MERIDA NINETY-SIX TEAM REVIEW
Merida Ninety-Six Team
Straight up, it has to be said that this bike is for one purpose and one purpose only, to win races. In an attempt to appeal to as wide a market as possible, many new bikes are designed to be able to do everything from XC racing to enduro's and general trail riding. While this is a fantastic approach for most riders who can't afford a different bike for every day of the week and are only out to enjoy the ride, those that want to be at the pointy end need something a little more focused. Enter the Merida 96 Team-D. Yes, its expensive and No, its not the best bang you can get for your buck. It is however, one of the most beautifully crafted bikes available that will not only be the envy of every one of your mates but, most importantly, for what it's designed to it'll be absolutely sublime.
The website presents information on all manner of technological marvels employed in the construction of this bike. Apparently it features egg shaped, double chamber, nano particle infused structural elements. Personally I find that all this gumpf can often be fairly little pretentious and as a case in point, the following is the information offered on the 'structural elements' bit of the technobabble:
Carbon-frame, which is made from compact dimensioned carbon frame-segments. The bonding of these elements is made according to the specific stress lasting at the different areas, either by internal joints or tube-to-tube.
To me, that statement pretty much reads:
Carbon-frame, made from.....Carbon....and designed so it shouldn't fall apart while you're riding.
Don't get me wrong, I'm glad this bike has been designed not to spontaneously fail when railing a corner but is it really something that needs to be said? If i'm paying the better part of $9000 for a bike I damn well expect that it has had some engineering rigor put to it. Similarly, I challenge the most seasoned racers to be able to tell the difference between UH, UMH or IH carbon fibres.
You might get the impression from this that I am anti Merida for all this marketing dribble but to be fair, all bike manufacturers do the same thing. Websites are filled with colourful charts and engineering reports which prove beyond any shadow of a doubt that their bike is definitively the one you should buy. In Merida's case however, it is a particular shame that they have succumbed to this tactic because what they should have done is simply put the words: “The Duck's Nuts!” at the top of the page and then follow it with about a thousand pictures of the bike. Why? Because one look at it will tell you everything you need to know bout how it performs and it is, without doubt, one of the prettiest bikes around. The bold green package is not only a link to the international Multivan Merida team but a statement that this bike had nothing to hide. No matter which direction you look at it from, unidirectional carbon fibre peers back seductively and beckons you to come closer. Then when you do (how could you not?) you start to notice all the details that have gone into the design and you realise that you are looking at something very special indeed. Metal pads are built into the frame at appropriate area's where cable rub might be an issue, a protective sleeve runs the full length of the down tube in order to protect it from debris and the DT Swiss Shock has been carefully fettled to suit Merida's exacting requirements. Then, there are those details which highlight the fact that this bike was built for a singular purpose. For example, in stark contradiction to virtually every other part of the bike, the FSA stem provided is Aluminium and not Carbon. The reason? The OS99 stem is the lightest one that FSA make. Kudos to Merida for not succumbing to marketing pretense.
For all its technological marvels however, there will be the naysayers out there who will proclaim that the ninety six is fundamentally flawed in its use of a single pivot suspension design. To some, this is roughly analogous with taking to the skies in a wright flier and claiming to be cutting edge aviator. Far from trying to convince you otherwise, I instead invite you to stand around and discuss the relative merits of your multi link, virtual pivot point, instant double overhead cam doorhandle suspension design because it will further add to my satisfaction as I smoke you first up, and then back down the very next hill. I like the fact that its simple, I like the fact that I can understand it, and I like the fact that it obviously works. The international pedigree is there for all to see courtesy of the fantastically successful Multivan Merida team and, despite perceived drawbacks, has been piloted to numerous national and international gold medals. Simplicity is highly underrated, is it any wonder that riders of all levels are turning back to simpler 2x9 and even 1x9 drivetrains? Out of interest, SCOTT and Cannondale also run single pivot suspension designs and you could hardly argue their ability to produce fast bikes. The crux of the issue as I see it, is that while VPP's, horst 4-bars and DW links might theoretically be more efficient, the advantages to be gained from the dual advantages of simplicity and weight outweigh the drabacks. In theory there is no difference between theory and practice.......in practice there is!
The specs are on the website for all to see but suffice it to say that no corners have been cut. Top of the line, carbon drenched goodies from the likes of SRAM, FSA and DT Swiss adorn the bike and the result is an astounding “out of the box” weight of a touch over the magic 10kg mark. Flashes of anodised red litter the bike and compliment the graphics package nicely. Overall, the Team-D manages to be both classy and bold which is a difficult balance to get right.
Although I've not had too much time in the saddle, inital impressions are the ninety six does have a narrow band of intended use but when in that zone, it's an absolute rocketship. The combination of the minimal weight and nimble geometry results in a ride that has an almost intuitive response to rider input. I think it's going to take a litte while to sort out the suspension but that is true of most bikes and everyone enjoys tweaking their ride so you could hardly call that a drawback. Time will tell if the ninety six hold up to the rigors of endurance racing but every indication is that as long as I can bring the legs, this bike will be up to the task.
“I think this is the beginning of a beautful friendship.”
