I rode the 29x2.35 Mezcals (tubeless with Schwalbe Dot Blue sealant) on my last XC race and maaaan, they are as fast as can be! Even on asphalt I could maintain a steady speed of 30-35km/h on a flat road + 50-55km/h on light asphalt descents. But, as I have the same tire in the front, I can say that these tires sacrifice the grip for speed. I really like them for forest and hardpack races when speed is all I need. And they fitted well on my 2022 Merida Big Nine Limited Edition L size (Aluminium frame) with XTR all around (except for XT crank arms that I like better than XTR and are only 28g heavier) + SPD and light DT Swiss XR331 rims, SID SL Ultimate fork, Prologo Scratch M5 carbon saddle, Merida carbon handlebar and Procraft PRC ST2 stem (made by Merida which is the same as Merida Team SL), Al light seatpost (New Ultimate - 149g) and Merida carbon Classic Super Light bottle cage. As is, the system weighs 9.8kg. I'm thinking of switching to a Big Nine carbon frame and I'm in doubt whether to opt for the new geometry frame or the previous generation (as in the video). What do you advise me to choose, Danny? Thank you. Greetings from Romania!
I'm running 2.4 back on this frame, and it's more than enough clearance. Tyre wide are not accurate, and depending on brand. I'm running a Bontrager XR4 witch are more knobby and high profile than a XC tyre. So I guess most 2.4 XC tyres will fit in a Big Nine carbon frame, even it says max 2.25
wow not bad. love it. i recently stripped my sworks ht aswell. no axs dropper und no lockout for the stepcast 32. i do not need it. just m9100 and trickstuff piccola ... love it
Barzo - Mezcal combo is a favourite to me. At first I did not liked the Barzo, it felt awful on hard surfaces. Then I rode it some time and got used to it and now I like it. As for the Mezcal it was love from the first ride.
Once I've put light carbon fork on HT frame I've decided to sell my gravel immediately. And i still have an option to put dropper and suspension fork back
Hi! I like your videos. I'm thinking about buying a Merida, so I'm interested in your impressions of the frame geometry. Does the frame have UDH? How tall are you and what is your frame size? Thank you.
@sickbiker: what do you think about: double Maxxis IKON 3cs for crosscountry races or Ardent in the back and Ikon in the front for crosscountry races ???
I also like simplifying the bike as much as possible. I don't understand, though: did you replace the remote lockout of the fork with a crown lockout, or did you just completely eliminate it, leaving the fork fully locked / fully unlocked?
You look much younger man. I guess doing sports is paying off. I get your point of a simpler bike. If you got two of the same bike and one is set up as singlespeed and other is geared but you only use 1 gear, it feels different. I grew up riding bmx and simpler bikes are definitely better!
Hello Danny. I have the same opinion about shimano clutch, when it’s ON it really makes shifting harder, when it’s OFF it shifts perfectly. Why you used XC Trail instead of XC Race tires? The weight is pretty noticable between them. I am personally using the same tire combo but in XC Race tire type and tan color, they are very well and I like them 👍
Love the focus on simplicity. Not sure about giving up the clutch, I lost my chain recently (on a 2x gravel setup) because I forgot to engage the clutch. 😢 Also not sure about your comments of Sram clutch being better. The friction testing has shown they cost more watts than the Shimano design. Marginal gains for sure, but still a win is a win, right?
Rear tire: 2,4" on narrow rim wouldn't be a problem. It gives you much better comfort than a flexibel seatpost. Dropper: I would rather have the 600 g penalty. Having a saddle right at your butt was so scary in the Alps! My seatpost, leather saddle combo is more than 1300 g together. I am riding without bibs, they are just amazing.
is the SID just as good as a fox 34? For casual stuff, I'm not a racer. I'm trying to assemble a bike, and in Europe, the SID ultimate is ~700 Euro, while Fox 34 Factory 1000 Euro (120mm). Huge difference. Is the Fox worth it?
@@fpeter01 In europe? No way, cheapest fox 32 I see is fox 32 performance 100mm @ 800 Euro. Fox are really, really expensive in the EU for some reason.
