Merida's heartland has always been bombproof aluminium hardtails. Half a century of frame building experience counts for a lot.
Merida UK chose to upgrade all the Big Nine and Big Seven bikes destined for the UK to use a sophisticated TFS frame featuring the latest technology:
full internal cable routing, for a neat and clean set up,
tapered headtube for future upgrade potential
inboard disc brake mounts to protect the brake and maximise stopping power
Merida offer a wide range of sizes, Big Nine for taller riders, Big Seven for shorter riders with a healthy overlap of sizes in between.
For riders in the middle, riding style can be taken into account. If you are looking for speed and efficiency choose a Big Nine, if you are looking for agility choose a Big Seven.