Scultura is not one bike. Three quite different bicycles share the name, and they are built for different riders on different roads. Before comparing prices it is worth knowing which of the three you are actually looking at, because the cheapest Scultura and the most expensive one have almost nothing in common beyond the badge.
Contents
- Three bikes, one name
- Scultura Lite: the alloy rim brake bike
- Scultura: the carbon race bike
- Scultura Endurance: built for bad roads
- The full range and prices
- Scultura or Reacto: what the aero premium costs
- Which Scultura for which rider
- Sizing
- Frequently asked questions
Three bikes, one name
| Scultura Lite | Scultura | Scultura Endurance | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frame | Aluminium | Carbon CF3 V | Carbon Endurance CF3 II |
| Brakes | Rim, dual pivot | Hydraulic disc | Hydraulic disc |
| Max tyre | 25mm | 30mm | 35mm |
| Axles | Quick release | 12mm thru axle | 12mm thru axle |
| Weight, size M | 9.6 kg | 8.5 to 8.6 kg | 9.4 kg |
| Built for | Starting out | Racing and climbing | Long days, rough surfaces |
The gap between the Lite and the carbon bikes is not a matter of degree. Different frame material, different braking system, different axle standard. Treat them as separate decisions.
Scultura Lite: the alloy rim brake bike
The Scultura Rim 100 at ₹86,990 is the entry point, and it is an honest bike rather than a stripped one. Aluminium frame, carbon fork, Shimano Cues 9-speed shifting, a 46-30 crank paired with an 11-36 cassette, and rim brakes.
That gearing deserves a mention. A 46-30 chainset with an 11-36 cassette gives a genuinely low bottom gear, lower than most bikes at three times the price. For a rider building fitness on Indian gradients, that matters more than a few hundred grams.
Be clear about what it is not. It runs 25mm tyres at most, the wheels are not tubeless ready, and quick release axles and rim brakes are the previous generation of road bike standards. At 9.6kg it is not light.
It comes in seven sizes from 3S to L, which is the widest size range in the entire Scultura family and reaches riders that the carbon bikes do not.
Scultura: the carbon race bike
The carbon Scultura uses the CF3 V frame with 30mm tyre clearance, thru axles and hydraulic discs, and comes in around 8.5 to 8.6kg depending on build. This is Merida's lightweight all-rounder: the bike for climbing, fast group rides and racing where you are not chasing pure aerodynamics.
Every carbon Scultura runs a 50-34 compact chainset with an 11-34 cassette, which is a sensible spread for Indian terrain and considerably more climbing-friendly than the 52-36 fitted to the Reacto.
Scultura Endurance: built for bad roads
The Scultura Endurance 4000 at ₹2,44,990 is the most interesting bike in this range for Indian conditions, and the least understood.
It uses a different carbon frame, the Endurance CF3 II, with 35mm tyre clearance, or 32mm with mudguards fitted. It ships on 32mm Maxxis Re-Fuse tyres rather than the 28mm fitted elsewhere, which is a tyre chosen for puncture resistance rather than outright speed.
Read that specification in the context of the roads most of us actually ride. Patched tarmac, chip seal, unannounced construction, and a monsoon that fills the gaps with grit. A frame that takes 32mm tyres as standard and clears 35mm, with mounting points for mudguards, is a more useful bike on those surfaces than a race frame limited to 30mm.
The trade-off is weight. At 9.4kg it is nearly a kilogram heavier than the race Scultura, and it currently comes in XXS through M only, so taller riders are not served.
The full range and prices
| Model | Frame | Groupset | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scultura Rim 100 2026 | Alloy, rim brake | Shimano Cues, 9sp | ₹86,990 |
| Scultura 4000 2026 | Carbon CF3 V | Shimano 105 mechanical | ₹2,15,990 |
| Scultura Endurance 4000 2026 | Carbon Endurance CF3 II | Shimano 105 mechanical | ₹2,44,990 |
| Scultura 5000 | Carbon | Shimano 105 Di2 | ₹2,89,990 |
| Scultura 5000 2026 | Carbon CF3 V | Shimano 105 Di2 | ₹3,05,990 |
| Scultura 6000 | Carbon CF3 V | Shimano 105 Di2 | ₹3,69,990 |
Two things worth knowing about this table.
The 2025 Scultura 5000 is listed at the same ₹3,05,990 as the 2026 bike, so unlike the Reacto there is no saving in taking the older model year. The difference is the colour: Teal and Pearl team paint against Starfield Purple. Choose on looks, not on price.
The step from the 5000 to the 6000, ₹64,000, buys a carbon wheelset in place of the alloy Vision Team 35. The groupset is 105 Di2 on both.
