Merida - Scultura Comp 905 vs 904

[josephk86]

Hi all,

Been looking at a Merida Scultuta Comp 904 for a Feb. purchase. It was recommended that I would be crazy for not upgrading the budget to $2210.00 and getting the 905, http://99bikes.com.au/bike/merida-scult ... 05/19/6767" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

What are your thoughts on the 905, any other members got this bike? any other suggestions? I've noticed a bit of brand substitution on some of the components,? How about the wheels, are they any good for an entry level set of wheels. I'm in the Hills of Sydney but happy to drive for a good deal.

Amy advice would be great.

Joe

[Shpox]

Forget these bikes for the moment and tell us what type of riding you do and what your budget is. Are you familiar with maintaining bikes, do you need to visit an LBS often? Do you live in a dense area or a rural area? What are the road conditions?

For around the same money, I'd recommend:
http://www.cyclingexpress.com/cycle/azz ... matte.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.cyclingexpress.com/cycle/bmc ... 2-red.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Other brand offerings:
Giant's Defy
Cannondale's CAAD10

I almost bought the 904 myself, and although there's nothing wrong with Merida frames, I don't particularly like them after having invested time with other bikes. I find the looks date quickly and they come off as a bit cheesy. Merida also seem to downgrade their bikes every year making the previous year's offering usually better specc'd. Probably the fairest review I've read is this one here: http://road.cc/content/review/67273-mer ... a-comp-904" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; outside of test riding the 904 myself.

[josephk86]

Hi, Shpox

Thanks for the reply. At the moment, I am riding 60km+, 2-3 times a week on a Giant Hybrid and was looking to get into a road bike (all of my riding to date has been on a road so seems like a logical progression). I am looking to spend $2.5k with pedals/shoes. My area is a outer suburb of Sydney so very built up, road conditions all good.

[Shpox]

Hi, Shpox

Thanks for the reply. At the moment, I am riding 60km+, 2-3 times a week on a Giant Hybrid and was looking to get into a road bike (all of my riding to date has been on a road so seems like a logical progression). I am looking to spend $2.5k with pedals/shoes. My area is a outer suburb of Sydney so very built up, road conditions all good.

I'm assuming you already have a helmet/bibs/sunnies/pumps/saddle bag stuff so I'd reserve $300 for pedals/shoes/cages/lights etc... or any additional accessories. Definetly don't overlook accessories as you will replace them quickly if they're not quality.

For this price range, I'd highly reccomend the CAAD10. It's the best alu frame on offer and it beats entry level carbon IMO.
If you're more concerned about value and don't mind its looks, the Azzuri is pretty close to the best value package out there with Di2 and a decent wheelset. Plenty of reviews here on it too.

It seems to me you're after something comfortable if you're doing long rides. I'd stay away from race geometries unless you're riding for fitness and not commuting. 60km can easily turn into 100km.
tl;dr: Test ride the CAAD10, check out Di2 and see if it's something you like, test ride the Giant Defy. Most of all, make sure it's comfortable, the geometry fits and they have your size.

Most bike stores will sell you what they have in stock obviously. This doesn't necessarily mean it's the best frame for you.

I bought a bike with ultegra 6 months ago on sale. It's alu and it's a bit harsher to what I'd prefer for the type of riding I ended up doing, but it's super value. If I was to sell it, for double the money of the original cost, I'd pretty much get nothing but a more compliant frame and maybe a little bit of a weight advantage.

The sensible choice for you first roady is to ride the !! BAN ME NOW FOR SWEARING !! out of it and save up for a 4-5k+ frame when you know it's definetly a sport you'd like to get into and you'd like a bike/wheelset to match. For a first road bike, 2.2k is a pretty high amount depending on your demographic, but you most likely won't need to upgrade anytime soon. Frames don't really change too much upwards from here in terms of value alone, so you're in the most popular price point for most intermediate riders, meaning you have heaps of offerings.