2020 MERIDA ONE-TWENTY 9.700
RATINGS
IN THE STAND 8/10 ON THE TRAIL 8/10 OVERALL 8/10
Merida has been the ‘quiet achiever’ in the MTB world; with its success in road cycling the brand’s MTB stable is sometimes unintentionally overshadowed, but the last few years have seen its knobby-tyred models hog some of the limelight.
And it’s not hard to see why; the perfect example is seen here with the Merida One-Twenty 9.700, part of the brand’s large One-Twenty stable, that includes alloy and carbon frames in both 27.5 and 29-inch sizes. The 9.700 is the top-spec alloy model. The One-Twenty range is aimed squarely at the burgeoning short-travel (100-130mm) trail bike segment.
It’s an increasingly crowded market, but Merida has plenty of confidence in this new alloy-frame rig with the 9.700’s very impressive spec list at a killer $3799 asking price. With ‘boutique’ MTB brands’ offerings skyrocketing (especially here in Oz) in price, being able to walk out of your local bike shop with a trail bike that is, literally, ready to
