QUICK HITS
• 180mm FAST Kinematic Suspension
• Bosch Performance Line CX Gen 5
• 800Wh Battery
• HTA 64.5
• REACH 485 (Long)
WE DIG
WE DON’T
ABOUT THE MERIDA EONE-EIGHTY 700
For the eONE-EIGHTY, Merida wanted to put together a heavy-hitting electric mountain bike that would still retain enough agility to be fun on mellower terrain. They gave it 180mm travel on both ends, and a mixed-wheel setup only.
As their first Bosch-equipped eMTB, Merida took advantage of the large 800Wh battery capacity with option to add a further 250Wh for the biggest backcountry adventures, and made a bike that should be capable of handling everything outside of a downhill race.
DRIVE UNIT AND ELECTRONICS | Merida opted to use the new Bosch Performance Line CX Gen 5 drive unit for their big-hitting eMTB, which delivers 85Nm torque currently, with up to 600W Peak Power. A Bosch update is in the pipeline to push these to 100Nm and 750W respectively.
This eONE-EIGHTY is fueled by the 800Wh PowerTube battery on most builds, which is integrated within the downtube but can be removed for easier charging. Bosch’s design means that the lighter 600Wh battery can easily replace the 800Wh fitted, if desired. The capacity can be boosted by the 250Wh Bosch PowerMore Range Extender for the biggest days in the mountains.
Bosch’s Smart System features an integrated LED hub within the top tube of the eONE-EIGHTY, and Merida spec’d the Purion 400 display to give the rider information from speed and distance covered to range. Up front, a Lezyne Hecto STVZO E350+ light is neatly mounted to the stem, taking power from the Bosch drive unit to light the way ahead.
As with all Bosch-equipped eBikes, the rider can connect using the Flow app to tweak power modes; track ride data; apply updates over-the-air, and even lock and track the bike for theft prevention purposes.
FRAME AND FEATURES | Merida manufactures the eONE-EIGHTY in their Taiwanese facility from aluminium, giving it full Category 5 strength rating for downhill with a five-year warranty. This mixed-wheel only frame is built to take a hit, and can even be fitted with downhill dual crown forks if desired.
On the downtube, there’s a rubber-coated plastic downtube guard, reducing the noise and keeping the battery protected. With the Fidlock buckle, this cover is easily removed to access the battery, which can be released with the ABUS key. The motor features a durable plastic cover with holes to ensure ventilation that meets Bosch’s standards.
On the rear end, there’s well-considered chainstay and seatstay protection to keep chain rattle to a minimum. An integrated fender keeps the majority of mud and stones out of the main suspension pivot. There’s plenty of room in the front triangle for a large water bottle or the Bosch PowerMore Range Extender, plus an additional tool mount higher up the downtube. The seat tube is straight, ensuring great dropper post insertion depths. The headset features a rotation stopper to prevent damage to the dreaded headset-routed cables.
SUSPENSION | Merida continues to use a variation of their FAST Kinematic, linkage-driven single pivot suspension system to deliver the 180mm of rear travel to the eONE-EIGHTY. Due to the long-travel design, a seat stay pivot was added in place of the flex-stays.
Merida goes the extra mile with the suspension design, giving tailored leverage ratio progression across the size range to deliver increased progression for heavier riders. This ensures lighter riders are able to access the full travel range, without heavier riders feeling under-supported. From sag to 95% travel, progression ranges from 13% for the smallest size to 20.6% for the largest.
The size Long tested featured 33% progression overall, giving ample support for large volume air shocks and coil shocks alike. There’s slightly over 100% Anti Squat at sag to give good pedalling efficiency, which drops off slightly towards bottom out. Anti Rise is fairly high at 105%, giving good geometry preservation when braking.
GEOMETRY | The eONE-EIGHTY is offered in sizes X-Short to X-Long, which all share the same wheel sizes and travel figures. With a dropper post equipped on all bikes that can be adjusted anywhere from 30mm to 230mm (200mm max on XS), riders are able to choose the reach and stack that fits them best.
