Merida NINETY-SIX XT

Merida NINETY-SIX XT: A lightweight CF4 carbon XC/marathon bike. Smooth Shimano XT, 120/100mm travel, and modern geometry ensure top performance.

3 999 €5 590 €

Price includes VAT 24% (delivery: Estonia).

Lifetime frame warranty
Lightweight CF4 carbon frame
Trail-ready 120/100mm travel
Top-tier Shimano XT

Color:Grey

Frame size:

Free delivery within Estonia

14-day returns

Secure payment

29 years of experience

Advice by phone

Merida NINETY-SIX XT

There used to be a time when you had to choose between trail bike performance and cross-country race ready weight. Not any more. Say hello to the NINETY-SIX XT. It builds on the speedy genes of our short travel race winner with a CF4 carbon frame and adds a whole new layer of capability thanks to a longer travel 120 mm Fox 34 SL Performance fork paired to 100 mm out back. Add in fast rolling tyres, a long travel dropper post and a super smooth Shimano XT drivetrain and brakes and you're ready to rock.

The NINETY-SIX is the latest incarnation of our former World Cup proven XC and marathon machine. It inherits the forward-surging race genes of the old NINETY-SIX and combines it with a new readiness and ability to tackle today’s demanding XC and marathon courses. The carbon fibre frame platform and P-FLEX suspension is the perfect basis for a fun-packed, fast and trail loving short travel full suspension machine that helps define what a modern cross-country race bike should be. It's able to take on the rougher than ever world-class race tracks as well as the trail riders who want hyper-speed climbing with the ability to descend like never before.

Lightweight CF4 carbon frame with 100 mm travel and P-FLEX technology
120 mm travel Fox 34 SL fork for increased capability
Powerful Shimano XT brakes
Modern aggressive geometry with dropper seatpost
Fast rolling Maxxis Rekon tyres on tubeless ready wheels
12-speed Shimano XT drivetrain

Technologies

AWS ANTI WRINKLE SYSTEM

This is a method we use to manufacture our carbon fibre frames. First, the carbon fibre that makes up the frame is laid around special formers. We then use a bladder to compress the layers against the outside of the frame mould, giving a smooth and wrinkle-free internal finish, removing any voids in between the layers of carbon that can cause potential weak points, resulting in a stronger, lighter frame.

INTERNAL CABLE ROUTING (ICR)

On the majority of our frames, we run the gear and brake cables and hoses through the frame. The cables enter and exit the frame through smooth sockets, or we use one of our other systems like SMART ENTRY or WIRE PORT to be routed through. Running the cables inside the frame protects them from the elements, gives a clean and neat look and can offer aerodynamic advantages.

NANO MATRIX CARBON

NANO MATRIX CARBON is a special kind of carbon fibre where we add extremely tiny, nano-scale particles to the resin that binds the individual carbon fibres together. These then work on a molecular level to protect them from damage. It’s so effective that it can actually increase the finished carbon fibre’s impact resistance by up to 40%, allowing us to build stronger and lighter composite frames that result in a faster and tougher bike.

NON-SLIP TIGHTENING

This system means you only need a single tool to tighten important bolts, making it easy to secure them while out on the trail and also making routine maintenance faster and simpler. The bolts have a specially shaped head on one end that fits into a matching recess in the frame, preventing rotation. That means there is no hardware bonded into the frame itself, so damaged threads or bolts can be easily replaced.

P-FLEX

A suspension design where the traditional pivot point on the seat stay is eliminated in favour of a flexstay design. This uses the compliance of the material and specific shaping of the tubes to allow for the seat and chain stays to move apart as the suspension moves through the travel. By removing this pivot point at the seat and chain stay junction, we save weight, reduce maintenance needs and add stiffness to the frame structure.

WIRE PORT

MERIDA designed headsets that enable all control cables from the handlebar to enter the frame through the headset cover, creating a clean and uncluttered look, allowing for a lighter, stronger and more aerodynamic frame structure than with conventional cable ports. Depending on the model, the cables are run completely internally (including the bar and stem) or semi-integrated, where the cables enter the frame underneath the stem.

X-TAPER HEADTUBE

Steering precision is vital to safe and confident handling, and the X-TAPER HEADTUBE allows us to significantly boost this precision. A larger headset diameter at the bottom paired with a smaller one at the top helps to deal with the strains modern riding and equipment can put on the headtube, all without adding unnecessary weight. It allows tapered forks to be fitted with ease and delivers precise and confidence-inspiring steering.

MERIDA is one of the world's leading premium bicycle brands, founded in 1972 in Changhua, Taiwan by engineer and entrepreneur Ike Tseng (1932–2012). The brand's origin story is built on a real vision: while travelling in the US in the early 1970s, Ike Tseng spotted a sign on a bike shop door stating that Taiwanese-made bikes would not be accepted for repair due to their poor quality. This deeply offended him — and that same September he opened his factory in Yuanlin with a mission to prove that world-class bikes could be made in Taiwan. The name "Me-Ri-Da" loosely translates as "reaching your destination on a beautiful, high-quality product". For its first decades Merida operated as an OEM producer for major Western brands (including Raleigh, Specialized and Mongoose), launched its own MERIDA brand in 1988 and in 1992 became the first bicycle manufacturer listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange. The backbone of today's Merida, however, is the R&D centre opened in 2001 in Magstadt, Germany, near Stuttgart, where the entire bike development takes place — frame design, geometry, colours, component specifications. The location is no accident: Mercedes, Porsche and other German automotive giants are right next door, meaning the area is full of top-class engineers. Magstadt also houses the brand's own test lab, where prototypes are put through punishing trials before going into production. At the Taiwanese factory, a local team of around 20 engineers turns the German concepts into production-ready products — this connection is Merida's signature: "engineered in Germany, tested by pros, built in Taiwan". Today Merida produces over 2 million bikes a year at its factories in Taiwan, China and Germany, and sells them in more than 77 countries — the range covers everything from kids' and city bikes to e-bikes, MTBs, gravel and full-on professional WorldTour racing machines. Merida has also left a deep mark on top-level sport: the Multivan Merida Biking Team that operated from 2000 to 2016 went down in history as one of the most successful MTB teams ever — over 30 World Cup wins, 15 World Championship titles, 15 European titles, and at the 2004 Athens Olympics both gold (Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjå) and silver (José Hermida). On the road, Merida has supplied WorldTour teams since 2013 — the most memorable wins are Vincenzo Nibali's Milan–San Remo (2018) and Il Lombardia (2017) and Sonny Colbrelli's Paris–Roubaix (2021), all in Bahrain Victorious colours. A unique partnership ties Merida to the American premium brand Specialized: since 2001 Merida has owned 49% of Specialized and produces their models. The backbone of every Merida bike is Ike Tseng's original principle — do it with quality or don't do it at all.

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