Merida Big Nine 20MD (2019): ChooseMyBicycle.com Expert Review

The Merida Big Nine 20MD 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 XCM front suspension fork came with a massive 100m travel which made sure the bumps on trails were rolled over without any difficulty. The suspension lockout was easy to use and helped with riding faster on flatter surfaces.

The bicycle which I test rode came in a full Blue with Green as the secondary colour for graphics in a gloss paint shade. The spiral pattern on the edges of the top tube, along with the sleek lines gives a refreshing new outlook to the frame graphics. The colour coded graphics on the suspension fork, rims and saddle make the bicycle look uniform in design. The bulky treads on the tire add to the much needed rugged look of this MTB.

The Big Nine 20MD is equipped with Shimano Tourney at front and Acera at the rear as derailleurs. This mid-level Shimano derailleur combo comes with a 3x8-Speed range. The 24-Speed drivetrain gave that extra bit of speed for the rider and also enough range for steep climbs. The ST-EF505 Shimano EZ trigger shifters were easy to operate.

The name MD in the Big Nine 20MD stands for Mechanical Disc brakes. The Promax 300 Mechanical Disc brakes were powerful and balanced during the test ride. These brakes are powerful and make this bicycle capable of handling the wettest and roughest of trails.

The Merida CC 690mm handlebar was wide and comfortable to hold on to. A fully flat handlebar would have made the riding posture aggressive, aligning with the aggressive frame geometry. The slight raise now made the posture comfortable.

The Merida Big Nine 20MD rolls on a pair of Merida K1080 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 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.