Review: Scott Spark RC World Cup - 120mm Is The New XC

Mar 14, 2022
by Sarah Moore  
The new Scott Spark RC is the first model in the Swiss brand's line to use Bold Cycles' distinctive hidden-shock suspension design, a company that Scott acquired in 2019.

The hidden shock isn't the only thing that is bold about the new bike though; it's the first time we've seen a purebred cross-country race bike with 120mm of travel front and rear across all sizes, signalling an evolution in cross-country race bike design. Along with that additional 20mm of travel, the Spark RC World Cup now comes with 2.4″ wide tires and geometry numbers that would have passed for trail bikes' a couple of years ago.
Contessa Spark RC World Cup Details

• Wheel size: 29"
• HMX carbon frame
• Travel: 120mm (r) / 120mm fork
• 67.2-degree head angle
• 437.5mm chainstays
• Weight: 23.7 lb / 10.75 kg (size M)
• Sizes: S-XL
• Price $8,999 USD
scott-sports.com

There is a trail-oriented model of the Spark that uses the same frame with a longer-travel fork that Mike Kazimer tested last year, but it's this race-oriented RC-designated bike that Kate Courtney and Nino Schurter competed on for the second half of the 2021 XC World Cup season and at the Tokyo Olympics. It's also the bike that Nino Schurter won his record-breaking ninth World Championships title on.

Scott offers six different price points on the racey Spark, starting at $4,199 USD for the Spark RC Comp and going up to $13,999 USD for the Spark SL EVO AXS. While the 900-series trail version is offered in aluminium, the race model is carbon through and through, although three different grades of carbon are used across the line.

The Scott Contessa Spark RC World Cup that I've been riding is the one model in the Spark RC line to come with women's specific touch points and an alternate colourway, but otherwise it is identical to the Spark RC World Cup and retails for the same price of $8,999 USD. At that price point, it sees an HMX carbon frame, and specifications include a SRAM X01 AXS drivetrain, a RockShox Nude 5 RL3 rear shock, a RockShox SID Select+ RL3 fork, and Shimano XTR 2-piston brakes.



bigquotesThe Scott Spark is part of a new generation of cross-country bikes that are actually fun to ride.Sarah Moore


Photo by Tom Richards Scott Spark Contessa

Frame Details


The Scott Spark almost looks like a hardtail at first glance with its rear shock hidden away in the carbon frame and only accessible via a hatch in the bottom bracket area. That new design means that there's now clearance for two water bottles inside the front triangle, something that wasn’t possible on the previous generation Spark.

The shock isn't the only thing that's hidden, with the brake, dropper post, and suspension remote housing running through the integrated Syncros Fraser iC SL XC cockpit instead of through ports in the side of the frame. The result is a super clean and tidy cockpit as there are almost no visible cables on the bike anymore. The downside is that it does make it harder to swap out stem spacers, the stem, and the handlebar than on a more traditional setup.

Something that won't be as visible as the clean lines to the naked eye is that the Scott Spark comes in three different carbon compositions. The HMX SL frame that the $13,999 USD Scott Spark RC SL Evo AXS bike comes with weighs in at 1,870 grams, while the HMX frame on the bike that I've been riding is slightly heavier at 1,999 grams. The Pro, Comp and Team Issue bikes come with the HMF carbon frame that weighs 2,150 grams.

Scott says that the HMX filaments are both stiffer and smaller in diameter than those of HMF carbon so an HMX frame can be built of tubes with thinner wall thicknesses to achieve the same stiffness of a corresponding HMF frame. Scott says that the cost of HMX carbon is three times that of HMF and so they reserve it for their high end bikes where the lighter material will be most noticeable. Scott says a frame made of HMX carbon is 14% lighter than the frames made of HMF carbon.

As for the HMX-SL found on the top-tier Scott Spark, it will be 8.5% lighter on average to the HMX frame and 22.5% lighter than an HMF frame due to a combination of carbon nanotube reinforced epoxy resin and the world's highest tensile strength carbon fibre - T1000G. You can nerd out on all the details here.

While we usually see brands touting their newest cross-country bikes as the lightest ever, the new Spark actually isn't lighter than the previous version, although it is just 70 grams heavier with the hidden shock. Only the claimed weight for the Specialized S-Works Epic and Epic EVO (1,659 grams and 1,869 grams) and the Orbea Oiz OMX (1,740 grams) are less than the new Spark, with the Cannondale Scalpel Hi-Mod weighing a couple of grams more at 1,910 grams and the Trek Supercaliber and Santa Cruz Blur coming in at 1,933 grams. Of course, these are the claimed weights from the manufacturers themselves, and not all brands weigh bikes exactly the same, so you have to take them with a grain of salt.


Photo by Tom Richards Scott Spark Contessa
Photo by Tom Richards Scott Spark Contessa
The shock is hidden behind a plastic door on the bottom of the downtube. This allows the Spark room for two water bottles.

Photo by Tom Richards Scott Spark Contessa
The port on the seat tube is used to access the upper shock bolt and adjust air pressure, rebound, and compression


Geometry

photo


As bikes across all categories have been trending in recent years, the new Spark is longer, lower, and slacker than its predecessor, with the headtube angle now sitting at 67.2°, the reach at 441mm on a size medium, and chainstays across all sizes measuring 437.5mm. These numbers would have been appropriate on a trail bike back in 2016 when the Spark was last updated ahead of the Rio Olympics and, although times have changed, it is the most progressive of its current cross-country race peers.

For reference, the previous generation had a 432.5mm reach on the size medium, 425mm chainstays across all sizes, and a 68.5° head tube angle. While the seat tube angle used to be 73.5° across all sizes, it now changes with size, with a 75.9° on size small, 76.1° on size medium, 76.6° on size large, and 76.9° on size XL.

Like I mentioned earlier, the frame is the same on both the Spark RC and the Spark 900 that Mike Kazimer reviewed. Scott accomplishes this by using adjustable headset cups to tweak the head angle independently from the rest of the frame. By switching the cups around 180°, you can slacken or steepen the head angle by 0.6°. As you would expect, the Spark RC race bike comes with the headset cups in the steeper position to get that 67.2°, while the Spark 900 puts them in the slacker position to get a 65.8° head angle. The Spark 900 also gets a 10mm longer fork at 130 compared to the Spark RC's 120mm front and rear.


Photo by Tom Richards Scott Spark Contessa

Suspension Design

While it feels like enduro bikes have been gaining a couple millimetres of travel every year, cross-country bikes have largely remained at 100mm of travel in recent history. For World Cup athletes, there was no question of whether you would choose to race a course on a longer travel bike, only whether you would choose your hardtail or your 100mm full-suspension bike. While the geometry on the Spark is progressive, the longer travel is equally progressive.

The extra travel will add a bit of weight to the bike overall, but the single pivot suspension layout with flex stays that controls that 120mm of rear travel minimizes hardware compared to a design with multiple pivots.

As mentioned above, the shock can be accessed using the plastic hatch at the bottom of the downtube, and there's also a port on the side of the frame that's used to access the upper shock bolt. Since the shock is oriented upside down inside the frame, you can't check sag by simply looking at the shock. Instead, you can see whether you're in the right sag range using the indicators on the frame and upper link.

To firm up the 120mm fork and shock, the Spark has the latest version of Scott'sTwinLoc system. Above your dropper post lever on your left thumb, you'll find two levers which allow you to toggle the shock between full travel, 80mm of travel, and fully locked out while simultaneously firming up the fork.

The lowest lever that sticks out a bit more is for the dropper post. That dropper is a 31.6 and on the size medium, Scott has spec'd a 100mm dropper. All models of the Spark RC come with TwinLoc, although the two entry price points do not come with a dropper post.


photo


Specifications
Price $8999
Travel 120mm / 120mm
Rear Shock RockShox NUDE 5 RL3
Fork RockShox SID Select+ RL3 Air
Headset Syncros - Acros Angle adjust & Cable Routing HS System +-0.6° head angle adjustment
Cassette SRAM X01 XG1295 / 10-52 T
Crankarms SRAM X01 DUB Eagle Carbon / 30T
Bottom Bracket SRAM DUB PF 92 MTB Wide / shell 41x92mm
Rear Derailleur SRAM X01 Eagle AXS / 12 Speed
Chain SRAM CN X01 Eagle
Shifter Pods SRAM GX Eagle AXS
Handlebar Syncros Fraser iC SL XC Carbon -12° rise / back sweep 8° / 740mm
Grips Syncros Women Pro lock-on grips
Brakes Shimano XTR M9100 Disc
Wheelset Syncros Silverton
Hubs DT Swiss Ratchet Hubs
Tires Maxxis Rekon Race / 29x2.4"
Seatpost FOX Transfer SL Performance Elite Dropper Post



Photo by Tom Richards Scott Spark Contessa








Test Bike Setup

Set up on the Spark RC is easier than other bikes in some ways and trickier in others. The Spark's integrated one-piece handlebar and stem mean that setting up your bars is pretty quick since there's no way to adjust the bar roll or stack height. Luckily for me, the 740mm bar with a stem length equivalent to 60mm felt comfortable, because swapping out that handlebar is not on my bucket list.

Setting up the rear shock is a bit trickier than usual since the shock itself is hidden inside the frame and you have to undo the hatch on the underside of the down tube to access the valve. This isn't a big deal, but it is definitely a more pleasant experience with a clean bike than when you try to make an on-trail adjustment in muddy conditions. Luckily, that's not something you'll likely need to do beyond the first couple of rides.

