Submitted by
Justin
a Cross Country Rider
from Australia Date Reviewed: October 24, 2008
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$3200.00
Strengths:
Great overall bike balance, light weight, Good overall performance and handling
Weaknesses:
may be a little unforgiving for new riders likeme
Bottom Line:
I would buy this bike again and again but would considder Scott Duel suspension bike for a change.
Overall strong, fast, light, comfortable bike to ride very smooth on road.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
kay maddox
a Cross Country Rider
from lubbock texas usa Date Reviewed: August 15, 2007
Favorite Trail:
palo duro or warda
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$3000.00
Purchased At:
Broadway Bikes, Lubbock
Strengths:
Geometry is perfect for me. Stiff, lite, responsive. Makes climbing much easier. Descents are effortless also
Weaknesses:
No complaints here.
Similar Products Used:
Klein Race Attitude, not similar but much better than Specialized Epic
Bike Setup:
Stock except for Maxxis tires ust
Bottom Line:
I finally have the bike that I want and need for xc racing. The geometry is optimal for a female racer, sorry guys, but its true. Women who want a serious race bike should check it out.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
slartiblartfaster
a Cross Country Rider
from Hampshire UK Date Reviewed: March 20, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Afan Argoed
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$2000.00
Purchased At:
Pedal-On
Strengths:
Speed, efficiency, ultra-lightness, outstandingly agile handling, surprisingly compliant ride. Must be the fastest frame out there for XC. Would be a good choice for long-distance XC endurance events.
Weaknesses:
None except the standard saddle, an XC bumbreaker replaced with a Gobi Nisene after the first ride.
Similar Products Used:
Was looking at building a Giant XTC carbon custom, but this on an end-of-year deal was just ridiculously good value. The 20 is only half a kilo heavier and lists much cheaper than the 10, so is probably the best value point in the range. Other bike is a custom Blur LT configured more for downhill.
Bike Setup:
Standard except for saddle, and Easton carbon riser bars to relax the riding position a tad. That means XT/XTR components, mavic wheels, Fox fork etc. Running Michelin XCR Mud tyres at the moment, fast for 'mud' tyres. Came with lightweight sticky-feeling tyres, not sure they'll take much of a hammering, see this summer.
Bottom Line:
If you have to have one bike this could be it. It's very light, so you'd reasonably expect the speed. What will exceed your expectations is the way this bike delivers: pedal effort feels hot-wired to the rear wheel, the SDS damping makes the ride very comfortable, and the XC single-track handling is a match for anything else I've ridden. It's hard to put into words, but you always feel it's got another level of performance lurking if you need it. The only place the Blur totally beats it is on rough, rocky and rutted terrain - but ultimately of course they are different animals. In fact the only problem I've had with the Scale 20 is that it's too fast - if you ride it flat out on good XC terrain you might find you might find yourself suspected of using banned substances...
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
edwin
a Weekend Warrior
from chicago IL Date Reviewed: July 7, 2006
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$2200.00
Strengths:
Weight, stiffness, component group, Fox fork
Weaknesses:
Selle slr is pain in the butt.... Racing position needs to get used to
Bike Setup:
Standard, except Arione saddle and easton EC90 raised handlebars
Bottom Line:
This bike is very light, fast, accurate, agile and quite comfy. I've ridden more harsh bike than this one. I agree with every comments on previous review.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Martin Cox
a Racer
from Gainesville, Florida, USA Date Reviewed: April 11, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Razorback
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
Bike Route
Strengths:
Climbs excellent, Super reliable and amazing acceleration out of corners.
Weaknesses:
Stock tires flat real easy and are super thin.
Similar Products Used:
Scott Scale 40 for training bike.
Bike Setup:
CrossMax Sl wheels, XT/XTR working parts, Thomson stem, Fox fork
Bottom Line:
Best Hardtail on the market. I fyou want to win on a hardtail, then this is the bike to do it on.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Andrew
a
from Melbourne, OZ Date Reviewed: February 8, 2006
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Bottom Line:
Just couldn't resist one last update. I've racked up well over 2000km's now and I've swapped out the bar and stem for a Thomson x4 and race face dues OS bar. Praise the lord! No more creaking, clicking, flexing. This bike has taken on a whole new level of superb'ness:). Complete silence is bliss when riding a bike.. it inspires so much more confidence. This bike is so versatile on or off road. Can easily keep up with racing bikes, the only limitation is the fitness of the rider. Couldn't be happier. Oh and no more grief from the drive train. Using a wipperman chain allows me to keep everything clean and smooth without going through a laborious routine. As good as it gets.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Scott
a Cross Country Rider
from Melbourne, Australia Date Reviewed: February 5, 2006
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$2550.00
Purchased At:
Melbourne Bicycle Centre
Strengths:
Light, strong, fast, looks good and has my name on it!
