Bosch-powered Merida is here – the eOne-Sixty SL and eOne-Eighty intro and test

Merida has used Bosch-motors for years, but not on the emtbs. The full suspension eOne-Forty and eOne-Sixty always had, and still have Shimano motors. But it’s nice to have options. If you’re set on buying a Bosch Powered emtb, you can now add Merida to your list.

Merida use their «AGILOMETER sizing» on the new bikes. The bikes still come in sizes XS, S, M, L and XL. But now S means Short, not small. And L means Long. It’s a shift in how they view frame sizes, frames are measured in frame length rather than the traditional seat tube height.

2025 Merida eOne-Sixty SL introduction​

The lightweight, mid-power eOne-Sixty is a new offering in the Merida line-up. This is their first SL bike and it does of course come with the 55 Nm Bosch Performance SX motor. It’s combined with a non-detachable PowerTube 400 Wh battery and the optional PowerMore 250 Wh range extender.

Like many other Bosch SX powered SL bikes, the e160 SL isn’t actually Super Light. The range topping eOne-Sixty 10K SL has a claimed weight of 19.5 kg, so it’s very likely into the 20s with pedals. And that’s fine because all the new SL models are nicely specc’ed with solid 35-36 mm stanchion forks and solid tyres.



The e160 SL doesn’t have to fit that big 360 Wh range extender found on its heavier sibling. The Bosch extender is considerably smaller and allows Merida to attach the shock in the regular, in-line fashion. And the shock mount is new, making the frame look very nice and clean.

Rear suspension​

The e160 SL is only available with a carbon frame. The rear frame uses the same flex-stays as found on the 2024 eOne-Sixty and the non-assist One-Sixty. This is hardly a surprise; Merida have faith in the flex-stay design, and we expect to see more of it going forward.


What is a surprise is the size of the rear wheel. Merida has been running 27.5 rear wheels on their full suspension emtbs for the better part of a decade. The e160 SL is 29er front and rear, with 160 mm suspension travel on both ends. But the bike can be converted to running a 27.5 wheel at the back using a flip chip. This will increase rear travel to 174 mm and not alter the geometry much.

eOne-Sixty SL geometry​

The geometry too brings a few surprises. The eOne-Sixty SL has a slightly more race inspired setup with the lower front end. That’s hardly surprising, but it has the slackest head angle found on any Merida emtb, measuring 64*. And at 450 mm, the chainstays are the longest of the Meridas. The seat tube angle is nice and steep at 78.5*.

eOne-Sixty models​

We have three models to choose from. The equipment on the entry-level eOne-Sixty SL 6000 is sorted and well performing. The Deore level brakes and drivetrain are nice. 12-speed makes more sense on a mild emtb which is more sensitive to cadence and requires more shifting for optimum performance. The Marzocchi Bomber Z1 fork and Marzocchi Bomber Air piggyback shock makes for a sorted ride, even when going fast on gnarly trails.

Riding the eOne-Sixty SL​

My first ride was on the most expensive Merida eOne-Sixty 10K. The Fox Factory suspension and Sram XX AXS Eagle Transmission wireless shifting is of course nice, it’s what I expect to see at this price point. This was my first time riding the Maven brakes. And I can’t help but join the crowd of people praising them. I like the lever and lever-feel of the Sram Maven Ultimate brakes, quite different to what I’m used to from Sram.

The 10K also has the brand-new FSA NS SCi3 carbon wheels. These are 30 mm internal width rims with a claimed weight of just 1.495 g. That’s very light for an ebike certified all-mountain style wheelset.


But it turned out to be the Merida eOne-Sixty SL 6000 bike I spent the most time on. At €7.390, the entry-level model isn’t a downright cheap bike, that means it was nicely specc’ed. I very much like the dual caliper Shimano Deore M6120 brakes too. The short lever and characteristic light feel of it might just have been an inspiration when Sram made the Maven.