I ran 88 psi in the RockShox SID Select+ RL3 Air fork and settled on 25% sag in the RockShox Nude 5 RL3 rear shock at 160 psi.

Photo by Trevor Lyden
Sarah Moore
Location: Squamish, BC, Canada
Age: 31
Height: 5'7" / 170cm
Inseam: 31" / 84cm
Weight: 160 lbs / 72.6 kg
Industry affiliations / sponsors: None
Instagram: @smooresmoore

In addition to taking the Spark on all my favourite cross-country trails in Squamish, I took the bike on a couple of Whistler rides, including a great day on Lord of the Squirrels. While I wasn't able to enter any races during the test period, I did go after some of my own PRs. Conditions were dry throughout the summer before we went into an atmospheric river in the fall.


Photo by Tom Richards Scott Spark Contessa

Climbing


I've said it before, but I'll say it again: cross-country races can be lost on the descents, but they're won on the climbs. That's why I was more than a bit curious to try the 120mm Spark RC and see if it could hold its own on the climbs.

The riding position on the Spark RC is comfortable and I didn't feel like I needed to sign up for any extra yoga classes since it's not one of the stretched out long and low cross-country race bikes of years past. That being said, it still feels like you're in an aggressive position that makes you want to toe a start line or head out to set a PR on a climb.

I was lucky that the stock 740mm bars felt comfortable since swapping out the Syncros one-piece headset would be a bit of a drag (and I'm not sure how many people are looking for very custom, very expensive handlebars on the Pinkbike Buy and Sell!).

As soon as you push down on the pedals, you can tell that you're riding a race bike. The bike reacts quickly to any power you give it, and accelerates easily with minimal movement from the rear shock, even in the fully open position. On roads and smooth gravel, pushing the TwinLoc lever all the way forward gives you a fully locked out and very firm shock, while on slightly rougher climbing sections and traverses, I found the mid-lock position that reduces the travel to 80mm was a good compromise between comfort and all-out speed. While it took a while, I could eventually toggle between the different TwinLoc positions without looking down and without moving my entire hand off the grip.

The fully open position had ample composure that allowed me to make it up many of my least-favourite tricky, rooty steep sections and loose marble-y climbs. The bike shone on really technical climbs, with a balance of maneuverability and grip that allowed me to pick careful lines and power through them. On tight singletrack sections, it was easy to wind around trees and I found the bike balanced and stable in these situations.

While this version of the Spark RC isn't as light as some of the contenders we had in the XC Field Test in 2020, it's lighter than all but one of the downcountry bikes we had in the last Field Test, and it is worth noting that there is room to shave weight off the already-respectable 23.7 pounds (10.75 kg) since this isn't the top of the line build.


Photo by Tom Richards Scott Spark Contessa

Descending


It's not quite as simple as "races can only be won on the climbs". Most cross-country courses also include substantial descents that riders do between four and seven times throughout the race. Pair that with bumpy traverses, and your upper body gets fatigued as a race progresses. Plus, if you're getting dropped on every descent, the extra energy required to catch back up on the next section after a descent takes a toll.

That's why 120mm might just be the future of cross-country racing. Perhaps at first it will just be for riders that struggle to hold their own on descents, but as strong descenders move to more capable bikes, the whole field will have to join in or be left behind. Although since some riders still don't use dropper posts, it could take a while!

The Spark RC brings a confidence to descents that I've never felt before on a purebred cross-country bike. It thrives on flying along smoother sections of trail and accelerating out of descents and into the next climb as you'd expect, but its composure opens up a wider number of trails than you'd think possible on a purebred cross-country bike.

It's also just a lot more fun than any cross-country bike I've ever ridden, which absolutely counts for something. That being said, it shouldn't be confused with bikes like the Santa Cruz Tallboy, Ibis Ripley or Rocky Mountain Element on the descents despite now having a similar amount of travel.

While you can still ride really steep things, you just can't ride them at top speed and you'll want to choose your lines more carefully than you would on a longer travel bike or a bike with slacker geometry. Your whole body still gets more tired on the descents than it would with a longer travel bike and you won't be speeding through the roughest sections of trail, but I kept surprising myself with what I could ride down on the Spark RC, especially when I tried a set of beefier tires on it. I was blown away by how it transformed the bike entirely into a not-quite-downcountry-but-so-close-it's-a-bit-confusing bike.


Photo by Tom Richards Scott Spark Contessa
Scott Spark RC
photo
Santa Cruz Blur TR

How Does It Compare?


Let's compare the Scott Spark RC to the Santa Cruz Blur TR, which was released at the same time as the Spark and has similar travel and geometry. Interestingly, both Santa Cruz and Scott released a purebred cross-country version of their new bike and a more aggressive version that uses the same frame; the Blur is just a more conservative iteration.

The race version of the Spark with 120mm of travel front and rear actually has more travel than the 115mm/120mm Blur TR and the geometry numbers are more similar to it than the 100mm Blur XC so it seems like the more fair comparison, although so far we've seen Santa Cruz's World Cup XC racers choose the shorter-travel bike for XC racing, while their endurance racers like Keegan Swenson ride on the TR.

On the Blur, the differences in the two models are accomplished by using a longer stroke shock and a longer fork, while on the Spark, the differences in geometry are made using adjustable headset cups to tweak the head angle independently from the rest of the frame along with a longer fork.

I rode the medium-sized Blur TR last summer with its 438mm reach, 67.1 degree head tube angle, 75° seat tube angle, 1157mm wheelbase, and 433mm chainstays. The Spark RC in a size medium has an almost identical reach, head tube angle, and wheelbase at 441mm, 67.2°, and 1,159mm respectively, a one degree steeper seat tube angle at 76.1°, and longer 437.5mm chainstays.

Although the numbers may be very similar, there are differences out on the trail. On the climbs, both have an incredible amount of traction and allow you to grind up the least forgiving of technical climbs. However, they both benefit from a lock out on long paved or gravel climbs, something that the Spark RC with TwinLoc gets points for. It seems like a bit of an oversight that the Blur TR doesn't get a remote lockout. While both are supremely capable on tight switchbacks, here I preferred the Spark RC as well, with its slightly more upright riding position.

On the descents, the Spark RC felt more composed than the Blur TR and less twitchy. Mike Levy may enjoy that feeling of always being on the edge of control, but when you're already absolutely exhausted in a cross-country race, I think it's preferable to have a bike that works with you instead of against you. You need to pay attention descending on both bikes, but I felt less likely to go head over heels on the Spark RC.

Where the Blur TR gets points is for its more traditional handlebar setup and fewer cables to contend with. The Spark RC won't be the cheapest bike to maintain since not everyone can get that shock out to service and it's harder to reroute cables or swap out components.


Photo by Tom Richards Scott Spark Contessa
The Fox Transfer SL dropper post is 25% lighter than the standard Transfer, but it does take a bit to get used to since it doesn't have infinite travel adjust
Photo by Tom Richards Scott Spark Contessa
The Maxxis Rekon Race tires are fast, light, efficient and slightly terrifying.

Technical Report


Overall, the spec on the Spark RC World Cup is highly appropriate for a cross-country race bike. The World Cup model isn't top of the line, but the compromises are well thought out to try and keep the weight as low as possible, while keeping the price point at a substantial $5,000 USD less than the top of the line $13,999 USD Spark RC SL Evo AXS.

Fox Transfer SL Dropper post: The Fox Transfer SL dropper post is 25% lighter than the standard Transfer, something that weight weenies won't scoff at. At 100mm, the length is appropriate for this size medium race bike, and gets the saddle out of way even on steep descents. It does take some time to get used to the Transfer SL though since it doesn't have infinite travel adjust that most dropper posts do these days. There's no "middle" position for pedalling across flat, rooty sections, something I didn't know how frequently I did until I couldn't do it with this post. It's a fine balance between light weight and usability, but I would choose a heavier post with infinite adjust if given the option.

Maxxis Rekon Race Tires: These tires are fast and light and an appropriate tire choice for this bike, but I found I had a lot more fun on the Spark RC when I changed the front tire to something more aggressive. As soon as the ground is wet or you have loose dirt over hardpack, it's easy to lose the front end with the Rekons and wind up on the ground. That being said, it's great to see cross-country bikes getting specced with, and being compatible with, wider tires.

Photo by Tom Richards Scott Spark Contessa
The Syncros Celista 1.5 saddle was surprisingly comfortable.
Photo by Tom Richards Scott Spark Contessa
The TwinLoc makes a ton of sense on a cross-country race bike, but does take quite a bit of time to get used to.

Syncros Celista 1.5 If there's one thing I'm picky about, as most riders who spend a lot of time pedalling are, it's a good saddle. I always have low expectations for how comfortable a saddle is going to be when I get a test bike in and I fully expect to have to swap the saddle early on in the test period. The Syncros Celista 1.5 was surprisingly comfortable, though, and I kept it on for the duration of the test period. While the differences may be slightly between the RC and the RC Contessa, I would choose the Contessa with the comfortable Syncros Women Pro lock-on grips and Syncros Celista 1.5 saddle if I were in the market for a cross-country race bike. The colourway doesn't hurt either.

