27.5 Plus bikes are the latest craze in this rapidly moving industry, and without wanting to get into the pros and cons, it’s probably fair to say there’s a good argument to be made for their use on a hardtail; the extra cushioning effect of the larger volume tires hopefully contributing to a smoother ride, and a ramping up of the fun factor.
We’ve seen some very progressive hardtails in recent years that mimic the long, low and slack geometry of the latest full-suspension trail and enduro bikes, and Merida has followed this blueprint; the Big Trail is equipped with a 130mm-travel Pike fork providing a 67.5-degree head angle, and it's well appointed with a short stem and wide handlebar. It sounds like a recipe for a bike designed for shredding trails and putting a massive smile on your face.
Merida Big Trail Details:• Intended use: trail / enduro
• Wheel size: 27.5 Plus
• Frame material: aluminium
• Fork: RockShox Pike, 130mm
• Head angle: 67.5-degree
• SRAM X0/X1 11-speed drivetrain
• RockShox Reverb dropper
• Boost hub spacing
• Weight: 28lb (med, w/o pedals)
• MSRP: £2,600
• Contact:
Merida Bikes @MeridaBikes Merida hasn’t just squeezed some 2.8'' tires into an existing cross-country hardtail frame, but rather designed a completely new model from the ground up, one that is targeted at the trail rider with modern geometry taking all its cues from the latest trail full-suspension bikes. Compared to a conventional hardtail race bike, the Big Trail has a longer reach, slacker head angle, short stem and massive standover. And a dropper post. Let’s be clear, this is not a bike for racing as with most previous Merida hardtails; it’s designed for extracting as much fun out of your local trails as you can rather than trying to induce lactic acid and clinch a KOM on Strava. Fun and smiles are where the Big Trail are at.
Merida has built a smart looking frame, and the chunky tires give it a cartoonish, but purposeful presence. The massively sloping top tube is reminiscent of the DMR Trailstar I tested for Pinkbike last year and is intended to provide very generous standover clearance. The front triangle features Merida's Smart Entry internal cable routing, with the solitary gear cable, rear brake, and dropper post hose all routed inside the frame. The gear cable and brake hose then pop out at the bottom of the down tube where a small plastic bracket keeps them in place. Both are then externally routed to their final destination. This approach does open up the potential for mud contamination, but I’ve had no problems.
A compact rear triangle is welded to the front end, and there’s a BB92 bottom bracket with optional ISCG 05 mounts and asymmetric chainstays to provide the necessary tire clearance. They've also specially shaped the drive-side chainstay where it meets the bottom bracket to provide maximum tire and mud clearance and to ensure adequate stiffness. Each of the three models in the Big Trail range is 1x-specific, so there’s no concession for a front derailleur. Out back is a Boost 148 axle that is matched up front by a Pike Boost fork.
Geometry is longer, slacker and lower than many typical hardtails. The Big Trail runs a 130mm-travel fork that produces a 67.5-degree head angle. Chainstays are short at 427.5mm (the same across all four sizes), with the wheelbase measuring 1,146mm on the medium pictured here - it's 1,194mm on the extra-large. The top tube is 616mm, the reach is 425mm, and it sports a 646mm stack. They've also spec'd a 35mm diameter handlebar that's 760mm wide and a matching stem.
[Insert name of bike being reviewed] is such bad value for money, I could get a YT for much less!!'.
Yes, but comparing YT to a brand that isn't competing in the direct sales market is an invalid comparison.
I can't help but laugh though when a hardtail is reviewed and the tester mentions "increased pedal feedback", "suited to smoother terrain" etc. It sounds like they've not ridden a hardtail for a decade and are genuinely surprised that the ride is bumpy. It's exactly this trail feedback through the legs that I love riding hardtails for. A suspension fork keeps me riding in control and rubber side down, but the rigid back end gives you an "on the edge" feeling. That's where the fun comes from!
On the other hand they have to make clear that plus tyres are not enough to make a rigid back end ride like a mercedes-benz.
Anyway, glad to see more bikes like this becoming availiable, I hope they become mainstream and spread across all price ranges so beginners are able to steer clear of 70 degree head angles for their first mtb.
A Shand Hoolie (steel) or Oykel (carbon) is £2,250
A Production Privee Shan GT is £2,365
Ridiculous pricing
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Biggest issue on a Hardtail: flat rear tires
Biggest issue of plus tires: lots of flats
So probably bit of a missmatch.
Im riding a Hardtail only ATM. (riding a lot in the alps)
Better go for a Steel frame for the damping and a Dh rear Tire for the strenght.
Actually bottom outs should never happen if you run pressures appropriate to your weight, tire width, and trail conditions. If you're bottoming and denting the rim, you're too low. With a 3.2 inch tire footprint, and 210 pounds rider weight, i've run 10-11psi front and 12-13psi back all summer and fall on rocky and rooted trails every ride. Never dented my rims once.
Glad that plus works for you, looking forward to try a plus HT myself when I get the chance.
Probably works ok for some, but not for me.
Anyways, bikes a little expensive but man its nice look at. Looking at that side view and thinking a horizontal mounted swing link rear suspension put on this thing would be very sexy as well.
The need for aggressive hardtails is actually on the upswing at bike shops and some companies are getting on this and some are being slow about it. They are a great way to get young kids and teens into the sport and on a bike that can handle anything... but they need to be cost effective so it's worth putting kids on them.
You want brand loyalty from the time they are kids to when they are adults? Than build affordable bikes that parents can justify buying and are going to last. If the kid falls in love with the bike he is more than likely to stick with same company because it's what they know.
But while we're dreaming, I'd love a bike that could dampen the dust under my tires right into loam.
WTB's Trailblazer 2.8 tires in particular though are NOT really plus tread widths. The 2.8 is the casing width (the actual tread width is only 2.35), when inflated on a i45 rim. They're meant for converting existing 29er frame/forks to a 27.5/650B plus setup. The widest part of the tire being the casing sidewalls, are at a point further from the bridge point between the fork legs / chain & seat stays than the tread area. The actual overall diameter of the tires is about 28.5 inches. I tried them on a set of narrower rims on my Salsa Spearfish and Reba fork and it cleared fine, but it dropped the BB height and pedal clearances more than I would have liked. Its more air volume yes, but not actually more traction beyond what you get from running a bit lower pressure. For real plus riding fun, you want more tread width.
And ended with- "Long climbs over an irregular surface can be jarring on your lower back as the back wheel judders and jolts, even with low pressures."
Interesting use of their trails- there's so many features on their trails, yet the photos are on the tames parts.
There's lots of doubles, table tops, rock gardens and drops. It looks like you've picked the easiest lines from the Blue & Red.
Would have loved to see better use of the trails for the photos to make them a bit more dynamic. These photos don't do anyone justice; rider, trails or bike. I think they could have been taken anywhere (with a view).
I've heard mixed reviews of plus tires but the Tarn ticks my boxes.