Product news: [Eurobike 2016] Merida E-Bikes 2017: Full MTB power with Shimano drive

Market / Eurobike: The Merida e-bikes of 2017 will increasingly rely on the drive from Shimano – the new E-MTBs in the Performance series are already using the new E8000 drive. A lot has happened in other respects as well – we provide an overview of the portfolio.

Merida E-Bikes 2017: New categories Active, Sport and Performance

58 e-bikes can be found in the Merida program for 2017 - that's exactly as many as in the previous year, but that doesn't mean stagnation. A lot has happened in the area of ​​e-MTBs in particular - but in order to better structure our own range, there will be three different categories of e-bikes from next year: Active, Sport and Performance. While the performance variants are aimed at ambitious mountain bikers, the active bikes are more for touring riders without very high sporting demands. The Sport category is right in between - here you will find sporty bikes, some of which are also equipped with luggage racks or fixed lighting.

Change of course in the drive: Shimano outperforms Bosch

In addition to the new categorization, there is also a decisive change in the drives for 2017. While in 2016 2/3 of the Merida e-bikes were still equipped with drives from Bosch, in 2017 only 19 of the 58 models were still there. The remaining 39 come with Shimano power - the mountain bikes in the Performance series already have the new E8000 drive, the other bikes use the well-known Steps E6000, but some models are combined with the new 500Wh battery.

E-mountain bikes: Test: Shimano STEPS E-8000 - the new E-MTB drive from Shimano in the first test

Published: 2. August 2016

Test: We recently had the great opportunity to test ride the brand new Shimano Steps E-8000 E-MTB drive at home. The first models with the successor to the E-2014 that appeared in 6000 should probably be expected in early 2017. E-MTB fans can already look forward to it; As our test showed, the drive not only impresses with its small dimensions and […]

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The Merida E-MTBs 2017

The big highlight in the 2017 e-bike range from Merida are the new e-MTBs. Although there were already one or two E-MTBs in the program in 2016, they were only hardtails and only conditionally designed for really sporty use. In the coming year there will now be significantly more choice: From the enduro with 160mm to the 120mm touring fully to the sporty, light hardtail.

Active

In the active area, you are limited to one model series: The eBIG.TOUR comes in size S with 27,5″ wheels, in L and XL with the larger 29″ tires. M drivers can choose between the two sizes. All variants of the hardtail are equipped with the Shimano Steps E6000 drive. The EQ models suitable for city use also have fixed lighting, mudguards and luggage racks.

Sport

There are two mountain bikes in the sports category in 2017: In addition to the hardtail eBIG.NINE or eBIG.SEVEN, which comes with 27,5″ or 29″ wheels depending on size, there will also be the new fully eNINETY-NINE. With 100mm at the front and rear, the latter offers more reserves and comfort and relies exclusively on the 29″ dimension. All bikes come with the Shimano Steps E6000 drive, which is combined with the new 500Wh battery.

Performance

As the name suggests, the performance models are all about one thing: performance. Here there is also the largest selection of different models for the buyer and there are also three models with Bosch CX motor as an alternative for the drives. The eBIG.TRAIL is a new hardtail that offers plenty of reserves for off-road use with 27,5+ tires and a 130mm suspension fork. Like all models in the Performance series, it comes with the new Shimano Steps E8000 MTB drive. All bikes also have the 27,5+ tires in common: The two fullies eONE-SIXTY (with 160mm spring travel) and eONE-TWENTY (with 120mm spring travel) also have the high-traction tires. Only the Bosch models BIG.NINE E-LITE also use 29″ wheels.

All new Merida e-bikes will be available in spring 2017.