Under the name "Big.Nine Carbon", the Taiwanese bike brand Merida presents its first carbon 29er bike. With the racing genes of the "O.Nine Carbon" and the geometry base of the "Twenty-Nine Lite", a light and stiff hardtail has been created. As with the "O.Nine Carbon", the frame weighing less than 1100 grams uses "Felx-Stay" seat and chain stays. As a result, the rear triangle flexes slightly in the longitudinal direction, similar to a fully, but still has a high degree of lateral stiffness. Together with the likewise flexible seat post from Pro Craft, the "Big.Nine Carbon" is said to be one of the most comfortable 29er hardtails on the market.

Customized and improved
Nevertheless, the engineers at Merida have not simply copied the best of the other two bikes. With the tapered head tube, Merida achieves a lot of stiffness and thus creates a balance to the large, softer wheels. This is the only way to keep the bike steering precisely. The head tube is also kept very short, which reduces the four centimeters higher front end compared to the 26-inch "O.Nine Carbon" and improves handling. Furthermore, the bottom bracket area with BB30 bearings is 20 percent stiffer than the "little one", the top tube is slightly shorter than that of the "Twenty-Nine Lite" and the shift cables are routed internally. The latter give the bike a tidy look. The cables are routed through the frame in tubes. Although this puts a little pressure on the weight, it makes changing the cables simple and time-saving. Although Merida doesn't skimp on prints and lettering on the "Big.Nine Carbon", it looks quieter than most Merida bikes to date - a little less green here, a little less white there.

Finally, there is the 12-millimeter thru-axle (width 142 mm), the direct-mount derailleur mount for optimum tire clearance and the new DT Swiss "XMM 100 29", which can be lowered from 100 to 80 millimeters. With it, you are ready for any climb, no matter how steep.

New component suppliers
But it's not just the technology that has changed at Merida. DT Swiss is the new fork supplier and the long-standing component supplier FSA has been replaced by Pro Craft and Sram. Pro Craft has developed a 150 gram "Monolink" seatpost especially for the Merida racing team. The "Monolink" saddle clamp system from Selle Italia is a saddle base in the form of a rail that is clamped at the side. Monolink" enables a narrower saddle shape. The narrow saddle causes less friction on the inside of the thighs. The system also offers a wider adjustment range.

Inspired riders
Swiss marathon champion Andreas Kugler says of the new racing file: "The Big.Nine Team is exactly my thing. Thanks to its high stiffness and the super traction of the large wheels, the bike has extremely good propulsion. It feels like you're sitting between wheels that simply roll over everything. This gives me a lot of confidence on technical downhills".
The new bikes will get their first taste of racing at the Cape Epic, where all Merida athletes are expected to compete with the new "Big.Nine Team".