Hitting the lanes without much of a worry of what the surface is like and knowing that you have plenty of speed on tap, without sacrificing riding comfort is one of the holy grails of road riding. Based on this shopping list of attributes and the hugely popular and highly regarded Scultura platform, Merida has created the all-new Scultura Endurance.
Offering a modern frame design with a more comfort-orientated geometry, plenty of tyre clearance and seamless integration of the latest standards, the Scultura Endurance feeds seamlessly into the Merida road bike line-up.
Wide tyres provide plenty of comfort, even on the most pothole littered country lanes, while a longer head tube offers a more relaxed riding position. The Scultura Endurance is the perfect choice for more leisure-focused cyclists who want to enjoy long hours in the saddle while being comfortable and relaxed on the bike.
Intended use
The Scultura Endurance finds its place in the Merida line-up between the Scultura, Mission CX and the Silex. It combines various features of these three models. Due to plenty of tyre clearance, you can easily run 700x35c slick road tyres, which improve the comfort of the bike in comparison to the road race focused Scultura. But as it is equipped with real road tyres, it’s more road-focused than the Silex and the Mission CX.
Its intended use is certainly road-biased while it still retains some strong fire road capabilities. On top of that, the new Scultura Endurance offers a fantastic and reliable platform for a multitude of uses and has the latest standards integrated into the frame concept. So, it is a road adventure bike which is tailored towards long-distance comfort, has big tyre clearance and its geometry is honed to excel both on the road and off. It is the perfect choice for more leisure-focused cyclists who want to enjoy their outings unrestrictedly and want to be comfortable on the bike.
Design thinking behind the bike
The new Scultura Endurance is clearly a comfort-orientated road bike, suitable for long-distance rides, handling tarmac equally well as rough pavement or even light fire roads. It combines innovative integration systems, both for brake and shifting cables as well as the seat post clamp, which are heavily influenced by Merida’s more aerodynamically optimised machines, with spring comfort elements which you would expect from an endurance road bike.
Meanwhile, its design language does not hide the bike’s intended endurance purpose and creates an organic frame design that gives credit to its progressive concept of largely increased tyre clearance using more voluminous tube sizes.
Concerning its decal and colour design, the Scultura Endurance displays a reduced application of ornamentals as well as an assortment of both classic road race colour schemes as well as neutral, drawn-back options.
A more upright riding position due to the longer head tube and the ability to fit slick tyres of up to 35 mm give the Scultura Endurance a more comfortable ride as well as provide additional control in case the roads get rougher or more challenging. A slacker head tube angle and a slightly longer wheelbase, in combination with the wider tyres, make the bike more stable and safer at speed.
On top of that, specific areas in the chain and seat stays have a distinct profile that works like a leaf spring and enhance the natural compliance of the frame material. It helps to add further comfort to the rear end of the bike as well as reduce vibrations.
The Scultura Endurance also “borrows” features which we normally see on the more aero-focused bikes, like the newly designed “Wire Port” headset that allows for a sleeker cable integration at the front end of the bike as well as a hidden seat post clamp that helps to keep lines smooth and uninterrupted as well as reduce turbulence around crucial parts of the bike.
As well as being a comfort-orientated road endurance bike, the Scultura Endurance leads itself towards being the perfect winter training bike or fast commuter. All Merida Scultura Endurance models have the ability to add mudguards, making them more versatile, particularly when used as a training or commuting bike. The removable seat stay bridge stays in place to securely hold the rear mudguard or can be removed for a cleaner look and improved tyre clearance.
The Australian line-up will consist of:
- MERIDA MY21 SCULTURA ENDURANCE 7000-E (RRP: $5,299) Colour: Silk Anthracite (Black) | ETA: End of September 2020
- MERIDA MY21 SCULTURA ENDURANCE 7000-E (RRP: $5,299) Colour: Matt Blue (Black) | ETA: End of September 2020
- MERIDA MY21 SCULTURA ENDURANCE 6000 (RRP: $3,899) Colour: Red (Black) | ETA: End of September 2020
- MERIDA MY21 SCULTURA ENDURANCE 5000 (RRP: $3,399) Colour: Matt Green (Black) | ETA: End of September 2020
- MERIDA MY21 SCULTURA ENDURANCE 4000 (RRP: $3,199) Colour: Silk Anthracite (Black) | ETA: End of August 2020
