February 27, 2008

SCOTT Products are in 2008 VeloNews Buyer's Guide

VeloNews

The 2008 VeloNews Buyer’s Guide is about to hit newsstands and our leading products and technology were covered in this issue. The Addict, with integrated seatpost technology, CR1 Pro, Spark LTD and Spark 15 all took first place in their respective classes. Here are the related articles…

MEASURE TWICE CUT ONCE
After a few exclusive seasons within the European peloton, the integrated seatmast frames have finally made their way into the American market. Although each company has its own spin on particular applications and the reasons behind the design, there are common threads beyond the aesthetic.

Eliminating the seatpost collar near the seat tube/top tube/seatstay cluster means a reduction in overall system weight. Perhaps more important, it also means engineers can tailor the ride characteristics of a bike more completely than with a traditional frame. For example, with a traditional frame, the top cluster area must be stoutly built to withstand the leveraging forces of a seatpost. With an integrated seatmast, this area can be tuned to have some give, yet remain structurally sound.

As striking as the frames look, they often elicit a certain concern: what happens if you cut it wrong? The basic answer is; don't. In actuality, cutting a carbon frame is quite similar to cutting a carbon steerer tube — something with which shop mechanics have plenty of experience. All the companies included in the following pages highly recommend allowing an authorized dealer to make the cut, preferably after a fit. The frames each have slightly different systems for attaching the saddle to the frame. A couple of them don't even require cutting.

Some frames have two vertical adjustment options — the range of the stock clamp and the range with an additional accessory. We listed the latter to show the frame's full range. The prices are listed for each company's frameset including frame, fork, seatpost and headset.

ADDICT R1



SCOTT got into the integrated market in 2006 with its Plasma time trial and triathlon frame. The design went to the mountain (Spark) and road (Addict) in 2007.
Although this model does shave weight off the non-integrated Addict model, SCOTT promotes the R1's primary improvements as being more compliant and laterally stiff.

"This gives us the opportunity to engineer stiffness and compliance into an area that previously wasn't controlled," said Adrian Montgomery, SCOTT's marketing and PR manager. "A seatpost takes on different properties depending on where it's inserted. This gives you a consistent-feeling seatmast no matter what length you cut it."

Another change from the previous SCOTT models is the molding process. The CR1 was put together using a tube-to-tube process, meaning individual tubes were created then "welded" together with carbon swatches and resin. The new Addict is built with the top tube, head tube and down tube as a single monocoque, which is then assembled to the rest of the frame with tube-to-tube. SCOTT's co-title sponsored Saunier Duval team was offered both traditional and integrated designs, and all the riders have chosen integrated.

The frame is almost entirely carbon fiber — derailleur mount, dropouts and bottom bracket area included. The integrated bottom bracket design uses press-in Shimano cups, eliminating the need for aluminum threads in the frame.

PRICE: $3,360
SEATPOST: CLAMP SLIDES OVER SEATMAST, AFFIXES VIA ONE BOLT VERTICAL
ADJUSTMENT: 3cm or 5cm

WORKHORSE: CR1 PRO



CR1 is SCOTT's original tube-to-tube construction frame from 2004 that weighs in at 880 grams. Designated "Carbon for Racing, Series 1," the Pro is built to be laterally stiff and vertically compliant. Aside from the alloy dropouts and bottom bracket insert, the frame is completely carbon fiber. It's assembled in a three-point process: joints are cut, then held in place with a bonding agent, and finally connected with pre-preg patches stretched over each joint.

FRAME: Scott CR 1 HMF, seven sizes
FORK: Scott Carbon CR1 Pro
COMPONENT HIGHLIGHTS: Shimano ULTEGRA group with regular or compact cranks, SCOTT Road Drop OS handlebar and stem, Mavic Ksyrium Elite wheels
WARRANTY: 3 years
WEIGHT: 17 pounds

DREAM MOUNTAIN BIKE: SPARK LTD



SCOTT's IMP and CR1 technology combination has re¬sulted in the lightest full suspension frame in the world: 3.42 pounds for the frame plus half a pound for the Nude TC shock; the entire bike weighs 20.6 pounds. The Spark features a Naked External Tubeset (NET), carbon dropouts (w/replaceable hanger) and carbon cable stops to further reduce weight. At the core of the Spark's performance is Centerpoint technology, offering three unique travel modes and associated geometry. The system activates each travel mode of the Nude TC shock via the TRACLOC handlebar-mounted switch, delivering on-the-fly lockout, traction mode (80mm) and all-travel mode (100mm).

FRAME: SCOTT Spark HMX carbon fiber NET tube set, Integrated Seatpost, IMP top, head and down tubes, CR1 carbon swingarm, carbon cable stops & dropouts with replaceable hanger, sealed aircraft bearings, optimized SLS kinematic, 100mm rear travel.
FORK: DT Swiss XRC 100 carbon lowers, air spring, rebound adjustable remote lockout, l00mm travel
COMPONENT HIGHLIGHTS: SRAM X.0, TruVativ Noir 3.3 carbon crankset, DT Swiss 190 ceramic wheelset, Scott Pilot SL handlebar and stem combo, Magura Marta SL Carbon disc brakes
WARRANTY: 3 years
WEIGHT: 20.6 pounds

XC RACER: SCOTT SPARK 15



When SCOTT's Spark was introduced for the 2007 model year, weight weenies had reason to rejoice. While its linkage-activated single pivot suspension system is solid and aided by a proprietary rear shock with an air volume control, it's nothing too revolutionary, but the frame's weight certainly is. Employing a carbon molding process called IMP; SCOTT is able to reduce the amount of material in the top tube, head tube and down tube assembly by 11 percent. This molding method is also used to construct the chainstay assembly. In conjunction with the new process, Scott developed a new higher-modulus fiber for the Spark called HMX. This latest carbon blend is 20 percent stiffer than the HMF fiber SCOTT previously developed for its carbon mountain bike frames. While the Spark 15 is mid range in the line up, its price and component specification is similar to most other brands' top-tier offerings.

FRAME: IMP-molded FIMX carbon, CR1 molded HMF carbon swingarm, SCOTT Nude TC rear shock (manufactured by DT Swiss), 100mm travel, 4 sizes
FORK: Fox F100RL, 100mm of travel
COMPONENT HIGHLIGHTS: SRAM X.O transmission, XTR front derailleur, Truvativ Stylo MTB 3.3, Avid Juicy Seven Carbon brake set, DT Swiss 24oS hubs built to DT Swiss X43o rims using Super Comp spokes
WARRANTY: 3 years
WEIGHT: 23.8 pounds