As the Sid owner (35mm 120 travel, race day) I don't like small bump compliance. Looks like Fox do it better on first 20% of travel. Also Sid is too progressive for me. I've never hit max travel mark, cause there's a big bottom out protection. My weight is about 74-76kg with the gear. So. Thinking about Fox because of high travel support, compliance and better work overall. And i see no difference between races and casual rides
Excellent downgrades. Lol. My scalpel race bike is much more capable with a dropper and I can’t fathom why I’d ever want to take clutch out of derailleur. Drop a few chains then see if it was worth it for 15 grams savings
There is a freaking on/off feature to remove the clutch, why on earth it needs to be removed? A tuned XTR mech with a clutch properly greased and tuned works like a dream, you're just se freakin' desperate for content.
Always good to see a racing hardtail!
The best kind! 🐆
its a sick bike, but please put some bar ends in before you go out so you dont stab yourself in the kidney if you crash
Barzo Mezcal is really fast rolling and grippy combo. Simplifying setup for simpler races is interesting idea, too.
I rode the 29x2.35 Mezcals (tubeless with Schwalbe Dot Blue sealant) on my last XC race and maaaan, they are as fast as can be! Even on asphalt I could maintain a steady speed of 30-35km/h on a flat road + 50-55km/h on light asphalt descents.
But, as I have the same tire in the front, I can say that these tires sacrifice the grip for speed.
I really like them for forest and hardpack races when speed is all I need.
And they fitted well on my 2022 Merida Big Nine Limited Edition L size (Aluminium frame) with XTR all around (except for XT crank arms that I like better than XTR and are only 28g heavier) + SPD and light DT Swiss XR331 rims, SID SL Ultimate fork, Prologo Scratch M5 carbon saddle, Merida carbon handlebar and Procraft PRC ST2 stem (made by Merida which is the same as Merida Team SL), Al light seatpost (New Ultimate - 149g) and Merida carbon Classic Super Light bottle cage.
As is, the system weighs 9.8kg.
I'm thinking of switching to a Big Nine carbon frame and I'm in doubt whether to opt for the new geometry frame or the previous generation (as in the video).
What do you advise me to choose, Danny?
Thank you.
Greetings from Romania!
I can totally relate to this video. Very good. I do not need a dropper , remote on the Sid SL Ultimate & I love the simple hard tail.
I'm running 2.4 back on this frame, and it's more than enough clearance. Tyre wide are not accurate, and depending on brand. I'm running a Bontrager XR4 witch are more knobby and high profile than a XC tyre. So I guess most 2.4 XC tyres will fit in a Big Nine carbon frame, even it says max 2.25
wow not bad. love it. i recently stripped my sworks ht aswell. no axs dropper und no lockout for the stepcast 32. i do not need it. just m9100 and trickstuff piccola ... love it
I have the same fork but it's rock solid on lockout.
Which seatpost is that exactly? Looks awesome.
I use the exact same tire combo. You will be amazed by how fast it is. Just did a 80 km race, no-one rolled passed me.
I'd like to see your opinion of Berd spokes. They are so different and unusual. Thanks!
Barzo - Mezcal combo is a favourite to me. At first I did not liked the Barzo, it felt awful on hard surfaces. Then I rode it some time and got used to it and now I like it. As for the Mezcal it was love from the first ride.
Once I've put light carbon fork on HT frame I've decided to sell my gravel immediately. And i still have an option to put dropper and suspension fork back
I am with you on a simple hardtail! I have no dropper on or lockout on mine either. What seatpost is that?
sorry for the interruption do you ever consider raise the handlebar to 25 or 35mm for angle ajustment
Hi! I like your videos. I'm thinking about buying a Merida, so I'm interested in your impressions of the frame geometry. Does the frame have UDH? How tall are you and what is your frame size? Thank you.
@SickBiker what is the weight of your Merida frame please? (Their website doesn't show the frame weights, even for the new range) Thanks in advance
@sickbiker: what do you think about: double Maxxis IKON 3cs for crosscountry races
or
Ardent in the back and Ikon in the front for crosscountry races ???
I also like simplifying the bike as much as possible. I don't understand, though: did you replace the remote lockout of the fork with a crown lockout, or did you just completely eliminate it, leaving the fork fully locked / fully unlocked?
I’m wondering the same
You 43! I thought 27...
Beat me to it! Looks like mtb keeps you young…
😂
I think your ideas are OK, but please, for safety's sake, put handlebar end plugs!!!
You look much younger man. I guess doing sports is paying off. I get your point of a simpler bike. If you got two of the same bike and one is set up as singlespeed and other is geared but you only use 1 gear, it feels different. I grew up riding bmx and simpler bikes are definitely better!
