Scott Sports has just released their new 2017 line of mountain bikes, and the big story this year is the release of two of the lightest XC mountain bike frames in existence: the Scott Scale hardtail at 849g, and the Spark full suspension frame at 1,749g (weight includes shock and mounting hardware). “Thanks to new carbon fibers and new lay-up technologies, the Carbon Experts at SCOTT have managed to set new benchmarks for high-end mountain bikes,” said Scott Sports.
To put those weights in perspective, the full-suspension Scott RC 700 SL weighs just 21.6lbs fully built!
The suspension platform in the Spark has been revamped to provide even more efficient climbing, better small bump sensitivity, better bottom out protection, and to fit an even smaller, lighter shock. Also, the geometry has changed rather significantly on the Spark. The newest model includes a “1.3° slacker HT angle, 13 mm shorter CS length, steeper ST angle, 17 mm longer reach, 17 mm lower stack, 10 mm lower stem, and a lower standover,” according to Scott.
The Spark also now utilizes Boost standards, and is available in both 1x and 2x-specific frames. This means that you’ll really need to know what type of drivetrain you want to run before you buy the bike, but in keeping with the Spark’s no-holds-barred XC racing design and performance, the design of each frame is perfectly optimized for each respective drivetrain. No compromises.
As you can imagine, the top-of-the-line RC 900 SL spares no expense, and will come with SRAM’s new XX1 Eagle 12-speed drivetrain.
For more information on the Spark, be sure to check out this video:
The new Scale hardtail frame also will come in dedicated 1x and 2x frame designs. According to Scott, in addition to the frame of the new Scale being significantly lighter, it is also 47% more comfortable, yet sacrifices no stiffness. Exactly how one quantifies comfort with a percentage, and exactly how the frame came be more comfortable yet just as stiff, is not fully explained.
Some of the increased comfort could be attributed to the SDS2 technology. According to Scott,
The SDS2 technology achieves comfort in carbon frames without adding parts or sacrificing stiffness characteristics.The result on the new Scale frame is specific, controlled flex in areas that increase rider comfort and guarantee optimal absorption of vibrations not only on the saddle but also when the rider is standing up on the pedals.
Scott also notes that they’re using a new state-of-the-art variety of carbon fiber, dubbed HMX-SL, which reduces the weight and maintains the same level of stiffness.
Prices and availability for these bikes have not yet been released.
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