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The new ONE-SIXTY is more than just a progression of the old; it is an entirely new beginning and the most uncompromising, adjustable, and flat-out fun long travel bike we have ever created. For some, a ‘ground-up redesign’ might mean a tweak of the angles, a push to the latest wheelsize and the odd new feature thrown in, but when it comes to the new ONE-SIXTY, we’ve looked at the fundamental shifts in the terrain that enduro riders and racers expect to tackle - and started from there instead. The result is the most uncompromising, adjustable, and flat-out long travel bike we have ever created. Yeah, it’s pretty good fun too. When you’re pushing harder and riding faster than ever before, compromise is the last thing you want to have at the back of your mind, which is why we've radically overhauled our sizing system, suspension kinematics and much more, so you don't need to compromise on any aspect of fit or function. You're the best person to choose what works for you - and the new ONE-SIXTY lets you do just that. It's the untamed evolution of the enduro bike.
THE MOST UNCOMPROMISING, ADJUSTABLE, AND FLAT-OUT LONG TRAVEL BIKE WE HAVE EVER CREATED.
No aspect has been left untouched; we’ve changed both the geometry and our sizing system to allow you to pick the perfect fit and handling without compromise, we’ve increased travel with an all-new suspension platform that delivers superb performance regardless of shock type or rear wheel size, and we’ve done all that with carbon or aluminium frames that are designed to be tough and easy to maintain. It’s the untamed evolution of the ONE-SIXTY.
WHAT HAVE WE DONE AND WHY?
The new ONE-SIXTY is a hardcore, long-travel enduro bike. It needs to be able to eat rough and steep trails, big mountains and bike parks for breakfast and it does just that, with 170 mm front travel and 162 mm (in full 29”) or 171 mm (in 29"/27.5") rear wheel travel thanks to our new FAST kinematic suspension.
However, it's catering for the diverging demands of modern mountain bikers that's tricky. If you want outright speed, a longer reach for improved stability might be best, but if you measure success by smiles rather than the stopwatch, you might value agility far more. Full 29” wheels are great on the racetrack or rugged trails but if you came to party or need the clearance, then a mixed setup might be best. While you can select these attributes by sizing your frame up or down, there is always a compromise. Size up for stability and you’ll be left with a long seat tube and dropper post with too much travel, plus a handlebar that's too high. Same goes for switching wheel sizes - move from one to the other and your bike’s geometry will be compromised.
The new ONE-SIXTY removes the need to compromise. The performance you want, married to the perfect fit, with all the features you’ll ever need.
NO COMPROMISE ON PERFORMANCE
FAST KINEMATIC
Our all-new Flexstay-Adjustable-Size-Tuned suspension kinematic does what it says on the tin - it’s FAST. The flexstay means we get rid of a pivot point for less maintenance and lower weight, it’s adjustable to work with full 29” wheels or a mixed ‘mullet’ setup without altering the geometry, and it’s size-tuned to deliver more wheel rate progression as you move up the frame lengths, allowing smaller, lighter riders to access all their travel while giving heavier or harder riders the support they need.
FLEXSTAY DESIGN
Using a flexstay design means a back end that’s stiffer in all the right places, plus fewer bearings and less maintenance. That’s on both our carbon and aluminium frames - and before you freak out about bending metal, it’s engineered to have minimal movement, so it’s no big deal. The frame warranty covers five years of extreme Category 5 use - yep, even bike park laps every day.
WHEEL SIZE ADJUSTABLE
Whether you run full 29” or mixed wheels, it doesn’t matter as the geometry is kept exactly the same, though we give the little wheels a little helping hand by bumping up the rear travel to 171 mm from 162 mm. Choose the big wheels all around for pure smooth rolling efficiency, or choose a smaller rear wheel for a more playful feel and extra bum clearance. Oh, and we now run a full 170 mm of travel at the front too, because that’s what modern tracks demand.
SIZE-TUNED SUSPENSION KINEMATIC
We feel the pain of smaller riders that can never access the last bit of travel - we also know what it’s like for the hard and heavy riders that see the bottom-out bumper way more than is healthy. That’s why our size-tuned suspension kinematic delivers more progression as you size up, so heavier or harder hooners can keep sending it further, but everyone else can actually use the travel they’ve brought to the party.