Merida wanted to retain plentiful agility in the eONE-EIGHTY’s character, which is reflected by the short 435mm chainstay and relatively steep 64.5° head tube angle. A steep 78.5° seat tube angle helps to keep the rider’s weight in the center of the bike, with 12mm bottom bracket drop.
The size long tested had a 485mm reach combined with a tall 666mm stack height. The overall wheelbase measured 1272mm.
BUILD SPECS | Merida offers the eONE-EIGHTY in a choice of four build specs, all of which are given a somewhat value-minded approach rather than being equipped with flashy top-spec kit. Pricing varies depending on location and there’s no availability in North America. In the UK, the entry-level 400 build spec retails for £4,900, with the top-spec £7,500. We tested the 700 build spec, retailing for £6,500.
The Merida eONE-EIGHTY 700 build spec is SRAM-heavy, with a RockShox ZEB Select eMTB Fork and Vivid Select air shock suspension package. There’s a SRAM GX Eagle Mechanical 12-speed drivetrain with 165mm crank, and their DB8 brakes with a 220mm front and 200mm rear HC2 rotors. These burly rotors are great to see, ensuring the DB8 brakes can deliver the best possible stopping power.
Merida’s in-house componentry covers the alloy cockpit; adjustable dropper post which can be set anywhere between 30mm and 230mm drop; and the Expert TR II rims. These rims are laced to Shimano TC500 hubs, and wrapped in a Maxxis Assegai and DHR2 tire combo with EXO+ MaxxGrip front and DD MaxxTerra rear.
The total weight of the Merida eONE-EIGHTY 700 build is claimed at 27kg (59.5lbs) for the size Mid, signifying its burly nature. Our scale couldn’t handle it, but on the trail this weight figure was less of an issue…for the most part.
THE DIRT
My time on the Merida eONE-EIGHTY was spent around Queenstown, New Zealand, where I was able to get this freeride eMTB onto suitably gnarly terrain to push its limits. From bikepark blasting to some off-piste delights, I quickly got a feeling for the character of this big-travel electric mountain bike. It didn’t end up being a huge test at around 150km on trail, but the majority of climbing was up steep grade, and the descending time was aggressive enough to quickly figure out its hits and misses.
SETUP | Merida’s eONE-EIGHTY in the 700 spec sees a relatively simplistic suspension package fitted, with minimal adjustments to play with. Sometimes this can make the suspension setup process easier, however in this case the fork demanded a balancing act to obtain the desired support and sensitivity. Initially delivered with zero volume reducers in the fork, bottom outs were frequent as the weight of the rest of the bike pushed through on landings. Going up to one, things improved, but I was hesitant to go any further to ensure there was still enough support to keep the geometry in check in the steeps.
With the less adjustable Charger RC damper, I felt slightly underdamped and lacking support all the way up to 4 out of 5 clicks through the range. Going to the fifth quickly introduced harshness through my hands, especially on higher frequency chatter. As such, I was left seeking support from the air spring, meaning pressures had to increase and as such volume tokens would prevent the end of the travel from being reached. Ultimately, one spacer plus a good chunk more air pressure than RockShox suggested left me in a satisfactory spot.
The rear shock proved to be easier, with 30% sag leaving me in a good spot, though lacking a little support for mellower terrain. With no option to adjust the low speed compression, I wasn’t able to dial in the feel to the perfect spot. However, I’d wager that the size long tested features a tune for a slightly lighter rider than my 220lbs (100kg) mass, so many riders are likely to be in a happy spot. For the outliers, a custom tune or opting for the increased adjustability of the 900 spec are both likely to address this effectively. Though support levels were not particularly high, there was good progression to keep me comfortable when sending it deep, and I didn’t manage to hit the end of the stroke hard at any point thanks to the progression combined with hydraulic bottom out.
