Last week, Merida introduced its latest eMTB, the full-power, long-travel Lithos. Rather than jumping on the Avinox bandwagon, Merida chose the time-tested, proven, and reliable Bosch CX and CX-R drive systems to power its new, carbon-framed e-enduro machine. With 170/174mm of travel front/rear, mixed wheel sizes, and an aggressive geometry, Merida says the Lithos is made to tackle the toughest terrain with confidence and control.
With the Lithos, Merida wants riders to find “unstoppable flow” while taking on the toughest tracks, whether riding with friends or racing the clock. And, they want you to continue finding that flow for as long as possible with a focus not just on performance, but durability and reliability, too. Let’s check out the new Merida Lithos.
Merida Lithos Details
Right out of the gate, Merida is walking the durability talk with the Lithos’ Category 4-rated CF3 carbon frame, which is backed by a lifetime warranty. The Lithos gets 170mm in the front and 174mm of rear travel, the latter using Merida’s favored linkage-drive single-pivot design with flex stays.
According to the brand, the flex stay design enhances reliability with fewer bearings, and the kinematic, shared with the eONE-SIXTY SL and eONE-EIGHTY, works perfectly with air and coil shocks. Merida says this yoke-less design “prevents side-loading and premature wear, boosting durability, but allows us to get a perfect balance of pedaling efficiency, small bump performance, and big hit control.”
The Lithos comes standard with mixed wheel sizes to keep the rear end more agile. Thanks to its FLIP CHIP design, Merida says it’s also possible to run a 29” rear wheel while maintaining the same geometry. That said, switching to a 29” rear wheel decreases rear travel to 160mm and lengthens the chainstay to 449mm, compared to 174mm of travel and 447mm chainstays in the standard, mixed wheel setup.
On the Lithos frame, Merida provides options to route cables through the headset or through ports on the head tube with molded channels in the front triangle and liners in the rear. The frame comes with an integrated rear fender, along with a large rubber chainslap protector and heel rub protectors on both sides. Riders also have the option to add the brand’s long fender for more mud protection.
Merida says that all of the Lithos’ bolts can be tightened with the 4 or 6mm hex tool stored in the rear axle lever, or the V-Mount Multi-tool under the saddle. The Tube Base Plate provides space to stash a spare tube. Additionally, all frame sizes have been designed to maximize dropper post length. The two highest-end builds come with the 230mm Team TR II dropper, adjustable between 30 and 230mm of travel without tools, while the rest of the range comes with the Expert TR II dropper, with drop length varying by frame size.
Geometry
Merida says the Lithos has a “progressive but balanced e-bike specific geometry.” Based on what we can see in the geometry chart, it appears to be right in the wheelhouse for a modern enduro bike, with a slack head tube angle, steep seat tube angle, long-ish reach, and high stack. Here are some of the highlights, according to the brand:
- Steep seat angle: 78.5°
- Slack head tube angle: 64°
- Long head tubes and increased stack for upright, confidence-inspiring riding position (646 mm in size M)
- Longer chainstays for a more centred balance (447mm)
The Lithos comes in five frame sizes: XShort, Short, Mid, Long, and XLong. Check out the chart below for all the details.
Bosch Drive Systems
While much of the bike industry seems enamored with the massive power of the new Avinox motors, Merida chose the proven, reliable Bosch CX drive units for the Lithos. They say, “Bosch’s track record of proven performance, excellent reliability, and worldwide service backup was a major factor in why we chose to partner with them for LITHOS, as well as their sustainable and responsible approach.”
While Bosch isn’t battling for the most powerful e-bike motor, the brand’s CX and CX-R drive units have been getting steadily more powerful with recent over-air updates. The CX drive unit still tops out at 750W, but the latest update boosted the CX’s peak torque to 120Nm. So, although it may not be the most powerful, many riders would agree that the Bosch CX offers more than enough pedaling support for their needs.
The two higher-end builds come with the Bosch CX-R motor, which is slightly lighter and includes the special “Race Mode.” Race Mode enables lag-free accelerations, assist with full power up to max speed, and Extended Boost.
With the Lithos, Merida says the removable Bosch PowerTube battery allows riders to switch between the longer range 800Wh and lighter weight 600Wh batteries or do hot swaps for super long rides. The 600Wh battery weighs ~900g less than the 800Wh version, which may make a noticeable handling difference for some riders. Additionally, the Lithos is compatible with Bosch’s PowerMore 250Wh range extender.
Merida Lithos: Builds
The Lithos is available in five complete builds, all of which are built around the same carbon frame.