NEED MORE IN-DEPTH KNOWLEDGE?
The FAST kinematic suspension system represents a step forwards in every aspect of performance, but we understand if you want to know exactly how and why we’ve achieved that. That’s why we’ve got all the information you need to know about shock progression rates for each frame size, plus how the suspension performance compares when you run different size wheels in the back end. We’ve also got all the information you need to know about anti-squat figures to explain how we’ve boosted pedalling performance without killing small bump performance, plus how our new anti-rise figures impact performance under braking. To geek out to your heart’s content, download the PDF below.
REAR WHEEL FLIP-CHIP
Want to switch from party-mode mullet setup to flying Business Class with a full 29er? It's no problem - and thanks to our flip-chip, it won't create a problem with the geometry either. Usually, moving to a smaller or larger wheel would have a knock-on effect of changing the head angle, bottom bracket height and all sorts of other stuff you don't want to go messing with, but thanks to this neat bit of engineering, you can keep the geometry totally static while switching up your rear wheel size. It's simple too - just a pair of chips in the seat stay pivot that are flipped around to compensate for the change in diameter of the wheel.
NO COMPROMISE ON FIT
AGILOMETER SIZING
Our new geometry delivers next-level performance, with a steep seat tube for efficient climbing and a slack head angle for capable descending. The bit in the middle? Well, that’s up to you. It’s why we created our AGILOMETER sizing system, so you can choose whether you want a bike with a long reach for a stable, planted feel or something shorter that’s lively and agile. Or, you know, that Goldilocks somewhere-in-between feeling. You don’t need to argue about what’s best, just choose whatever works for you.
We didn’t invent sizing bikes by reach, but we do think our system is the most comprehensive yet because it deals with two other key factors in getting your ride right; dropper post travel and handlebar height. Sizing up is no good if you’re stuck with a too-long seat tube and dropper post that doesn’t allow any clearance, as well as handlebars that are way too high for you. The same goes if the dropper doesn’t reach your bum and the bars are below that - but our holistic AGILOMETER concept provides the solution.
TEAM TR DROPPER POST
Having a dropper post that’s too short or too long is no good. We’ve got around this issue by fitting our new MERIDA TEAM TR dropper post. It delivers a whopping 230 mm of travel but is infinitely adjustable down to just 30 mm. We’ve also designed in a low standover and an uninterrupted seat tube on all sizes. Get the right saddle height, get the maximum dropper travel - and all without changing any components.
The same goes for a front end that’s too low or too high. Short stack heights on all bikes allow the bars to be run low by those that want them slammed, but we offer two different bar rises for different sizes so you can get them back up to where you need them, if you need to. For further fine-tuning of reach and stack, there is the option to run just the right amount of spacers too. The choice is yours.
NO COMPROMISE ON FEATURES
DETAILS FOR A LONG LASTING RIDING EXPERIENCE
Our engineers ride bikes, so they know the job isn’t finished once you’ve made an amazing frame - it’s the details that matter too. There are no odd standards either; threaded BB, SRAM UDH hanger, Boost 148 rear wheel spacing. It’s all been tested by the ZEDLER Institute, so it’s made to last. We also back the bike up with a five-year warranty, even for racing or bike park usage.
You can run our TUBE BASE PLATE to carry a backup tube and on carbon models, there’s a built-in Fidlock bottle cage mount, so even the shortest sizes can run a proper 600 ml bottle. Our carbon models have our MSP - the MERIDA SERVICE PORT. It allows plenty of access for easy, sleek and silent internal cable routing in conjunction with our WIRE PORT headset, but there’s also space to stick some emergency supplies in there too.
Besides offering plenty of frame protection to keep your frame looking fresh and to silence your ride, we’ve also got a built-in rear fender to keep the dirt off - and if additional mud and spray protection is needed, we also have a long version in our accessories program. Our almost invisible yet super effective MERIDA ISCG05 chain guide and the NON-SLIP TIGHTENING system in conjunction with larger diameter bearings round off the ONE-SIXTY.
