Merida Scultura Team 2022

£7750.00

Even with the 28mm Continental tyres pumped up firm there is a very little in the way of road buzz coming through the contact points, no doubt helped not only by the carbon fibre layup, but also things like the slender seatstays and the S-Flex carbon seatpost.

Not getting battered about means you can ride quicker for longer, so you can cover plenty of distance on the Scultura as this is one rapid bike.

With its clean front end, thanks to all of the cables and hoses being completely hidden from view, the Merida certainly feels as though it cuts through the air smoothly, especially with the all-in-one handlebar/stem setup.

Other details like teardrop shaped tubing, a sculpted seat tube to shield the rear wheel and, of course, deep-section wheels, mean that once this thing is rolling it doesn't take huge amounts of effort to maintain the pace; it definitely feels like an aero bike.

Away from the flat, the Scultura Team is a capable climber thanks in part to that great stiffness and a weight of 7.1kg on our scales. This also means the Scultura is responsive to hard accelerations and is, therefore, a great sprinting bike.

The head angle is 73.5 degrees, which, when mated to the 990mm wheelbase, gives the Scultura Team a precise and nimble feel in terms of responses to steering inputs and your body position.

The build is pretty impressive for the money too, with the latest Shimano Dura-Ace R9200 Di2 12-speed groupset specced, power meter included. As you'd expect from a high-end bike, nothing has been skimped on, and it can back it all up with its performance and impeccable ride quality. It's an excellent bike.