Team Lampre-Merida have stolen a march on their competition by being the first World Tour team to exploit the UCI’s recent approval of disc brake bikes. They have been racing their Classics campaign aboard the new Merida Scultura Disc – a bike that attempts to marry the efficiency and comfort of the original Scultura (read more here: Merida Scultura 9000 review) with the consistent braking power of disc brakes.
Merida claims only small adjustments were needed to adapt the rim brake Scultura into the Scultura Disc – a slightly reengineered fork and rear triangle, to account for the differing forces produced by the disc brakes. As a result the stiffness, aerodynamics and comfort attributes remain similar. The Scultura Disc only incurs a slight weight penalty (although Merida has been coy on the exact figure), making it one of the lightest disc frames currently on the market.
Notable features include increased tyre clearance (up to 32mm), the Rapid Axle Technology (RAT) thru-axles licensed from Focus and a proprietary disc cooler – shaped fins that extend around the chainstay from underneath the rear caliper. Merida claims this expands the caliper’s surface area to dissipate heat much more effectively, reducing the brake disc temperature by 35°C after a four minute period of braking.
‘At Merida, we firmly believe that disc brakes are the future of road bikes,’ says Jurgen Falke, head of research and development at Merida. ‘Road cycling is heavily bound by tradition, so change is the biggest hurdle. Road cycling sees change as a challenge, and challenge as a risk, but we see change as it is: evolution.’ This opinion makes it easy to see how Merida has been so quick to produce a World Tour-level disc bike.
Initial impressions from the Lampre riders seem positive. ‘I was sceptical but I changed my mind after I used the Scultura Disc for the first time,’ says Marko Kump. ‘I think the team are now at an advantage – we have more time to make decisions as we have more control over our brakes. When you control your brakes, you control your bike.’
For those that are still not convinced as to the efficacy of disc brake road bikes, Lampre-Merida team manager Brent Copeland has some choice final words: ‘It is just a case of getting used to them. The sensation of switching between Campagnolo and Shimano rim brakes is no different. If you are talented enough you’ll adapt and be the better for it.’
The Scultura Disc will be available in three frame variants but UK pricing is yet to be announced.