All in all, it’s the most advanced, best handling and most feature-packed enduro bike we’ve ever created, and it sets the tone for what MERIDA mountain bikes stand for.
INTERNAL CABLE ROUTING
We use easy, sleek and silent internal cable routing in conjunction with our WIRE PORT headset, When we say internal cable routing, that’s internally run and guided from front to rear, on both carbon and aluminium bikes. There are no cables hanging out halfway to get snagged or damaged in the middle of the bike either, thanks to our through-pivot routing too.
NON-SLIP TIGHTENING SYSTEM
Our NON-SLIP TIGHTENING system allows you to easily secure suspension pivots with only a single tool, making trailside tweaks easy and regular maintenance a breeze. We’ve also built in durability with larger diameter, tougher bearings in our linkages and pivots.
MERIDA SERVICE PORT
Need some more on-board storage? Carbon models have our MSP - the MERIDA SERVICE PORT. It allows plenty of access for easy, sleek and silent internal cable routing in conjunction with our WIRE PORT headset, but there’s also space to stick some emergency supplies in there too.
ESSENTIAL TOOL WRAP
Our MSP allows you easy access to your cables, but on carbon frames, it also allows us a bit of storage space. That’s why we created a neat little roll-up bag that allows you to take a mini pump and some extra emergency bits and pieces, all protected from the elements and ready for when you need them. Don’t use it for your sandwiches though - that’s silly.
BUILT-IN FIDLOCK BOTTLE CAGE
Our carbon-framed bikes have a flush-fitting magnetic Fidlock mount, meaning you can carry and quickly access a water bottle or accessory kit on the bike without the hassle of a cage. Just twist to release and drop to secure - it’s practically magic.
TUBE BASE PLATE
You don’t want to be riding without a tube, but you want to keep your back free of a pack, and your bike free of ugly straps - no problem, as our removable TUBE BASE PLATE means you can carry a tube as well as a CO2 cartridge with ease.
EVEN MORE STORAGE SOLUTIONS
Add in our MERIDA V-Mount Multitool under the saddle and our 4/6 mm Allen key on the removable rear through axle lever, and you’ll be ready to go without needing to pick up a pack.
BUILT-IN FENDER
Our standard small fender helps keep mud and moisture off the main pivot, but if you want to keep your body clean as well, as also offer an optional long fender that hard mounts to the bike. No more poorly zip-tied guard flapping about, catching on tyres or your frame - just neatly integrated protection.
NO PROPRIETARY STANDARDS
We’ve picked standards that work well and are easy to find, even when you’re travelling far from home. That means a 148 mm rear wheel spacing with no odd dishing. A threaded BSA bottom bracket, so finding a replacement will be easy and fitting it will be even easier. SRAM’s Universal Derailleur Hanger, so you don’t need to worry about finding the right part when you’re travelling.
PROTECTION AS STANDARD
There’s plenty more protection as standard too, with an anti-noise 3-D moulded chainstay armour, protection film in key areas like the inner rear triangle and an extended downtube protector to shield the bike from trail debris and transport mishaps. We have our almost invisible yet super effective MERIDA chain guide to keep the chain in check.
FAQs
The new ONE-SIXTY is a hardcore, long-travel enduro bike. It’s slack, long and super-fast. Rough and steep trails, big mountains and bike parks are its natural habitat. Compared to the predecessor, the geometry has grown in length, and it can be ridden as a full 29er or with a 27.5” wheel (mullet) in the rear. That makes the bike lightning fast and perfect for racing! And by choosing a smaller size, the ONE-SIXTY transforms into a playful bike that loves jump lines and tight berms.
Extensive testing and a fit-for-purpose design have given the ONE-SIXTY the highest possible category approval - category 5 - and with that, an industry-leading five-year warranty for such a demanding usage category. So, it can be ridden and raced on the toughest trails in the bike park without worrying that your warranty might be affected.
With all this in mind, the ONE-SIXTY is aimed at the most demanding enduro and trail riders and racers out there. You don’t expect any compromises from man or machine, and you are looking for the perfect bike for your preferred terrain and riding style. Over the years, you have learned what you want from your bike, and you appreciate that even subtle differences in geometry, setup and kinematic can make a real difference to your riding experience. While our ONE-SIXTY loves to show its strength between the tapes, its impressive climbing abilities, comfortable riding position and outstanding durability and serviceability make it a trusted partner on demanding days in the big mountains.
