E-bikers won’t now push out regular riders at the Merida Ex this year, despite the race being initially labelled pedal-assist only. 

Exmoor’s popular multi-day enduro event is back for its 7th edition this September, with Merida declaring the 80 rider spots would be filled by e-bikes. But pre-registration showed demand for regular pedal-powered racing was too strong to squeeze out, Merida’s Michael Wilkens told us.

“Lots of analogue riders were getting in touch and saying ‘it’s a damn shame it’s e-bike only, otherwise I’d be entering the race,’” he said.

The Merida EX event has its own night time stages  Credit: Paul Box

Whether this means e-bikers aren’t keen on racing, there’s still a huge demand for regular riding, or a bit of both isn’t clear. What is clear is that the Ex is one of our favourite enduro races, and we’re really pleased to see it returning this year. 

That’s because quite apart from the great racing and atmosphere, in the past the Taiwanese brand has used the event to launch new bikes: including the Merida One-Sixty 8000 which turned out to be one of the best enduro bikes around. Perhaps there’ll be a new model to check out in 2024.

The Merida Ex presented by Shimano will be returning with 20 stages for riders to tackle, including the Exposure Light night stages.

Merida EX 2024 need to know:

• 20 stages over 3 days
• Both electric and analogue bikes welcome
• Approximately 100km riding through Exmoor
• 80 riders maximum

The Ex covers some of the best riding in the UK, with fresh tracks appearing each year Credit: Paul Box

The Merida EX 2024

So what exactly is the Merida EX presented by Shimano? Essentially, it’s a three-day, multi-stage enduro event. There are 20 stages overall for riders to tackle, including some overnight called the Exposure Night light stages.

The organisers had originally planned to run the event as an e-bike only event, but due to “overwhelming demand” for a “classic” event, both e-bikes and analogue bikes will be welcomed.

It isn’t just about riding, however, as there are facilities provided including food, an all-inclusive bar, and uplift services.

How can you get involved?

80 riders isn’t a massive amount for an event like this, so if you’re interested, you should pre-register your interest in the event. By pre-registering you will be given access to the private entry link, which goes live at 9AM on 3rd March. According to the organisers, the event sold out in minutes last year, so these are about as hot as Taylor Swift tickets (or so we hear).