TwinLoc: Mike Levy would argue that a short travel bike shouldn't need a lockout, but personally I think it's on the cross-country race course where the slightest of margins on the climb make the most difference. I know Mike Kazimer has his gripes with the TwinLoc system on the trail version of the Scott Spark, but on the race-oriented version of this bike, I think it makes sense. It might seem overly complicated, but I know a lot of people who do twist the dials on their fork and rear shock at the start of every climb every lap of a cross-country race to gain a marginal advantage on the climb. It's much easier to flick the lever on your handlebar than reach down to unlock your fork when you're halfway down a hill and realize that the reason you're descending is more terrible than usual is because your oxygen-starved brain forgot to unlock your suspension before dropping in.

Getting used to this set up does take some time, and I'd be lying if I said I never mixed up the levers and had my saddle drop unexpectedly when I thought I was locking out my suspension. TwinLoc won't be ideal for those that have multiple bikes in their quiver since swapping back and forth between a bike with TwinLoc and a bike without isn't easy. If you're a dedicated cross-country racer though, you'll get used to the placement of the lockout, mid-lock, and the dropper post, and be able to focus on racing.





Photo by Tom Richards Scott Spark Contessa





Pros

+ Excellent technical climber
+ One of the best descending purebred cross-country bikes around
+ Room for two water bottles


Cons

- Not the easiest bike to work on for home mechanics
- TwinLoc system won't be for everyone




Pinkbike's Take

bigquotesThe Scott Spark RC is bold in more ways than one, with longer travel and more progressive geometry than any other dedicated World Cup race bikes out there. As cross-country race courses evolve, the bikes have slowly been catching up, but it feels like the Spark RC has taken a couple of steps all at once.

It is an excellent technical climber while remaining efficient thanks to the TwinLoc system. On the descents, it is the most composed cross-country race bike I've ever ridden, nudging up closer to the downcountry category than any cross-country bike has before. While the integrated handlebar and hidden shock mean that it will be harder to work on, if your only job is going fast, there's no downside to the Spark RC.
Sarah Moore







Author Info:
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Member since Mar 30, 2011
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291 Comments
  • 103 6
 The new gravel, aggro gravel, XC, aggressive XC, downcountry, trail, all mountain. enduro, freeride, mini DH and DH are simply what ever we are told they are now to accommodate the next made up genre.
  • 47 0
 don't forget the "aggressive trail" or "long travel trail" bikes that were reviewed in the recent field test. Those definitely can't be described as either trail or all-mountain
  • 24 1
 We were doing rather well without these contrived names, I'm fine just knowing the suspension travel as a baseline for where to look.
  • 16 2
 Don’t worry, bikes be classified in as many genres as music
  • 14 1
 Wait ,are we over complaining about overpriced strider bikes and capitalism already??
I really thought that would stick
  • 11 15
flag vinay FL (Mar 14, 2022 at 9:18) (Below Threshold)
 @grotesquesque: Suspension travel is a pretty poor indication. I think Scott has made a pretty long travel light duty bike in the past. And then a good few hardtails are designed for harder hits than lots of 4" travel full suspension bikes. (Sagged) head tube angle or stack may be a better number to look at.
  • 7 1
 @vinay: Hence the baseline Smile
  • 4 1
 @cedarlicker: Yes, in fact, most of my bikes can also be classified according to the music genres and bands in my pre-ride music catalog (keep in mind I’m from Seattle), including: Grunge, Nirvana, Mudhoney, Heavy Metal, Thrash Metal, Speed Metal, Techno, Hard Techno (HT), Deep House (DH), Drum & Bass, Jungle, Tool, Slayer, Rage Against The Machine (specifically my 1992 Trek 9000 or any other bike with elastomer suspension), Smooth Jazz, and The Dave Matthews Band. (Just kidding about the last two =)
  • 10 0
 You're only "told" if you're reading mtb websites (as I do). I know a few people who are happily unplugged from ANY kind of bike news source (and Strava) and are just as happy (happier?) riding their bikes as anyone who knows about the latest and greatest.

It's called the Hedonic Treadmill and if you're reading this you're probably running on it.
  • 3 1
 @WRCDH: What no Hendrix, PF or Modest Mouse?
  • 1 1
 @WRCDH: Meant PJ not PF
  • 2 7
flag WRCDH (Mar 14, 2022 at 13:42) (Below Threshold)
 @RadBartTaylor: Yes, thanks for reminding me! Oh, and MxPx (from Bremerton, a short ferry ride from downtown Seattle). But I only have Hendrix and other Classic Rock on vinyl...and only CD’s in my car...I can’t handle the sound quality of compressed audio from an iPhone on my carbon, Kevlar, & titanium-dome audiophile speakers, haha.

Hmmm, I just realized I have more carbon fiber in my car stereo than I have on most of my bikes =P (due to the vibration characteristics of carbon...as it doesn’t “absorb” vibrations like they claimed in the 90’s with braided carbon/Kevlar RTM-processed resin-rich LP handlebars and such, back in the day. However, that “vibration damping” narrative has persisted for 25-30 years, but it’s nonsense with 95% of super-harsh standard / intermediate / high modulus unidirectional carbon fibers in heat-cured prepreg epoxy resins used in bicycles these days. In fact, it’s why many new ultra-stiff all-carbon road bikes initially went to much bigger tires (due to the harshness and vibration transmission of the ultra-stiff carbon fiber everything...although some ultra-lightweight laminated modern unidirectional composite parts have stiffness / strength, flexural, and laminate properties conducive to vibration damping). However, vibration damping composites can still be engineered, if carefully designed as such in terms of geometry, layup, thickness, materials, and multi-functionality, from the outset. These days, I’m into optimization of carbon fiber & other composite materials’ phononic quantum properties — engineering vibration and shockwave transmission through passive and active phononic properties of the carbon fibers, composite system, and the structure into which the carbon fibers/composite are integrated.

Hopefully we’ll be able to integrate that sort of active quantum vibration optimization into mountain bike carbon fiber composite structures in 5 or 10 years, along with resin quantum property meta-material active/reactive optimization 5+ years after...(ie, stiff when putting the power down, supple when leaned over in a corner for lateral suspension effect like Grand Prix superbike rear swingarms, and vibration damping when integrated sensors sense high-frequency vibrations. Maybe 15-20 years for that on bikes, actually =)
  • 2 3
 @RadBartTaylor: Oh, I forgot Heart too — Seattle band...also frequently heard at The Downhill Zone bike shop.
  • 4 0
 @cedarlicker: There are only 3 genres: 90s Alternative, Metal, and everything else.
  • 12 0
 @cedarlicker:
Totally, was thinking this today. As a metalhead, totally relate.

"It's not a downcountry bike, its an aggressive xc race/upduro gravel bike"

" It's not atmospheric black metal, it's neo-pagan technical progressive folk black-gaze"
  • 2 1
 @WRCDH: Death Cab and to a lesser extent Postal Service should get repped also.....

I really hope you were joking about Dave Matthews
  • 2 0
 Personally looking forward to the transgravity soft-tailed rural ingress e-gressor category w/ optional Live Valve.
  • 1 1
 @grotesquesque: Sorry, I still don't get it (and it is probably just me so don't worry). But how does suspension travel work as a better baseline than (sagged) geometry (or just head tube angle)?
  • 3 0
 @vinay: because its 100x more simple and ignores minutiae, additionally HTA categories apparently change by .5* every 6 months. Personally I dont see much need to categorize bikes that aren't purpose built race bikes.
  • 1 2
 @RonSauce: Ok, whatever works for you. I'd for instance say a BTR Ranger and a Chromag Doctahawk share the same purpose. Yes the Doctahawk is designed around a longer travel fork, but when sagged the geometries are pretty much identical. And then with 5" travel full suspension bikes, it could go any direction. This Scott serves a very different purpose than for instance the new Canyon Spectral 125. Yes geometries have evolved over the years, but hasn't the use of these bikes evolved along with it? You may be able to find an an old bike labeled "all mountain" with a geometry similar to this Scott. But then, can't this Scott be used just like you could use that older all mountain bike? Sure, there will be exceptions. An XC bike and DJ bike may share similar head tube angles yet they won't excel at (or even survive) the others' uses. But then again, going by suspension travel isn't going to help much either.

It will be different for everyone probably but for someone looking for a new bike and likely spending a lot of money, it pays to not ignore the minutiae and indeed also look into stuff that's 100x less simple.
  • 3 0
 cant believe you're missing upduro
  • 5 0
 @RonSauce: That last sentence really nails it. Why do we so desperately need catchy labels for every conceivable preference and use case? If it’s a purebred race machine then great. And I get why we would need a label for DH bikes that aren’t going to pedal for shit. Everything else is a trail bike.
  • 1 0
 @RadBartTaylor: I certainly agree that you could consider fiber orientation and shape to engineer strength, stiffness AND vibration damping - but not all carbon composite materials have the same vibration damping. And there are simpler solutions now. The new Yeti thermoplastic handlebars have been tested to show greatly improved damping vs epoxy, and I suspect the other thermoplastic carbon fiber products (GGravity, Evil, Revel) would perform the same. There are additive layers for epoxies too, they have been especially promoted in carbon road frames. Here's an old comparison of a thermoplastic vs thermoset golf shaft: patents.google.com/patent/US6261500B1/en
  • 6 0
 @rickybobby18: I remember the good ole' days when I'd ride 110 miles without a cell phone, no maps, no computer, just a few dollars in my jersey and a tube and pump. And I'd come back home and not make record of the days event. I'd just eat a big sandwich and take a nap and no one but my riding buddies would know anything about it.
  • 1 1
 @foggnm: No one is keeping you from doing that nowadays. Though that's a long ride, especially off-road. I'd bring tools too. Did you use the money for food/drinks on the ride or did you bring some yourself?
  • 1 0
 Blurry lines between the pines…
  • 2 1
 @foggnm: love it.....unfortunatly guys like you were/are the hardcore guys people used to talk about while all the IG fools these days get the street cred for making themselves known.
  • 88 21
 "I would choose a heavier post with infinite adjust if given the option"

"I had a lot more fun on the Spark RC when I changed the front tire to something more aggressive."

