Merida Scultura Rim 400 (2022) - Review

The Scultura Rim 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 Racing Road Bicycle in geometry and during the test ride it was evident that this Bicycle is an all-rounder which can 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 is made of Merida's Scultura CF2 Carbon. The bladed fork contributes to smooth steering and keeping the front half of the Bicycle light.

The Scultura 4 is equipped with a full Shimano 15 drivetrain. 15 is Shimano's entry into full performance. It sits beneath DuraAce and Ultegra. 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 gears quickly. It shifts well under load as well. The 2x11-Speed integrated Shimano 15 shifters were easy to use with feather light pushes to change the gears.

Merida's design, especially on their Road Bikes are top notch and the result for the Scultura Rim 4 was the same. This frame comes in a Gloss Red primary colour with Black and Grey graphics. The new Grey design patch on the top tube was refreshing and enhanced the aesthetics of this Bicycle.

To make it a complete groupset, the Scultura 4 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 flat tarmacs.The Merida Expert SL drop handlebar was perfect in width, it was not too wide nor too compact. Getting off the saddle and accelerating was easier thanks to the great steering response which this handlebar provided.

The Maxxis Pursuer 7x25C folding tires on the Scultura Rim 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.