Test: The Scott Spark is one of the most successful models in the mountain bike XC World Cup and yet the well-known bike manufacturer decided to completely revise the bike and leave no stone unturned. Scott is starting the 21 season with a total of 2022 new Spark models. The popular model series is divided into the categories XC and Trail (Tuned). The damper is particularly eye-catching, or no longer so, because it is no longer visible from the outside because it has been integrated into the frame construction. We thoroughly tested for you how the new Scott Spark rides and whether the new edition has made one of the fastest bikes even faster.
For the 2022 season, Scott has completely revised the Spark bike collection. The 21-model series includes uncompromising XC race models as well as trail bikes with short suspension travel. Although both categories are based on the same frame, they differ in terms of structure and equipment. Compared to the Spark RC, the 900 comes with trail-oriented parts. In this case, a fork with longer spring travel, wider handlebars, trail-focused tires and a larger damper are installed. The latter is worth a closer look: It is conspicuously inconspicuous and integrated into the frame construction – both in the RC and in the 900. Despite the integration, the damper and all settings are easily accessible from the outside.
According to Scott, the chassis characteristics have been refined thanks to the integrated suspension technology without sacrificing weight. When designing the frame, the developers primarily wanted to prevent inefficient movements. What is meant by this are primarily forces acting laterally to the direction of the spring deflection. According to the information provided, the frame construction around the damper could be made harder thanks to the integrated damper. This reduces movements and at the same time enables more efficient power transmission - according to the manufacturer. A larger bearing is used to support the saddle tube pivot point. But the integrated suspension technology offers another advantage: the damper could be placed further down in the frame, which means that the center of gravity is lower.
For Scott, the single-pivot suspension layout is the measure of all things for technical cross-country races and fast, sweeping singletrack. So it's not surprising that the Spark models are based on this layout. According to the manufacturer, the suspension layout has a very specific and proven kinetic and less unsprung mass. Using a flex pivot on the seatstay is an ideal solution for bikes in this travel range, Scott continues. Both the Spark RC and Spark 900 are available with either a FOX Nude 5T shock or a RockShox or X-Fusion NUDE 5 shock with 120mm rear travel and a combination with the TwinLoc suspension system. A 120 or 130 millimeter suspension fork works at the front, depending on the XC or trail area of use.
Regarding the geometry, the developers have opted for scientific facts and not for trends. For this, SWISS BIOMECHANICS worked closely together, especially with the SCOTT SRAM MTB Racing Team. The goal was to achieve a similar pedal position for the RC and 900. The integrated head angle adjustment feature allows the manufacturer to choose a longer, trail-optimized suspension fork for the 900 or a fork with slightly less travel for the RC, allowing for a more aggressive position when racing. The new Spark also features a completely new Fraser iC combo from Syncros. The cables run under the handlebars and around the sides of the stem before disappearing into the headset with integrated plastic parts. All bars and stems offer multiple options for computer, light and camera mounts.
In addition to the carbon models, Scott also offers the aluminum models Spark 950, 960, and 970, which offer the same features as the carbon versions but are, of course, correspondingly more affordable. The price range extends from €2.399,00 to €12.999€00 for the top-of-the-line bikes in the series. The new Spark bike collection is also rounded out by special Contessa models. Four of the new Spark models, one RC model and three 900s, were developed specifically for women. These models feature women-specific contact points and special fork and shock settings for lightweight models.
Testing the new Scott Spark RC
We had the great pleasure of being one of the first to sit on the new Scott Spark. Scott is currently advertising its latest highlight with the slogan "Fast is Fun", so we were very curious to see whether you could really be that fast on this bike and have a lot of fun as a result.
With the Spark RC in the World Cup version, we were of course well equipped. Nevertheless, we started off quite comfortably to get used to the new bike. But you don't need a lot of time to get used to it, because as soon as the saddle height was adjusted, the race fully fitted us like a glove and gave the feeling that we had never sat on any other bike. So it quickly became clear that the calm driving style would soon be over, because the Scott Spark RC invites you to step on the gas on every profile.
Thanks to the appealing interplay of sporty geometry, low weight and good power transmission, you can get up to speed extremely quickly and have a lot of fun accelerating after corners. Climbing is also not particularly difficult on the new Spark, because here too it knows how to play to its qualities and takes us powerfully and quickly to the top.
Using the newly designed TwinLoc lever, you can still very intuitively and reliably choose between full suspension and traction mode for lighter terrain or off-road climbs, or lock the suspension/damper completely and ride the bike like an unsprung MTB. Of course, this made life much easier for us on asphalt or climbing sections, since hardly any energy is lost in the bike, but is converted directly into propulsion.
The new frame construction, in which the damper could be integrated directly into the frame, not only gives you a very attractive and clean look, but the damper is further down in the frame, which ensures a lower center of gravity. This not only gives you an even safer and calmer driving experience on bumpy sections, but also makes you much more agile on technical passages. In combination with the full suspension, the Scott Spark RC hardly shies away from a trail and offers a lot of driving fun, whether on flowing or slightly rougher sections.
For sporty riders and anyone who doesn't want to make a decision, it's the ideal platform to ride uphill quickly or a little easier and then really let it rip downhill. It should also be interesting for marathon and long-distance riders that two bottle holders can now be attached to the newly designed frame. In our test, we were not able to judge to what extent the shock could get hot due to the integration in the frame and the resulting lack of ventilation. But one thing is certain: the bike and equipment worked perfectly for us and left no room for complaints.
Pictures: Julian Oswald/ Jochen Haar
