at its best for longer. This is not needed on aluminium frames as the frame material helps to dissipate the heat.

A two-component battery cover, which offers excellent protection for the internal battery. The softer (outer) layer reduces noises, seals the downtube to keep out dirt and water and absorbs hits from trail debris easily, while the harder (inner) layer ensures that the battery does not get damaged and gives it the structural shape. All critical parts, such as the rubber strap and o-rings, can be replaced as needed.

The INTERNAL BLOCK SYSTEM limits the amount of steering lock that can be applied in either direction, preventing the fork crown from hitting the frame downtube and causing damage in a crash. It does this by having a tab mounted in the frame that, along with a special adaptor on the fork, limits the steering lock in either direction. This is backed up by rubber bumpers on the frame itself, keeping both frame and fork safe.

Our SLIDER DROPOUT allows the user to easily tension the drive of a hub gear-equipped bike without the need for a fiddly conventional chain or belt tensioner. Instead, the tensioning mechanism is built into the frame, giving plenty of precise horizontal adjustment plus a very strong and secure interface that helps keep the wheel held in place for improved handling and also makes routine maintenance faster and easier.

A two-component battery cover fitted to bikes with an internally mounted battery. It protects the battery from dirt and moisture, with a softer outer layer that absorbs impacts. An easy-to-use twist lock mechanism secures the cover in place without the need for tools with a simple and light action that makes it easy to access the battery for off-bike charging, but prevents the cover from falling off, even when riding on the roughest terrain.

Our ENERGY CRADLE is a unique cradle-like shaping of the downtube that allows the battery to sit into the downtube in a specifically shaped recess, without adding any cut-outs to the downtube. Paired with an aluminium battery cover, the frame gives the impression of an integrated battery but offers a much stiffer structure for improved handling on our low-step-through frames, without sacrificing battery accessibility.

A suspension design where the traditional pivot point on the seat stay is eliminated in favour of a flexstay design. This uses the compliance of the material and specific shaping of the tubes to allow for the seat and chain stays to move apart as the suspension moves through the travel. By removing this pivot point at the seat and chain stay junction, we save weight, reduce maintenance needs and add stiffness to the frame structure.

MERIDA designed headsets that enable all control cables from the handlebar to enter the frame through the headset cover, creating a clean and uncluttered look, allowing for a lighter, stronger and more aerodynamic frame structure than with conventional cable ports. Depending on the model, the cables are run completely internally (including the bar and stem) or semi-integrated, where the cables enter the frame underneath the stem.

Rear suspension kinematic that uses a flexstay design to minimise weight and maintenance needs. Each frame size has a specific progression rate, with longer reach models having increased progression to better suit harder and/or heavier riders. An adjustable flip chip can be used to run full 29er or mixed-size wheels while preserving the geometry for consistent handling. Flexstay-Adjustable-Size-Tuned kinematic: FAST, because it is.

Mounting points for an optional extra-long fender to boost protection over the standard short fender. The full-length fender reduces the amount of dirt and water spray from the rear wheel, keeping the rider cleaner and drier and also extending the life of bearings and cables. The bolt-on mounting points mean the fender is fixed rigidly, so there is less noise, and the paint finish of the bike is not damaged.

An easy-to-remove cover underneath the bottom bracket used on specific carbon fibre frames provides easy access to all hoses and cables that run through the down tube towards the rear of the bike. The large port makes it much easier to maintain or replace brake hoses and derailleur cables, speeding up service procedures. The port can also be used to store tools and essential small parts in the downtube of the bike, when used in conjunction with our ESSENTIAL TOOL WRAP.