Merida Big Trail 400 review | Budget Mountain Bike of the Year contender

The Merida Big Trail 400 is part of the brand’s range of 29er hardtail mountain bikes.

This second-tier model sports a 140mm-travel Suntour XCR34 fork, Shimano Deore 10-speed M4100 drivetrain, Tektro stoppers, Kenda tyres and Merida dropper seatpost.

The Big Trail range saw its geometry updated back in 2021, aiming all models at more gnarly trail riding. My size-medium test bike sports a slack head angle of 65.5 degrees, steep seat tube at 75.5 degrees and long 435mm reach.

With its 140mm-travel fork, this smart-priced hardtail certainly looks ready to take on a challenge or two in our 2024 Bike of the Year budget MTB category.

Merida Big Trail 400 frame

The Big Trail hardtail range from Merida boasts construction using the innovative 'Techno forming system,' enabling precise shaping of aluminium tubes with varying wall thickness.

This strategic design ensures strength where it's needed, while maintaining a lightweight frame.

Accommodating 120mm or 140mm forks, with a maximum tyre width of 2.5in for 29er wheels, it’s nothing if not versatile. A Boost rear dropout (12x148mm), BSA bottom bracket, and a SRAM Universal Derailleur Hanger enhance performance.

Internally routed cables, featuring down tube entry ports for rear brake, gears, and dropper cables, ensure a clean aesthetic. The tight tolerance eliminates the need for rubber grommets.

Conveniently located bosses on the seat tube and seatstay brace means owners can fit both mudguards and pannier racks, along with thoughtful finishing touches such as the thin chainstay protector.

The frame offers versatile tool and hydration-carrying capacity, boasting three sets of bosses; two on the upper side of the down tube and one beneath the top tube.

Merida Big Trail 400 geometry

All models in the Big Trail line-up are fitted with a 140mm fork, with the exception of the Big Trail 200, which gets 120mm travel.

The 400’s head angle is raked out to 65.5 degrees, and to keep pedalling efficient, there's a relatively steep seat angle, of 75.5 degrees. The medium bike has a 435mm reach, while the effective top tube is 600mm.

The 435mm chainstay length is consistent across the size range.

My size-medium frame has a wheelbase of 1,172mm and a 737mm front-centre.

Merida Big Trail 400 specifications

This second most affordable Big.Trail 400 model has a 10-speed Shimano Deore drivetrain, with an 11-46 tooth cassette paired with a 32T chainring that's fitted to 170mm Deore M5100 cranks on the size-small and 175mm for medium and upwards.

The cockpit is consistent across the sizing range, consisting of a 50mm stem and 740mm-wide bar, which may feel narrow for riders going for a size L-XXL.

The Big Trail 400 model showcases an SR Suntour XCR34 LOR Air fork, offering 140mm travel via an adjustable air spring, lockout dial and rebound adjuster.

With options for five frame sizes, the Big Trail 400 has a Merida Comp TR dropper seatpost. The travel is size-specific: 125mm drop for small, 150mm for M-L and 170mm for XL/XXL frames.

Tektro M275 two-piston brakes with one-finger lever blades are paired with Shimano RT10 180mm rotors front and rear.

My size-medium test bike weighed in at 14.3kg without pedals.

Merida Big Trail 400 ride impressions

All of the contenders in this Bike of the Year category were tested on a variety of XC-light, enduro-style trails in the Tweed Valley.

The recently unveiled fast, open blue and red-graded trails at Glentress, with berms and tabletop jumps, proved ideal terrain for the Merida.

Opting for 25 per cent sag, with the saddle pushed forwards in the rails for enhanced pedalling efficiency, the size-medium felt just right on the trails, contributing to a dynamic and enjoyable riding experience.

Merida Big Trail 400 climbing performance

Customising the position of the saddle and rotation of the riser bar, the Big Trail has adequate frame and tyre compliance for seated pedalling along flat, rumbly fire roads.

However, once the going got rougher on worn trail-centre climbs littered with potholes and small rocks, the bike felt harsh, forcing me to hover over the saddle to avoid jarring through the seat.