On the climbs​

The group ride started going uphill on farm roads and wide washed-out trails. Riding Turbo mode on the steep ups felt perfectly fine. Having a 12-speed drivetrain that shifts nicely under load is helpful when climbing at 90 cadence. I shifted frequently to keep the cadence steady at a high rpm and was doing 15+ kph without working hard at all. It did of course help that everyone else was riding Bosch SX motors too.


The trails contained several short and steep inclines. When riding a low-speed section, going around a sharp turn and entering a hill, it was easy finding myself in a slightly too heavy gear. Shifting was of high priority, and if I wasn’t paying attention, I wasn’t getting up the hill. The geometry is suited for climbing with its longer rear end and relatively low handlebar position. And with a high enough cadence, it definitely had the motor to handle them too.

On flatter trails​

I didn’t get to weigh the bike, but I guess we’re talking around 21 kg with pedals. This is light enough to make lifting the front end quite easy. The low-ish weight makes up for the rear end length ensuring fast and nimble handling. Going down light gradients on flowy trails, I could send the bike off every small root and ledge without pulling up much. And the more central riding position on the bike helped weighing down the front wheel through the loose and sandy turns.

Descending​

The low front and forward biased riding position isn’t an advantage on the descents. But combined with that slack 64* head angle and a bike weight that isn’t super light, the bike held its own on even the steepest stuff. One trail was riddled with drops and jumps of mostly a safe size, and the Merida eOne-Sixty SL 6000 handled them well. When diving down a rock drop, it was easy lifting the front wheel clear off the ground to ease the transition to flat.

What initially felt intimidating, soon turned into fun and excitement. But riding unfamiliar trails and going blind into many of the features, I often held back a bit on the speed.

Conclusion - Merida eOne-Sixty SL 6000​

The eOne-Sixty SL did very well on the steep, rocky and sandy terrain. I wouldn’t hesitate to choose this kind of SL bike to handle everything I ride. It’s up for some enduro style descents. Yet it offers a good dose of nimbleness, allowing me to pop off the smaller trail features just for fun. And as long as you’re not racing uphill, chances are the climbing speed is good enough too. I’ve been unsure if the SX motor will cut it. But after having ridden it quite a lot lately, I’ve decided it’s enough for me. I just have to ride with a bit more cadence than I’ve grown accustomed to.

2025 Merida eOne-Eighty introduction​

The Merida eOne-Eighty does in some ways look quite similar to the 2024 eOne-Sixty. They both come with a mullet setup, and the e180 only has 6 mm more rear travel. But looking closer at the bikes reveals they’re also very different.

The motor does of course set them apart. The eOne-Eighty gets the new Bosch Performance CX gen5 motor. And for the most part, it gets the big 800 Wh battery too. This can be used in combination with the PowerMore 250 Wh extender. And just like on the eOne-Sixty SL, it means the eOne-Eighty has got the shock in-line and the piggyback pointing down.


Another significant difference is the eOne-Eighty only comes with an alloy frame. In the world of Merida, this means it gets a detachable battery. Merida has a tradition of only offering the biggest battery on alloy bikes. And when making a heavy, long-travel bike, why not make it more rugged? This bike is cat5, freeride and downhill certified. Have you seen videos of people snapping their frames riding gnarly stuff? Perhaps a cat5 bike will ease your mind.

eOne-Eighty models​

This bike comes in four versions. The entry-level eOne-Eighty 400 is the cheapest of all the new bikes. I did not receive the price of this particular bike, but I'm guessing it could be sub €6.000. The bike I rode, the eOne-Eighty 500, is the cheapest of the bikes coming with an 800 Wh battery. It's got decent Tektro brakes and Deore 12-speed drivetrain, and it's got nice base-level Rockshox Zeb and Vivid suspension. UK will be among the first to receive the new Bosch-bikes and they're expected late this year.

Frame geometry​

The frame geometry table reveals some significant differences to the 2024 eOne-Sixty. Who expected a 435 mm short rear end? I for one was surprised. The short chainstays help keeping the wheelbase down, which is 1.272 mm for size Long. It’s long enough, but nothing extreme for a 180 mm travel bike. The short chainstays also mean the eOne-Eighty won’t take a 29er rear wheel. And how slack do you think the head angle is? Sub 63? No, not at all, it’s 64.5*. As with most other full suspension Merida emtbs, the seat angle is 78.5*.

