MERIDA'S AWESOME ALL NEW BIG TRAIL : Daily Driver Hardcore Hardtail Gets Even Wilder 

Still loving my 2021 Big Trail 500 with a few upgrades (Bomber Z2 fork, Deore 4-pots with 203mm rotors, Hunt wheels and a few other bits and pieces), so much fun to ride! Nice that they've updated it, I like the slacker HTA but it has gone a bit too extreme with reach and seat tube angle now for my taste on a hardtail, the new M is the same size as the old L! At 25% sag a new L ends up at 497mm reach and 78° STA which is getting a bit silly for an all-rounder MTB. A lot of recent trail hardtails seem to have gone that way though, a bit like they've just copied fashionable full sus geo numbers without considering the different way they change with sag on a hardtail.

Wow. Had no idea Merida had been working on an update. I have the 400 2021 model. Great bikes and the fact you can pick one up for just north of seven hundred quid brand new is ridiculous value. Never understood why they aren't more popular. Feeling this new one is a bit rad for me these days and prefer the more all round angles on mine and slightly more forgiving ride. Great Merida have made these updates and pushing on, hopefully people cotton on and this model does well for them! Oh, I need one of those chainstay protecters )) Thanks Guy.

Great review, love Merida bikes

No conocia su canal, esta increible la nueva version de la Big trail ! En España el precio la Big Trail 600 es de 3.235 € !! Casi 2.000 € mas que la version antigua !! Espero que bajen un poco los precios ...

Good save been there a few times

EXO+ a necessity on these hardtails in the gnar. Enjoyable review.

Nice live review as always. Where are you riding in this video? I want to explore trails like this. Your two latest reviews are updates to my two MTBs; a Big Trail 400 I've had nearly 2yrs and I just took advantage of the clearance sale on SJ EVO to progress on from where I've taken the hardtail to its limits. On top of a demo day and the great deal, your reviews of the SJ EVO were a big influence in purchase decision for my first full suss, which I wanted to be 'all mountain' - to do a bit of everything from my bread and butter big days out on the NW England hills to learning enduro trails and bike parks. Interesting updates, I had been wondering if I get into a bit more enduro with the SJ EVO would I upgrade the Big Trail to make it more winter enduro capable, now I may be as well to get this updated version, will have to cost it up, you can't upgrade the 1.5deg difference in HTA and frame rating of course!

Merida has a crazy 24 lineup, not a single weak bike in sight. Even the road/ gravel side is supanice.

Trouble with you Guy,is you absolutely love all bikes and you're like a kid at Chistmas all the time 😂 that's great but does not help me when trainees who have never bought a bike, ask for recommendations

How does it compare to the last version you tested ? Was about to get a cheap '23 model but not sure now. Only negative i can see with the new one is headtube cable routing.

Simple colourway differences across the world, but the Aus colours look nicer than the Europe colours IMO. Otherwise I'm now torn between upgrading mine more, or getting a new one. I want to put 150mm forks on my BT600..

Good save guy, did you say what the crank arm length is.

While the back ends playing keepy ups with your arse :D

Does the headtube cable routing give as much trouble as mtb riders say or can the be lived with?

Can you review dartmoor rocbird thanks