Merida Scultura 9000 £5,950 Ultegra Di2-equipped speedster

Weight 7.51kg (L) Frameset CF5 Carbon Gears Shimano Ultegra Di2 (52/36, 11-30) Brakes Shimano Ultegra hydraulic disc Wheels Reynolds Aero 46 DB Finishing kit Continental Grand Prix 5000S TR 28c tyres, Merida Team SL carbon seatpost, Merida Team SL 1P integrated bar/stem, Prologo Scratch M5 saddle

- Warren Rossiter

THIS FIFTH-GENERATION 

Scultura takes what was its lightweight road racing all-rounder and adds a layer of aerodynamics, while still maintaining the lightness the model is known for. This aero-influenced design means a new set of tube shapes, including the ovalised down-tube. The result is a faster bike that's torsionally stiffer and comes with a lighter frame than when using full-on aero tubes. Further tweaks to this model of the Scultura include a smoothed seat-tube junction and a hidden seat clamp, as well as dropped seatstays.

The broad-legged fork is also designed to reduce drag, and Merida claims this new design will take 224.5 watts of your power to achieve 45kph compared to the previous bike's 234.3 watts. The Scultura frame weighs in at a claimed 822g, which is 40g lighter than the fourth-generation design and impressively light in its own right.

Up front, the Team SL one-piece bar and stem adds more aero efficiency and the brake hoses are internally routed through it for a clean silhouette. The dimensions of the bar equate to a 44cm-wide bar and a long, 120mm effective stem. This creates a speedy long and low ride position, as the size Large frame we tested already has a long reach of 400mm combined with a low stack of 571mm.