2018 Trek Fuel Ex 8 275 Plus Review
Review: Scott Spark RC World Cup - 120mm Is The New Xc
The new Scott Spark RC is the first model in the Swiss brand'southward line to utilize Bold Cycles' distinctive hidden-stupor suspension pattern, a company that Scott caused in 2019.
The hidden stupor isn't the merely matter that is assuming virtually the new bicycle though; information technology's the first fourth dimension we've seen a purebred cantankerous-country race bike with 120mm of travel front and rear across all sizes, signalling an development in cross-country race bike design. Along with that additional 20mm of travel, the Spark RC World Cup now comes with 2.iv″ broad tires and geometry numbers that would take passed for trail bikes' a couple of years ago.
Contessa Spark RC Earth Cup Details
• Bicycle size: 29"
• HMX carbon frame
• Travel: 120mm (r) / 120mm fork
• 67.ii-caste head angle
• 437.5mm chainstays
• Weight: 23.seven lb / x.75 kg (size G)
• 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, simply it's this race-oriented RC-designated bike that Kate Courtney and Nino Schurter competed on for the 2d one-half of the 2021 Ninety World Cup flavor and at the Tokyo Olympics. It's also the bicycle that Nino Schurter won his record-breaking 9th Earth Championships championship on.
Scott offers half dozen different price points on the racey Spark, starting at $iv,199 USD for the Spark RC Comp and going upwardly to $xiii,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 dissimilar 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'southward specific touch points and an alternate colourway, only otherwise it is identical to the Spark RC World Cup and retails for the same price of $eight,999 USD. At that price point, it sees an HMX carbon frame, and specifications include a SRAM X01 AXS drivetrain, a RockShox Nude v RL3 rear shock, a RockShox SID Select+ RL3 fork, and Shimano XTR 2-piston brakes.
 | The Scott Spark is part of a new generation of cantankerous-country bikes that are actually fun to ride. |
Frame Details
The Scott Spark almost looks like a hardtail at commencement glance with its rear stupor hidden abroad in the carbon frame and just accessible via a hatch in the lesser bracket area. That new design means that there's now clearance for 2 water bottles inside the front triangle, something that wasn't possible on the previous generation Spark.
The shock isn't the but thing that's hidden, with the brake, dropper postal service, 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 event is a super make clean and tidy cockpit equally there are almost no visible cables on the cycle anymore. The downside is that it does brand information technology harder to bandy 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 unlike 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 wheel 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 bore than those of HMF carbon so an HMX frame can be built of tubes with thinner wall thicknesses to accomplish the aforementioned stiffness of a respective HMF frame. Scott says that the toll of HMX carbon is 3 times that of HMF so they reserve it for their loftier cease bikes where the lighter material volition be most noticeable. Scott says a frame fabricated of HMX carbon is 14% lighter than the frames made of HMF carbon.
As for the HMX-SL plant on the superlative-tier Scott Spark, it will be 8.v% 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 nosotros ordinarily see brands touting their newest cross-country bikes equally the lightest ever, the new Spark really isn't lighter than the previous version, although it is only lxx grams heavier with the hidden daze. But the claimed weight for the Specialized S-Works Epic and Epic EVO (1,659 grams and i,869 grams) and the Orbea Oiz OMX (1,740 grams) are less than the new Spark, with the Cannondale Scalpel Hi-Modern weighing a couple of grams more at ane,910 grams and the Trek Supercaliber and Santa Cruz Mistiness 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 aforementioned, so you have to accept them with a grain of salt.
The shock is hidden behind a plastic door on the lesser of the downtube. This allows the Spark room for two water bottles.
Geometry
Equally 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.two°, the accomplish at 441mm on a size medium, and chainstays across all sizes measuring 437.5mm. These numbers would have been advisable 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 bending used to be 73.5° across all sizes, information technology now changes with size, with a 75.9° on size small, 76.1° on size medium, 76.6° on size large, and 76.ix° on size 40.
Similar I mentioned earlier, the frame is the aforementioned 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 remainder of the frame. Past switching the cups around 180°, you lot tin slacken or steepen the head angle past 0.6°. Equally you would expect, the Spark RC race bicycle comes with the headset cups in the steeper position to go that 67.2°, while the Spark 900 puts them in the slacker position to go a 65.8° head bending. The Spark 900 as well gets a 10mm longer fork at 130 compared to the Spark RC's 120mm forepart and rear.
Suspension Design
While it feels like enduro bikes have been gaining a couple millimetres of travel every yr, cross-land bikes take largely remained at 100mm of travel in contempo history. For World Cup athletes, at that place was no question of whether you would cull to race a course on a longer travel bike, simply whether you would choose your hardtail or your 100mm full-suspension bicycle. While the geometry on the Spark is progressive, the longer travel is equally progressive.
The extra travel will add together a fleck of weight to the bike overall, simply the single pivot pause layout with flex stays that controls that 120mm of rear travel minimizes hardware compared to a design with multiple pivots.
