The Scott Spark is the most successful MTB race bike in the world. Under the wing of the Scott-Sram MTB team, it has not only won various world championship titles and World Cup victories, but also two gold medals (men's and women's) at the Olympic Games in Rio 2016 and even won the Cape Epic twice.
The engineers and product managers in the development department at Scott were faced with a major challenge: how to make the fastest mountain bike fully in the world even faster? The details such as geometry and frame weight already seemed to be old Scott Spark exhausted. The only chance for improvement: a completely new concept that is once again one step ahead of current racing requirements.
Watch our video of the new Scott Spark RC 2022 here.
With 20 millimetres more travel, a hidden shock (and therefore space for two bottle cages) and an even more aggressive geometry, the Swiss want to defend the sporty supremacy of their Scott Sparks in the future too. There are also wider tyres and telescopic seat posts as standard on almost every model. Does the concept work, or does it overshoot the mark?
The facts about the new Scott Spark at a glance:
- Scott uses the rear triangle patent from Bold and integrates the shock into the seat tube.
- All new Scott-Spark models (including the RC versions) now have 120 millimetres of travel. The Trail version even has 130 mm forks.
- Most Spark RC models also come with a telescopic seat post and 2.4 inch wide tyres.
- There is no separate frame for the RC and Trail models.
- There is a new, integrated train guide.
- The geometry becomes more radical.
- The Twinloc lever has been further improved.
- There are five different quality levels of the Scott-Spark frame.
The integration of the damper: more than just a visual highlight
That the new Spark with a shock hidden inside the seat tube has long been suspected by scene insiders. As early as 2019, when Scott acquired the majority small Swiss bike company Bold It was clear from the start that the core of the takeover was not about additional market share, but about a patent. Scott is one of the big players in the bicycle industry and, as such, it is important to build up strategic advantages over the competition in the long term. The patent of Vincenz Droux (former owner of Bold) for the integration of the shock absorber in the seat tube is precisely such an advantage. While the majority of race bikes are becoming increasingly similar in appearance, the integration of the rear shock not only enables a completely unique look, but also a combination of design advantages.
For marathon racers and touring cyclists, the option of transporting two bottles in the frame triangle is essential. Anyone who rides fast for a long time is thirsty. This is the reason why the shock is located under the top tube on the vast majority of race fullys. In addition to the classic position on the down tube, there is also space on the seat tube to mount a bottle cage.
However, this classic racefully design also has disadvantages. For example, the top tube has to be reinforced for the shock mount, which increases the weight of the frame. And the bike's centre of gravity is relatively high with this design. This is not ideal for a safe off-road riding experience. These two design disadvantages were the reason why the old Scott Spark had a rear shock positioned in front of the seat tube. As a company known for its lightweight construction, Scott therefore decided against a second bottle cage on the old Spark in order to produce a particularly light carbon frame and a bike with excellent riding characteristics. The success on the race track proved the engineers right in their previous prioritisation.
However, with the option of integrating the shock into the seat tube, the question of "either two bottle cages or low weight and better riding characteristics" disappears into thin air. The design of the new Scott Spark combines all the advantages. Two bottle cages can be positioned in the frame triangle and the shock mount sits close to the bottom bracket. As this area of the frame is particularly rigid anyway, very little additional material is needed to position the shock mount there. This makes an excellent frame weight possible. According to Scott, the new carbon frame of the Spark weighs 1870 grams in size M including the shock and all parts required for assembly (derailleur hanger, seat clamp, etc.). A value that will give the competition a run for their money. In our Racefully comparison test 2021 the Specialized Epic had the lightest frame at 2081 grams (including shock). That's a good 200 grams more. A world away when it comes to the top places on the World Cup podium.
Unlike the bikes from Bold, where the integrated shocks have been used since 2015, Scott has dispensed with a Horst link bearing in the chainstays and instead relies on flexing seat stays. A solution that has become established on most models in the MTB race bike sector.
Another side effect of the integrated shock: it is protected from dust and dirt inside the seat tube. This means that significantly less dirt gets into the lubricating oil of the shock via the sealing lip of the shock, which should significantly extend the service intervals. Because the advantages of the integrated shock are so outstanding, it can be assumed that Scott will follow the Spark with this design on its other fully platforms. An established company like Scott will certainly not miss out on the opportunity of such a unique selling point in the bike industry.
However, during the presentation of the new Scott Spark, Pascal Ducrot emphasised that the Bold brand - even though Scott is now using the patent for the integrated shock absorber - will continue to operate independently. While Scott wants to cater to the majority of the market with its focus, Bold is intended to address the boutique niche with individual custom builds.