The most significant difference is the switch from 27.5” wheels with a vertical shock to 29” wheels with a horizontal shock, but we have also made some significant changes to both the anti-squat and anti-rise values along with shock progression.
When looking at shock progression, we have a pretty unique concept now. In general, we wanted more progression to work well with newer rear shocks with bigger air chambers and even coil shocks too. Every frame size has a unique kinematic which delivers different shock progression; the longer the frame, the greater the progression. As the rider gets heavier or rides more aggressively (or as is often the case in sizing up), the risk of bottoming out the shock is much greater. Increasing the shock progression means we give these riders greater support at the end of the travel and increased control in demanding situations.
Talking numbers, we have around 6% progression in the smallest size to over 14% in the biggest frame size, covering a range that starts at a neutral position at sag (30%) up to 95% of your travel. This also works very well with all modern air and coil shocks.
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 suspension to provide really efficient pedalling performance. However, the anti-squat value becomes much less when you are deep into the travel, as pedalling efficiency is of little concern in this circumstance. The end result is suspension that pedals well with very little pedal-bob, but is active and unhindered on descents and big hits.
The influence of the braking on the suspension is described by the anti-rise figures. Compared to the previous ONE-SIXTY, we have reduced the anti-rise to make the kinematics more active, even under braking. At the beginning and middle of the travel, the anti-rise is a little less than 100%, which helps to keep the bike level under braking on steep trails and on smooth, fast trails. But deep in the travel, the anti-rise decreases, leading to more active suspension and increased traction while slowing down on rough terrain or after big drops.
Fur further details, please check the PDF download below.
DOWNLOAD KINEMATIC PDFYes. Both the frame clearances and the kinematic will work just fine with a coil shock, but we choose to spec the bike as standard with an air shock as it is lighter and more easily adjustable to a range of rider weights. If you prefer the more plush feeling of a coil shock in hard terrain, this upgrade possibility has been considered from the beginning by the R&D team.
In the past, all long-travel bikes were set up to run triple clamp forks. With standard forks increasing in travel, performance and stiffness, it has become less of an issue over the last few years. While there is no strength issue, the taller build of the triple clamp fork would impact the geometry and, therefore, the handling. One bigger issue is that the ONE-SIXTY is designed with a single crown fork in mind and doesn’t feature any bump stops. In case of a crash, the rotating fork legs could hit the front end of the frame and damage it. From that point of view, we would strongly advise against triple clamp forks, particularly on our carbon models.
Based on the fact that going further than 180 mm at the front end would have a noticeable impact on the bottom bracket height and reach figures, we would not suggest going beyond that. The bike comes with 170 mm front travel and delivers the riding behaviour we are trying to achieve. A 180 mm fork in combination with a 27.5” rear wheel creates a competent bike park and freeride geometry though - sounds interesting…
No. When our frames are tested on the test rigs and exposed to forces much bigger than they would experience out on the trail. We measure far bigger deflection from other frame parts than on the flex stay. So, for example, at the lab test, the seat tube is moving several centimetres, while the movement of the flex stays is substantially less.
We don’t believe that small changes of around 2 mm per size would make any significant difference. If you take the ‘growing chainstay length’ argument seriously, they would need to grow in the same way as the reach, which very few do. Apart from that, many other rider-related factors make the riding experience individual and increasing the chainstay length would not even those out. We believe that our new sizing system, in conjunction with the updated geometry and the size-specific suspension configuration, makes it easier and more effective for riders to find the riding characteristics they are looking for, irrespective of the rider’s height.
It is worth noting that the 29er wheel setup has a chainstay length of 437.5 mm, while the 27.5" rear wheel setup has a chainstay length of 434 mm.
Usually, 29er wheels combined with a 170 mm fork make for a very tall front end. While that might be okay for taller riders, small riders often find it challenging to find the right riding position. There are several options to increase the front end height of the bike, like more spacers, bigger handlebar rise or a more upright stem, but only very few, if any, to lower it. With that in mind, we have created a lower front end so that smaller riders can easily find the low position they are looking for, while taller riders can utilise one of the many options available. It should be noted that the stack from the headset (~10mm) is not included in the stack figure of the geometry chart.
