MERIDA SCULTURA DISC, RRP: $2,799 (for Disc 5000 version)
The Scultura Disc is the bike that the Lampre Merida team used in the 2016 Tour of Flanders – before disc brakes were banned from use in racing by the UCI following alleged injuries to Francisco Ventoso in the Paris-Roubaix.
Merida claim: ‘The principle of physics cannot be denied: disc brakes under certain conditions are miles ahead of the rim brake.’ And the company are proud of their ‘Disc Cooler’ system which utilises aluminium ribs around the chain stay to take the generated heat away from the rear brake. The result is 35 per cent less heat build-up and a faster temperature reduction.
The non-disc version of the Scultura was billed as the lightest production bike in the world, but weight is always a factor with disc brakes and around 700g has been added to the scales compared to the previous incarnation. The fork has been made stronger and the stays have also been reinforced in order to deal with the different forces going through the bike as a result of the disc brakes. That fact alone adds around 150g to the frame.
Merida say the 28mm wide tyres available for the Scultura offer maximum traction and therefore translate the improved brake power perfectly onto the road.
GIANT TCR DISC, RRP: $5,299 (for Advanced Pro version)
The TCR Disc is available in Advanced SL, Advanced Pro and Advanced versions – which are exactly the same as their rim-brake counterparts. The frame and fork have been engineered specifically for flat-mount disc brakes, including front and rear 12mm thru-axles for the most reliable braking and handling in all types of weather and road conditions.
Geometry of the TCR remains the same, even with the disc brake system – which uses Shimano RS805 hydraulic discs with RT81 IceTech Centerlock rotors.
In Australia, the disc brake versions of the TCR cost around $300 more than the comparable rim brake bikes. That’s in stark contrast to consumers in UK and USA who actually pay less for the discs compared to the rims.
FOCUS PARALANE, RRP: $4,899
Touted as an endurance bike, the large tyre clearances (up to 35mm) mean it can also be steered down short cuts such as country lanes and off-road tracks.
Indeed, Fabian Scholz (a German national enduro MTB champion) engineered the Paralane specifically because Focus staff on lunchtime rides would often have to take unusual diversions to get back to the office in time. And Scholz was determined to produce something that was not going to be compromised when it was on the tarmac.
There was also no compromise when it came to the brakes. Focus insist it would have been impossible to design and produce this bike with rim-brakes since the frame would then not have been so comfortable, nor able to offer space for those 35mm tyres.
The Paralane has RAT (Rapid Axle Technology) thru-axles – no surprise given the fact that Scholz was key to creating the system in the first place – but with easier adjustment thanks to a new retaining nut.
AVANTI CORSA ER2, RRP: $4,000
The ER stands for ‘Endurance Road’ – although geometry is relatively racy – and this is said to be the most comfortable road frame from the New Zealand company.
Avanti use the Shimano BR-RS805 hydraulic disc with 140mm rotors on the Corsa, which are smaller than the 160mm that were the UCI’s racing standard when disc-brakes were briefly allowed in 2016.
Shimano say that 140mm is big enough for its system because of their IceTech technology – initially introduced for mountain bikes –which reduces the temperatures going through the brake system. The technology features an alloy brake pad with a cooling fin, while the rotor itself is a type of ‘sandwich’ with steel layers surrounding a central alloy material. Shimano claim the maximum temperatures through the brakes can therefore be reduced by a whopping 100 degrees celcius.
Another interesting feature on this bike is the hinged TranzX vibration-damping stem – which pivots on an internal elastomer to provide increased comfort on the road, although it also adds around 200g to the 8.48kg weight (without pedals) of the bike.