Merida Scultura 400 (2019) - Review

The Scultura 4 is built on a full aluminium frame. This 666 Pro-Lite aluminium frame is super light and durable thanks to its triple butting. The Scultura is a road race bicycle in geometry and during the test ride it was evident that this bicycle is an all-rounder, which can both climb as well as ride fast. All this was possible while still having a comfortable ride posture. The hydroformed tubes help maintain the stiffness to weight ratio which helps absorb vibration off the surface making the ride smoother. The rigid fork on this bicycle is made of Merida's Scultura CF carbon. These bladed forks contribute to smooth steering and keeping the front half of the bicycle light.

The Scultura 4 is equipped with a full Shimano 15 road drivetrain. 15 is Shimano's entry into full performance drivetrains. It sits beneath Dura-Ace, Ultegra and Di2.During the test ride both at the front and rear, the gears shift cleanly, smoothly and quietly. I never missed a gear or felt the shifter being unresponsive when I needed to change gear quickly. It shifts well under load as well. The 2x1-Speed integrated Shimano 15 shifters were easy to use with feather light pushes to change the gears.

Merida's designs, especially on road bikes are top notch and the result for the Scultura 4 (2019) was the same. This frame comes in a matte-Dark Silver primary colour with Green graphics. The new green design on the top tube was refreshing and enhanced the aesthetics of this bicycle.

To make it a complete drivetrain, the Scultura 4 (2019) comes with Shimano 15 Caliper brakes at the front and rear. These lightweight braking components made sure the braking was precise and balanced on both dry and wet tarmacs.The Merida Expert Compact drop handlebar is perfect in width making them not too wide nor too cramped. Getting off the saddle and accelerating was easier thanks to the great steering response, which this handlebar provided.

The Maxxis Dolomites 7x25C folding tires on the Scultura 4 are race specific tires built to be lightweight but reliable. Maxxis have found the perfect balance in the Dolomites using technology such as their silkworm puncture protection and duel compound tread. The Merida Sport stock Saddle was not only colour coded, but has a level of support and cushioning that suits the rider on faster rides just as much as those riding a century. The width of the saddle could have been slightly more to help during longer rides. The overall ride quality was fast and comfortable on flat tarmacs with lot of climbs.