"Levy would argue that a short travel bike shouldn't need a lockout"

Pinkbike reviews of XC bikes are always written from the perspective of "I'm not really into XC and would rather be riding a trail bike, but my editor gave me this, so here goes!".

I remember a couple years ago, the XC field test circuit was so gnarly that they determined the optimal configuration for the Epic was with the Brain completely off. This doesn't match my experience riding and racing XC on a wide variety of terrain, where nearly every circuit has long, grueling sections where plush, bobby suspension is a huge liability. I've never had a long XC day where I wonder at the end "what is a lockout even for!?"

I assume I'm not the only reader that primarily rides XC, given the greater accessibility of the discipline and the current surge in popularity of the XC World Cups. It's interesting the the preeminent mountain bike site treats the discipline as a tertiary peculiarity, rather than employing at least one writer that is primarily interested in XC. I would bet that there's a large readership with an underserved appetite for XC content.
  • 73 8
 - Many World Cup XC racers ride on dropper posts with incremental adjustments instead of the Fox Transfer SL.
- I'm not saying I wouldn't race on the fast-rolling Maxxis Rekon Race tires in the right conditions, just that they aren't always the most fun tires
- Mike Levy is pretty outspoken about lockouts... https://www.pinkbike.com/news/opinion-lockout-levers-make-for-worse-bikes.html but I'm a fan.
- I still much prefer the feel of "regular" suspension controlled with a lockout compared to the Specialized Brain.
- I might ride more than just XC bikes these days, but I raced XC for 10+ years, even did the Windham + MSA World Cups as a U23, so I'd say I'm more than interested in the discipline. Our XC coverage has grown a ton in recent years and World Cup racing has never been more exciting (or the bikes better!), but always welcome to feedback on how we can improve.
  • 42 12
 @sarahmoore: Definitely not saying you have no XC experience (I read your bio back during the field test). But this isn't really about your background. Probably everyone on the Pinkbike staff is a kick-ass XC rider relative to the average reader.

My point was that articles read as though they're written from the perspective of someone who would rather not be riding XC, but perhaps it's better to say they're written for an audience of trail riders who aren't that interested in XC. And, to be fair, there's always a group in the comments that seems to echo this (EDIT: Just saw "can you run a coil" below, LOL) But I assume there are also many of us for whom a purebred XC bike is appealing without the angle of "how you could make this into a bike that's actually fun" or other XC apologism.
  • 17 0
 @nattyd: Fair enough, we do try to speak the same language as the majority of our audience, but I can see how that might be a turn off in some instances!
  • 60 7
 Let's play a game, I do it with my kids (who also cannot yet read), it's called read along. It's great for improving reading comprehension. It also ensures we do not take things out of context.

"There's no "middle" position for pedalling across flat, rooty sections, something I didn't know how frequently I did until I couldn't do it with this post. It's a fine balance between light weight and usability, but I would choose a heavier post with infinite adjust if given the option."

"These tires are fast and light and an appropriate tire choice for this bike, but I found I had a lot more fun on the Spark RC when I changed the front tire to something more aggressive."

"Mike Levy would argue that a short travel bike shouldn't need a lockout, but personally I think it's on the cross-country race course where the slightest of margins on the climb make the most difference. I know Mike Kazimer has his gripes with the TwinLoc system on the trail version of the Scott Spark, but on the race-oriented version of this bike, I think it makes sense."

This review was excellent and, in fact, written to address exactly your complaint. The last point explicitly pushes back upon the exact stereotype about which you complain. Levy (well documented) and Kaz (previous review of non-RC version) both are not fans of the remote, but Sarah says: no, sorry Mike and Mike, twinloc is a good thing for the purpose of XC racing. She is addressing both the primary readership of Pinkbike who like to complain about remotes and the primary interest group of the review who like to imagine themselves in a sprint finish for a mid-pack result at the same time. That is just one facet that makes this an excellent review.

I am a short travel nerd, and certainly eat up any XC content on Pinkbike, and that was a top-notch review @sarahmoore.

This was also my first ever comment. I hope I am never, ever, inspired to make another one. No way is it good for your health.
  • 3 2
 @nattyd, @sarahmoore: I know plenty of people who are interested in a bike that can be used for XC (race or not race) but also want that bike to be useful for a more descent-focused day. I think a review of a bike like this should include some comments on versatility. For sure, if I would spend 9k on a bike I would not have money for any other bike for the next few years. So it would have to be a do it all bike. And if 'all' includes XC racing for you, this can be do it all bike. In this respect, I think the integrated bar and stem is a disadvantage. On my bike I move some spacers from below to above the stem to go from more trail ish to more XC ish.
  • 11 2
 @ak-77: This bike has a pretty narrow niche - serious cross-country racers - so I don't think it is a versatile bike. It serves a very distinct purpose. A downcountry bike sounds more like your cup of tea, Scott makes the 900-series of this bike if you want something more versatile. https://www.pinkbike.com/news/review-2022-scott-spark-900-tuned-axs-a-hidden-shock-and-all-the-integration.html
  • 7 0
 @nattyd: I think it's also important to consider the geography of where the ride/test is happening. One region's XC rides are infinitely more technical than other areas making those changes to more aggressive parts necessary to go fast. Lord of the Squirrels is not your average XC ride.
  • 5 14
flag nattyd (Mar 14, 2022 at 13:49) (Below Threshold)
 @jdwade: You started with an insult, so I think you're well-suited to internet comments!

I think the fact that those quotes are indeed, in larger context, apologism for the fact that they're reviewing an XC bike, are a perfect way to illustrate my exact point. Appreciate the support!
  • 5 1
 @freeinpg: Strong agree. But ultimately if you're writing articles that are going to be read by people around the world, a 95th percentile technical XC ride might not be the most informative choice.
  • 4 2
 @sarahmoore: I hear ya, but if you assume a majority of your riders have no interest in XC, that may be a self-fulfilling prophecy.
  • 5 2
 @sarahmoore @ak-77 I think your points about versatility are interesting, but versatility means different things to different people. In my case, a chunky XC race is pretty much the most technical thing I want to do (too old, too many concussions). I ride a ton of marathon/gravel stuff that is too technical for a gravel bike but too sloggy for a heavy mountain bike, plus as much moderately technical singletrack as I can find, and the occasional black diamond. For me, this bike covers all of that terrain, so it's incredibly versatile. My currently bike, a 100 mm travel Epic, covers most of it well too, but is a bit harrowing on the techy stuff. 120 mm covers 95% of what I want to do.
  • 12 4
 @nattyd: In the spirit of another era. I will agree to disagree. We view the article from a different basis. I do not read apologies. I also appreciate the need to address a diverse audience, which is much more challenging and was done well.

Since that is my opinion and this is Pinkbike, I definitely had to be a dick about it. At least the first time.

Also, now definitively a bad thing to comment.
  • 6 1
 @nattyd I’m right there with you. I’d love a true XC test, that’s focused on riding XC.

HUMP
  • 7 0
 @jdwade: Haha, all good. I write comments because I get really excited about bikes and this is a good outlet for obsessing about them with other nerds. But it definitely rots my brain, and usually ends up making me feel bad, because you know we're all more sensitive than we pretend to be. And your pushback was well-written and incisive.

@sarahmoore is a good writer, and I should acknowledge the human at the other end of all this, because at the end of the day it IS a good review and it's the XC content I'm asking for, and she should feel good about that.

Anyway, I'll leave it at: More XC! Time to go ride.
  • 3 2
 @sarahmoore: Ya know... if Pinkbike wants or needs a professional writer who races XC at a high level and has a love for long, grueling 4-6hr marathon events, who also happens to be moving to Bellingham this spring/summer... I may know a guy. That guy is me. If Pinkbike sees a need, maybe there's an opportunity for everyone. XC is only growing, and growing as quickly as ever, with the nationwide adoption of NICA and high-school MTB racing.

Your experience racing world cups far outclasses my experience being the "local fast guy" at the pointy end of Cat1 fields... but I still actively train and race for short and mid-distance events while working as a full-time writer for an outdoor brand.
  • 4 4
 @nattyd: yup with you 100%. I’m not sure I’ve ever read a “proper” xc race bike review from a real current racer. Sarah is definitely the best qualified at pinkbike to do so and it’s a good review… But she doesn’t currently race xc or have any insight how this bike will feel when you’re in the red, or even any insight how it handles at slow speed. With the slack HA it’s likely to flop more than the previous model. At least she didn’t complain about handlebar width ; )
  • 2 12
flag DetroitCity (Mar 14, 2022 at 17:14) (Below Threshold)
 @cgreaseman: she raced 2 world cups in North America at the u23 level. The local cat 3 race is faster
  • 4 2
 Normally I bitch about XC reviews on pinkbime, but this one was pretty legit.
I have a bmc agonist that is 115/120mm and I don't have a dropper, but I use the crap out of the 3 position dual lock out on it. If you are going to want to go uphill fast it's a must.
  • 5 0
 @sarahmoore: have to say that I agree with @nattyd in that the xc reviews on this site read very much as if they're being evaluated as trail bikes, or at least light duty trail bikes.

