THREE THINGS WE LOVE ABOUT THE... MERIDA SCULTURA DISC 6000 £2750

The smooth speed

The Scultura is Merida’s race-bred lightweight bike, but in this CF2 guise the front end has been lifted a little and the reach shortened. It takes a bike with bags of racing heritage plus plenty of speed and swiftness, and counters that with a comfortable all-day ride position. If you like your endurance bikes with a racier edge, the Scultura is one of the best around.

The components

The Scultura rides lighter than its 8.65kg would suggest. The Fulcrum wheels are low profile with quick pickup and responsive feel thanks to being seriously stiff. The large volume 28mm Continental tyres provide plenty of purchase and compliance. The Shimano Ultegra 50/34 compact chainset and 11-28 cassette are pretty much the ideal climber’s combination, providing smooth and precise shifting day-in, day-out.

The ride

The Scultura chassis feels stiff and precise when riding at speed. You can make direction changes and corrections quickly, but the Merida never deviates into nervousness. When mixed with the control of hydraulic braking the 6000 has all of the hallmarks of a superbly stable companion for twisty descents.

ONE THING WE’D CHANGE Disc brake rotors

Merida has resorted to the cost-saving measure of standard steel disc rotors rather than Shimano’s Ultegra IceTech rotors. They hold a bit more heat than the IceTechs so on extended periods of braking they are more prone to noise than the premium option.