BIG.NINE/SEVEN - MERIDA BIKES

EVERY JOURNEY NEEDS A START.

BIG HORIZONS. SHARE THE RIDE.

Every journey needs a start. For many people, the start of their mountain biking adventure has always been a bike like the BIG.NINE or its smaller wheeled sibling, the BIG.SEVEN mountain bike hardtails. These bikes form the backbone of our mountain bike range, with options for every budget, thanks to using specific frame technologies for different price point models. At the root of this tree has always been our most price-focused TFS models, and in 2026, we’ll comprehensively totally redesign these bikes to bring them in line with the progressive design of the LITE and CF framed BIG.NINE models, which were updated to universal acclaim in 2024.

TECHNO FORMING. MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY.

TFS stands for Techno Forming System, where complex aluminium tube profiles are created by mechanical forming. It allows us to create varied shapes and alter the wall thickness of frame tubes without the expense of the more complex to manufacture hydroformed tubing used on our LITE aluminium frames.

My focus when designing the BIG.NINE TFS was to have a bike that could perform for everyone. If you are a new rider, the progressive geometry will help give you confidence, and the longer travel fork fitted to most models will give better control for everyone. I’ve also focused on fitting parts that deliver the most performance at an affordable cost, with no fake specs, just hardworking components. We know these bikes are ridden daily by many worldwide, and with the improvements, we have a bike that can hit local trails properly but is still as versatile as ever.

STEPHAN SEITZ PRODUCT MANAGER

BETTER FIT. BETTER RIDE.

SIZE-SPECIFIC ERGONOMICS

We improved the ergonomics to improve the fit for every rider. Stems, cranks, seat posts and handlebars all grow across the size range.

SIZE OVERLAP

SMARTER SIZING. SIMPLER CHOICES.

New shortest size to cover even more rider heights, but reduced offerings to make decision easier. Only size S is available as BIG.SEVEN and BIG.NINE. All shorter sizes will use the smaller wheels for less stand-over height. All longer sizes will by only available as 29“ in order to benefit from the better rollover behaviour.

VERSATILE BIKES FOR EVERY RIDER

The BIG.NINE and BIG.SEVEN TFS bikes need to be a versatile, reliable partner for all kinds of riders and riding, whether they’re a starting point for mountain biking adventures, off-road weekend escapes or just a rugged and fun method of transport to school or work. They need confidence-inspiring handling that’s stable off road but agile enough to be fun on mellower forest trails and the city streets.

REVISED GEOMETRY, RIDER-FOCUSED DESIGN

That’s why we’ve taken the progressive geometry that we’ve pioneered on the performance-focused LITE and CF models, but tuned it to be friendlier and more adaptable to a broad range of users. Fork travel has been boosted up to 120 mm on all models (except BIG.NINE 15) for better off-road performance without impacting efficiency. We’ve also relaxed the head angle by 2º to 68º to deliver a more stable ride, while the seat angle has been tightened up to 75º to give more surefooted climbing performance. The frame reach has been increased across all sizes to give more stable handling without making the riding position too aggressive for less experienced riders. We’ve also removed the bottle bosses on the seattube, so seat posts can be fully inserted for more technical off-road riding and to make them work with the latest dropper posts.

EVERYDAY USABILITY WITH SMART SPECIFICATION

A progressive overhaul hasn’t come at the expense of usability though, so it’s still possible to fit a kickstand, mudguards and we still have a bottle cage mount on the downtube plus accessory mount on the top tube. Getting the price and performance balance is crucial, so our Product Managers have endlessly pored over spec sheets to deliver builds that hit the mark. We’ve prioritised rider friendly specs, too. That means selecting 1x drivetrain options that are more intuitive to less experienced riders where possible, but we don’t want to compromise performance so we stick with reliable, dependable partners such as Shimano on as many models as possible.

ONE BIKE. SEVEN SIZES. ZERO COMPROMISES.

We also know that getting the right fit for riders of all shapes and sizes is crucial, so we now offer seven different frame sizes, including a new XXShort BIG.SEVEN model. Our rider focus goes beyond the frame alone, with crank arm and seat post lengths adjusted to give a perfect fit. Taking advantage of modern geometry requires a more modern cockpit too, so we’ve switched to shorter 50 mm stems and size-tuned handlebars that range from 700 mm in XXS to 760 mm in XL/XXL. It all adds up to a bike that performs better than ever - and crucially, also looks the part thanks to sleek, modern frame lines and new paint finishes.

THE NEW BIG.NINE/SEVEN TFS

READY FOR ANYTHING. MADE FOR EVERYONE.

This page was created at launch, and the details were correct at that time. Models, specifications and colours may have changed since then. Please check the product pages for the latest info.