This isn't the "trail" version of the bike, like many xc bikes have a trail version, but the race bike.

It's the dedicated race bike, so it should be evaluated primarily from the perspective of someone who is intending to take it racing. The review doesn't come across as a serious assessment of its race capabilities, but rather like a review of a daily driver.
  • 2 0
 @nattyd: One bike to rule them all!
  • 2 1
 @Ktron: Do they evaluate Enduro bikes as purebred race machines? Not that I’ve seen. Basically every review here (and elsewhere) mentions the bikes suitability for the designed purpose and then ventures into exploring the edges of what it’s capable of and how it would serve as a daily driver.

It’s fair to criticize this reviewing style for race bikes, but it’s not fair to say that this is about distaste for XC.
  • 2 0
 Funny, my experience with the Brain was the same, I liked it better "off". I raced that bike in Pro XCT events with a long list of World Cup pros lined up next (*cough* ahead *cough*) to me.

My current XC bike (Intense Sniper) doesn't have, nor need a lockout. I race it in the open position, even on smooth conditions. Also an infinite dropper which was handy when I was doing more tech climbing this past weekend at the True Grit Epic (I podiumed).

In the past I ran a Hans Dampf on my Cannondale F-Si to get on the podium of a local XC race in the Pro cat. Slow on the climb (dead last on the opening climb), but I made it all back when I was holding my lines in the loose stuff.

Friend of mine has a 120mm Spark he bought for racing in the Swiss Epic (though the plan was just to finish, not compete) and he finds that it is more fun for him to ride locally on his XC trails than his 100mm Spark the year before or his Genius which rarely get ridden anymore (just park days now). He also races in the Pro cat, mostly for fun.

So in a lot of ways, the PB reviews line up with what I have experience with XC racing. I don't do much XC riding though, my 170mm coil bike has double the mileage of my last three XC bikes combined.

I don't enjoy riding XC myself, but I love racing. I may be "The slowest pro you will ever meet" (my catch phrase), but I am still pushing an XC bike pretty hard when I ride. Harder than 99% of the others (which is why I race in the elite/open/pro category).
  • 3 0
 @dmitri6: honestly seems like a pretty good choice. As someone who started MTBing in the early 2000s, this bike is slacker than some DH bikes at the time, so it’s funny to hear it called “for a narrow niche”. A good portion of mountain bikers will never and probably should never ride a trail that this bike can’t handle.
  • 4 0
 @Blackhat: I would say that Enduro bikes are the current version of a "daily driver" though these days and a pure race review is irrelevant there. Everybody buys a 160mm+ bike and most of them just dick around on local trials you could easily ride with a 130mm bike as they suffer on the climbs for no reason other to tell people they have sick 160mm+ travel bike.

Nobody buys a pure XC race bike unless they are racing XC so the review should be geared that way.
  • 2 0
 @warmerdamj: That’s a very BC centric perspective. Very few full on enduro bikes on the trails not suitable for an enduro race around here. And probably the same number of XC rigs out and about.

More importantly, just like enduro racers, 99% of XC racers are going to spend a huge amount of time trail riding on their race bike. They almost certainly care whether that time will be enjoyable when purchasing a bike.
  • 3 0
 @Blackhat: I'm not saying the Enduro bikes aren't suitable for a race, I'm saying most people who buy an Enduro bike do not race. They simply want an Enduro bike because they think they need it. Most Enduro races could done on less bike too much unless your last name is Rude.

I'm just saying an Enduro bike review should be from a race and enjoyment point of view. People riding them use them for "enjoyment" outside of racing or for that exclusively.

But XC race bikes are not bought for enjoyment. They are bought to be raced and even when not racing they are not really being taken out for comfort and fun. It's always a grind for xc guys on a race bike and they are pretty much always in that mode. Comfort is absolutely not a concern aside from the bike fitting. I'll take a rock hard bare carbon seat over a comfy seat anyway just it save 1g there.

I'm just a regular guy who races xc locally and having a comfortable xc bike means nothing to me. Everything about my xc bike is about weight and speed. Everything about my Enduro bike is about strength and me not getting rattled to oblivion. So when I read a review about a pure xc race bike, these little factors about it would be more fun with bigger tires or how it performs in a casual setting don't really mean much to me. I want to know how it performs with a -17* stem.
  • 2 1
 @warmerdamj: That is your personal experience. Where I am, most XC bikds, even the racy ones, are bought by people who do not race at all, or for whom racing is a minor percentage of their focus. It depends on the kind of trails you have locally perhaps? Very few people out here have an Enduro bike as their only bike.
  • 2 0
 @ak-77: you're totally right I guess and I don't want to come across as saying @Blackhat is wrong too. I am likely blinded by my BC environment like he said.
  • 1 0
 @warmerdamj: I got a used 2013 epic back before I knew XC bikes weren’t supposed to be fun. My god, it was a blast to ride around the trails I had access to. Maybe a trail bike would have been better, but I was blissfully ignorant. Still have the brain SID on my hardtail. And yes, I did race it, though not nearly as much as I expected to.

Obviously there are some hardcore riders like yourself that only care about the race speed, and I think it’s notable how few words were spent talking about how fast the bike is. That should be a bigger part of the review. But you’re in that 1%. Most buyers like myself need to know if it’ll be fun when we’re logging the training miles as well. And there are definitely a lot of people on mellow trails buying this sort of bike with no intention of racing.

Btw, do you really think the bigger bikes are for the top riders? I figured Rude would do well, if not better on a 140. The long travel sleds are required by punters like me who need bailed out from poor choices and lacking strength.
  • 1 0
 @Blackhat: I was more so saying that only a top rider like Rude could have the abilities to push a real enduro bike to its actual limits but I would agree that yes they could be faster in certain scenerios where a lighter bike could get the job done.
  • 3 0
 It's not Just Pinkbike it's like the whole of America hates XC bikes. You never see a good review of a XC bike by an American. It's like no-one in America ever rides up a hill.
  • 1 0
 @Treadly: they mostly ride uphill in their lifted Tacoma
  • 67 3
 Great review @sarahmoore - thank you for comparing this bike against those from the field tests. You guys set such a good baseline with those tests and the roundtable discussion, it's really helpful to have future reviews like this one balanced against that group of bikes too.
  • 30 0
 Glad you like the Field Test format. We try to make these reviews as useful as possible and compare to other benchmarks.
  • 2 2
 yes good review and this bike looks like the bike for me! Except for I am going to wait till they have better colors. I want an all-white version like the recent Scott Gambler.
  • 5 0
 You commented wrong, you're supposed to tell Sarah she isn't a current xc racer and uses too many adjectives when describing bikes.

"Bike go BRRRRRR" should have been the whole article. S/
  • 1 0
 @RonSauce: Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
  • 29 1
 I can't work out if I like the concealed shock or not... Awkward for adjusting but surely the protection from mud etc must be awesome. Did you notice whether the shock stayed cleaner over the duration of the test, and if that made any noticable extension to the lifespan of its performance?
  • 4 1
 More curious about how consistent it is on longer descends (like you'd have in marathon XC racing which this seems like an otherwise good bike for). Does the shock heat up a lot?
  • 29 0
 @vinay: I rode it down Lord of the Squirrels on a very hot summer day (over 700m / 2300 ft descent) and the shock remained consistent.
  • 28 0
 It definitely stayed cleaner, hard to say whether this contributes to extending the lifespan with so many other variables involved. Service intervals are going to be the same as on any other frame design.
  • 14 0
 It's just a ruse, there's actually a a motor in there.
  • 7 2
 @sarahmoore: From my experience, most shocks need servicing due to other reasons before dirt can cause major problems, even with wet weather and irregular cleaning.