Hello Danny.
I have the same opinion about shimano clutch, when it’s ON it really makes shifting harder, when it’s OFF it shifts perfectly.
Why you used XC Trail instead of XC Race tires? The weight is pretty noticable between them.
I am personally using the same tire combo but in XC Race tire type and tan color, they are very well and I like them 👍
Which seatpost have you install?😅
Off topic will you get the new Shimano 105 R7100 12-speed mechanical groupset to review especially since you are more a fan of mechanical over Di2?
You don't need dropper posts on most xc bikes unless you do serious down hill trails.
Sir can you ride Motorcycle in off road before or motocross ......
Love the focus on simplicity. Not sure about giving up the clutch, I lost my chain recently (on a 2x gravel setup) because I forgot to engage the clutch. 😢 Also not sure about your comments of Sram clutch being better. The friction testing has shown they cost more watts than the Shimano design. Marginal gains for sure, but still a win is a win, right?
we all know that multi-chainrings are history
Rear tire: 2,4" on narrow rim wouldn't be a problem. It gives you much better comfort than a flexibel seatpost.
Dropper: I would rather have the 600 g penalty. Having a saddle right at your butt was so scary in the Alps!
My seatpost, leather saddle combo is more than 1300 g together. I am riding without bibs, they are just amazing.
bollocks. Even fattie tyres with rock solid dropper post destroy your spine! Carbon flexy seatpost is a must.
What runs are you using?
I've never seen the point of suspension lockouts anyway. If you set them up correctly there is no need.
ID of the stem?
Anyone figured out what the seatpost brand/model is yet?
Merida Team CC S-Flex
I have a 9000 big nine bike and have a crack in the rear fork. Do you think it can be fixed? Thanks for the reply!
You should change it on warranty, as Merida provides lifetime warranty for its frames.
@@dragosbogoiI am not the first owner :(
🤔 Se vc trocar a suspensão por um garfo rígido de carbono ela fica com o peso de uma Road 😮....
is the SID just as good as a fox 34? For casual stuff, I'm not a racer.
I'm trying to assemble a bike, and in Europe, the SID ultimate is ~700 Euro, while Fox 34 Factory 1000 Euro (120mm). Huge difference. Is the Fox worth it?
if you try to save money, you wont notice the difference in casual riding
Buy a chicken legged Fox 32 SC under 500. It is really lightweight and a good compromise between price and function.
@@fpeter01 In europe? No way, cheapest fox 32 I see is fox 32 performance 100mm @ 800 Euro. Fox are really, really expensive in the EU for some reason.
As the Sid owner (35mm 120 travel, race day) I don't like small bump compliance. Looks like Fox do it better on first 20% of travel. Also Sid is too progressive for me. I've never hit max travel mark, cause there's a big bottom out protection. My weight is about 74-76kg with the gear.
So. Thinking about Fox because of high travel support, compliance and better work overall. And i see no difference between races and casual rides
Sid feels basically as rigid fork on tiny bumps, oyu have to exceed some force to start it dive into travel
oh, it's 2.35 tire, I heared as the 3.5 tire. It's too crazy if it happened. lol
Mezcal is the fastest tire for sure. I feel like I'm going the speed of light
Let me guess before watching, dropper, front fork controller and the rest one has no idea.
SID lockout in ultimate need to work as full lockout. I have same fork and it doesnt move at all while put in locked mode
Excellent downgrades. Lol. My scalpel race bike is much more capable with a dropper and I can’t fathom why I’d ever want to take clutch out of derailleur. Drop a few chains then see if it was worth it for 15 grams savings
Your bike weights less than my alu CAADX 2020!
Use barendplugs!!
Removing the clutch. I thought I'd seen it all. That's... that's just stupid...
I wonder why he just doesn’t turn the clutch off if he’s not concerned with weight.
Id be better off dropping 50lbs 😂
Your bike is very light and in terms of a dropper. You don't really need one and I don't think it brings any benefits to riding or racing
this guy is a Hypocrite.
I thought he Prefers sram?
but still uses shimano.
Sound is too low I cant barely hear what your saying, maybe better sound next video
There is a freaking on/off feature to remove the clutch, why on earth it needs to be removed?
A tuned XTR mech with a clutch properly greased and tuned works like a dream, you're just se freakin' desperate for content.