Bike Radar / MBUK gave Merida double honours crowning the One-Sixty 6000 Enduro bike of the year and the One-Forty 700 Trail bike of the year.

Of the One-Sixty they said: it was the Merida’s proportions, supportive suspension and electrifying ride feel that finally clinched it.“The fun we had riding some of the gnarliest trails around Dolceacqua, skimming over jagged rocks and drifting loose turns, meant it had to be the winner.”

The all-new One-Sixty 500 gets a radical new geometry and suspension design in a tough all-aluminium frame package, paired to components that deliver rock-solid performance and ironclad value. A RockShox Yari fork and Deluxe shock can take the rough with the rougher, while the four-piston Shimano brakes and wide-range drivetrain are tough and consistent.

The One-Sixty is a radical, all-new design that pushes Merida's hard-hitting enduro platform to new heights. Just as well, because once it’s there it’s ready to rip the longest, toughest descents too. Merida's new suspension system uses a flexstay design with an adjustable rocker, so whether you choose to run it as a full 29er (162mm travel) or mixed 29/27.5” setup (171mm travel), the geometry is preserved. There’s a radically steep 79° seat tube angle for goat-like climbing and slack 64° head angle plus 170mm fork to deal with downhill trail chaos. New sizing allows riders to run a longer or shorter reach frame independently of their height, while suspension becomes more progressive as you size up, all with long-travel dropper posts. Wire Port cable routing plus reliable threaded bottom bracket round out the package, while carbon frame models offer on-board tool storage and FidLock magnetic bottle cages.