If you want to pin the 27.5-inch wave on one person, you can't get past the Swiss serial winner Nino Schurter. Hardly anyone else is as convinced and passionate about the latest wheel size as the reigning world champion and overall World Cup winner. His success proves him right. At 1.72 metres tall and with his explosive riding style, 29ers were never ideal for Schurter. In contrast, 27.5 inches seems to be made for lightning-fast changes of direction and speed. Two kicks in the cradle, sit down briefly, lock the fork and get out of the saddle again: this is exactly Schurter's riding style on modern CC courses. Classic marathon riders press the remote control for the fork lock-out as often over 100 kilometres as Schurter does during a quarter lap in the World Cup. Downhill, the Scale 700's 69 mm steering angle makes it a tad more directional and smoother than its 27.5-inch competitors from Giant and Merida. For the exclusive equipment with Sram's triple-sprocket groupset, Shimano's top brakes and SID fork, even the 5,000 euros Scott is asking is a fair price. In contrast, the cheapest carbon model, the Scale 730, offers almost none of the agility and racing feeling (despite a very similar look). 200 grams more on the frame, 800 grams more on the wheels and a further kilo on the gears and add-on parts - this turns the super sports bike into an 11-kilo sports tourer, which is further down the starting grid. With a little wheel tuning, however, the Scale 730 could still be teased out of its performance.
Conclusion Suck in, downshift, attack: The explosive Scale 700 RC doesn't spend a lot of time sucking in the slipstream, but prefers to set the pace itself. Nino Schurter's light-footed World Cup rocket feels most at home on demanding terrain with lots of ups and downs. As expected, the Scale 730's excess weight costs it the chance of victory in this duel.
Scott Scale 700 RC
PLUS Good silicone grips, lightest bike in the test, light wheels
MINUS Fiddly Torx screws on stem/seat clamp, narrow tyres
Scott Scale 730
PLUS Sporty geometry, wide cockpit
MINUS Favourable rubber compound for tyres, heavy wheels, heaviest bike in the test
