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Pro bike: Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesja's Merida Ninety-Six

Merida claims the Ninety-Six is 25% stiffer than its nearest competitor

  • Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjå and her new bike, ready to attack the 2008 World Cup.
  • Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjå's Merida Ninety-Six
  • Merida uses a simple and effective single pivot suspension layout.
  • Lots of familiar faces here , including FSA, SRAM, and Avid. And yes, she does use bar ends.
  • The cross-section of FSA's K-Force Light crankarm is similar to that of the top and down tubes.
  • Dahle Flesjå's Manitou R-Seven MRD fork is mostly stock
  • Vertically oriented ribs inside the top and down tubes supposedly provide fantastic frame stiffness.
  • Avid's Juicy Ultimate brakes and SRAM X.0 twist shifters.
  • Dahle Flesjå's rockker link was aluminum for now
  • More carbon fiber can be found in the DT Swiss XR Carbon rear shock.
  • Merida claims the Ninety-Six is 25% stiffer than its nearest competitor
  • Curiously, the rear shock lockout is operated by an old Rock Shox Poploc remote
  • FSA's OS-115 stem may be aluminum but it's lighter and possibly stiffer than many carbon models
  • Dahle Flesjå uses a 160mm rotor up front…
  • …and a 140mm out back.
  • Ceramic bearings are fitted in both the front and rear hubs.
  • 'Whizz Wheels' - Dahle Flesjå's wheelbuilder
  • More SRAM can be found out back in the X.0 BlackBox rear derailleur and PG-990 cassette
  • The FSA K-Force carbon post is capped with a Selle Italia carbon-railed saddle
  • Dahle Flesjå sticks with tried-and-true Shimano SPD pedal technology
  • Dahle Flesjå's bike is fitted with a rare Emporelli Dolomiti carbon fiber bottle cage

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Merida claims the Ninety-Six is 25% stiffer than its nearest competitor

© James Huang/Cyclingnews.com/Bikeradar.com