2026 Merida

eONE-SIXTY SL 6000

Can an eMTB enable Julia to ride further, faster and for longer?

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In our big 2025 trail bike comparison test, we pitted the MERIDA eONE-SIXTY SL against the hottest bikes of the season. How did it fare against the competition?

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Has the lightweight mid-power e-bike had its day? It definitely feels like the pendulum has swung the other way for brands, with the newest bikes like Transition’s Regulator, Amflow PL Carbon Pro, Whyte Kado and more all sporting the most power possible. But I’ve got to admit I still like the feel of an SL (although I’ll curse these words next time I’m dropped on a climb by a full-power pal). I’m no e-bike denier, but I love the lighter, softer feel that seems to come with an SL bike: a sensation that’s hard to put your finger on but could probably be explained by more flex in the chassis, and a livelier suspension tune. Merida’s eOne-Sixty SL 6000 has both those features, it’s a nimble, playful ride, with good suspension and decent components that are designed to keep the price down. We didn’t manage to cram it into our Superlight E-Bike of the Year shootout in 2024, but I’d bet it would have done pretty well. One the best electric mountain bikes you can buy? That’s harder to answer, but I’ll give it a go… – Short of time? Click here to skip to the verdict – Merida eOne-Sixty SL 6000 need to know Bosch SX motor with 55Nm torque and up to 600W peak power Carbon frame uses flex-stay suspension and gives 160mm travel Meridas traditionally use Shimano EP801 motor with more torque 6000 model is cheapest in the range, with Marzocchi suspension Frame and Geometry I won’t dwell too much on the bike’s frame and geometry because Mick reviewed the pricier bike in the range, the Merida eOne-Sixty SL 8000. To sum things up though, the bike isn’t a pumped up trail bike, instead it gets a Cat 4 enduro rating, 160mm travel and 29in wheels. You can increase the travel to 174mm and switch to 27.5in wheels too, but that grows the chainstay length with it. It’s a flex stay design, doing away with the traditional chainstay pivot, which Merida says lowers the weight and reduces maintenance issues. We’ve been testing this design on big travel bikes since I reviewed the Merida One-Sixty back in 2022, and it’s not failed us yet. In geo terms the wheelbase grows from around 1,200mm up to 1,300mm across the spread of five sizes. And the reach goes from 420mm up to 512mm – about 5mm shorter than on the brand’s regular, non-e-bikes. Motor and battery Bosch’s SX system is probably the best lightweight motor out there. By which I mean it’s more powerful than the Specialized and TQ, and more reliable than Fazua’s Ride 60. Although to be fair the reliability issues we encountered early on could well have been fixed in recent months, as the YT Decoy SN Danny tested proved flawless. The SX range is good too, I’ve taken it out with plenty of full-power bikes and eeked out some pretty similar range rides… albeit with me in bits by the end. You can also buy a …Continue reading »

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