Last summer Merida revamped their flagship e-mountain bike with an integrated carbon eOne-Sixty e-enduro bike, then adapted that to a shorter travel eOne-Forty for trail riders. Now both 160 & 140mm travel versions get a new LTD option with a more affordable aluminum frameset, and the same aggressive trail geometry optimized for the mixed 27.5/29″ mullet wheel setup.
Merida eOne-Sixty Limited aluminum enduro e-bike
Built around Merida’s new co-developed Shimano internal battery and updated modern trail geometry for the 27.5″ rear & 29″ front wheel build, the carbon eOne-Sixty platform turned out to be a fun and technically capable trail machine.
But between the carbon frame (really, just the front triangle only), the top Shimano E8000 Steps powertrain & the latest Shimano MTB drivetrain, prices were really high – not what Merida is best known for.
eOne-Sixty Ltd – Tech details
Now by developing a lightweight hydroformed, triple-butted aluminum front triangle, with essentially all of the tech feature of the carbon original, Merida has significantly dropped the cost of entry with the all-alloy eOne-Sixty Ltd.
The eOne-Sixty Ltd is powered by Shimano’s best E8000 motor and still tucks the boxy new 504Wh Shimano E8035 battery inside the alloy downtube, with easy access via the impact absorbing cover. The e-bike gets full internally routed & clamped cables even down to the electronic wires internal through the cockpit, Boost spacing, plus a new set of bosses so you can fit a larger water bottle inside the frame, and mini front & rear fenders.
Five frame sizes are available (XS-XL) and the alloy eOne-Sixty Ltd shares the same trail-capable geometry as the updated carbon e-bike from last summer – matching 150mm of travel for the 27.5″ rear to the 160mm of travel for the 29″ front wheel. All of the new e-MTBs are certified for a total system weight of 140kg.
Merida eOne-Forty Limited aluminum trail e-bike
Merida morphs that same enduro eMTB into a shorter travel eOne-Forty trail e-bike with some creative suspension setup for riders looking for a lighter all-rounder build.
The alloy eOne-Forty Ltd shares the same frames as the longer travel aluminum eOne-Sixty Ltd. But like the carbon versions, sizing is a bit different thanks to the revised geometry for the 133mm (27.5″) rear & 140mm (29″) front combination with shorter stroke suspension at both ends.
That shift stretches out the reach of the shorter travel version, so the eOne-Forty effectively gets five frame sizes that feel bigger, and thus stepped up one size for taller riders (S-XXL) even with lower standover heights.
“Compared to the eOne-Sixty, the seat angle at the eOne-Forty is almost one degree steeper, and the front is lower because of the shorter travel fork and the shorted head tube. This puts more weight on the front of the bike and gives the eOne-Forty better climbing performance as the front wheel rises later than at the eOne-Sixty. Also, due to the shorter fork, the head angle is almost one degree steeper, making the bike feel less wobbly at lower speeds. Again, a positive attribute for uphills.”
Merida eOne-Sixty Ltd & eOne-Forty Ltd – Pricing & availability
The two new all-alloy eMTBs retail at £4500 / 4600€ for the longer travel eOne-Sixty Ltd enduro build & £4300 / 4500€ for the shorter eOne-Forty Ltd trail build.
That’s a huge amount under (less than half!) the top-spec £9500 / 9600€ carbon eOne-Sixty 10K that I test rode last summer. And still a good 10% less than the cheapest carbon eOne-Sixty 5000 at £5000 while upgrading to Shimano XT 1×12. I can’t imagine that the alloy frame adds a kilo of extra weight, and with the e-assist, this certainly looks like the best value.