Lithos 10 K
- Motor: Bosch CX-R
- Battery: Bosch PowerTube 800, 800Wh
- Fork: Fox Podium Factory, 170mm
- Shock: Fox Float DHX Factory Live Valve Neo w/SLS Coil
- Drivetrain: SRAM XO AXS Transmission
- Brakes: SRAM Maven Ultimate w/ 200/220mm HS2 rotors
- Wheels: DT Swiss HXC 1500 carbon
- Tires:
- F: Continental Kryptotal-F, 29 x 2.4, Enduro, Super Soft
- R: Continental Kryptotal-R, 27.5 x 2.4, Enduro, Soft
- Cockpit: Race Face Era Carbon handlebar, Merida Expert eTR II stem
- Seatpost: Merida Team TR II adjustable (30 – 230mm)
- Colors: Grey to Wild Honey (Holo Honey), Grey to Gunmetal (Holo Silver)
Lithos 8000
- Motor: Bosch CX-R
- Battery: Bosch PowerTube 800, 800Wh
- Fork: RockShox ZEB Ultimate, 170mm
- Shock: RockShox Vivid Ultimate
- Drivetrain: SRAM GX AXS Transmission
- Brakes: SRAM Maven Bronze w/ 200/220mm HS2 rotors
- Wheels: DT Swiss HX 1700
- Tires:
- F: Continental Kryptotal-F, 29 x 2.4, Enduro, Super Soft
- R: Continental Kryptotal-R, 27.5 x 2.4, Enduro, Soft
- Cockpit: Merida Expert eTR handlebar, Merida Expert eTR II stem
- Seatpost: Merida Team TR II adjustable (30 – 230mm)
- Colors: Halo Green (Wildberry), Warm Slate Grey (Golden Black)
Lithos 6000
- Motor: Bosch CX
- Battery: Bosch PowerTube 800, 800Wh
- Fork: RockShox ZEB Select, 170mm
- Shock: RockShox Vivid
- Drivetrain: SRAM Eagle 70 Transmission
- Brakes: SRAM DB6 Stealth w/ 200/220mm Centerline rotors
- Wheels: Reynolds 309 Enduro Comp aluminum
- Tires:
- F: Continental Kryptotal-F, 29 x 2.4, Enduro, Super Soft
- R: Continental Kryptotal-R, 27.5 x 2.4, Enduro, Soft
- Cockpit: Merida Expert eTR handlebar, Merida Expert eTR II stem
- Seatpost: Merida Expert TR II, XS: 125mm, S: 150mm, M: 170mm, L: 200mm, XL: 230mm
- Colors: Wild Honey (Wildberry), Warm Slate Grey (Golden Black)
Lithos 5000
- Motor: Bosch CX
- Battery: Bosch PowerTube 800, 800Wh
- Fork: RockShox Domain Gold R 170mm
- Shock: RockShox Deluxe
- Drivetrain: Shimano Deore M7200
- Brakes: TRP Evo Comp HD0M7040, 4-piston w/ 200mm TRP rotors
- Wheels: Merida Comp TR II aluminum
- Tires:
- F: Continental Kryptotal-F, 29 x 2.4, Enduro, Super Soft
- R: Continental Kryptotal-R, 27.5 x 2.4, Enduro, Soft
- Cockpit: Merida Comp TR II handlebar, Merida Expert eTR II stem
- Seatpost: Merida Expert TR II, XS: 125mm, S: 150mm, M: 170mm, L: 200mm, XL: 230mm
- Colors: Anaconda Green (White), Warm Slate Grey (Golden Black)
Lithos 4000
- Motor: Bosch CX
- Battery: Bosch PowerTube 600, 600Wh
- Fork: RockShox Domain Gold R 170mm
- Shock: RockShox Super Deluxe Base
- Drivetrain: Shimano Cues U4000
- Brakes: SRAM DB4 Stealth w/ 200/220mm Centerline rotors
- Wheels: Merida Comp TR II aluminum
- Tires:
- F: Continental Kryptotal-F, 29 x 2.4, Enduro, Super Soft
- R: Continental Kryptotal-R, 27.5 x 2.4, Enduro, Soft
- Cockpit: Merida Comp TR II handlebar, Merida Expert eTR II stem
- Seatpost: Merida Expert TR II, XS: 125mm, S: 150mm, M: 170mm, L: 200mm, XL: 230mm
- Colors: Anaconda Green (White), Warm Slate Grey (Golden Black)
Availability
Merida’s new Lithos eMTBs are available now. Head to the Merida website to learn more, check availability in your region, or finder a dealer near you.
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