Merida Bikeཧs to power Bahrain McLarenꩲ into 2020 and beyond
Bikes will feature the McLaren's famous Papaya-orange ꦡcolourway - a racy hue that echoes the team's race-winning ethos(Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
Despite relinquishing its role as title sponsor, Merida has confirmed its commitment as equipment partner to newly formed WorldTour outfit 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Team Bahrain McLaren for the next three years. Merida first entered the road scene back in 2013 with 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Lampre-Merida in a bid to grow its road cycling presence, a role it continued when the team transitioned to 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Bahrain-Merida in 2017.
For the 2020 season, Merida will provide the Bahrain McLaren squad with three bicycle options: the Scultura, Reacto and Time Warp time-trial bike. In a bold 𒁃move and one which echoes the industry's current rhetoric and thinking philosophy, the brand will supply bikes equipped with disc brakes only.
According to Jürgen Falke, Director of Products and General Manager of 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Merida Bikes, "Disc-brake-equipped bikes accouꦉnt for 90 per cent of our total sales and soon, rim-brake bikes will be phased out completely from our product portfolio regardless of what the traditionalists think."
"The proof and science is there and rim-brake bikes just don't possess the same levels of perform꧙ance as the disc-brake equivalent. Now add rain and bad weathe🔥r and the gap grows exponentially."
ꦺVisuals are bolstered by tasteful sp🍨onsor garnishings on the top tube and chainstays (Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
New year, new livery
Last season's bikes weren't the ugliest on the WorldTour by a൩ny stretch but, for 2020, Merida's presence in the peloton will be bolstered by a McLaren-inspired paint livery.
As a result, the bikes will feature the company's famous Papaya-orange colourway - a racy hue that echoes the team's race-winning ethos. McLaren👍 is one of the most successful and winningest Formula 1 and motorsport firms in the world, so introducing this hallowed colour was a natural step for the title sponsor.
However, in an effort to retain some semblance of the team's previous colour scheme, a strip of red and a good helping of black round off the visuals together with a dollop of cyan on the inner fork and saddle rails. It truly is a beautiful bike♈, its visual presence bolstered by 🔯the maker's name on the downtube and tasteful sponsor garnishings on the top tube and chainstays.
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Merida Scultura Disc weighs 6.85kg with pedals(Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
Mꦡerida Reacto 𒀰Disc has undergone several gram-saving measures that have slashed weight to 7.1kg(Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
Lighter, faster, better
Kerbweight is always going to play a huge factor in the pro peloton - especially when it comes to mountain stages of a Grand Tour - and the stigma surrounding disc-brake-actuated road bikes is naturally still a huge concern for many riders. To temper these concerns and validate Merida's decision for going the disc-brake route, the company spent close to a year experimenting with various carbon fibre layering techniques to not only ensure the lightest possible frameset but also improve its crash resistance acros🐻s the board.
As it stands a Merida Scultura disc, with pedals and 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:cycling computer, will tip the scales at a UCI-legal 6.8kg. The Reacto disc also underwent a stringent diet where nearly 300g worth of lard was shed by trimming a few grams here and there and swapping out various components - the result is a 7.1kg 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:aero road bike. One of the ways Merida managed to save so much grammage was by ditchi𝔍ng the Fulcrum Speed wheels for Vision Metron tubulars.
While Bahrain McLaren will start next year aboard the outgoing third-generation Reacto, an all-new version featuring hidden cables and full integration is pegged for a mid-year introduction♍ and launch. With a rumoured 950g frame, there's no doubt we'll be seein𝓰g the Reacto ridden at more of next year's races
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Shimano's fabled Du🧸ra-Ace R9170 groupset is the foundation ♓around which the Scultura is built(Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
Vision Metron whe♒els and hubs have considerably helped drop weight and improved on-road perfo💟rmance (Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
ꦏPrologo saddles are used across all three🐓 bike options: Scultura, Reacto and Time Warp(Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
Carbon Elite bottle cages and papaya-orange bidons a🗹dd another layer of sophistication an🍃d visual intensity to the bike package(Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
Vision Metron hoops to pro🌜vide an aerodynamic and weight advantage, likely to be swapped out for various dish profiles depending on parcours(Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
Components and build
Both the Scultura and Reacto disc models will feature full Shimano Dura-Ace R9170 builds. This, depending on the rider, will comprise a 53/39 and 11-32T drivetrain assembly, pౠedals and hydraulic stoppers. As previously mentioned, Vision provides the team with Metron wheels, which are paired with Continental Competition tubular tyres.
Asked about the possibility of the team running tubeless tyres next year, Falke assured us it is the way forward but weight is still a big concern. "There's no doubt that tubeless tyres are faster and provide better comfort. If you look at 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Paris-Roubaix, the benefits far outweigh what could possibly go wrong💮 but the way forward would be to convince the riders as it's always going to come down to personal tast🧸e and what weighs the least."
The f𒐪inishing kit includes an FSA K-Force seatpost and Prologo saddle, and a fully integrated cockpit that comes courtesy of Vision's ultra-clean Metron 5D bar/stem system. Prologo bar tape and Elite Legge🦩ro Carbon bottle cages complete the build.
While B𓄧ahrain McLaren will experiment using Continental GP5000 tubel🐲ess tyres at select races, Continental Competition ProLTD tubulars will be used most of the time (Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
Aaron was the Tech Editor Cyclingnews between July 2019 and June 2022. He was born and raised in South Africa, where he completed his BA honours at the University of Cape Town before embarking on a career in journalism. Aaron has spent almost two decades writing abo⛦ut bikes, cars, and anything else with wܫheels. Prior to joining the Cyclingnews team, his experience spanned a stint as Gear & Digital editor of Bicycling magazine, as well as a time at TopCar as Associate Editor.
Now based in the UK's Surrey Hills, Aaron's life revolves around bikes. He's a competitive racer, Stravaholic, and Zwift enthusiast. He’s twice ridden the Cape Epic, completed the Haute Route Alps, and represented South Africa in the 2022, 2023, 2024 UCI eS🎀ports World Championships.