Scultura or Reacto: what the aero premium costs
This is the comparison most buyers are actually making, and the numbers make it unusually clear.
| Scultura 5000 2026 | Reacto 5000 2027 | |
|---|---|---|
| Groupset | Shimano 105 Di2 | Shimano 105 Di2 |
| Wheels | Vision Team 35 alloy | Vision Team 35 alloy |
| Tyres | Continental Grand Prix TR 28C | Continental Grand Prix TR 28C |
| Chainset | 50-34 | 52-36 |
| Price | ₹3,05,990 | ₹3,49,990 |
Same shifting, same wheels, same tyres. The ₹44,000 difference is the aero frame, and the gearing tells you who each bike is for: the Scultura's 50-34 is built to climb, the Reacto's 52-36 is built to hold speed on the flat.
If your riding is the ghats, Nandi Hills, or anywhere with sustained climbing, the Scultura is both cheaper and better suited. If you ride flat and rolling highways in fast groups, the Reacto earns its premium.
Which Scultura for which rider
- First road bike, building fitness. The Scultura Rim 100 at ₹86,990. The low gearing makes hills manageable while you build strength, and seven sizes means it will fit.
- Long rides, brevets, imperfect roads. The Scultura Endurance 4000 at ₹2,44,990. The 32mm tyres and 35mm clearance will do more for your average speed on Indian surfaces than a kilogram of frame weight ever will.
- Climbing and fast group rides. The Scultura 5000 at ₹3,05,990. Electronic shifting, 8.6kg, compact gearing, tubeless-ready wheels.
- The same bike with carbon wheels. The Scultura 6000 at ₹3,69,990.
Sizing
Size coverage varies sharply across the three families, and it will shape your choice more than you expect.
| Model | Sizes |
|---|---|
| Scultura Rim 100 | 3S, XXS, XS, S, SM, ML, L |
| Scultura 4000 | XXS, XS, S, M, L, XL |
| Scultura 5000 | XXS, XS, S, M, L |
| Scultura Endurance 4000 | XXS, XS, S, M |
The Endurance stopping at M is the constraint to watch. If you are a large or extra large frame and want the endurance geometry and 35mm clearance, it is currently unavailable and the race Scultura is the alternative.
Do not order from a chart alone. Come to our Kondapur store for a size check, or send us your measurements and current bike position. Our frame sizing reference explains the method.
Frequently asked questions
Is a rim brake road bike still worth buying?
Yes, for the right rider and the right budget. Rim brakes work perfectly well in dry conditions, are simpler and cheaper to maintain, and pads cost a fraction of disc pads. The real weaknesses are wet weather performance, which drops noticeably in monsoon, and rim wear over years of braking. At ₹86,990 the Scultura Rim 100 is not competing with disc bikes, it is competing with spending nothing and not riding. For a first road bike it is a sound purchase.
Can the Scultura Rim 100 be upgraded later, or is it a dead end?
Consumables and contact points can be upgraded freely: tyres, saddle, bar tape, pedals. Beyond that it is limited by design. The frame uses quick release axles and rim brakes, so you cannot move to disc wheels, and the 25mm clearance rules out wider tyres. The 9-speed Cues drivetrain would need shifters, derailleur and cassette replaced together to change. Buy it as a complete bike you will ride for a few years, not as a platform to build on. When you outgrow it, the sensible step is a carbon disc bike, not upgrading this one.
Why is the Scultura Endurance heavier than the race Scultura?
Because it is doing a different job. Clearing 35mm tyres requires more material around the chainstays and fork, mudguard mounts add fixings and reinforcement, and endurance frames are generally laid up for compliance and durability rather than minimum weight. The 32mm tyres it ships with are also heavier than 28mm ones. The kilogram costs you a little on steep climbs and returns comfort and puncture resistance over a long day, which is the trade the bike is designed around.
Can I fit mudguards to a Scultura for monsoon riding?
On the Endurance, yes, and it is designed for it: the frame takes mudguards with tyres up to 32mm. On the race Scultura and the Scultura Lite there are no dedicated mounts, so you are limited to clip-on guards, which help but never seal properly against road spray. If you intend to ride through the wet season regularly, this alone is a strong argument for the Endurance frame.
Is 105 Di2 worth the step up from mechanical 105?
It depends more on your riding than your budget. Electronic shifting does not suffer cable stretch, does not degrade when grit and monsoon water reach the housing, and shifts identically at hour six as it did at hour one. For long distance riders and anyone riding through the wet season, that consistency is the real benefit rather than the novelty. For shorter dry-weather rides, mechanical 105 shifts extremely well and the money is better spent on wheels or a bike fit.
Come and see them
We keep Scultura models at our Kondapur store and a size check costs nothing. Prices above are indicative and can move with exchange rates and duty, so confirm before ordering. Tell us where you ride and how far on WhatsApp, and we will tell you which of the three Sculturas we would put you on. The wider range is in Merida road bikes.
