Merida One-Forty 700 in test (XS): Practice beats theory!

Test / MTB: The new Merida One-Forty is an extremely sporty trail bike with innovative geometry and robust equipment. We tested how the bike performs in its smallest frame size XS when used as a youth bike.

The Merida One-Forty is a sporty all-round trail bike that aims to be the perfect companion for off-road enthusiasts and has the relevant key data. Equipped with a decent amount of suspension travel, the visually very simple bike is based on an aluminum frame and only comes with 29-inch wheels - even in the smallest frame size XS that we tested.

Key data Merida One-Forty 700

Travel (f/h): 150 / 143 mm
wheel size: 29 inch
Frame material: Aluminium
Weight (test bike, size XS, without pedals): 16,2 kg
Price (tested): EUR 3.399
Price from: EUR 2.299

The frame of the One-Forty has some exciting details and features. The generous frame protectors on the down tube, in the rear triangle area and on the chain stay and seat stay are noteworthy: almost all vulnerable areas are well protected, which means that the battle scars on the frame and paint should be kept to a minimum even after years of proper use. The additional attachment points on the inside of the top tube are also nice. In addition to the standard bottle holder, a small tool box or similar can also be attached here - perfect for those who don't like backpacks.

Geometry Merida One-Forty 700

In terms of geometry, Merida has taken a rather unique approach with the One-Forty - although the five available sizes have the familiar abbreviations from XS to XL, S stands for short and L for long - instead of the more common terms small and large. This means that the bike grows across the size spectrum, particularly in terms of length. Since other dimensions such as the seat tube or head tube length do not change so much, you can choose between significantly more sizes depending on your preference and riding style.

Top tube length: 532 mm
Seat tube length: 400 mm
standover height: 810 mm (self-determined, 20 cm in front of the bottom bracket)

For our test bike in size XS, this means that it is very short for an adult bike, but the seat tube is relatively long. The same applies to the standover height, which we measure 20 cm in front of the bottom bracket. If you want to use the One-Forty as a youth bike, you must test sit on it so that there are no painful surprises when you involuntarily dismount forwards for the first time.

Equipment Merida One-Forty 700

In the test, we had the Merida One-Forty 700, the highest quality version with an aluminum frame for 3.399 euros. There are two other models below that for 2.799 euros (One-Forty 500) and 2.299 euros (One-Forty 400). The equipment is good considering the price, but overall it is more of a stable option for the intended use - especially when used as a youth bike, as in our case. This applies in particular to the sensitive and stiff, but at the same time quite heavy Marzocchi Bomber Z1 fork at the front. The tires are also quite stable - especially the Maxxis Dissector in the thick Exo+ carcass adds a lot of weight.

The gears and brakes come from Shimano and are all from the very good SLX group. This is always somewhat overshadowed by the well-known XT components, but offers almost identical performance for a lower price with minimal additional weight. In combination with the sturdy aluminum frame, however, the choice of components means that the scales on our test bike in size XS only stop at a remarkable 16,2 kg.

The Merida One-Forty 700 in practice

With its innovative geometry approach, the One-Forty 700 in its smallest frame size is also a hit with kids: Although the bike is very heavy, all test riders got on very well with it right away and found the handling to be very intuitive. This is surprising, as the standover height is also comparatively high - but not a single tester was bothered by this. The large wheels may also have a part to play in this, which lead to a slightly less agile ride, but simply roll over bumps much better and also maintain speed better on flat surfaces.

An initially inconspicuous, but in practice notable plus point is the built-in seat post, which can be easily adjusted to the maximum stroke. This means it can grow with the owner - great! The smooth lever is also pleasing. In general, the equipment is more functional than high-quality, but it does its job reliably; the smooth and sensitive suspension fork in particular is fun, whether on the bike path or on the trail.

Here go to our big youth MTB test 2024: