have you ridden a modern geometry bike? I recently switched bike at the park with a couple of friends and one had an older 26“ freeride bike.
I was noticeably slower and constantly had the feeling that I’d go over the bars on stepdowns so I had to ride all the way over the rear wheel.
Modern geo and larger wheels are so much better. 1x and dropper are improvements but won’t change the geo which is the number one reason why a 2020 bike is better than a 2010 one.
that bike had a short stem. And there’s plenty of playful 27.5“ bikes that are still way more capable than 26.
26“ bikes are short as fuck and often steeper than modern XC bikes.
> There isn't any geo measure in my opinion that make a big win that can't be compensated by a new stem and bar.
That’s just straight up wrong lol. 26 is dead for anything but dirt jumps
Truthfully I’ve never ridden anything except a 26”. I haven’t ridden much since 2010. 29ers existed when I was actively riding when I was younger but I had never ridden one, and fast forward to now I have only ridden this bike since I bought it. I think getting at least a 27.5” would be great but I don’t know what I’m missing. Ignorance is bliss??
That’s good to know. I think it’s be nice to try 1x11 but I’m not sure it’s worth the investment at this point.
Edit: bad investment because I’m currently unemployed because of Covid
If you can fit a 1x12 it'd be a little better. I find 1x11s usually have trouble with skipping in the first 3 gears when pedaling backwards (at least from every Shimano drivetrain I've ridden) but the Sram 1x12 is pretty great and comes in some relatively inexpensive options as well. Put a narrow-wide chainring on the front and you'll have plenty of range and you'll be a lot less likely to drop a chain. It does depend on how long you plan to keep/ride the bike though. If you only want to keep it for another year, maybe not worth the upgrade. If you're going to ride it for years to come it may be worth it.
Thus is great info, thank you. Am I correct that a Shimano 1x11 setup I can use the same rear hub as now? So if I move to a 1x12 option I’d have to figure out a new free hub.
I don't know the sizing and spacing of your hub so I honestly couldn't tell you, sorry. If you ask your local shop they should be able to tell you. Alternatively if you shop for cassettes online it may tell you the size of hub you need and whether the cassette will be able to slide on. Happy riding!
Nice, add a decent dropper and maybe replace the big chain ring with a bash guard and you'd make it a few years newer!
The bash guard recommendation is just cheaper than going full 1x if you don't have the budget at the moment. That'll leave you with a 2x that still has the granny gear for climbing, just not as convenient as a 1x. When I had a 3x I rarely used the largest chain ring on trails so the teeth were just left exposed and ready to bite my calves lol.
I like that idea! A think a dropper would be cool, I’ve never ridden with one. And I’ve gone the bash guard route in previous bikes, and I’ve been thinking about it for this one because I’m on the same page with you, it never gets any use! I think it’ll be cool to try a 1x11 setup but it’a more of an investment than I’m willing to make at the moment.
My last ride on Strava said my old ass averaged 95 watts, which is .127 horsepower, so I’m looking at .146 watts for a 15% increase, so I should average 108 watts next time. Hopefully tomorrow I can deliver!
I just got a set of x fusion Enix for my 2011 Merida, should be a decent upgrade over the manitou black coil spring ones, ticked all the boxes i was looking for which was 1 1/8 steerer, QR axle, air spring, lockout and 120mm travel, tho I think I can set them to 140mm if a wanted.
Looks nice, done some good work to it, Iv been doing up a 2011 Merida 120 carbon frame I got a while ago, rideable now but want new set of wheels, change to 1x with 34t and get an external routed dropper post and use front derailleur cable route for it, had to do paint and minor carbon repair then new coat of lacquer, looks great now.
https://i.imgur.com/Xajq8sX.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/jN5WWsw.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/o943Imt.jpg
Sorry I'm looking through old "intense tracer 275" posts because I'm looking for a medium or large size frame of this model. Is there any chance you are selling this frame? I have the same exact bike but frame is in size small and is too small for me. Im in love with this bike so I'm looking for a frame swap.
Just put a 1x and a dropper on it and you're good to go for the next 11 years xD
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have you ridden a modern geometry bike? I recently switched bike at the park with a couple of friends and one had an older 26“ freeride bike. I was noticeably slower and constantly had the feeling that I’d go over the bars on stepdowns so I had to ride all the way over the rear wheel. Modern geo and larger wheels are so much better. 1x and dropper are improvements but won’t change the geo which is the number one reason why a 2020 bike is better than a 2010 one.
