Merida eOne-Sixty SL 8000 long-term review – initial report

SQUIRREL_13333098

Merida’s eOne-Sixty SL 8000 is its lightweight all-mountain eMTB, aimed at riders hunting the middle ground between traditional descending capabilities and some helpful assistance on the way back up.

To help keep the weight in check, it uses Bosch’s 55Nm Performance Line SX motor and a fully integrated 400Wh battery. Plus, there’s a carbon frame with a flexstay rear pivot. A flip chip converts the 29in bike to a mixed-wheel setup.

It offers 160mm of front travel and 160mm (29er) or 174mm (27.5in) of rear travel for plenty of bump-swallowing ability, while not flattening mellower trails into submission.

This 8000 model sits in the middle of the three-bike eOne-Sixty SL range. At £7,500, it’s not cheap, but it’s kitted out with an impressive spec list.

Merida eOne-Sixty SL 8000 frame, suspension and specifications

The frame is fully carbon, using Merida’s CF4 carbon fibre. This is intended to balance strength and weight, boasting the bike's category 4 strength credentials.

The rear suspension is a single-pivot linkage-driven design, which dishes out its 174mm rear travel (27.5in rear wheel).

Merida employs its flexstay where the seatstay bends rather than using a pivot. It says this reduces weight and maintenance, while giving the bike a livelier ride feel.

Merida has removed the shock yoke to help reduce side loading on the shock.

Shock tunes are size-specific, with the smaller frames getting more linear tunes to help lighter riders achieve full travel.

There’s internal headset cable routing, with the jury still out on whether this is a pro or con.

The Acros headset steering limiter is a nice touch to prevent the fork and handlebar spinning around too far, potentially causing damage in a crash.

The bike is powered by Bosch’s Performance Line SX motor. This mid-assistance motor delivers 600W peak power and 55Nm torque. It’s run by a non-removable 400Wh battery.

The carbon frame is adorned with a host of high-performance parts. RockShox looks after the suspension with its 160mm Lyrik Select+ fork and Super Deluxe Select+ rear shock.

The rear shock gets RockShox’s Super Deluxe XL air can to give the bike a more linear suspension feel. Think coil-like.

Gearing is taken care of by SRAM’s GX Eagle Transmission. The derailleur is wired into the bike's battery, so you never have to remember to charge it – which is a game-changer. SRAM also supplies its DB8 brakes with 200mm HS2 rotors.

The bike rolls on DT Swiss HX1700 wheels, fitted with Maxxis Assegai 3C MaxxGrip EXO+ 29x2.4in front and Maxxis DHR2 3C MaxxTerra Double Down 29x2.4in rear tyres.

You’ll need to set it up tubeless, but the bike comes with valves – although not rim tape.

The cockpit, saddle and seatpost are from Merida. Thankfully, Merida's got rid of its adjustable dropper on this model.

The bike tips the scales at 19.54kg in a size extra-short without pedals.

Merida eOne-Sixty SL geometry

Merida offers the eOne-Sixty SL in five sizes, from extra-short to extra-long. My test bike is the XShort size for my 157cm height.

Reach figures are contemporary, with a 420mm reach on my bike and 466mm in the ‘mid’ size. Stack height is fairly low at 611mm on my frame.

That should produce active front-end handling, but taller riders may struggle to achieve that true enduro-handlebar height.

The seat tube is short at 400mm and the 64-degree head tube angle balances descending stability and cornering agility.

The steep 78.5-degree effective seat tube angle should provide a comfortable position for seated pedalling, a bonus when the motor can help and you don’t need to stand so often on steep climbs.

The only odd number on the XShort bike is the 450mm chainstay length (447mm with 27.5in rear wheel). This is due to the orientation of the Bosch SX motor.

It may reduce handling speed a little on smaller frames, but boost stability on rougher trails. It’ll suit the larger frame sizes well, however.

Why did I choose this bike?

After committing to a full enduro bike last year as my long-termer for MBUK magazine, I was ready for a change.

Pedalling that hefty bike on the hills has made me realise I can’t manage to build enough stamina in my current lifestyle to fully enjoy the few occasions I get to ride – once or twice a week, at best.

I had also previously tested an XC bike and a trail bike, so it seemed the one missing from the list was an electric mountain bike.

This way, I can hopefully make the most of each ride, enabling me to hit more trails in the time I can dedicate to mountain biking.

That said, I weigh only 50kg and didn’t want a full-power bike that would be a massive chore to ride. No 80kg rider would be inclined to jump on a 40kg bike, which is my ratio comparison on a standard 25kg eMTB.