ELECTRONICS & INTEGRATION | Merida integrated the Bosch Performance Line CX system neatly into the eONE-EIGHTY frame. The drive unit was covered by a well-executed plastic bash guard, and the whole system ran quietly and free from rattles. The downtube guard’s rubber outer coating helped to keep noise from stones flicking up off the front wheel to a minimum, and the cover locked securely in place on the frame – likely the best execution of a removable battery cover I’ve seen yet. I wasn’t supplied with the battery key, so didn’t have the chance to pop it out to have a look inside and assess the cable management, but thankfully it went about its business trouble-free.
The Bosch Performance Line CX Gen 5 drive unit is an excellent offering, running extremely smooth and quiet, and offering unparalleled control. With functionality like the Hill Start and smart overrun built in, it’s clear that Bosch has taken the time to develop this system to offer eMTB riders with the best performance possible. The 800Wh battery offered excellent range, powering me up some steep and nasty climbs with ease. I even appreciated the Purion 400 display, which is a sleek and quality unit that effectively shows you what you need without being distracting.
Merida’s decision to integrate a Lezyne Hecto STVZO E350+ light was much appreciated for the ride home on a couple of late evening rides where I was pushing the day as far as it could go. However, the output of this light wasn’t the best, with distracting bright spots around the edges and a tight spread that limited its effectiveness. Better than nothing for sure, but there are other Lezyne light units that I’d have rather seen.
CLIMBING | Merida did an excellent job at retaining some friendly climbing character in the big-hitting eONE-EIGHTY package. The steep seat tube angle offset the tight rear end to place the rider weight far enough forward to keep composure until the climb was steep enough to threaten the power of the drive unit. Similarly, since the head tube angle is not ultra-slack, there was still plentiful steering control to keep this near-60lbs monster pointing in the right direction.
The climbing platform was adequately supportive and so the lockout lever only got used on a couple of smooth yet technical climbs to improve the ground clearance. There was never a concern with suspension efficiency when pedaling, even in the lower power modes of the Bosch eBike system. Ground clearance was satisfactory for the most part, however low-speed dynamic and chunky climbs would threaten the 165mm crank arms from time to time. With so much suspension travel at its disposal, the 12mm bottom bracket drop began to feel a little on the low side. However, for your typical singletrack or fireroad climb, Merida’s eONE-EIGHTY is a comfortable place to be.
DESCENDING | With its long travel and high weight, it may not surprise you that Merida’s eONE-EIGHTY was a planted and confident descender in mid-grade terrain. What was a little surprising was this big-hitting machine’s agility in wheels-down situations, where direction changes required less effort than one might assume. With high levels of traction present on both ends, I was able to stick high lines and open up turns with surprising efficacy. Similar to the SCOR 6080Z tested recently, I’m a fan of how the short rear end managed to offset the high weight and reinstate some agility to this big rig.
What the weight certainly influenced was a feeling of incredible momentum when speeds got higher, for better and for worse. On terrain where the brakes were open and the roughness was within the remit of what the 180mm travel could eat up, the eONE-EIGHTY was inspirational. With excellent traction and comfort, the taps could be left fully open. High speed bikepark-style flow trails littered with braking bumps and root gardens were an absolute blast, where Merida’s e-freeride machine would encourage incredibly high speeds and inevitable gas-to-flats and berm ripping. The frame was suitably stout to take everything I could throw at it in its stride, however the tire spec felt a little flimsy, and the rear wheel had a tendency to de-tension after just a couple of runs, which limited the confidence to fully attack.
On tighter, steeper terrain where dynamic moves were required at the same time as managing speed, the eONE-EIGHTY began to feel like a bit of a handful. Some of the test trails featured terrain where some riders “wouldn’t ride an eBike”, so it’s not exclusively a fault of this Merida, but I’ve certainly ridden more enjoyable bikes in the steepest tech descents. There were also times on flow trails where the momentum carried by the bike combined with the long and slightly under supported travel to make jump to corner transitions difficult to manage. Is this a fault of the eONE-EIGHTY, or simply an indication of how hard it begs you to charge? Likely a bit of both.