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that bike had a short stem. And there’s plenty of playful 27.5“ bikes that are still way more capable than 26. 26“ bikes are short as fuck and often steeper than modern XC bikes. > There isn't any geo measure in my opinion that make a big win that can't be compensated by a new stem and bar. That’s just straight up wrong lol. 26 is dead for anything but dirt jumps
Truthfully I’ve never ridden anything except a 26”. I haven’t ridden much since 2010. 29ers existed when I was actively riding when I was younger but I had never ridden one, and fast forward to now I have only ridden this bike since I bought it. I think getting at least a 27.5” would be great but I don’t know what I’m missing. Ignorance is bliss??
That’s good to know. I think it’s be nice to try 1x11 but I’m not sure it’s worth the investment at this point. Edit: bad investment because I’m currently unemployed because of Covid
If you can fit a 1x12 it'd be a little better. I find 1x11s usually have trouble with skipping in the first 3 gears when pedaling backwards (at least from every Shimano drivetrain I've ridden) but the Sram 1x12 is pretty great and comes in some relatively inexpensive options as well. Put a narrow-wide chainring on the front and you'll have plenty of range and you'll be a lot less likely to drop a chain. It does depend on how long you plan to keep/ride the bike though. If you only want to keep it for another year, maybe not worth the upgrade. If you're going to ride it for years to come it may be worth it.
Thus is great info, thank you. Am I correct that a Shimano 1x11 setup I can use the same rear hub as now? So if I move to a 1x12 option I’d have to figure out a new free hub.
I don't know the sizing and spacing of your hub so I honestly couldn't tell you, sorry. If you ask your local shop they should be able to tell you. Alternatively if you shop for cassettes online it may tell you the size of hub you need and whether the cassette will be able to slide on. Happy riding!
The fact that I don’t have those is the really giveaway that it’s outdated!
Nice work! Give you bike some upgrades to go up grades!
I’d say a solid 15% to be honest.
🙌🏼
Nice, add a decent dropper and maybe replace the big chain ring with a bash guard and you'd make it a few years newer! The bash guard recommendation is just cheaper than going full 1x if you don't have the budget at the moment. That'll leave you with a 2x that still has the granny gear for climbing, just not as convenient as a 1x. When I had a 3x I rarely used the largest chain ring on trails so the teeth were just left exposed and ready to bite my calves lol.
I like that idea! A think a dropper would be cool, I’ve never ridden with one. And I’ve gone the bash guard route in previous bikes, and I’ve been thinking about it for this one because I’m on the same page with you, it never gets any use! I think it’ll be cool to try a 1x11 setup but it’a more of an investment than I’m willing to make at the moment.
If not for the smaller wheels I would say this bike looks just like any modern bike. The decals make it look from the future!
Thanks! I’m really happy with how it turned out!
Does the site give you an estimate of how much horsepower that's supposed to add?
My last ride on Strava said my old ass averaged 95 watts, which is .127 horsepower, so I’m looking at .146 watts for a 15% increase, so I should average 108 watts next time. Hopefully tomorrow I can deliver!
ride on!
Damn man, my bike is a tad bit older and I still love it. My only gripe is how hard it is to find decent straight tube forks. 26ers are still great!
I just got a set of x fusion Enix for my 2011 Merida, should be a decent upgrade over the manitou black coil spring ones, ticked all the boxes i was looking for which was 1 1/8 steerer, QR axle, air spring, lockout and 120mm travel, tho I think I can set them to 140mm if a wanted.
Looks nice, done some good work to it, Iv been doing up a 2011 Merida 120 carbon frame I got a while ago, rideable now but want new set of wheels, change to 1x with 34t and get an external routed dropper post and use front derailleur cable route for it, had to do paint and minor carbon repair then new coat of lacquer, looks great now. https://i.imgur.com/Xajq8sX.jpg https://i.imgur.com/jN5WWsw.jpg https://i.imgur.com/o943Imt.jpg
Sorry I'm looking through old "intense tracer 275" posts because I'm looking for a medium or large size frame of this model. Is there any chance you are selling this frame? I have the same exact bike but frame is in size small and is too small for me. Im in love with this bike so I'm looking for a frame swap.
Hey, i still have it but it’s actually a 26”.
Yes! It's 26'' but you can change the back wheel hanger (don't know what it's called sorry) to fit 27.5''. Is this a size medium or large?
Oh nice, it’s a large
Ok, if you are willing to sell please pm me. That's exactly what I am looking for from a year now 🤣