Then again, less dirt on seals and stanchions is always a good thing, but you probably won't notice a difference lifespan all that much.
  • 4 1
 the shock is still "upside down", thus no lubrication on the internal damper sealhead. no matter how clean the wiper seal is this shock will have a substantially shorter lifespan in general due to shaft wear, and more frequent damper rebuilds while it is still amongst the living.

i have to work on this bike. i would rather take up rollerblading than own one.

good luck finding 3mm OD cable housing.
  • 16 1
 I do wish they didn't gatekeep the high-end suspension bits to only the highest-end builds. Like even a $9k build is coming with the entry-level SID. You have to step up to the $10.5k RC WC Evo to get the SID Ultimate. I go fast enough to appreciate the performance from a better damper, but I don't feel like I need to go way past the point of diminishing returns for squeezing out every last gram by spending $10k. It's really frustrating that both Scott and Specialized do this. Meanwhile I could buy a Spur with the SID Ultimate on their $6k build. You can't even just upgrade yourself, since you need the Twinloc model. I'd probably have one of these if that wasn't the case. I'd be fine with an XO1 build sans AXS for $8k if it came with the SID Ultimate, but I'm not going to pay an extra $2.5k just to get the better fork, when it's normally only about $100 more. Yeah, I also save 100grams, but I'm not really worried about that.
  • 5 2
 Damper upgrade is cheap and you’ll have a spare in case things go south before a race.
  • 3 5
 @DHhack: 275 is cheap? Plus labor time or costs, plus tools? Thats cheap? You're gonna swap a damper in the back of your minivan?
  • 9 1
 @DetroitCity: compared to 4000? Yes. Trunk of my accord, and yeah better than driving home 6hrs and no race.
  • 4 3
 @DHhack: so you're saying doing the damper after buying the bike is cheaper than the next level up bike. That doesn't make his point any less valid and it doesn't change the fact its overpriced for what you get.
  • 2 3
 That's kind of how pricing works like you can't just be like "why does my cheap bike have cheap parts, why does this expensive bike have expensive parts what the heck"

sid select + isnt the lowest the straight up sid is. also i have a sid select and it's pretty good like it absorbs bumpies what else do you want, especially out of xc sus where you aren't missing out on like 8 different extra adjustments just because your one level down.

its an xc bike, xc is all about marginal gains, if you don't want to spend tons of money on them then don't, no one is forcing you to buy a 14000 dollar bike.

sure scott and specialized do this but if you cloned yourself twice, and then (cross country) raced yourself on a spark, a epic, and a spur, all with rockshox ultimate sus, and you would probably mop the floor with yourself. Maybe not, but I bet my clones would be kicking my butt (if I was on the spur with no lockouts or brains).

the s works thing is kind of stupid though cause it can make you feel like your bike isn't worth upgrading

also you aren't just paying for the fork your paying for those sick rotors that totally won't get all delaminationy on you (totally not speaking from experience), xx1, tyrewiz, so like fancy stuff and also in general (not necessarily between those two models) bikes is expensive because they are light

also fyi theres a little thing called buying only a frame and then get the parts you want. it's not as if a epic or spark have anything in them to make a frame twice as much as a spur frame.
  • 4 0
 @DetroitCity: nobody is being forced to buy one. As @mjlee2003 said, build up a frame. Or buy the cheap one and upgrade the parts that matter to you the most.
  • 1 0
 I mean you could just buy the damper on eBay...
  • 1 0
 @Themissinglink83: ebay link pls (or is it a themissinglink?)
  • 1 0
 @mjlee2003: there aren't any for a good deal right now, but i see the race day dampers on there for $150 from time to time. $250 easy, if you sell the old damper it's not bad.
  • 3 0
 @Themissinglink83: are they twinloc dampers or just normal racedays
  • 2 3
 @DetroitCity: Yes and yes. It's cheap compared to the cost of any bike and you could swap the damper in a parking lot in 10 minutes if you know what you're doing. I usually have one of everything as spares when I go to a race.
  • 3 4
 @Muscovir: do you know how hard it is to find a twin lock race day damper. You're talking absolute horse dumping. You are not swapping a damper in the parking lot in 10 minutes. Just stop.
  • 1 0
 I hope you don't plan on buying a car anytime soon. You want heated seats (I don't), then add on another $5000 in options you don't want. Or, do like what everyone else here says and just swap the seats after you buy the car (or, swap the damper after you buy the bike).
  • 1 0
 @mjlee2003: oh yea no twinloc, I spaced that.
  • 4 2
 @DetroitCity: The joke is on you, because I did exactly that two summers ago. Changed the damper cartridge of the Axon on my Spark in a parking lot 30 minutes before a race. Just because you can't, doesn't mean no one can.
  • 1 3
 @Muscovir: lol, I carry spare forks, not dampers. Peasant
  • 4 0
 @DetroitCity: i have spare bikes , not forks, you pleb
  • 3 1
 @GZMS: bro not only do I have spare bikes and extra forks, I even bring an extra van behind my bus. Just in case.
  • 1 1
 @TucsonDon

Technically this is the mid level SID (Select Plus), so you get the charger 2 damper instead of the charger without-a-number-damper.

The Ultimate does have the Race Day damper. As others have mentioned, a damper swap is quite easy.
  • 2 1
 @icthus13: post a link to a twinlock race day damper
  • 1 0
 @icthus13: Can you get the Race Day damper that works with the TwinLoc? That part just made me feel like you're sort of locked in.
  • 1 0
 @TucsonDon: I'm not sure about the TwinLoc pull ratio but you can definitely get a remote-equipped damper.

When I upgraded the damper on my former bike I just left the fork as crown adjust and used the TwinLoc on the rear shock only.
  • 15 0
 looks like an ebike when seen in person....seriously. Its an awesome bike and the riders I ride with that have it, love it, but the frame girth looks like its hiding a battery and motor.
  • 10 0
 I was totally gonna make the joke about 'a waste of perfectly good battery space'.
  • 13 0
 It's a new category - I want to look like I'm riding an e-bike but don't really want to ride an e-bike.
  • 15 0
 I have the 900 series spark and some guys yelled at me to get my motorcycle off the trails Frown
  • 2 1
 It also has the price to parts ratio of an Ebike. So there has to be a motor somewhere in there.
  • 3 1
 On the plus side, the frame is an absolute tank. By far the strongest XC frame out there.
  • 11 0
 The pros mention it being a great technical climber, but how does it compare in overall climbing speed/efficiency to models in the past?

I love the fact that xc is getting way more technical, and this bike looks like a blast to ride.

But it makes me wonder - since local xc courses arent usually as technical as world cup courses, is this bike going to be the faster bike compared to previous generations of the spark that were more nimble?
  • 3 0
 depends on the local series? my local one probably has a higher percentage of singletrack/tech than a WC. Obviously the WC is steeper, bigger features, and ridden at twice the speed by people far better than any of us mortals, but theres still plenty of doubletrack climbs, and tarmac sections through whichever quaint mountain village is hosting the event.
  • 6 0
 In my experience - no, not on local trails at ~90 minutes per race or less. For longer events and rougher terrain… usually.

The shorter the race the more likely I’ll be accelerating out of the saddle hard and climbing the same, a 100mm travel bike is better here. And the DH doesn’t ever decide these races.
  • 9 0
 That was my main question in testing this bike - will the 120mm travel be able to stand up to 100mm bikes on the climbs? I expected it to be enjoyable on the descents, but what really surprised me was how quick, efficient and precise it is on the climbs.
  • 6 0
 @sarahmoore: were those tempo/threshold grinder climbs, or out-of-the-saddle, explosive efforts like those often done in XCO-duration events? My experience has been that the extra 20 mm of travel isn’t a bother when I’m seated and grinding it out at a steady pace, but it wallows more than I would like for explosive efforts. I think this is the biggest trouble with the extra 20 mm of travel – you can set it up to be firm under hard efforts, or comfortable, but not both. The 100 mm format isn’t really enough travel to wallow in the first place, so it kind of takes care of itself.
  • 4 0
 @tommyrod74: they have lockout for that
  • 4 0
 @makripper: they do have lockout, but that turns the bike into a 80mm bike… or a 0mm bike… and the whole question was if 120mm makes the bike any faster.
  • 2 0
 @tommyrod74: I don't find myself any slower on climbs on a 115/120 bike vs a 100/100, but the longer travel bikes are faster every where else. That's a sample size of me, of course.
  • 1 0
 Really depends on your local XC course. One of our local courses routinely has people showing up on gravel bikes. I doubt this bike will help you there. One of the other courses would benefit from a 140mm XC bike.
  • 7 0
 Wouldn't want to service the bike, but I'll bet it'd be great to ride. Nice to see a "race" bike with decent geometry.

Also wish this version was tested with the headset cups swapped. I'll bet it'd be an even better descender without any big drawbacks.
  • 6 0
 Lighter and stiffer is generally a good thing, but I'm super curious as to the impact strength of those thinner walled high-end models. A factory sponsored racer doesn't really need to care if a single crash, or even just a kicked up rock, will potentially ruin the frame, but the average person could benefit greatly from knowing if saving 200 grams costs them just money or both money _and_ durability.
  • 6 0
 The KS LEV CI is 25% lighter than the Fox Transfer with none of the silly limitations (it's also shorter so it's easier to fit in frames). And I really don't get why it's "appropriate" for cross country droppers to have less travel. CC racers don't choose short travel droppers because it's more "appropriate", they do it because of weight.
  • 1 1
 Yup, plus the weight from 100mm to say 150mm is so damn negligible its silly not to just put something with more travel on there.
  • 2 0
 @kilz: it’s seems like there is insertion depth issues with the hidden shock and link even though it looks like you have all the room in the world.
  • 8 0
 I’ve read interviews where the pro’s say differently. Pushing the saddle further down takes more energy and time. ‘Just enough’ is the perfect amount for ‘em.
  • 4 0
 @NickBit: I have also seen where pros don't actually train with a dropper properly and never quite adjust to using it properly. That was from someone who has medaled in the Olympics and worn stripes multiple times.

I was going to swap to a longer post (100 to a 125 or 150) with my new build since I have plenty of room, but I am amazed how well the 100mm gets out of the way for even aggressive XC racing on this frame so I only will if this dropper dies.
  • 6 0
 XC bikes are getting so much more capable without significant weight penalties - if you dropped the dropper post and ran 2.2 race tires, I'm confident this bike is in comfortably in the 21lb range (for race day), WITH 120mm suspension?!

