Merida Big Nine 15 (2021) - Review

The Merida Big Nine 15 is built on an aggressive and strong Alloy frame. This frame has a slanting top tube, which makes the stand over height bigger than most standard hardtail MTBs. This helps the bicycle climb and roll over harsh trails without the frame taking a hit at the bottom bracket area. The top tube and bottom tube are fused together at the top near the headset, this makes the frame stronger in that area which might usually experience a lot of vibration of the surface when ridden on trails.The Suntour XCT front suspension fork comes with a massive 1m travel which made sure the bumps on trails were rolled over without any difficulty. A Lock-out option at this price is something we would have liked to see.

The Big Nine 15 is equipped with Shimano Tourney 3-Speed at the front and Shimano Altus 8-Speed at the rear as derailleurs. The entry to mid-level Shimano 24-Speed range is the perfect setup for fast and efficient trail riding. The shifting is controlled by Shimano ST-EF55 shifters which were easy to operate and in placed well on the handlebar.

The Merida Big Nine 15 (2021) comes in a Silk Lime colour with Green as the secondary colour for graphics. The matte finish and edgy graphics made the Bicycle look sporty and is definitely going to make heads turn. The colour coded Saddle and Suspension immensely enhanced the graphics of this Mountain Bike.

The Shimano MT2 Hydraulic Disc brakes were powerful and balanced during the test ride. These brakes are the best in line that can be found on MTB's at this price range and makes this bicycle capable of handling the wettest and roughest of trails.The Merida CC 69mm handlebar was wide and comfortable to hold on to but like the previous year the 219 edition also has a 15mm rise. A fully flat handlebar would have made the riding posture aggressive, aligning with the aggressive frame geometry.

The Merida Big Nine 15 rolls on a pair of stock Merida K18 29” x 2.2” tires. These tires were treaded heavily and perfectly suited for the rough and wet trails. High-speed turns and jamming of the brakes were transformed well into a balanced reaction on these pair of tires.The Merida Sport Comfort stock saddle was shaped ergonomically with the perfect length and width. The grip patches on the widest part of the saddle on both sides were useful and made it non-slippery. The overall ride quality was fast and comfortable on trails.