"We currently see no future for 100-millimetre fullys"
In addition to the frame design, Scott has added another exclamation mark with the new Spark. The Swiss company has added 20 millimetres more travel to the front and rear of the bike as standard. Nino Schurter will therefore be doing his laps on the World Cup tracks with 120 millimetres of suspension travel under his bum in future. "We don't currently see a future for 100-millimetre race bikes," says René Krattinger, Scott's top product manager, commenting on this move. Most recently, the Scott Sram Racing Team rode a suspension fork with 110 millimetres of travel on the old Spark. Raising the entire Spark platform to 120 millimetres of travel is therefore only a logical response to the increased demands from racing and the market. After all, end consumers have also been demanding more travel recently. For around two years now, the market segment of so-called Down-country bikesalso Sport-Tourer called. The ever more technically demanding race tracks and the desire of sporty marathon bikers to ride more and more single trails has meant that almost all major mountain bike manufacturers have a racefully model variant with a 120 mm fork in their range. Rockshox and Fox have developed 120 mm suspension forks specifically for this purpose over the past two years, which, with 34 (Fox) and 35 (Rockshox) millimetre stanchions, are significantly stiffer than the 100 millimetre forks trimmed for absolute lightweight construction. With our Suspension fork test in BIKE 4/21 these 120 mm forks were so superior in their function that we came to the following conclusion:
"In the long term, these 120-millimetre models may herald the end of 100-millimetre forks."
In retrospect, the word "long-term" can be deleted from the suspension fork test conclusion. At least at Scott, there will no longer be a production fully with a classic 100-millimetre fork. Even if Trek with the Supercalibre While Scott has recently tried to drive development in the opposite direction - i.e. less suspension travel - we believe that most other manufacturers will follow the trend set by Scott. 120 millimetres of suspension travel will establish itself as the new standard in the race and marathon full-suspension segment and significantly increase the range of use of competition bikes, which was once at its peak. Nino Schurter also confirms in an interview: "I don't see any disadvantage from the additional suspension travel." His professional bike weighs 10.5 kilos ready to ride and, according to the former world champion, is the perfect bike to fight for the gold medal in Tokyo. In addition to the increased suspension travel, the technical ace Schurter also relies on the combination of rims with a 30 millimetre rim width and 2.4 Maxxis tyres as well as a telescopic seat post (>> more details on Nino Schurter's race bike will soon be available in the bike check). These are equipment details that can also be found in Scott's standard bikes and make it easier for normal bikers to ride in demanding terrain.
System integration and new chain line
In addition to the integrated shock and the additional suspension travel, the system integration of the cables is one of the most striking features of the new Spark. The cables for the shock lockout, the dropper seatpost and the drivetrain disappear into the headset on all Spark models and run completely through the frame. This means that no additional holes are required for the cable routing in the head tube area, which reduces the complexity of the frame construction and therefore also its weight. The large opening on the down tube, which is necessary for the shock anyway, can be used for easy maintenance (replacing the cables). Foam covers are designed to prevent rattling inside the frame. In order to make maintenance as easy as possible for mechanics and to remain compatible with any brake or gear system, the decision was made not to integrate the cables into the handlebars, as is the case with most modern road bikes.
Another important, albeit at first glance less noticeable feature: the new Spark frame has a chainline of 55 millimetres. Compared to the standard chainline, the chainring is three millimetres further out, but the crank remains unchanged. The installation dimension of the rear wheel also remains the same as the normal Boost standard at 148 millimetres. This means that the chain runs at a slight angle on the largest sprocket of the cassette. This leaves more space for a stiff and stable chainstay. There is still no clear trend in the industry, but in the long term it is conceivable that the installation dimension of the rear wheel will become slightly wider (or possibly change to the existing Super Boost standard) in order to combine the design bottleneck on the chainstay with a better chainline. Even though many manufacturers are now back to using threaded BSA bottom brackets due to easier maintenance, Scott remains true to the press-fit standard. This standard combines the most advantages for lightweight carbon bikes.
Spark RC and Spark 900 now have the same frame
Until now, the Scott Spark RC models and the bikes from the Scott Spark 900 series had different frames. The old RC models only had 100 millimetres of travel at the rear, which is why the more trail-oriented 900 models had to have their own frame with more travel. With the new 2022 Spark generation, Scott is moving away from this principle. There is still the racing-orientated model series with the abbreviation RC. However, as this now has 120 millimetres of travel ex works, an extra frame is no longer required for the trail-oriented 900 models. However, the Spark 900 is fitted with a 130 millimetre fork and a shock with 25 per cent more air volume. This should significantly increase the fun on demanding single trails and thus fulfil the requirements of trail and touring riders. All Spark RC and Spark 900 models therefore have the same frame. Scott wants to fulfil the different requirements of trail bikers and racers with different equipment alone.
The new geometry
It goes without saying that a completely new mountain bike concept cannot be realised without new geometry. The old Scott Spark was known for its modern, aggressive geometry and set the trend on the market when it was launched in 2017. The trend towards slacker head angles and a longer reach has been followed by all manufacturers in the cross-country sector. Although the old Scott Spark RC still doesn't have outdated geometry even by today's standards, Scott has upped the ante in terms of head angle and reach. At 67.2 degrees, the head angle is 1.5 degrees slacker. With a reach of 471 millimetres in size L, the bike is almost 15 millimetres longer than its predecessor. The additional rear suspension travel also allows the bottom bracket to move eleven millimetres higher than its predecessor. The occasional bouncing of the cranks, which we sometimes criticised on the predecessor, should now be a thing of the past. Thanks to the slightly longer suspension fork, the bikes in the 900 series have a different geometry to the RC models. There is also the option of flattening the steering angle by 0.6 degrees using an adjustable headset.
The geometry data of the Scott Spark RC
The geometry of the Scott Spark 900 models
Making good things better: The new Twinloc lever
The Twinloc lever, with which you can lock out the entire suspension from the handlebars, is part of the brand image of Scott's MTB fullys and is of course also used on the new 2022 Spark generation. As usual, in addition to a full lockout, you also have the option of simply reducing the rear suspension travel. The general rear suspension function of a full-suspension bike is retained. The suspension is noticeably firmer and the bottom bracket moves slightly upwards. In numerous practical tests, this system has proven to be extremely functional and, above all, a real added value for bikers. In order to realise this unique system, Scott has once again developed special Nude shocks together with Rockshox, Fox and X-Fusion, which are only used by Scott. The different areas of use (trail and race) each get a shock that is tailored to their specific needs, but which, according to Scott, can be serviced by any official suspension service centre. Because almost every Spark model is equipped with a dropper post, the control lever on the handlebars has been redesigned. The lever for the seatpost is now positioned slightly behind the levers for the suspension. The ergonomics are therefore significantly better than with the old Twinloc version, where the lever for the seatpost was still integrated into the grip clamp. During an initial test ride, the handling was very intuitive after a short time.
Variety wins: Spark frames in 5 different quality levels
In addition to the high-end frame with the highest quality carbon fibres (HMX SL), the Spark 2022 also comes with two other carbon frames (HMX and HMF) and a hybrid frame with aluminium rear triangle and carbon main frame. There is also the aluminium version of the Spark. The wide variety of frames comes about because Scott is represented on many international markets and covers price points for complete bikes from 2400 to almost 13000 euros. The only difference between all frames is the frame material and therefore, of course, the frame weight. Design and geometry remain identical at all price points. >> An overview of the most exciting 2022 models of the Scott Spark RC and Spark 900 can be found here. <<
How does the new Scott Spark ride?
We had the opportunity to ride the new Scott Spark models during a press event in Leogang. Both the new Spark RC and the Spark 900 Tuned left a thoroughly positive impression. The new rear suspension works well and the new geometry makes a harmonious impression. We will provide a detailed test report with riding impressions from various test riders, weights and stiffnesses determined in the BIKE test lab in BIKE 8/2021. The issue will be available from 6 July at newsagents or here as online edition.
BIKE's verdict on the new Scott Spark
With the new Spark, Scott is setting the trend for the cross-country sector. It is quite conceivable, probably even predictable, that in the near future other manufacturers will also present marathon full-suspension bikes with 120 millimetres of travel at the fork and rear. If Nino Schurter wins World Cups with them, the era of the classic 100-millimetre race bike will be over for good. Equipping the standard bikes with 2.4 mm tyres and a telescopic seat post significantly expands the once extremely wide range of applications for race bikes. The new frame construction with integrated shock is not only stylish, but also combines design advantages and enables a low frame weight with good rigidity. The integrated shock is a strong unique selling point that will win over many customers. With the new Spark, Scott demonstrates a high level of innovation that only very few manufacturers can match. Despite the identical frame, the equipment allows a good differentiation between the RC models and the Spark 900 with slightly more suspension travel. The first test impression on the trail was consistently positive for both platforms, but we are looking forward to the detailed practical tests of both models in BIKE 8/21. The bikes will be available for testing at selected Scott dealers from July. They should finally be available in stores from autumn 2021.
