Team Bahrain Victorious put the fifth generation Scultura thoroughly through its paces, winning mountain top stages of the Tour de France and the Vuelta a Espana before the bike was even launched.

Gen 5 keeps the Scultura's fabled lightweight, agility and rider comfort focus and even manages to improve on both measures.

The Scultura now incorporates learnings from the Reacto in terms of aerodynamics; they now share the same race proven geometry.

Improving weight, comfort and aerodynamics requires plenty of engineering ingenuity. Round tubes are lighter than aero profiled tubes, fatter tyres are more comfortable but less aerodynamic. There are always compromises to be made.

The new Scultura is the most aerodynamic ever and shows outstanding compliance, providing class-leading rider comfort. The marketing blurb suggests this helps keep the body fresh for the final sprint or ascent. A couple of mountain top, grand tour stage victories underline that point quite well!

X-TAPER HEADTUBE
Steering precision is vital to safe and confident handling, and the X-TAPER HEADTUBE allows us to significantly boost this precision. A larger headset diameter at the bottom paired with a smaller one at the top helps to deal with the strains modern riding and equipment can put on the headtube, all without adding unnecessary weight. It allows tapered forks to be fitted with ease and delivers precise and confidence-inspiring steering.

INTERNAL CABLE ROUTING
On the majority of our frames, we run the gear and brake cables and hoses through the frame. The cables enter and exit the frame through smooth sockets, or we use one of our other systems like SMART ENTRY or WIRE PORT to be routed through. Running the cables inside the frame protects them from the elements, gives a clean and neat look and can offer aerodynamic advantages.

DI2 READY
Shimano's Di2 electronic shifting system offers fast, smooth and reliable shifting. In particular, in the road world, it has proven itself as the primary choice when top performance is at the top of the agenda. With that in mind, we have a broad selection of performance road frames that are Di2 READY and can accommodate the electrical cable, battery and other little tweaks that the system requires.

NANO MATRIX CARBON
NANO MATRIX CARBON is a special kind of carbon fibre where we add extremely tiny, nano-scale particles to the resin that binds the individual carbon fibres together. These then work on a molecular level to protect them from damage. It’s so effective that it can actually increase the finished carbon fibre’s impact resistance by up to 40%, allowing us to build stronger and lighter composite frames that result in a faster and tougher bike.

AWS ANTI WRINKLE SYSTEM
This is a method we use to manufacture our carbon fibre frames. First, the carbon fibre that makes up the frame is laid around special formers. We then use a bladder to compress the layers against the outside of the frame mould, giving a smooth and wrinkle-free internal finish, removing any voids in between the layers of carbon that can cause potential weak points, resulting in a stronger, lighter frame.

NACA FASTBACK PROFILE
This is a special kind of tube shape that helps reduce aerodynamic drag while also helping to reduce weight. It’s based around a teardrop profile that was originally developed in the aeronautical industry, but the rearmost portion of the profile is cut short. This reduces the amount of material needed to make the tube, but air still flows around it just as well, giving all the aerodynamic benefits but at a lower weight.

DISC COOLER
Used on our carbon fibre road and gravel bikes, DISC COOLER is a finned piece of forged aluminium that sits between the brake calliper and frame. The aluminium piece helps to draw heat from the braking system and radiates it away quickly. It reduces the temperatures by up to 35% and helps to keep your brakes working at their best for improved control and performance on long descents and under heavy braking.

INTERNAL CLAMP
When every second counts, the smallest of details can make the difference between winning and losing, so we look at every aspect of our frames to make them as sleek as possible. By using a seat post clamping mechanism that secures the post with a wedge inside the frame itself, we minimise the turbulence and potential drag while keeping post height adjustment simple, giving a frame that is more aerodynamic and also better looking.

WIRE PORT
All control cables like gear, brake and dropper post cable enter the frame through a specifically shaped headset cap, cleaning up the cockpit area while also keeping them out of harm's way. Only the internally routed cable for the rear shock lockout enters the frame directly into the top tube for extra smooth lockout action.

Features:

• Lightweight CF3 Carbon frame with full carbon tapered fork
• Shimano Ultegra 2 x 11 drivetrain
• Shimano Ultegra chainset
• Shimano Ultegra hydraulic disc brakes with Disc Cooler Technology
• Fulcrum Racing 800 DB wheelset
• Continental Grand Sport Race 28c tyres