Megamo is not a leading brand in the road bike space. However, the Girona-based company has a decorated history over on the bumpier side, its mountain bikes have delivered riders to the podium at the Absa Cape Epic with the Buff-Megamo team. It’s only recently that Megamo has expanded into the road bike space. In such a competitive market, however, it takes a lot to stand out – a fact that’s become even more apparent with Chinese brands offering high spec builds at increasingly competitive prices.
The bike we tested is the Megamo Pulse 04 SLR – the Iberian brand’s best road bike offering. It looks the part and is handsomely appointed, but value alone is not going to win over new customers – attributes such as aesthetics, value and dynamics need to be met; after thorough testing, I reckon the Pulse has nailed all three. It’s also not as ubiquitous as the mainstream bike companies and model ranges, which might be an issue for some but also a unique attribute to others.
We spent over 500km getting to know the Megamo Pulse 04 SLR and came away impressed by what it offers as a package compared to the perennial favourites.
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The Megamo Pulse 04 SLR was at home in the lumpy terrain of the Surrey Hills
(Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
Technical details
While the Megamo Pulse cuts a pretty sleek facade in profile with a dropped seatstay configuration, it could be argued it looks somewhat generic, but the sublime paintwork helps lift the overall visual package. Dubbed ‘White Ice’, the finish looks completely flat from a distance; but closer inspection reveals an intricately detailed, shimmering pattern that mimics icicles. To further boost the visual clout, a purple Megamo wordmark logo dominates the downtube with Pulse markings on the fork. There’s even a purple chain.
It really is a good-looking bike and one that attracted its fair share of interest from onlookers – as mentioned earlier, Megamo is not a mainstream road bike brand, and this is even more prominent in the UK.
The bike is impressively light, utilising the company’s Super Light Race (SLR) high-modulus carbon fibre chassis that is claimed to balance stiffness, compliance, and weight. In size medium, a ready-to-paint frame and fork weigh 924g/458g, respectively – which is in line with Specialized’s Fact 10r Tarmac SL8 carbon frames. Tyre clearance is up there with the very best road bikes at 34mm front and rear, which should appease those who enjoy the comfort and versatility afforded by wider tyres.
The Pulse is available in five sizes: XS, S, M, L, and XL. At 175cm tall and with longer arms and legs typical of my height, I opted for a size large Pulse – besides, the 55.8cm top tube, 410cm chainstays and a sub-metre wheelbase (997cm) aren’t too far off some of the medium frames I enjoy riding.
The frame angles are balanced with a 72.5-degree head and 73.25-degree seat tube angle matched to an aggressive 557 and 390mm stack and reach – these numbers are spot on for the category.
Specifications
The Pulse 04 SLR is handsomely appointed and gains a SRAM Force AXS groupset, complete with a power meter and a 48/35T, 10-33T gearing configuration. In size large, Megamo has paired the Pulse with 172.5mm cranks – shorter (160/165mm) and longer (174mm) options are available depending on the frame size. Call me a traditionalist or maybe even a late adopter, but I much prefer the leverage afforded by longer cranks. I particularly enjoyed the 172.5mm cranks on the Pulse test bike as I prefer grinding a bigger gear as opposed to spinning. Who knows, maybe I’ll convert to shorter options in the future, but for now, 170-172,5mm seems an optimal crank length for me.
Integration was a big focus on the bike, so Megamo has ensured no visible brake hoses or cables and matched the Pulse with an integrated carbon handlebar configuration – 410mm/110mm in this size, which looked wide at first but felt good in practice and performed decently in the ergonomic stakes overall. Again, bar width and stem length are dependent on frame size.
Rolling stock is handled by Zipp’s 303 S carbon wheels and 30mm Pirelli P Zero Race TLR tyres, configured with inner tubes.
The sum of these parts totals a respectable 7.4kg without pedals – again, this is the going weight for this frame size and component configuration. That said, with such a light frame and fork, it won’t take much to get the bike close to or under 7kg. As an experiment, I fitted a pair of Zipp 202 wheels, which dropped the Pulse under the seven-kilo barrier at 6.9kg.
Further weight can be trimmed by ditching the Fizik Vento Antares R5 saddle for a 100g lighter carbon-railed version, and then there’s the option of fitting TPUs, too.
While Megamo doesn’t share complete build weights on its website, I expect the posher models in the range include the Pulse 00 SLR (SRAM Red AXS) and Pulse 01 SLR (Shimano Dura-Ace Di2) to weigh under 7kg.
(Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
Performance
The Pulse is a well-balanced bike, and very easy to ride. It’s stable in crosswinds and planted during high-speed cornering, which provides the rider with loads of confidence in challenging conditions. The geometry is spot on for its size and intentions – it is a race bike after all but doesn’t feel overly aggressive. The riding position falls squarely between upright and stretched out, allowing you to assume a semi-neutral position without the back and neck niggles often associated with race bike geometry.
Climbing is a breeze, too. At 7.4kg, the Pulse is neither the lightest nor heaviest bike in the segment; instead it represents the middle ground and doesn’t hold you back when gravity comes into the equation. It devours elevation in very much the same way as a Cannondale SuperSix Evo or Specialized Tarmac. During testing, it allowed me to hold a good climbing speed over all the lumps and bumps that comprise the UK’s Surrey Hills.
The same goes for rolling roads where very little pedal input is needed to keep it sailing along – it’s very impressive. And when things do ever get super steep, the stiff bottom bracket and head tube provide enough response to quickly power up any kickers.
Tyre clearance maxes out at 34mm
(Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
Once up and over the other side, the bike’s dynamic character comes to the fore, thanks to the neutral frame angles – it’s super planted and predictable on the descents but also reactive to steering inputs. To improve front-end grip and communication, I got the steerer cut to drop the bars and remove some spacers. This not only reduced the effective stack but also helped place more weight over the front wheel for improved front-wheel traction in the corners.
Speaking of grip, the Pirelli tyres offered decent grip – even in the stock inner tube configuration – but should perform better at lower pressures and set up tubeless. I kept the bike as close to stock as possible during the entire test period and was very impressed with its behaviour throughout. It was only when traversing choppier, broken road surfaces that the ride quality became apparent – again, this can be tuned by lowering tire pressure, but the associated vibrations experienced are expected on poor roads.
The Zipp 303 S wheels offer good straight-line performance and aerodynamics, and are very stable during cross winds. The whole platform is rock solid, and one of the better-performing bikes I’ve tested all year.
I cut the steerer to drop some of the spacers and under the stem. This reduced the effective stack and ensured better weight placement over the front wheel
(Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
Value
Considering the crowded space, the Megamo Pulse 04 SLR makes a serious case for itself as a genuine race bike. As far as looks go, its unique paintwork and contrasting branding and iconography make for a bold and attractive bike – as does the modern design and silhouette. It’s well specced and will appeal to the ardent racer wanting a reliable performer able to keep up, compete, and hold its own against the established marques.
The Megamo Pulse 04 SLR will set you back £6,199/ $6,500/ €5,999 – which is still a significant outlay, but considering rivals such as the Cannondale SuperSix Evo 1 Hi-Mod, Scott Addict RC Team and Specialized Tarmac SL8 Pro are £700-1,000 more, it’s a bike worth considering – even if it’s still a leftfield option. While it lacks the brand cachet of the more mainstream brands, it delivers an equally engaging riding experience, and maybe even better in some instances.
With an all-new Pulse platform already upon us, you can expect some discounts on the outgoing Pulse pictured here, making it an even more attractive race bike option. Megamo will continue to sell the new Pulse and outgoing Pulse alongside each other.
The Pulse 04 SLR matches a purple chain with a colour-matched Megamo wordmark and Pulse logo on the frame – a nice touch
(Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
Tech spec
- Price: £6,199/ $6,500/ €5,999
- Brand: Megamo
- Frame: Carbon Advanced Composite Super Light Race Frame
- Fork: Carbon Advanced Composite fork
- Weight: 7.40kg (actual, Large)
- Sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL
- Levers: SRAM Force AXS
- Brakes: SRAM Force AXS
- Rear derailleur: SRAM Force AXS
- Front derailleur: SRAM Force AXS
- Crankset: SRAM Force AXS, 48/35T
- Cassette: SRAM Force AXS, 10-33T
- Wheels: Zipp 303 S
- Tyres: Pirelli P Zero Race TLR Classic, 30mm
- Bar/stem: Megamo Carbon integrated, 110x410mm
- Seatpost: Aerodynamic Advanced Carbon
- Saddle: Fizik Vento Antares R5
