Cross-country trail bike: Scott Spark 910 endurance test - 3735-km summary
Jan Timmermann
· 27.01.2023
With the new edition of the Spark, Scott blurred the boundaries between cross-country and trail bikes. 120 millimetres of suspension travel should help the world's most successful race bike to become even more powerful on descents. However, the strong system integration is considered to be the antagonist of ease of maintenance. Here you can find out whether the Scott Spark 910 became a permanent construction site or an endurance runner, and how it fared on the trail.
Trail version of Schurter's RC model
In the trail version of the Spark, the suspension travel on the fork has been increased by another ten millimetres compared to Nino Schurter's RC model. However, apart from the cheaper carbon fibres, the frame of the Spark 910 is identical to the RC version. The three-stage Twinloc lever for stabilising the shock and fork as well as a second bottle cage mount are also reminiscent of the Spark's sporty roots.
With the integration of the shock in the seat tube and the cable routing through a handlebar/stem unit, the black Spark looks like a stealth jet. Thanks to the service flap, however, the inner workings remain accessible. An external SAG indicator and a peephole make it easier to tune the rear triangle. The endurance test should show how practical the integration solutions are and whether the Spark can gain a foothold in the trail bike category.
The Spark cannot deny its relationship to its race brother. The rapid acceleration of the lightweight trail bike with its stiff carbon frame is particularly pleasing. You sit well integrated and put a lot of pressure on the front. As a result, the Scott moved forward quickly and effortlessly collected its first kilometres on the flat Munich Isar trails.
The bike proved to be a strong climber on Alpine tours beyond 1000 metres in altitude. After the first 20000 metres in altitude, the 32-tooth chainring was replaced with a 30-tooth chainring in favour of a smaller gear range. On the steep ramps around the Karwendel, Zugspitz region, Chiemsee and Tegernsee, the rear end tended to bob only minimally when pedalling and could even be completely immobilised with the help of the Twinloc system.
3735 kilometres: The Scott Spark in continuous use on the trail
As the endurance test start coincided with the purchase of a caravan, the Spark had to cope with a lot of use on the rocky terrain of Lake Garda and Lake Ledro. After misusing a blister patch as an inner tube patch on the first alpine descent, the Schwalbe Wicked Will tyres were converted to tubeless. Afterwards, they proved to be very puncture-proof, but did not grip very well on slippery gravel.
In contrast to the tyres, the suspension could not be pushed to the limit even on the rough trails in Vinschgau and around Toblach. The trail bike feels secure and stable when travelling fast straight ahead, but can also be manoeuvred easily through corners. However, the unergonomic grips made our wrists ache on long descents. The brakes also reached their limit on the long downhills and showed noticeable fading. In line with the poor braking performance, the pads had to be replaced after 1000 and 2500 kilometres. At the end of the endurance test, it was also necessary to bleed the rear brakes.
Overwhelmed by the long descents, the first pair of tyres wore out after 1400 kilometres. After a good 3700 kilometres, the second set was through. While the lockout cable was still running smoothly, the shift cable had to be replaced during the final inspection. The cable of the dropper post frayed after just six months. The post also developed a slight lateral play. Two worn chains are the tribute to the high mileage. However, the wheels, bearings and chassis survived the endurance test without any defects. They are ready for many more kilometres and make the concerns regarding system integration fade into the background.
Conclusion: Scott Spark 910 endurance test
"With its strong forward thrust, the Scott Spark 910 provides a high level of riding fun. It is the rocket among trail bikes and, with its balanced geometry and efficient suspension, is also convincing on descents. Only a few equipment details spoil the otherwise excellent overall picture." Franz Fischer, BIKE long-term tester
Technical data and evaluation: Scott Spark 910 endurance test
- Frame material: Carbon, size M
- Price / weight: 5499 Euro / 12.4 kg without pedals
- Spring travel: 129 mm /122 mm
- Wheel size: 29 inch
- Fork / damper: Fox 34 Performance Elite / Fox Nude DPS
Mileage: 3735 km | 84400 hm
Costs in continuous operation
The Scott Spark 910's many metres of descending resulted in high wear costs for the brake pads and the expensive Schwalbe tyres. The first Shimano XT chain wore out uncharacteristically quickly and was replaced with an SLX model due to availability problems.
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Jan Timmermann
Editor
