Yes, my Merida Big Nine 9000 is already a previous generation. The new lineup is here: https://www.merida-bikes.com/en/bikefinder/tag/mtb-hardtails-73/root/mtb-hardtails
My bike still rocks and it’s a climbing weapon with no big weaknesses on the descends.
source
SID lockout in ultimate need to work as full lockout. I have same fork and it doesnt move at all while put in locked mode
Use barendplugs!!
Love the focus on simplicity. Not sure about giving up the clutch, I lost my chain recently (on a 2x gravel setup) because I forgot to engage the clutch. 😢 Also not sure about your comments of Sram clutch being better. The friction testing has shown they cost more watts than the Shimano design. Marginal gains for sure, but still a win is a win, right?
Rear tire: 2,4" on narrow rim wouldn't be a problem. It gives you much better comfort than a flexibel seatpost.
Dropper: I would rather have the 600 g penalty. Having a saddle right at your butt was so scary in the Alps!
My seatpost, leather saddle combo is more than 1300 g together. I am riding without bibs, they are just amazing.
wow not bad. love it. i recently stripped my sworks ht aswell. no axs dropper und no lockout for the stepcast 32. i do not need it. just m9100 and trickstuff piccola … love it
You look much younger man. I guess doing sports is paying off. I get your point of a simpler bike. If you got two of the same bike and one is set up as singlespeed and other is geared but you only use 1 gear, it feels different. I grew up riding bmx and simpler bikes are definitely better!
Removing the clutch. I thought I'd seen it all. That's… that's just stupid…
What runs are you using?
Once I've put light carbon fork on HT frame I've decided to sell my gravel immediately. And i still have an option to put dropper and suspension fork back
sorry for the interruption do you ever consider raise the handlebar to 25 or 35mm for angle ajustment
I can totally relate to this video. Very good. I do not need a dropper , remote on the Sid SL Ultimate & I love the simple hard tail.
That hardtail setup makes sense considering you have a full sus bike for the more technical races.
Id be better off dropping 50lbs 😂
Sir can you ride Motorcycle in off road before or motocross ……
Which seatpost have you install?😅
I rode the 29×2.35 Mezcals (tubeless with Schwalbe Dot Blue sealant) on my last XC race and maaaan, they are as fast as can be! Even on asphalt I could maintain a steady speed of 30-35km/h on a flat road + 50-55km/h on light asphalt descents.
But, as I have the same tire in the front, I can say that these tires sacrifice the grip for speed.
I really like them for forest and hardpack races when speed is all I need.
And they fitted well on my 2022 Merida Big Nine Limited Edition L size (Aluminium frame) with XTR all around (except for XT crank arms that I like better than XTR and are only 28g heavier) + SPD and light DT Swiss XR331 rims, SID SL Ultimate fork, Prologo Scratch M5 carbon saddle, Merida carbon handlebar and Procraft PRC ST2 stem (made by Merida which is the same as Merida Team SL), Al light seatpost (New Ultimate – 149g) and Merida carbon Classic Super Light bottle cage.
As is, the system weighs 9.8kg.
I'm thinking of switching to a Big Nine carbon frame and I'm in doubt whether to opt for the new geometry frame or the previous generation (as in the video).
What do you advise me to choose, Danny?
Thank you.
Greetings from Romania!
I've never seen the point of suspension lockouts anyway. If you set them up correctly there is no need.
@SickBiker what is the weight of your Merida frame please? (Their website doesn't show the frame weights, even for the new range) Thanks in advance
Barzo – Mezcal combo is a favourite to me. At first I did not liked the Barzo, it felt awful on hard surfaces. Then I rode it some time and got used to it and now I like it. As for the Mezcal it was love from the first ride.
Hello Danny.
I have the same opinion about shimano clutch, when it’s ON it really makes shifting harder, when it’s OFF it shifts perfectly.
Why you used XC Trail instead of XC Race tires? The weight is pretty noticable between them.
I am personally using the same tire combo but in XC Race tire type and tan color, they are very well and I like them 👍
🤔 Se vc trocar a suspensão por um garfo rígido de carbono ela fica com o peso de uma Road 😮….
Which seatpost is that exactly? Looks awesome.
its a sick bike, but please put some bar ends in before you go out so you dont stab yourself in the kidney if you crash
Hi! I like your videos. I'm thinking about buying a Merida, so I'm interested in your impressions of the frame geometry. Does the frame have UDH? How tall are you and what is your frame size? Thank you.
I am with you on a simple hardtail! I have no dropper on or lockout on mine either. What seatpost is that?
I also like simplifying the bike as much as possible. I don't understand, though: did you replace the remote lockout of the fork with a crown lockout, or did you just completely eliminate it, leaving the fork fully locked / fully unlocked?
I use the exact same tire combo. You will be amazed by how fast it is. Just did a 80 km race, no-one rolled passed me.
You don't need dropper posts on most xc bikes unless you do serious down hill trails.
I have the same fork but it's rock solid on lockout.
Sound is too low I cant barely hear what your saying, maybe better sound next video
Anyone figured out what the seatpost brand/model is yet?