1 kilogramme frame weight. This is a magical sound barrier for top-class XC bikes. Only very few manufacturers were able to undercut this mark before the switch to 29 inches, and virtually no one has managed to do so since. Since the Expo Bici in Padua at the end of September, a number has been in the air. The M-frame (45 cm) of the new Scapin Spektro 29" is said to weigh just over 950 grams. An impossibility?
Not necessarily. At least frame weights that are very close to the 1-kilogram mark are now also possible with 29er frames. The lightweight wonder Cannondale F-SI Carbon Team was even 4 grams below the mark on our scales. The Cube Elite C68 SLT 29 from the Test of the race hardtails in BIKE 1/2015 in frame size 19" (47 cm) is actually 986 grams. Like Cannondale and Cube, the Scapin Spektro 29" also pulls out all the stops. The frame, a carbon monocoque, has been optimised several times and is made from T800, one of the highest quality carbon grades available.
But a frame alone does not make a race bike. So the Scapin also comes with 12 mm thru-axles and an optimised geometry compared to last year. A small aluminium plate protects the cables and the frame from stone chips and extreme impacts and can be replaced if necessary.
In terms of equipment, the customer is spoilt for choice. The bike is available with Rock Shox RS-1, Fox Float Factory Kashima, Rock Shox Reba, Rock Shox 30 Gold or rigid fork. You can also choose between Sram's XX1, X1, X01, Shimano's XTR, XT, SLX or even the new XTR Di2 groupset. Of course, the look corresponds appropriately with the sophisticated equipment. Typically Italian!
More information and the complete equipment lists can be found on the manufacturer's website: www.scapin.com
Adrian Kaether
Editor