To consider the need for a higher front end for the larger frame sizes, without reducing the reach (as adding more spacers would do), we fit handlebars with different rises on the various sizes: XShort, Short have an 18 mm rise bar while Middle, Long, XLong have a 30 mm rise bar as standard. The aftermarket provides a huge amount of choice for those that need something different from that, with everything from wide, flat bars to the latest crop of 50 mm rise bars.
We believe that our progressive geometry doesn’t require further head tube angle adjustment. Regardless, we are not aware of any angle adjusting headsets with integrated bearings (IS52/IS52) being available on the market, making the use impossible.
We’ve worked hard to make the bike handle as it should, and the adjustment feature is to keep our geometry static between the two different wheel size options, not to adjust it.
While you could use Flip-Chip to adjust geometry, we wouldn’t recommend it. If you ride a 29er rear wheel in the 27.5” configuration, the bottom bracket rises, and the head angle steepens, resulting in more nervous and difficult-to-control riding behaviour.
If you ride a 27.5” wheel in the 29er configuration, the opposite occurs. In principle, that is less of an issue, but with the bottom bracket already low, it is more likely to clip your pedals, and there is the chance that the tyre would contact the seat tube under full compression, which would be dangerous.
It’s certainly not enough to have any effect on the small bump performance or progression of the suspension. The real world difference is negligible due to the attention we have paid to keeping the rotation of the seat stays very low.
Despite using the same kind of P-FLEX flex stay design, the ONE-SIXTY has half the rotation of the seat stay that the NINETY-SIX has, despite having 70 mm more travel. Without a shock in the frame, it’s easy to move the suspension through the full travel on the ONE-SIXTY with a single finger.
In the early design stages, we created an aluminium prototype with seat stay bearings and tested it against the flex stay version. The additional forces of the flex stay were so extremely low throughout the travel that the same shock tune worked perfectly on either version.
Theoretically, it could, but as discussed above, the effect is so slight that there is no need for it. The influence of an old, worn or misaligned bearing is much worse. Together with the input of specialists from our suspension suppliers, we did a lot of real world test riding of different tunes to optimise them for real world use.
Similarly to the shock tune, it could, but the effect is so tiny that there is no need for it. This means that we use linear rebound tunes on all ONE-SIXTY and ONE-FORTY bikes.
We didn’t. While the technology might deliver in certain, very specific situations, our ONE-SIXTY is designed as a true enduro and long-travel trail bike, where downhill performance might be the focus, but climbing and general riding behaviour are also hugely important, and an idler system has an unavoidable and negative effect on pedalling efficiency and weight. On top of that, these systems are often loud, require higher maintenance, are more expensive, and increase the potential for durability issues.
The adapter uses the Post Mount fitting, so this doesn’t require a special brake, just a standard Post Mount calliper which is run with a 200 mm rotor, so the customer doesn’t need to worry about compatibility. That said, the adapter gives us several advantages.
The first is that the brake calliper sits on top of the seat stay but is still linked to the chainstay. As the calliper is not squashed between the chain and seat stay, all available brake callipers can be fitted, irrespective of size. While the old design potentially protected the calliper from impact, the space restriction also limited the callipers that could be mounted and made adjustment tricky at times.
The other benefit is that we can ensure that our P-FLEX flex pivot design works the same way on both sides of the rear triangle, as both sides of the seat stays are completely symmetrical. The chainstay-mounted brake adapter doesn’t affect the deflection behaviour.
The last aspect is also very significant: Think about descending a very long and steep trail; there is not enough airflow to cool down your calliper. On an aluminium frame, the frame material transfers a lot of the heat, but a carbon frame transfers nearly no heat. That’s why we invented the DISC COOLER design on our road bikes and have been running it successfully for several years. Now we have exactly the same effect on the new ONE-SIXTY by providing a much larger cooling surface.
The three-point chain stay thread brake mount will come on all future MERIDA full suspension bikes. It will be available in both 200 mm and 180 mm versions.