£9,000 How much for a hardtail?!
At £9,000, the Big.Nine 10K is breathtakingly expensive for a hardtail, although to be fair, that is the going rate for a top-spec, power meter-equipped cross-country race bike. Its alluring mix of trail-friendly geometry, light weight and tremendous stiffness results in a bike that’s a tiger between the tape and isn’t easily fazed by technical terrain. If you like the taste of your own lungs, you’ll love this bike.
THE FRAME
This feathery chassis is made from Merida’s lightest ‘CF5’ carbon fibre. Head and seat angles remain constant across the five sizes, at 68 and 75.3 degrees, respectively, while chainstay length increases in 3mm steps. Our large test bike has 436mm stays, along with a 472mm reach and short 440mm seat tube for good standover.
The compact front triangle means it isn’t possible to mount a bottle on the seat tube. Twin sets of cage bosses are provided on the down tube, but fitting one bottle in front of another looks a bit naff. There’s an additional accessory mount on the underside of the top tube, in front of the seat tube.
Merida’s internal routing feeds the rear brake hose through a port on the custom headset top-cover.
THE KIT
For nine big ones, the Big.Nine 10K boasts a suitably high-end spec, including a full SRAM XX SL Eagle AXS Transmission, Reynolds carbon wheels shod with Maxxis Rekon Race tyres, and a RockShox SID SL Ultimate fork. A mix of FSA, Prologo and Merida finishing kit rounds out the build. The low-slung frame exposes an expanse of wiggly, bump-taming carbon seatpost, and the old-fashioned yet unfussy external seat clamp is a welcome sight. The bike comes with a small integrated tool under the saddle, too.
THE RIDE
The Big.Nine provides a menacingly stiff pedalling platform. There’s absolutely no squashy waggling from the bottom bracket (BB) or back end when honking on the bar – the bike feels taut and eager, so sprinting on flat trails or gentle climbs is an absolute hoot. Seated comfort is excellent, thanks in part to the forgiving seatpost. The bike’s sub-10kg weight comes into its own on technical climbs. While the impact of weight on performance is often overstated, a light bike is certainly easier to manoeuvre up steppy terrain.
That generous reach figure provides ample room to redistribute your weight without tipping over the bar. This boosts confidence on steep descents, but also improves handling in flat corners (a common feature of XC race courses), where it’s easier to weight the front tyre.
Maxxis’s Rekon Race is a tremendously good tyre for XC riding and racing ��
