Warp TT. Time warp, see what they did there? The main frames of Merida’s Warp and BMC’s TM01 share major similarities, at least in profile, but with the UCI’s 3:1 ratio rules and the universal use of CFD and wind tunnel testing, it’s hardly a surprise.
- Highs: Aggressive looks, fast ride, cockpit integration
- Lows: Hybrid wheels suffer in crosswinds and on hills
- Buy if: You’re a fan of ruthlessly efficient German engineering and colourful Italian style
If that design is the fastest, there’s little room for embellishing without compromising speed.
The front ends do differ markedly though, with Merida’s German designers opting for a conventional fork steerer and headset arrangement, and Shimano direct mount caliper bolted on the front of the wide stance fork crown. There’s no intricate internal cabling up front, with the rear brake entering the side of the down tube, and only the Di2 wire running from the control box’s position inside the hollow stem to a top tube port behind it.
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It is possible to run the stem so it is flush with the top tube, in which case the Di2 wires will be completely internal, but our test machine had an optional 60mm structural spacer installed to raise the bar assembly while maintaining great rigidity. The modular stem is adjustable for length by adding or removing sections, and totally specific to the heavily swept forward Vision bar, which gives good reach when out of the saddle. Alloy S-bend extensions are comfy on the wrists, and there’s lots of adjustment built in.
Prologo’s Zero TT saddle has a wide, well-padded nose, and bands of grippy CPC silicone material to keep you on the rivet. The carbon aero seatpost has a sliding clamp for heaps of effective angle adjustment too.
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