As mentioned above, the daze tin be accessed using the plastic hatch at the bottom of the downtube, and at that place's too a port on the side of the frame that's used to access the upper shock bolt. Since the stupor is oriented upside down within the frame, you tin can't check sag by merely looking at the shock. Instead, you tin can come across whether you lot're in the right sag range using the indicators on the frame and upper link.
To firm upwards the 120mm fork and shock, the Spark has the latest version of Scott'sTwinLoc arrangement. 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 everyman lever that sticks out a bit more than is for the dropper postal service. 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 ii entry price points practise not come with a dropper post.
| Specifications | ||
| Price | $8999 | |
| Travel | 120mm / 120mm | |
| Rear Shock | RockShox NUDE 5 RL3 | |
| Fork | RockShox SID Select+ RL3 Air | |
| Headset | Syncros - Acros Angle suit & Cable Routing HS System +-0.vi° caput angle adjustment | |
| Cassette | SRAM X01 XG1295 / ten-52 T | |
| Crankarms | SRAM X01 DUB Hawkeye Carbon / 30T | |
| Lesser Bracket | SRAM DUB PF 92 MTB Wide / trounce 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 / dorsum 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.iv" | |
| Seatpost | FOX Transfer SL Performance Aristocracy Dropper Post | |
Test Wheel Setup
Fix 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 at that place's no style to adjust the bar ringlet or stack superlative. Luckily for me, the 740mm bar with a stem length equivalent to 60mm felt comfortable, considering swapping out that handlebar is not on my bucket list.
Setting up the rear daze 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 than pleasant experience with a clean bike than when y'all try to brand an on-trail adjustment in muddy atmospheric condition. Luckily, that'southward 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 five RL3 rear shock at 160 psi.
Sarah Moore
Location: Squamish, BC, Canada
Age: 31
Height: five'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 cantankerous-country trails in Squamish, I took the bike on a couple of Whistler rides, including a corking twenty-four hour period on Lord of the Squirrels. While I wasn't able to enter any races during the exam period, I did go after some of my own PRs. Atmospheric condition were dry throughout the summer before we went into an atmospheric river in the fall.
Climbing
I've said it before, simply I'll say it once again: cantankerous-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 comfy and I didn't feel similar I needed to sign up for whatever extra yoga classes since information technology's not ane of the stretched out long and low cross-country race bikes of years past. That being said, it still feels similar yous're in an ambitious position that makes yous desire to toe a beginning line or head out to set a PR on a climb.
I was lucky that the stock 740mm bars felt comfy since swapping out the Syncros jumpsuit headset would exist a flake of a drag (and I'one thousand not sure how many people are looking for very custom, very expensive handlebars on the Pinkbike Purchase and Sell!).
Equally soon as you push down on the pedals, yous can tell that you lot'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 polish gravel, pushing the TwinLoc lever all the way forward gives you lot 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 somewhen toggle between the unlike 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 to the lowest degree-favourite tricky, rooty steep sections and loose marble-y climbs. The wheel shone on really technical climbs, with a remainder of maneuverability and grip that allowed me to choice careful lines and power through them. On tight singletrack sections, it was easy to wind around copse and I constitute the bike counterbalanced and stable in these situations.
While this version of the Spark RC isn't equally light as some of the contenders we had in the Ninety Field Test in 2020, it'due south lighter than all but ane of the downcountry bikes we had in the last Field Exam, and it is worth noting that there is room to shave weight off the already-respectable 23.seven pounds (10.75 kg) since this isn't the top of the line build.
Descending
It'due south not quite as simple as "races can just 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 drawn as a race progresses. Plus, if you're getting dropped on every descent, the actress free energy required to catch support on the next section after a descent takes a toll.
That's why 120mm might just be the futurity of cross-country racing. Perhaps at commencement information technology will just be for riders that struggle to hold their ain on descents, but every bit potent descenders move to more capable bikes, the whole field will have to join in or be left behind. Although since some riders nevertheless don't utilise 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 bicycle. It thrives on flying along smoother sections of trail and accelerating out of descents and into the next climb equally y'all'd look, but its composure opens up a wider number of trails than you'd think possible on a purebred cantankerous-country cycle.
It's besides just a lot more than fun than whatsoever cross-state bicycle I've ever ridden, which absolutely counts for something. That being said, it shouldn't exist confused with bikes similar the Santa Cruz Tallboy, Ibis Ripley or Rocky Mount Element on the descents despite at present having a similar amount of travel.
While you lot can even so ride actually steep things, you just can't ride them at top speed and yous'll want to choose your lines more advisedly than you would on a longer travel bike or a bike with slacker geometry. Your whole torso 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-and then-close-information technology's-a-bit-confusing bike.
How Does It Compare?
