We've rolled up to our local woods, with a meandering blue trail, some natural wooded tracks and a bit of fire road chucked into the mix to see how the Big Seven 100 tackles trails that entry-level riders are likely to cut their teeth on.
The first kilometre or so is on fire road, and within a couple of pedal strokes we've got up to speed - the 650b wheels are reactive, taking less effort to accelerate than those on our counterpart's Big Nine 29er. Merida's own branded rims are shod in its own tyre too - a 2.1in option called the Race. Its tread is low, offering minimal resistance, helping us pick up and maintain speed on the hardpacked surface.
Locked down
With the fire road rising we flick the SR Suntour XCM HLO's big blue lockout lever, giving the fork a harsh, but perfectly functional lockout. Pedalling out of the saddle on a smooth surface, this lets us get all our power into the back wheel, without the fork bobbing.
The frame, inspired by its pricier cross-country race brothers, is reasonably stiff, however, the quick release back end introduces flex into the ride so it doesn't feel quite as sharp as it might. The Shimano Alivio and Altus nine-speed drivetrain might lack the kudos that a 10-speed Deore group has at this price point, but the shifting is as reliable as we've come to expect from Shimano. The chainset's triple ring gives a good bailout ratio should things get steep.
Fire road out of the way and we're onto some well built, hardpack singletrack. Here, the Big Seven starts to struggle as speeds pick up. The handling is somewhat nervous, especially considering that it's an entry-level bike. The 71-degree head angle means it's quick to steer, but also makes it twitchy when at speed.
The Merida Race tyres make a bit of a meal of the polished rocks - their basic compound is struggling for traction and pinging off obstacles. We stop to play with tyre pressures, lowering them for more grip, but it's a balancing act between that and punctures and tyre roll.
The suspension fork on a 825$ bike is never going to blow us away. It deals with the worst of the hits, but small stutter bumps are transmitted through the narrow 680mm handlebars to our hands. The quick release axle at the end of the legs copes fine with the basic trails we're on, but become a bit twisty when we encounter more technical ones.
Quick handling
Once we're off the manmade trails we head deeper into the woods to a more natural cut-in trail. It's flat, but weaves its way around the trees. That quick handling comes into its own here, as we thread easily along the trail. The tyres are struggling with the mud and damp roots, but that's not surprising - much pricier bikes struggle here too. The back end of the frame doesn't give much away though, and it's a harsh ride, accentuated by the knuckle of the rear derailleur thwacking against the dropout, making it anything but a stealthy ride.
A quick handling bike but nervous at times. The components all work well, save for the basic tyres that lack grip.
FRAME Big Seven TFS
FORK SR 27 XCM HLO, 100mm
WHEELS Alloy Disc hubs, Merida Big 7 Comp D rims
TYRES Merida Race 27, 2.1in
CRANKS SR XCM 44/32/22
GEARS Shimano Altus 9spd shifters, Alivio mech (R)
BRAKES Tektro Auriga, 180/160mm rotors
BAR & STEM Merida Comp OS 680
SEATPOST Merida Comp 27.2
SADDLE Merida Sport 5
SIZES 15, 17 (tested), 18.5, 20, 21.5in
WEIGHT 13.3kg (29.3lb)
Price 825$