Spanish · 5 years on Samui
Spanish cycling enthusiast and eco-travel advocate on Koh Samui for 5 years. Carlos covers all bicycle and e-scooter content with a focus on sustainable exploration.
Updated: May 2026
I completed the full 50-kilometre ring road on the Merida Big.Nine 15 last February - three hours, ten minutes, two stops - and found the bicycle well-matched to every section of the circuit. The Shimano Acera drivetrain handled the Nathon climb at 8 per cent gradient without complaint; the 29-inch wheels rolled efficiently on the north coast straight; and the Suntour XCM fork absorbed the road surface imperfections on the south coast section without transmitting road buzz to the handlebars. The ring road is the Merida Big.Nine 15's primary route on Koh Samui, and the bicycle is optimised for it.
Cycling from Chaweng to Mae Nam along the north coast last March on the Big.Nine 15 - 18 kilometres of flat coastal road, fishing boats on the Gulf, the Fisherman's Village appearing at Bo Phut - I covered the section in 55 minutes at comfortable pace with two photography stops. The north coast road is the most photogenic section of Samui cycling: wooden piers, open water views, and the beach road through the village markets. The Big.Nine 15's upright geometry and comfortable saddle suit the north coast's relaxed pace better than more aggressive bicycles; it is the right tool for an easy morning circuit.
Turning off the ring road at the Na Muang junction last January and following the waterfall access trail on the Merida Big.Nine 15 - the Suntour XCM fork active, the 29-inch wheels rolling through the compacted laterite - I completed the 3.5-kilometre trail section in 22 minutes. The Big.Nine 15 handles the Na Muang trail competently in dry conditions: the fork travel and tyre width are appropriate for the surface. I recommend locking the XCM fork for the ring road return and unlocking it at the Na Muang junction. Adding the trail to a ring road day extends the circuit by 7 kilometres return and adds the island's best off-road section.
Following the plantation track network above the Nathon market last November on the Big.Nine 15 - the rubber trees on both sides, the Gulf visible through gaps in the plantation - I found 5 kilometres of compacted dirt accessible to the bicycle's specification. The plantation tracks are not for wet-season riding: the clay surface becomes loose and unrideable after rain. In dry conditions, the Big.Nine 15's 29-inch tyres and XCM fork manage the corrugated surface comfortably at 15 to 18 km/h. The interior plantation network above Nathon is the Big.Nine 15's most adventurous accessible terrain on Samui.
Five years of riding the Merida Big.Nine 15 on every major Koh Samui cycling route has produced four consistent recommendations: the full ring road loop, the north coast coastal circuit, the Na Muang trail addition in dry season, and the interior plantation tracks above Nathon. All four suit the Big.Nine 15's specification - 29-inch wheels, Acera gearing, XCM fork - without exceeding its capability. All four are achievable within the morning cycling window. These routes represent the complete Samui cycling experience that the Big.Nine 15 delivers at its value daily rate.
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