So, the SL option was a no-brainer. Unfortunately, I wasn’t spoilt for choice with the travel options I wanted; long-travel trail/short-travel enduro, and suitable for my size… the curse of being a smaller rider.

The Specialized Turbo Levo SL would have been an option.

However, Rob had first dibs with his Stumpjumper 15 as his test bike, so that was off the table. The Santa Cruz Heckler SL could also have been a good fit, but reliability issues with the Fazua motor put me off.

Then there’s the Merida. It ticked the boxes for size, mullet wheels and Bosch’s SX motor. It’s not the lightest lightweight eMTB, but hopefully it will enable me to make the most of my precious time on two wheels.

Merida eOne-Sixty SL 8000 initial setup

The first thing I did was fit a 27.5in rear wheel. Mullet setup has been my preference for a while, and one of the reasons I’ve chosen this model. This changes the leverage on the suspension, so I set up the shock accordingly.

I’m running 30 per cent sag at the shock, which I needed 145psi to set. From here, I’ve opened the compression damping fully for my light weight. I’ve set the rebound to 12 clicks from closed out of 16 to balance grip, composure and a lively feeling rear end.

For the fork, my weight is below the lowest recommended air pressure from RockShox’s chart, so I've set the pressure to 55psi as a starting point.

I’m running both the compression adjustments and rebound fully open to give me the sensitivity and speed needed for control and comfort until I can get the suspension tuned for me.

Otherwise, I’ve trimmed my bar to 750mm to help the bike fit.

Merida eOne-Sixty SL 8000 ride impressions

I don't have a lot of great adventures abroad in the diary this year, so I wanted a bike that can maximise fun on my underrated local rides.

I had also had enough of being the rider at the back, slugging my way through the climbs… call it cheating if you wish, but mountain bikes have always more or less made me feel weak because of my small build.

Sod it if I can’t pack it in an airplane with its battery, I’m getting some electric assistance.

As it’s my first time on such a machine, I genuinely expected a revolutionary experience from the first pedal stroke of the Merida.

Many times, I have been loud and clear about the fact I don't find great joy and fulfilment from the effort of pedalling uphill. I’m unapologetically here for the descents.

Yet from the get-go with the Merida, I've caught myself climbing between Eco and Tour+ modes. These are the lower levels of assistance out of the four available.

Next up is eMTB mode, then Turbo. It seems as if I’m not ready to commit fully to the choice I have made.

Maybe leave it a year, and it’ll be a different story. But at the moment, I am not managing my effort getting to the top, I'm just getting there faster than on a non-assisted bike.

Things started to feel strange on the descents. I have ridden a downhill bike once. It was the wrong size and nowhere near set up for me, but I don’t remember the weight being an issue.

So my expectations were pretty similar for the eOne-Sixty. It’s worth mentioning the Merida is still, by several kilos, the heaviest bike I’ve ever swung a leg over.

My first impression was of being a total passenger on the bike. The weight has been dragging me down without a true sense of control, and my body position has naturally shied away to the back of the bike, which inevitably unloads the front wheel and makes everything worse.

Slowing down remains a problem, because gravity is unforgivingly pulling me to the bottom of the trail. I’m not sure if in any sport being petite will ever be an advantage…

The whole point was to do more, but steeper and gnarlier terrains have become more daunting as I have to relearn how to brake appropriately.

My arms felt like spaghetti after a day of testing the Merida, and my upper body has taken a beating.

Leaning the bike and pumping has become a big chore as I wrap my head around taming this beast.

So far, I’m rather thankful for the smaller back wheel that helps bring some playfulness and helps the handling a tad.

Merida eOne-Sixty SL 8000 upgrades

Even though I’ve only had the bike a short while, I have already changed some parts out to suit my preferences.

I instantly fitted a 27.5in DT Swiss XMC 1501 rear wheel. The larger 29in stock size isn’t ideal for my height. It would be great to see Merida spec smaller sizes with a mixed-wheel setup.

Also, I found the Merida saddle a pain in the backside, literally. I fitted a Liv Approach SL saddle, which is slightly more comfortable.

But this year, I am on a quest to find the best saddle for my derriere.

I also swapped out the handlebar and grips for something more comfortable and refined. I fitted OneUp’s Carbon bar in a 20mm rise, cut to 750mm, and fitted PNW Loam grips in slim size to improve the cushioning.

Cockpits are an essential part to get right, and I’m hoping the upgrades will help boost comfort and confidence on the bike.

Outside of this, the bike is well-equipped, so there are no immediate plans to change spec. I will need to get the suspension tuned for my 50kg weight, however.