Permit's compare the Scott Spark RC to the Santa Cruz Mistiness 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 cantankerous-country version of their new bicycle and a more aggressive version that uses the aforementioned frame; the Blur is only 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 like to it than the 100mm Mistiness Xc so it seems like the more fair comparison, although so far we've seen Santa Cruz's Globe Loving 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 2 models are achieved by using a longer stroke daze and a longer fork, while on the Spark, the differences in geometry are made using adjustable headset cups to tweak the head bending 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.i degree head tube bending, 75° seat tube angle, 1157mm wheelbase, and 433mm chainstays. The Spark RC in a size medium has an almost identical achieve, head tube bending, and wheelbase at 441mm, 67.2°, and 1,159mm respectively, a one caste steeper seat tube bending 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 permit you to grind upwards 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 similar a chip of an oversight that the Blur TR doesn't go a remote lockout. While both are supremely capable on tight switchbacks, here I preferred the Spark RC likewise, 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 savor that feeling of e'er being on the edge of control, but when you lot're already absolutely exhausted in a cross-country race, I call back it's preferable to have a bike that works with yous instead of against you lot. You need to pay attention descending on both bikes, merely I felt less likely to get caput over heels on the Spark RC.
Where the Mistiness TR gets points is for its more than traditional handlebar setup and fewer cables to argue with. The Spark RC won't exist the cheapest bike to maintain since not anybody can get that shock out to service and it's harder to reroute cables or bandy out components.
Technical Study
Overall, the spec on the Spark RC Globe Cup is highly appropriate for a cross-country race bike. The Earth Loving cup model isn't meridian of the line, simply the compromises are well thought out to try and keep the weight as low as possible, while keeping the price point at a substantial $five,000 USD less than the top of the line $13,999 USD Spark RC SL Evo AXS.
Play tricks Transfer SL Dropper mail: The Fox Transfer SL dropper mail is 25% lighter than the standard Transfer, something that weight weenies won't scoff at. At 100mm, the length is advisable for this size medium race bike, and gets the saddle out of way even on steep descents. It does accept some time to become used to the Transfer SL though since it doesn't have space travel adjust that about dropper posts exercise these days. There's no "eye" position for pedalling across flat, rooty sections, something I didn't know how ofttimes I did until I couldn't exercise it with this post. It'south a fine residue between calorie-free weight and usability, but I would choose a heavier post with infinite arrange if given the selection.
Maxxis Rekon Race Tires: These tires are fast and lite 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 presently as the ground is wet or you lot take loose dirt over hardpack, it'due south easy to lose the forepart end with the Rekons and current of air up on the ground. That beingness said, information technology's great to see cantankerous-country bikes getting specced with, and being compatible with, wider tires.
Syncros Celista one.5 If there's one thing I'm picky nigh, equally most riders who spend a lot of fourth dimension pedalling are, it'south a expert saddle. I always take depression expectations for how comfortable a saddle is going to exist when I get a exam 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 information technology 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.v saddle if I were in the market for a cross-state race bike. The colourway doesn't hurt either.
TwinLoc: Mike Levy would argue that a short travel bike shouldn't need a lockout, merely personally I think it's on the cross-state race form where the slightest of margins on the climb make the most deviation. I know Mike Kazimer has his gripes with the TwinLoc system on the trail version of the Scott Spark, simply 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 practice twist the dials on their fork and rear daze at the first of every climb every lap of a cross-country race to gain a marginal reward on the climb. It's much easier to motion-picture show 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 earlier dropping in.
Getting used to this set up does have some time, and I'd be lying if I said I never mixed up the levers and had my saddle driblet unexpectedly when I thought I was locking out my pause. TwinLoc won't be platonic for those that take multiple bikes in their quiver since swapping back and along between a bike with TwinLoc and a wheel without isn't easy. If y'all're a dedicated cross-country racer though, you'll get used to the placement of the lockout, mid-lock, and the dropper mail service, and be able to focus on racing.
Pros
+ Excellent technical climber
+ One of the best descending purebred cantankerous-country bikes around
+ Room for 2 water bottles
Cons
- Not the easiest bike to work on for abode mechanics
- TwinLoc system won't be for everyone
Pinkbike'due south Take
| | The Scott Spark RC is bold in more than means than i, with longer travel and more than progressive geometry than whatsoever other dedicated Globe Cup race bikes out there. As cross-country race courses evolve, the bikes accept slowly been catching upward, simply it feels like the Spark RC has taken a couple of steps all at one time. It is an first-class technical climber while remaining efficient thank you to the TwinLoc system. On the descents, it is the most composed cross-country race bike I've always ridden, nudging up closer to the downcountry category than any cantankerous-country bike has before. While the integrated handlebar and hidden shock mean that it will exist harder to piece of work on, if your only task is going fast, there's no downside to the Spark RC. |
Source: https://www.pinkbike.com/news/review-2022-scott-spark-rc-world-cup-120mm-is-the-new-xc.html
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