New Merida eOne Eighty

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Merida eOne Eighty 700 in stock pearce cycles red MY25

Merida has dropped it's all new big travel, super capable electric mountain bike.

The Merida eOne-Eighty 900 features the new Bosch CX gen 5 motor, offering refined performance, quieter rides, and clever power delivery. Despite maintaining the predecessor's 600W peak power and 85Nm torque, the new CX motor saves 100g and mounts with the same two bolts as the Bosch SX motor, necessitating all-new frames.

eOne-Eighty LITE Frame:

  • Material: Aluminium only
  • Rating: Full Cat 5 DH rating, five-year warranty, bombproof build
  • Design: Suitable for bike parks, DH tracks, and rugged riding conditions

Geometry:

  • Head Angle: 64.5°, steeper than Merida's analogue bikes for better manoeuvrability
  • Seat Angle: Steeper modern seat angles around 78.5°
  • Stack and BB: High stack and low bottom bracket for stability
  • Sizing: Agilometer sizing based on length rather than height

Mid Size Details:

  • Reach: 460mm, feels larger with 12mm BB drop
  • Dropper Post: Merida's adjustable 230mm dropper post for long-legged riders

Chainstay and Suspension:

  • Chainstay Length: 435mm, consistent across all sizes (XS to XL)
  • Pivot: Sealed bearing pivot above the rear axle
  • Shock: 250x75mm stroke piggy-back Vivid air shock, designed for longer travel

RockShox Vivid Suspension:

  • Damper: Linear damper or coil shock
  • Leverage Ratio: Optimized for shock performance, with five different ratios across sizes
  • Progression: Less progression for smaller bikes, more for larger bikes to resist bottom out

The all-new link layout sets the eOne-Eighty apart from Shimano-motored bikes, featuring a triangulated mount off the seat tube. This design eliminates the shock yoke, reducing side loads on the shock. While the hardware is sturdy and neat, the linkage protrudes wider at the end of the seat stays and sides of the seat tube, which may irritate some riders.

Battery and Integration:

  • Battery: Semi-integrated 600Wh Bosch PowerTube battery on the base model, 800Wh on higher tiers, with an optional 250Wh range extender for over 1000Wh total.
  • Energy Density: New Bosch CX batteries offer 205Wh/kg, providing a weight advantage over older models like the Pivot Shuttle LT 2025 and Orbea Wild e-bike.

Frame and Geometry:

  • Frame Growth: Frames grow mainly in reach and wheelbase, maintaining good stand-over clearance and consistent seat and head tube lengths.
  • Cable Routing: Cables port through the headtube into an Acros headset, which may not appeal to all customers. The Block-lock design prevents fork legs from hitting the downtube, and the wire port routing is silent.
  • Headset: Newer Acros headsets with plastic seals are more durable and less prone to cable damage and grit ingress.

Additional Frame Details:

  • Controller Module: Embedded in the top tube
  • Charging Port: Sliding door design
  • Battery Lock: Keyhole to prevent theft
  • Protection: Textured rubberized protection and a metal plate to prevent chain rub inside the rear triangle
  • Mounts: For a tube stash, longer rear fender, and includes a 4mm and 6mm allen key in the rear pull-out QR axle

Suspension

The eOne-Eighty features Merida’s most progressive leverage ratio, with longer frames offering increased bottom-out resistance for taller and heavier riders. Progression ranges from 13% in the smallest frame size to 20.6% in XL, ideal for DH shocks like RockShox’s Vivid Air or coil shocks.

  • Anti-Squat: Just over 100% at sag, decreasing to around 70% at full travel for better pedalling performance.
  • Anti-Rise: Just over 100% at sag, decreasing to 80% at bottom-out, enhancing braking stability on rough terrain.

Additional Features:

  • Merida Kit: Own-branded bars, stem, and seatpost, with cheese grater grips.
  • Headlight: Included Lezyne front headlight.
  • Wheels: DT Swiss HF 1700, paired with Maxxis Assegai and Minion DHR tyres.
  • Bosch Motor Controls: Purion 400 bar-mounted display with wireless Mini Remote selector for CX power modes.
  • Performance
  • Bosch’s new CX motor is impressively quiet, blending seamlessly into normal trail scenarios without noticeable noise. The motor delivers ample power and torque, allowing for versatile gear usage. With the new 800Wh battery, I covered 1,100m of elevation and 33km in Turbo mode, retaining 37% battery.
  • Climbing
  • Despite its 27kg weight, the eOne-Eighty climbs efficiently with minimal bobbing. In eMTB mode, the CX motor offers Extended Boost, providing extra chain drive for tackling small ledges or steps. Turbo mode enhances traction, making steep climbs manageable with the bike’s 180mm travel and grip.
  • Descending
  • The eOne-Eighty 900 excels in descending, with DT wheels ready to launch off obstacles. The bike handles well, allowing for airborne maneuvers and responsive direction changes. Suspension sensitivity and control are top-notch, maintaining mid-stroke shape and rider support through deep holes and berms.
  • Verdict
  • Merida’s eOne-Eighty 900, equipped with Bosch’s refined CX motor, is a standout long travel e-bike. It combines silky suspension with agile handling, defying its hefty weight. Ideal for both climbing and descending, it’s a bombproof confidence booster in the longer travel e-bike sector.