Being an e-freeride bike, I had to pull on my big boy pants to test its abilities on some hits that were worthy of a big rig like this. In doing so, the rear end’s ability to take a good hit was confirmed, and the combination of the HBO-equipped RockShox Vivid Air Select shock and progressive rear end took some questionable landings all in its stride. The fork on the other hand would have required a totally different setup to obtain the bottom out support desired for big hits, since the geometry preservation for the steeper descents was lacking due to the underdamped Charger RC damper.
FINISH AND VALUE | Merida typically delivers excellent finish quality within their pricing tier, and the eONE-EIGHTY maintains this theme. They go the extra mile with their integrated fenders and well-considered details throughout, giving a dialed overall ride. Some may shake their heads at the through-headset cable routing, which is justified, but otherwise Merida makes smart calls throughout, and offers respectable value for a dealer-based bike brand.
That said, there were some items that produced some complaints through the test. Merida’s in-house dropper post has some neat functionality that will let just about every rider obtain the optimum post drop for their leg length. However it proved to be a little sticky in use, feeling slightly worse quality than alternative mid-tier dropper posts. The 165mm crank spec is okay, but we’d have loved to gain a little extra clearance with a 160mm length spec.
As mentioned, the rear wheel would regularly lose tension. It appeared as if it had been built without any spoke prep, as the nipples would loosen quickly. Hard hitting riders would be well served by adding some spoke prep and re-tensioning the wheel prior to pushing it hard. I’d also suggest that riders looking to truly push the capabilities of the Merida eONE-EIGHTY also swap the tires to full-on gravity casings. It’s not like you’re ever going to make this bike a featherweight, so why bother trying at the expense of the descending capabilities?
I think it’s worth commending Merida on their pursuit of a suspension kinematic to suit every rider, with their size-specific leverage ratio curves. Of course, being particularly light or heavy for your frame size is going to reduce the effectiveness, but the majority of riders are likely to benefit from this approach. The geometry on the other hand may leave riders on the X-Long feeling a little unbalanced, and I’d imagine riders on the X-Small and Small will feel as if the eONE-EIGHTY is even more of a brute. But if you’re a small rider looking for a monster truck, then this Merida may deliver on your wishes.
HOW DOES IT COMPARE? | VS SCOR 6080Z
As two big travel machines with similar intentions, these two bikes should be quite well matched. However, while both are excellent at attacking chunky descents, they have their pros and cons. The Merida climbs technical terrain with considerably better control, and the new Bosch system is a marked improvement over the previous gen found on the SCOR. The SCOR takes the cake when it comes to the way down though, feeling lighter on the trail yet more confident when it gets particularly steep and gnarly. Overall a big-hitting eBiker is likely to be happy with either machine, but each is going to suit riders with slightly different priorities.
The Wolf’s Last Word
The Merida eONE-EIGHTY is a hard hitting eBike that’s likely to give e-freeriders and self-shuttle downhill riders endless good times. That is, so long as they can keep the rear wheel in one piece. With surprisingly pleasant climbing manners and a good blend of agility and stability, this Merida eMTB is an excellent machine for all but the steepest and deepest trails where a lighter and more agile bike is desired. 
Price: £4,900 / € (400) – £7,500 / € (900)
Website: Merida-bikes.com
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ABOUT THE WOLF
Robert’s habitat is the Tweed Valley, Scotland, which is renowned for its root-littered enduro mountain bike trails. Robert has been developing his bike handling skills for the last 16 years. Since he was a pup, he’s been riding everything from BMX through to enduro and downhill bikes. Combining a playful style with occasional speed-focused aggression, he favors supportive bikes, and does his best to push them hard.
Rank: European Tech Editor
Size: 6’2” / 189cm | 220lbs / 100kg
Social: @robert_johnston
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