Homegrown is best!! One of the best things about Merida is that despite the massive scale of our manufacturing we talk directly to the key people. In 2019 a few UK customers met our MTB Product Manager Rey and over a few beers they defined their wish list for a perfect UK bike - a trail focussed 29er with 140mm fork, 1 x transmission, Boost standard bolt through axles and a dropper post. Then it was over to Rey, a very handy rider to develop the ideas into a workable bike. The slack enduro inspired 65.5° head angle and 140mm fork delivers a fun confidence inspiring bike. The long reach and short seat tube gives plenty of space to manoeuvre on the bike and a really low stand over height. We use long dropper posts to achieve the short seat tube. An advantage of the geometry is depending on your riding style, most sizes work for most body sizes. The only question is if you want to go crazy fast or super agile. For speed take the longer size, for agility take a shorter size. The 500 combines our new frame with a Rock Shox Recon Silver fork and a 1 x 11 Shimano Deore drivetrain