Merida Scultura 6000

The Merida Scultura 6000 just feels right when you get on it. The position, the ride, the comfort… it's one of those bikes that gives you the confidence to push it as hard as you want, knowing that it isn't going to bite back. It's a bit of a bargain too when you consider the frame is being ridden in the pro peloton and weighs a claimed 750g. It's a hell of a lot of bike for the money.

I had just dropped a Reynolds 853-tubed test bike back to the office before getting aboard the Merida to ride home, and do you know what? The differences in ride quality between the two were barely discernible – high praise for a thin-walled, lightweight carbon frame, which tend to have a reputation for being ever so slightly buzzy.

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For this revised version of the Scultura frameset Merida has concentrated on increasing comfort, and it's obviously paid off. The frame is handmade in Taiwan, and by tweaking the carbon layup in certain areas it has been able to bring in quite a bit of extra damping without sacrificing stiffness.

Damp 'n' blast

The 6000 always feels planted; you know exactly what the bike's doing all of the time as there is so much feedback. It's impressive that Merida has been able to damp the ride so much without muting the feel – it's a clever balance.

Merida has also positioned the rear brake below the chainstays, which allows for the removal of the usual brake bridge. This lets the seatstays flex in both directions, promoting comfort. It doesn't work on every bike we've tried because the carbon layup still has to be right, but here on the Scultura you can feel a little bit of give, which takes the sting out before it reaches the saddle.

The handling is another high point. It's direct and quick but never twitchy, especially once your speed starts to increase. You're getting some decent levels of grip here from the Continental tyres, don't get me wrong, but the frame – especially the front end with its tapered head tube and fork steerer – is so solid it never moves a millimetre off its line.

I'm a fan of descending, especially the technical type, and if the steering has a weakness it's here it'll show up. The Scultura hasn't any issue, it's so stable – one of those bikes you really feel like you're a part of. Nothing especially stands out to explain why it's so good, it just is; it works. You blast down the hill, you shift your body weight, it turns, it grips, it feels natural, flowing if you like.

This might all sound like journo guff but it's really not. When you get on a bike and it rides like this, it's just simple: this bike is really good.

Nano speak

Right, we've done the comfort thing, so what about the stiffness? These two things don't normally go hand in hand...

Merida has used a carbon fibre that's had nanoparticles added. It calls it Nano Matrix Carbon and explains it thus: 'The carbon mats are enriched with special nanoparticles which strengthen the matrix of the epoxy resin. In this way, the impact resistance of the final component construction can be increased successfully by up to 40%.'

Does it work? Well I certainly couldn't detect any flex from the business end of the frame when accelerating or climbing while out of the saddle.

By increasing the stiffness of the frame material without losing strength, and so be able to use less of it, Merida has been able to drop the weight without creating a loss in efficiency. This allows for the larger tube profiles you see and things like the increased size of the BB386 over a standard threaded bottom bracket.

If you haven't come across the BB386 standard before, it's basically a mix of BB30 and BB90 so you're getting the performance benefits of both. The axle diameter is increased to 30mm (a standard Shimano one, for instance, is 24mm), and as the bearing cups press into the frame the actual shell can be increased to 86mm – which is the same as a standard BB shell of 68mm plus the external threaded bearing cups. You get the same distance between the pedals (q-factor) but more frame material in between, resulting in a larger surface area for stiffness.

Aerodynamics was another target for Merida, using computational fluid dynamics in the design process and wind tunnel testing of various incarnations. It even used a dummy with moving legs to replicate the effect the rider's pedalling has on wind resistance.

The tube cross sections are based on the NACA0028 aerofoil wing profile with a fastback trailing edge, meaning that the back of the aerofoil profile has been chopped off square instead of tapering away gradually. The idea is to keep the airflow consistent without causing much turbulence.

The results out in the real world aren't really that noticeable to be honest. It's not like the Storck Aerfast we've recently tested where you could actually feel the benefits.

Component compromises

With a frame and fork as impressive as this there are always going to have to be sacrifices to keep the overall price down, so it comes as no surprise that the Scultura has a few.

We'll start with the wheels. Fulcrum's Racing PRCs offer pretty decent performance in relation to their cost, but their weight does hamper the Scultura's acceleration and climbing. They're solidly built, mind you; pretty much every test ride has been in the wet and they've seen a hell of a lot of standing water and the bearings are still running quietly and smoothly. And the Continental Grand Sport tyres offer decent levels of grip and are plenty robust enough for the majority of conditions. The Scultura comes with 25mm tyres fitted, which is pretty much the maximum that'll fit – it is a race bike after all.

The shifters and mechs are all Shimano Ultegra, but because of the 30mm axle size of the bottom bracket, a standard 24mm Shimano crankset won't fit without the use of adaptors. Merida has specced a BB386-specific FSA Gossamer chainset which, as good as it is, just doesn't quite offer the same quality of shifting as Ultegra rings. Personally, I'd prefer a reduction in stiffness of the larger diameter axle for a cleaner gear change between the 50/34-tooth chainrings.

Another thing I'm not too impressed with is the Merida own-brand front brake calliper (the rear is a Tektro Direct Mount). It just isn't stiff enough to offer the type of powerful braking and modulation a bike of this style demands. Again, an upgrade to Ultegra would make a big difference.

Plush points

I found the colour-coded Prologo saddle very comfortable. The padding is pretty firm, which is good because there is a quite a bit of it considering it's a race saddle. The shape, with the upturned rear and dropped nose, means it fits whatever your riding position.

Beneath the Prologo is a Merida branded carbon seatpost with an alloy clamp. It's nothing flash and we've seen it on some of Merida's lower priced bikes, but it makes setting the saddle up a doddle with its bolt and thumbscrew fixings.

Merida also provides the alloy stem, which comes with a carbon faceplate for that added bling factor. Working in combination with the FSA Gossamer oversized handlebar it's a stiff cockpit and, thanks to the plush bar tape, a comfortable one too.

Conclusion

Overall the Scultura comes down to an awesome frameset, a pretty decent groupset, and average components. If I had the same budget and I was building a bike myself that's the order in which I'd place my priorities before upgrading the wheels and other stuff over time. You could enter superbike territory for not a huge outlay.

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The ride quality and build quality of the frame is brilliant, though the sacrifices made in the component selection just take the shine off enough to stop the Merida being a 9/10 bike overall. Things like poor brakes have no place on a £2300 bike.

It's a shame there's no frameset-only option.

Verdict

Truly stunning frameset at this price point, which justifies the component compromises