The well-proportioned Merida enabled me to maintain traction on both wheels, steering precisely over loose rocks.

Transitioning from seated to standing pedalling at a moment’s notice was equally seamless.

Lunging up and over rock steps on trail-centre tech climbs was also intuitive and well-controlled.

However, the gearing demanded a fast pace to maintain good cadence and avoid grinding up the hill. With a 32T chainring, paired with the 11-46 tooth cassette, fire-road gradients of 5-7 per cent were tough on the legs.

If you’re new to mountain biking and still building your fitness and strength, this setup will be a challenge on the climbs.

That being said, the efficient power transfer and low rolling resistance from the 29in Kenda Regolith tyres ensured my efforts were well rewarded with speed.

For a size-medium on the small side, the 175mm cranks feel long and are seen more commonly on size-large frames and beyond.

Merida Big Trail 400 descending performance

The Big Trail delivers great performance on the descents, excelling on both smooth trail-centre paths and technical natural trails.

Its 140mm Suntour fork and grippy tyre treads offer some composure, while the responsive Tektro M297 brakes deliver impressive capability, albeit lacking the sharp quality of Shimano M200 brakes, for rapid deceleration on challenging sections.

Despite the 29er wheels providing an advantage in navigating small trail imperfections, the overall ride experience was unexpectedly harsh.

The larger hoops effectively minimised occasions of the rear wheel stalling on roots and rocks compared to its 27.5in counterparts. However, the pronounced jarring sensation throughout the body was more noticeable, highlighting a less forgiving ride compared to the smoother Rockrider AM100 with smaller wheels.

The size medium’s 600mm effective top tube and conservative 435mm reach provided ample room to position the body freely during turns without any sense of confinement.

But the figures underscore the tendency of Big Trail frames to be undersized. We suggest evaluating the geometry before buying to ensure you’re riding the right size frame; don’t just purchase your usual size without checking first.

On the blue and red trail-centre routes, the Merida performed flawlessly. Again, despite my 5ft 3in stature, the size-medium geometry enabled me to maintain control on the smooth, flowing turns and tabletops.

The only drawback of opting for the bigger frame was not being able to use the full 150mm of seatpost travel. The 125mm dropper fitted to the small would have been more suitable, showing a disparity between the bike’s geometry and specs.

The once smooth action of the dropper deteriorated after one wet, muddy ride, suggesting it needed a service and raising concerns about its long-term durability.

This contrasted with the Calibre Line T3's KS dropper post, which avoided this issue during a three-month test.

Aesthetic concerns include evident heel rub on the chainstay after just one ride. Closer inspection reveals the Big Trail's rear-triangle design, with rearward chainstays flaring outward to 18.5cm width, causing repeated heel scraping.

The aesthetically conscious may wish to protect their frames with heli-tape or similar.

Transitioning to natural and moderately technical trails, the sense of control experienced in the bike park was somewhat diminished.

This could be attributed to the tall bottom bracket height, measured at 308mm, and 641mm high stack creating a 'perched-on-top' sensation.

To put it in perspective, the Rockrider has a lower bottom bracket height, sitting at approximately 295mm when weighted.

How does the Merida Big Trail 400 compare to the Whyte 529?

The medium Merida, equipped with 29in wheels, closely matches the geometry of the size-small Whyte. While the variances seem slight, they become significant when tackling downhill sections.

Despite offering 20mm extra travel, the Merida lacks the compliance found in the Whyte frame. The lower bottom bracket of the Whyte enhances its fun factor and instils confidence.

Furthermore, the Whyte boasts a more generous and forgiving component line-up, including a KS dropper post with smoother and more reliable action, particularly in muddy and wet conditions.

Additionally, the Whyte's 12-speed setup provides a more forgiving experience, especially during climbs.

Merida Big Trail 400 bottom line

The Big Trail 400 is a good-value, capable entry-level hardtail mountain bike with a reliable line-up of components.

The Suntour XCR 140mm air fork and the inclusion of a dropper post at this price point – even if it requires more frequent servicing for longevity – are the spec highlights.

Consider the geometry chart and sizing up for a more comfortable, all-round climber and descender.