Merida eOne-Forty LTD
Merida Bikes need little introduction, especially for their pedal-assist mountain bikes. Merida took the eMTB world by storm when they released the eOne-Sixty in 2017, and it was the eOne-Sixty 900E that truly won accolades, with a parts spec that was the envy of many, and better value than many bikes on the market that lacked the Shimano STEPS pedal-assist unit!
In 2019 Merida updated the eOne-Sixty platform so the frame geometry and suspension matched current market expectations – and they made the mainframe carbon. With an eOne-Forty model also produced, Merida acknowledged that a lot of riders who bought an eOne-Sixty did so for the eMTB assistance, not so much for 150mm of suspension travel. The eOne-Forty platform uses the same mainframe as the eOne-Sixty, but with a shorter travel fork and different shock, Merida can deliver geometry that is better suited to all-day riding and tighter trails. A steeper seat angle puts you in a better position to climb, and the lower front end helps to keep the front end stuck to the ground in fast corners going up or down.
Earlier this year Brad Babel tested the Merida eOne-Forty 8000, the carbon-framed, Shimano Deore XT M8100 equipped model. You can if you don’t have all our issues on your shelf. At that time it was the only eOne-Forty model available, but during the testing period the aluminium framed eOne-Forty LTD and eOne-Sixty LTD were released, bringing the same platform to a cheaper price point – in this case $6499 for the eOne-Forty LTD on test.