I'm curious if this will take the XC race terrain in a new direction as bikes become more capable. My XC rig (2018 Oiz) 100/100mm travel bike tackles (unfortunately) single black diamond climbs and descents on local trails where local professionals continue to blow my mind on what is possible up and down on an XC rig. Kudos to put together a rig with a dropper, 2.4" tires and 120ml under 23-ish lbs.

NOW HUCK TO FLAT!!! hehe...
  • 13 4
 ok but can you run a coil?
  • 5 0
 I think this category is re-engaging interest in XC and XC bikes. And not just from KOM-chaser's. People want to ride longer and faster (and not just on e-bikes), we're seeing harder XC courses and more desire for marathon XC. And these bikes have shapes and angles that make them fun to ride, not just fast to ride. This is evidenced by how hard it is already to procure one of these more modern 120mm XC-marathon-fun bikes - the Transition Spur, SC Blur, Orbea Oiz, etc.
  • 5 0
 Twin loc is great for racing. Dont care what people say about all the levers. i have one on my top fuel and it stays in medium most the time, locked for climbs is awesome and open for down hills is awesome. It makes it so more efficient feeling.
  • 6 2
 If I had a friend that convinced me to stop wearing cut-offs and talking about booters and training reps, I'd for sure ride this bike, bro. It's like, an XC bike when you want it to be and then it's the enduro xc bike when you gotta put down the watts.
  • 14 5
 Bro, I suggest the Epic Evo, bro. It's like this bike, but even more enduro, bro.
  • 2 0
 @Lokirides: epic evo travel 110-120, spark travel 120-120 ok sure. (the epeic evo is p good tho)
  • 4 0
 @mjlee2003: But BRO, the Epic Evo can run a coil shock bro. And it's almost a full degree slacker my bro brah! I mean bro, it owns the downduro category of the bike market. I mean, you know about downduro right bro?
  • 2 0
 @Lokirides: Bro I could get so pitted on that coil shock.
  • 5 1
 I’ve got my 2021 Top Fuel set up with a 130 34 Grip 2 and a sub 24# weight with everything I ride it with - pedals, cage, head unit, tire plugs, spare tube, and CO2s.

It’s both fun to ride and very fast from point a to point b

And realistically a pound lighter than that Scott with nothing goofy light on it. Ok Berd spokes are goofy…
  • 2 0
 I find that hard to believe . The 9.8 is almost 26.
  • 2 1
 @darthsarge:

xtr 9100, 9.8 R dropper, 240/Berd/Newman wheels. Other nicely light, but not dumb stuff.

Also, are you looking at the 2022 model? It’s much heavier, since it uses the Fuel EX front triangle.
  • 4 0
 "The Scott Spark is part of a new generation of cross-country bikes that are actually fun to ride" So you are saying XC bikes previous to this were NOT actually fun to ride? Or are the older generation XC bikes LESS fun to ride now compared to the new generation? Is so, how is fun measured?
  • 3 0
 Square root of (smiles/miles) squared
  • 1 1
 @hllclmbr: Then I would argue that we've all been having just as much fun, if not MORE (due to the weaning of the novelty over the decades) on the older generation XC bikes.
  • 10 1
 I suppose it depends on your definition of the word "fun" but I would say that the bikes that I rode back when I was racing XC competitively 8 years ago were really designed for the uphills (which is a kind of "fun" for some of us), but "fun" was not a word I associated with the downhills - it always felt more like I was going to battle. Now that courses are getting more technical, XC bikes are getting more fun (ie: less terrifying) to ride downhill for a wider range of riders! So you can enjoy the climbs and the descents!
  • 5 33
flag DetroitCity (Mar 14, 2022 at 13:20) (Below Threshold)
 @sarahmoore: where exactly other than the world cup XC are courses getting more technical? You have a ton of bias in every word you speak. You sound like a programmed robot. You clearly are not the right person to test an XC bike. Just because "back in the day" you raced some xc races. You're a marketer now, not a racer. And it couldn't be more obvious. Most xc race courses that are ridden by people who ride pinkbike are the exact same, year after year. Because XC races aren't meant to be technical, and not everywhere even has technical trails. Take the bike to somewhere with rolling hills, and fast dirt. Get some actual testing. Not bro science. Or at least don't try and explain that bro science matters to actual Xc racers. Nino rides 700mm wide bars with a -20 stem, he seems to have plenty of "fun". The bike should feel like it's made for battle. Its a race. Not a Fondo.
  • 6 0
 Decent weight. Capable. Versatile. Some things to like. Some idiosyncrasies to tolerate. It's a mountain bike!!!!
  • 5 0
 "For reference, the previous generation had a 432.5mm reach on the size medium, 425mm chainstays across all sizes"

Actually the last model all had 435mm chainstays Smile
  • 4 0
 I have this bike, I friggin love it. I know it's not a review, but I don't get paid to write review. If in the market for a fun trail bike, this thing is dope AF. I am 23.75lbs with AXS, Carbon Wheels, it rips.
  • 6 0
 "...if your only job is going fast, there's no downside to the Spark RC."

That says it all. Fantastic bike.
  • 9 2
 Spur. Blark. Mweh.
  • 21 0
 Whoah...
Spark + Blur = Spur
  • 1 0
 @getschwifty: Mindblowing acknowledgement.
  • 3 0
 I used to race a lot on the Spark RC ten years ago, broke a couple of triangles but it was a fast bike. Funny how the same terms are being used today. You can probably find used Sparks from years gone by cheap ?
  • 11 0
 I find it really hard to get anything cheap these days
  • 5 3
 If I was a racer and had a mechanic that had to deal with the kool hidden shock and even kooooler cables and housings through the stem, I'd be all over it. But as a guy who works on all of his own equipment I won't even look twice at it.
  • 5 0
 I replace my shift housing about every two years on bikes that I keep around, and it’s generally not even necessary. A convoluted afternoon routing cables doesn’t seem like too big of a deal. As to that hidden shock - it seems to me like it could lead to less maintenance, not more.
  • 5 0
 We have a few in the shop. cable swaps are actually very easy, especially the dropper post. With all the access through the shock door, it's the easiest internally routed bike out there i think to do cable swaps on. The previous generation of spark you had to take out the BB to swap a dropper cable....
  • 3 0
 The integrated cables maybe add 15 minutes to the time it takes to perform a full service - if you're woking slowly. And on top of that it's a job you probably have to do once a year. That is an extremely small price to pay. And the shock is not any harder to remove from the frame than any other shock is on any other frame. The bolts are very easily accessible from the outside.
  • 3 0
 Thank you for a great review and the comparison to Blur TR -- both are on my list. Though the Blur can be found in the US, the Spark RC is next to impossible to get in the US.
  • 2 0
 My buddy just found one in SF and had it shipped to SoCal. I've heard Scott dealers will let you order them but Scott wont even give dealers an ETA.
  • 2 0
 @kilz: which model
  • 2 0
 Great review! @sarahmoore one question, how did you feel the size M? I'm exactly the same as you in terms of height and inseam. I had the opportunity to test both S and M sizes, and since I'm just not good at bikes (a couple of years riding but I still consider myself a beginner), I couldn't actually tell the difference. I'd love to have your opinion on the matter. Thanks!
  • 2 0
 The Medium was a perfect fit for me.
  • 2 0
 @sarahmoore: Thank you very much Sarah.
  • 2 0
 About infinite adjust: I really like the middle saddle position for the pedally twisty flattish single-track here in NL. What I don't like is how easy it is to overshoot this position when coming from fully extended. Am I the only one who would prefer a three position post to infinite adjustment?
  • 2 0
 No I actually really loved my 3-position fully mechanical post (Tmars knockoff of a gravity droppper, basically), especially when I lived somewhere with more more up-and-down sort of trails. I used the 1" drop position a lot for pedaling through chunk, tight and twisty flattish sections, etc.
  • 6 1
 anyone who wants this bike needs to get used to the old "IS THAT AN EBIKE??" question lol
  • 6 2
 In a couple years we're just gonna have drop-bar Grim Donut, regular Grim Donut, and eGrim Donut.
  • 5 0
 Diet donut race edition
  • 1 0
 Apple fritter?
  • 4 0
 "The Scott Spark RC is bold in more ways than one"
indeed Big Grin

pun intended?
  • 3 2
 Any bike that comes with a SID Ultimate in 2022 is dead on arrival. You better budget an extra grand to swap in a reliable fork while that thing is clapped out with bushing play after 200 miles and sitting in a warranty center for 3 months. When I finally got my fork back, it was stuck down at 100mm because of a blocked negative air spring port and it had "Select" decals on it instead of "Ultimate". All SRAM said in response was was "try doing a lower leg service".
  • 1 0
 ok but did you? (not trying to be sassy genuinely curious
  • 1 0
 @mjlee2003: I replaced the SID with a 130mm Helm MkII Air on my Spur. That's not really a comparable fork, but I wanted to play with adjustable travel and HSC. Unsurprisingly, the Mkii is an absolute beast and I have no desire to go back to the SID. I'll service the lowers and clear the port myself just so that I can sell it at full travel.
  • 2 1
 Scott should make a wireless control for the lockouts. Would be possible to make neat buttons for the lockouts and the bikes would look so much cleaner, especially considering that Scott is clearly attempting to make clean looking bikes with that hidden shock.
  • 1 0
 Can someone validate that a 2.4 Rekon yields an axle height of 375mm? These BB heights are getting ridiculous and if the real world measurement is short of that, you're going to be pedal striking up the wazoo with a 45mm BB drop.
  • 1 0
 "There is a trail-oriented model of the Spark that uses the same frame with a longer-travel fork that Mike Kazimer tested last year, but it's this race-oriented RC-designated bike that Kate Courtney and Nino Schurter competed on for the second half of the 2021 XC World Cup season and at the Tokyo Olympics."