Riding​

So how does this ting ride? The Merida eOne-Eighty 500 is the second cheapest model and the cheapest of the 800 Wh battery models. It comes with proper Rockshox suspension, a 180 mm base Zeb on the front and a base Vivid handling 180 mm at the back.

Finally, I was riding a bike without a 12-speed drivetrain! This one has the 10-speed Shimano Cues with an 11-48 t cassette. It had all the gears I could ask for and it seemed to do fine when shifting under a bit of load. Being equipped with the new Bosch CX gen5 motor, this is a very silent ride. The absence of motor rattle adds to the pleasure of riding this bike, it's noticeably more silent than the eOne-Sixty SL.

Climbing​

Even though this bike seems made for descending, I was eager to find out how much of a compromise it was going uphill. So, I seeked out the drops I had ridden on the SL bike. Being so steep, it was a stupid challenge. Or so I thought, because the bike got up all the ones I tried. Sure, I was leaning forwards, moving a lot over the bike. But that’s what you do on the steep inclines, regardless of bike.

Merida says this bike is made for the bike park and big mountain descending. They believe this bike will be ridden uphill on fire roads to get to the trail head. So, I rode some steep farm road style climbs, and it was of course not an issue. This bike did surprisingly well on all the trail climbs I did too. It even got up stuff I failed to do on the SL bike, but that probably was more down to motor power and gear choice.

"Regular trails"​

The average head angle figure keeps the front light. Braking hard before turning and rolling a drop was easy. I didn’t have to fight the steering to prevent it from folding. The moderate wheelbase helped ensure the bike never felt sluggish. And that’s quite a feature considering the bike weighs around 27 kg without pedals.

I recently rode the alloy 2024 eOne Sixty 675. This bike has a slacker 64* head angle and weighs about a kilo less. My initial impression is the eOne-Eighty 500 is probably the more playful bike with lighter handling. I believe it’s mostly down to the 11 mm shorter chainstays and smaller rear wheel. The Merida eOne-Eighty 500 is surprisingly easy to handle in low-speed sections and tight trails.

Descending​

But increasing the speed makes it handle even lighter. Fortunately, this bike picks up speed so fast. Riding the same trails as I did on the eOne-Sixty SL, I was going faster without realizing it. But it was noticeable on some trail features. The rolling terrain I had ridden on the SL bike had suddenly turned into a series of jumps. And many of the drops had seemingly shrunk in size.

I was riding with much more confidence on the eOne-Eighty 500. When crossing the dried-out creaks I tried jumping some of them rather than rolling down and up again. Not clearing the entire gap meant landing hard in the incline on the other side. And the suspension just soaked it up as the bike rolled it out. I never considered doing this on the lighter, shorter travel bike.


There was more airtime on the drops this time around. This was turning into a much rowdier ride. And not once did I wish for a slacker head angle. I think it makes sense to keep it at a reasonable 64.5*, it makes for a light and precise steering feel. Thanks to its significant weight, the bike still feels plenty stable.

Conclusion - Merida eOne-Eighty 500​

On paper, the eOne-Eighty frame geometry seemed quite surprising. Why would a burly, long travel emtb have such a short rear end and relatively steep head angle? And who would want a 27 kg emtb?

Merida has dared to experiment and made some compromises that have added up beautifully. The weight of the bike allows Merida to shorten and steepen the frame a bit without sacrificing stability. Meanwhile, the shorter chainstays mask the weight of the bike. The same can be said for the head angle. It feels like a lighter bike when turning.


The Merida eOne-Eighty 500 is specc’ed for purpose. The 10-speed Shimano Cues shifts fine, and I think it’s a great choice on a lower cost model. Perhaps saving money on the drivetrain is why Merida has specc’ed the bike with proper Rockshox Zeb and Vivid suspension? Even the Tektro Gemini M535 performs well. This bike is specc’ed after my taste with sensible and well-functioning kit. And the price tag isn’t that bad at €6.590 RRP.