Merida Scultura Comp 904

Merida have been gradually building up a road bike portfolio the last few years, from mainly mountain bike beginnings. The 2013 range is a comprehensive portfolio, with something for every end of the scale. On test is the Merida Scultura Comp 904, their second tier carbon frame fitted with Shimano 105.

Scultura is Italian for Sculpture (I'm trusting the Italian in the booklet here) and the frame does indeed follow a fine form. A flattened, slightly square section top-tube flows with a gracious, tapered curve into the seat-stays.

The seat-stays are narrow and also horizontally flattened for that vertical compliance along with solid power transfer that's common among bike frames these days.

At the front, a solid head-tube section splits into a large, again, slightly square, down-tube. All tell tale designs for the power transfer/vertical compliance balance.

The design is closely linked to the SL & Pro (higher end models). In fact, I am led to believe they are from the same mould. The difference is the lower modulus carbon used for the Comp's lay up - resulting in a 170g weight penalty and a lesser stiffness in exchange for lower production costs.

In many ways, this can be a better bike for many, creating a bike which has more give for a pleasant ride than a thoroughbred race machine. I found the Comp to strike a great balance between comfort and responsiveness; you still know you're riding a race bike but it doesn't make for too harsh a ride. The other upshot of using the same mould is that the bike is the first I've tested to be UCI approved, something perhaps beyond the target of this bike but a neat decal none the less.

Setting the bike fit up, I was surprised to find a full carbon fork - steerer included. Something saved for the top-end, it would certainly contribute to the comfort of the ride but also brings the overall build weight down. Weighing in at 380g for the fork, the total frameset is a claimed 1530g, which isn't half bad for a mid-range carbon bike. Our 54cm test bike added up to 8.6kg, a figure that, along with the strong feeling of power transfer, helps the bike to bring joy in the hills.

For me, it's a frameset above many of its mid-range carbon competitors, both in terms of feel and looks. I had no qualms throwing the bike into corners on descent and really hammering it like you would on the race circuit.

The frame uses a regular screw fit BB. It also includes integrated cabling that is compatible with electronic shifting. It's a neat feature for keeping the cables clear of grime and a bonus if you decide to upgrade the Shimano 105 to electric in the future. But changing the cables is more troublesome than exterior routing and the test bike had a rattle that after numerous searches, I was unable to pin down, leading me to suspect the cables were knocking inside the frame. Overall it completes a frameset with premium features beyond this bike's price point, so if you're looking at higher spec bikes but don't have the cash at the moment, this would make a worthy bike for trickle upgrades.

It's equipped with a Shimano 105 groupset, a solid offering from Shimano with little discernible difference, other than weight, to Ultegra or even Dura-Ace. The shifting is crisp, with in-line cable adjusters to adjust indexing on the fly. Brakes are one of the more telling groupset options and rather than use the 105 set, Merida have fitted their own, Merida Road Pro. I found the brakes to be good, with better stopping power than the 105 issue and a better build quality, with a full metal barrel adjuster for example.

A compact chainset and a whopping 12-28t cassette are fitted. I like this sensible gear selection; it makes the bike far more versatile, and overlooking the stigma of smaller gears, they are quite simply more pleasant for day to day riding and sportives - this bike's territory.

Wheels make a big difference to a bike and the Mavic Aksium have been selected here. They are a capable wheelset for the price, with nice features like press fit sealed bearings. They're built with durability in mind but I find them to be a bit sloppy ride wise, with not much 'life' to them.

While you certainly don't need to off the bat, they'd probably be my first upgrade. Vittoria Rubino Slick tyres complete the wheels. Slick by name, slick by nature, they look good in the shop but once the roads get wet, with no tread to shed water they are unnerving. I think a more all-round option would have been better here.

The bike is finished with some better-than-your-average OEM badged parts. A carbon seatpost and racy looking stem look great on the bike, along with slightly more average but perfectly capable Controltech alloy handlebars.

The Merida Scultura Comp is an eye-turner thanks to a design carried over from Merida's high end. It carries the image across well in the ride too and with the more than capable Shimano 105, it makes for a great value bike, which has potential as a base for other upgrades.

Wide gearing breaks from the mould of most carbon 'race' bikes, refreshing to see and allowing the bike to be a real all-rounder. It's an excellent choice for those looking for long days in the saddle and sportives.

Verdict

Good upgradeable carbon machine with premium touches and gearing that'll suit sportives.