Mountain Bike Rider — March 2018

£3,699

T

he latest incarnation of Scott’s

evergreen XC race full-susser

was built to complete a single

task: get Nino Schurter, the

world cross-country champion

onto a 29er for the Rio Olympics.

Schurter had always shied away from the

bigger wheel size, as he just couldn’t get

the handlebar height low enough on the

previous model. Suffice to say Schurter

won gold at the Olympics and continues

to dominate on his 29er Spark RC.

The standard Spark is relaxed in

terms of geometry and attitude, but

the RC (Racing Concept) version

tested here is all about speed. This

latest ground-up redesign has changed

everything bar wheel travel.

SUSPENSION

The suspension layout was revamped

in the process too, with the Spark’s Fox

Float Nude shock flipped on its head

and inline with the seat tube. With only

100mm of travel to worry about, Scott

could also trim the number of pivots

down to reduce frame weight. So,

similar to all the other bikes on test, flex

in the carbon rear triangle compensates

for the missing pivots.

Moving to a trunnion-mount also

allowed Scott to run a longer-stroke

shock without taking up more real estate,

while providing the rear suspension with

more sensitivity on smaller hits without

being overworked on longer descents.

To balance the travel, the RC 900 Team

gets a 100mm-travel Fox 32 Float SC

Performance fork that features the less

complex GRIP3 damper.

The defining feature of the Spark’s

suspension is the TwinLoc handlebar

remote. This isn’t just a lockout system

though; it changes the travel and

the damping characteristics of the

suspension simultaneously. In the open

position the full 100mm of travel is

available, Traction mode drops things

to 70mm but pushes the dynamic ride

height up by reducing the volume of the

air can, making it perfect for technical

trails and climbs. There is also a full

lockout for those finish-straight sprints.

The TwinLoc lever also stands out as

being the easiest and most reliable to

use. The sprung design clicks easily

through the settings with little force.

COMPONENTS

There’s no need to hark on about the

proficiency of SRAM’s GX Eagle shifting,

but suffice to say, it provides precise,

reliable gear changes no matter the

conditions. From a racing perspective,

the only downside is the additional

weight of the alloy chainset and massive

GX cassette. On the plus side, it means

less expensive replacements when the

cassette wears out.

Being a Scott, the Spark comes with

a healthy smattering of Syncros parts

including the light and zippy XR 2.5

wheelset. Wide 25mm rims seem to be

the new XC-oriented width, providing

a secure seat for the 2.25in Maxxis

Aspen tyres. Boost hub spacing also

adds a touch more stiffness, making the

XR2.5’s the best wheels in the test.

PERFORMANCE

From the gun, the Spark turns the speed

and urgency dial up to 11. It’s like Nino

has bolted a little of his talent onto

every Spark. No other bike in this test

SCOTT SPARK RC 900 TEAM

SPECIFICATION

FrameRC Carbon

HMF, 100mm travel

ShockFox Nude

Trunnion Mount

ForkFox32SC

Float Performance,

100mm travel

WheelsSyncros

XR 2.5 Boost hubs,

Syncros XR 2.5 rims,

Maxxis Aspen TR

29x.2.25in tyres

DrivetrainSRAM X1

1000 Eagle chainset

32t, SRAM GX Eagle

12 speed r-mech

and shifter

BrakesSRAM Level

TL, 180/160 rotors

Components

Syncros FL1.5

720mm handlebar,

Syncros XR1.5 80mm

stem, Syncros FL1.5

seatpost, Syncros

XR2.0 saddle

SizesS, M, L, XL

Weight11.35kg

(25.02lb)

Contactscott-

sports.com

GEOMETRY

Size testedL

Head angle68.2 °

Seat angle68°

BB height312mm

Chainstay435mm

Front centre725mm

Wheelbase1,160mm

Down tube705mm

Top tube600mm

Reach457mm

Tapered lock-on grips

extend actual handlebar

length to nearly 740mm

for total control

Syncros bottle cage

houses SWAT-style

tools to keep everything

to hand during a race

Oversized QR axles, rather

than lighter Allen key

versions, make mid-race

puncture repairs super-quick

A chain guide

provides silent

reassurance against

an unwanted dropped

chain and only adds 23g

VERDICT

It didn’t take long to realise that the

Spark RC 900 Team was the stand-

out bike in the test. You don’t have

to be Nino Schurter to benefit from

the blisteringly quick turn

of speed, or the calm way

it dispatches descents.

The ergonomics of the TwinLoc

remote encourage its use more than

any other suspension adjustment

system, so you rarely feel like you

are in a compromised setting, just

optimum performance

for the trail ahead.

It’s the bike that

all privateers

should be

queuing up to

ride this year.

provided the same feeling of efficiency,

or flattered the rider to the same extent.

In almost every situation the Spark

proved to be the fastest, losing out

only marginally to the Giant Anthem

on the most technical descents, and

the Epic on fire-road climbs. It’s a

better all-rounder than both of those

bikes though.

At the heart of this performance is

the match-made-in-heaven between

the stiff chassis and forward-thinking

geometry, combined with the TwinLoc

powered suspension. Yes, the rear

suspension feels a little too eager to run

through its travel in the open setting,

but ride the Spark in the 70mm Traction

mode and nothing can match its ability

to turn pedal power into raw speed.

BIKE TEST

100 mbr MARCH 2018