Is this even a complete sentence?
  • 1 0
 I think you miscalculated the head angles. If you can change the head angle by 0.6°, you can’t have 1.2° spread between slack and steep. If the stated head angle is 67.2°, then depending on which position the headset was in the other position is either 67.8°, OR 66.4°. Unless of course it comes with a set of straight headset cups in addition to the offsets that are 67.2°
  • 3 0
 Numbers remind me of my 2014 Salsa Horsethief which was a good trailbike back then.
  • 7 6
 Wow - so many controls. For a while I thought cockpits we getting zen with no front shifter, than they add a dropper post and lockable fork, shock and it turns into a utter mess. Where is Marie Condo when you need her???
  • 4 0
 People who own this bike could at least have a more tidy set up if they went with the SR Suntour Dual Remote....same number of cables just cleaner and easier to use. It sits above the bar allowing a traditional dropper lever. It also is super easy to unlock it by just nudging the side lever with your index finger keeping your thumb locked on the grips.


www.srsuntour.us/products/dual-remote-lockout-handlebar-lever
  • 3 0
 @sprockets: any idea if that is 3 position, or just open and lock?
  • 4 0
 It's literally the same amount of controls as on any other bike with a lockout and very neatly integrated at that. How that can be confusing for people is beyond me.
  • 5 5
 In 2014 my XC race bike was a Santa Cruz Tallboy with a 120 SID that weighed 22.5lbs with pedals. That bike kicked ass, rode some pretty techy Sedona stuff on it with the seat down thanks to QR's . I'm sure this bike is better but how much better? $4000.00 more expensive and 2 lbs heavier better?
  • 3 1
 Inflation
  • 5 0
 @rrsport: everything gets fatter with time: bikes, cost, people, cars, etc.
  • 2 0
 Thanks for the great review Sarah. With your racing background and perspective, you should be responsible for all XC bikes in the future.
  • 2 0
 I don't race but I love going fast.
This bike is fast on the downs and ups. (granted it's the right type of trail)

I want. It's beautiful.
  • 1 0
 Is there extra printing along the beads of those OEM tires? It looked like a weird wear spot at first, but seems to be in identical locations front and rear.
  • 3 0
 But, how does it work with a BMX background?
  • 2 0
 it does have a HMX frame so that's already two letters there...
  • 1 0
 Awesome Review Sarah. Simply awesome. You are an excellent writer. Much appreciated. Loved it. Your reviews make me want the bike.
  • 2 1
 Give it a couple more years and they’ll be on 150mm Enduro bikes…. Oh wait that’s a trail bike now… silly me
  • 3 4
 Rockshox suspension, sram drivetrain, fox dropper and shimano brakes. That's doing my OCD for matching parts no good. What's next, maxxis front tyre schwalbe rear? one flat and one spd pedal?
  • 2 0
 Did you notice the colour of the water bottles not matching?!?!?!
  • 2 1
 Most XC racers don't need 120mm travel. Our courses are not World Cup level.
  • 5 0
 Our XC courses don't need it. Don't need dropper post too. But my lack of skill require it.
  • 3 3
 @sarahmoore, "and wheelbase at 441mm" hhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmm, that certainly can't be correct, just a heads up. Bike looks killer though, and your review of it is great too
  • 7 0
 Nope, you're right that would be pretty impossible! "The Spark RC in a size medium has an almost identical reach, head tube angle, and wheelbase at 441mm, 67.2° and 1,159mm respectively" means -

reach = 441mm
head tube angle = 67.2°
wheelbase = 1,159mm
  • 3 13
flag justinfoil (Mar 14, 2022 at 12:04) (Below Threshold)
 @sarahmoore: I applaud the rapid and thorough explanation! However, could have been slightly more clear to begin with via some extra punctuation: perhaps a comma after "wheelbase" to indicate switching from listing the names to listing the measurements, and an oxford comma after 67.2 for disambiguation.

As written it contains the phrase "and wheelbase at 441mm", which taken literally indicates wheelbase = 441mm. Not the end of the world, but makes it hard to parse at first glance.
  • 3 5
 Holy shit, I didn't know so many people were so protective of PB writers' and editors' grammar skills. The sentence needs emending, it's not technically correct as originally written. I'm not here saying "Sarah is an idiot and shouldn't ever write a review and that sentence proves it", because that's incorrect.

I've written a whole bunch of comments way more potentially inflammatory that haven't received the amount of downvotes compared this one quite tame one about grammar. Whatever happened to constructive criticism? Shit, it's not even really a criticism at all, just a suggestion for a damn grammar disambiguation. It even started with applause for the author's initial response!

Oxford comma FTW!
  • 2 2
 @justinfoil: Sarah doesn't show up at your work to tell you when the fries are done. Don't be rude and don't be condescending. "Offering" grammar suggestions in the comment section is poor form.
  • 1 0
 @fewnofrwgijn: www.google.com/search?q=emending

make corrections and improvements to (a text).
"these studies show him collating manuscripts and emending texts"

Either amend or emend fits, but emend is specific to written text.
  • 2 1
 @TerrapinBen: But if she ordered the fries and they weren't done, would she be allowed to comment on that and request a correction? Yes, of course she could.

Besides, I didn't do it while she was working, that's the proofreaders' and editors' job (which it could be argued they didn't do), so your analogy falls down right off the bat.

It wasn't intended to be rude or condescending. Not sure how you got that from what I wrote initially. I didn't say "hey stupid, don't you know how to use commas? this sentence makes no f*cking sense, you should know better. now fix it ASAP." Because that would be rude and condescending. Oh wait, you gave a nice example of being rude and condescending by implying the only job I can hold down is working fast food. Poor form.

I can "offer" whatever I want in the comments, that what they're for. Just like you can. You think the comments box at a fast food restaurant is only filled with adulations and hyperbolic praise?
  • 2 0
 @justinfoil: Huh, I never expected to learn something so out of left field, thanks for this.
  • 1 1
 The twin lock is ok on the ransom but id rather just a lockout on the spark. Its annoying having to push it past the traction mode to go from open to lock.
  • 2 0
 Didn't Intense do this with the Sniper?
  • 1 3
 Sorry but remote lockouts aren't the "new" anything. They should suffer the same fate as 2.25 width tires. Remotes lockouts are utterly useless... unless you have this frame. Until live valve / flight attendant catch up, let's keep everything in reach please.
  • 2 0
 this frame is the Suez Canal and that second bottle is the Ever Given
  • 1 3
 Glad to hear about @sarahmoore struggles with TwinLoc. I just couldn't get along with it and everyone I've spoken to said I'm crazy! I'm glad I'm not...or that there is at least one other crazy person!!!
  • 4 1
 I'd say it makes sense on an XC bike, but it just takes a while to get used to all the levers.
  • 5 0
 I love it on my Genius.
  • 2 0
 @sarahmoore: That was my problem, I was dropping when I wanted to be locking, unlocking instead of raising, popping instead of...wait...what were talking about???
  • 1 0
 @smartyiak: probably simply takes some time to get used to.

Might be an issue on a rental bike, won't be an issue on your own bike.
  • 7 0
 It's one extra control, I really don't understand how people struggle with it.
  • 3 0
 I didn't like the idea of TwinLoc either - until I tried it. Now I think it's brilliant.
  • 1 0
 @Muscovir: Don't get me wrong, I like it in theory,,,I just wasn't jiving. Buuuut....I like twist-loc/push unlock and I know a lot of people who hate it. Maybe as @FlolmSchnee wrote: if I bought a Scott, in a month or two I'd be just fine.
  • 1 0
 @sarahmoore What tires did you switch too?
  • 1 0
 Really want to put 150 fork on this.
  • 1 0
 I'd like to see someone actually get that seat tube water bottle out.
  • 1 0
 Side pull
  • 1 0
 Cons - no room for third water bottle.
  • 1 0
 who the f*ck could ever afford a bike like that?????
  • 2 3
 How light would that bike be without all those dam levers???? Might as well put a keyboard on the handlebar.
  • 1 0
 Endorphins grandchild.
  • 1 3
 Wait, so its the same frame that PB reviewed last year? Why? So many interesting bikes are launched all the time - how do you end up reviewing in depth the same one twice?
  • 2 0
 Would have been interesting to read, how different the rear suspension feels with the same frame but different shocks and shock tunes. I'm wondering in general, if that is not the largest difference in rear suspension feel, if geometry is more or less the same between two bikes and all suspension layouts can be made to ride well?
I find it also very interesting for us readers how two reviewers with slightly different foci can judge nearly the same bike or parts differently.
  • 1 0
 Great review @sarahmoore
  • 1 1
 Sarah Moore is a dream
  • 1 3
 The STA is slacker than the HTA.
  • 1 3
 Apparently my no XC filter is not working, WTF?
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