Merida Big Trail 500 - Black/Grey

The Big Trail name is back for MY21! Last year a few UK customers met Product Manager Rey at the Global Launch in Germany and over a few beers defined their wish list for a perfect UK bike - a trail focussed 29er with 140mm fork, 1 x transmission, Boost standard bolt through axles and a dropper post.

Then it was over to Rey, a very handy rider to develop the ideas into a workable bike. He rode with us at The Ex Enduro event on Exmoor last year. At the end of day one, he climbed off the bike understanding why we wanted 140mm forks. He completely gets the UK trail riding style. The enduro inspired 65.5° head angle in combination with the 140mm fork delivers a fun confidence-inspiring bike.

A long reach and short seat tube give plenty of space to manoeuvre on the bike and a really low standover height. We use long dropper posts to achieve the short seat tube. Speccing 29er wheels with 2.4” tyres meant designing the bike around a 55mm chain line to give ample tyre clearance even in muddy trail conditions.

The seat angle is much more aggressive compared than our XC focussed bikes making climbing easier. Another advantage of the geometry is depending on the riding style, most sizes work for most body sizes. The only question is if you want to go crazy fast or super agile. For speed take the longer size, for agility take a shorter size. Highlights of the Big Trail 500 - Rock Shox Recon fork, Shimano Deore 1 x 11