At this price all the bikes are good and spec'd similar, so it comes down to personal preference. The carbon frame is very light, stiff and looks good. None of the components need upgrading. The bike accelerates very quickly and climbing hills is now fun, just have to be careful not to wheelspin too much as you pass riders on "heavy" bikes...
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Andrew
a
from Melbourne, OZ Date Reviewed: November 14, 2005
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Bottom Line:
Just a follow up to my previous review. I've ridden the bike for over 1200km's now and thought it was time to update my initial opinion. The bike has continued being a pleasure to ride but it hasn't been entirely trouble free. My main issues have been with the drive train (Chain, Chain rings and cassette)and the stem. The drive train basically wore out after 300kms of riding, needed to replace middle chain ring, chain and lower section of the cassette. Perhaps this could be attributed to the conditions I ride in or my maintenance (or lack there of)... but can't help but feel disappointed. I also discovered the bike came with an LX chain as apposed to the XT spec. I doubt this would have contributed to the early wear, but again.. disappointing. My other gripe has been with the stem, in spite of numerous attempts with lube and varied levels of bolt tension it creaks and clicks after a few days of riding. It also feels cheep and flexy (perhaps because of all the noise). I'm going to swap the stem for a Thomson X4 as soon as pos. The only other area I would modify next time is the STI shifters (truly a novelty at best). While I've grown accustomed to them, they are far less precise than good old tried and tested rapid fire and I can't believe how much handle bar space they consume. They do the job but are not superior to rapid fire in anyway shape or form. Regardless of these issues the heart of this bike is the frame, and that's what makes it tick. Incredibly responsive, sharp handling, it's a thorough bred race bike that will take you as fast as you can pedal both on or off road, up hill and down hill, you name it. I'll give it 4 chilis for value thanks to the issues I've encountered and 5 chilis for it's exceptional frame.
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Submitted by
Simon
a Racer
from Australia Date Reviewed: August 23, 2005
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
Light, stiff, ultra reliable. Easily could be built under 10kg.
Weaknesses:
DT Skewers come loose.
Bike Setup:
Sid fork, gobi seat, sram X9 shifters and rear mech.
Bottom Line:
This bike is a workhorse. It's so reliable, especially in the endurance events. All cables are out of the way and near gunk up. The handling is wicked as well as the braking (XT disks). It's also a fast climber. This has to be the best money I have ever spent on a bike. Anyone wanting a wicked xc bike for racing or xc trail riding, then this is the bike for you.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Andrew
a Cross Country Rider
from Melbourne, OZ Date Reviewed: August 15, 2005
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$2800.00
Strengths:
Crazy Light & stiff frame. No flex in the crank/bottom bracket area, gets max power to the back wheel. Very good component selection. Fox forks are superb. Very good looking bike.
Weaknesses:
The non replaceable mech hanger scares me a bit. Although I'm told that the built in mech hanger is substantially stronger than a replaceable one. Time will tell. This bike would look so much better if the Scott logos weren't so prominant, kinda OTT tacky for what is in essence a classy bike.
Similar Products Used:
Giant XTC 2003 Specialized Rockhopper 2002
Bike Setup:
Stock except for slick tyres, egg beaters and Lp bar ends. Large frame size. 10.3kg
Bottom Line:
At the time of this review I've ridden the bike for about 150kms over 6 days(primarily on road commuting) and it's been an absolute pleasure. Have to admit it's taken a bit of getting used to the lack of flex through the BB. Compared to the relatively flexy forgiving ride on the XTC my legs have been given a wake up call. This bike is sharp and responsive built for speed over comfort. However having said how stiff the bike is, the carbon does do a great job at absorbing a lot of the sting from small bumps. The Fox forks are awesome, incredibly plush and responsive. They seamlessly smooth out bumps without erratic bob or flex. The jury is still out over the new shimano shifters, I really can't say they are better or worse than rapid fire, just a novelty really. Also with finely tuned discs I often find changing gear engages the brakes slightly which is annoying. The disc brakes also squeal in the wet which was an unpleasant surprise(thought squeal was only associated with rim breaks). Hopefully these things will improve with some tuning and time. All these gripes are minor though and on the whole this is an exceptional bike. Looking forward to giving it a more thorough off-road test in the coming months. Hopefully I'll post an update when I crack the 1000kms milestone.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
peter morrison
a Weekend Warrior
from london Date Reviewed: March 7, 2005
Favorite Trail:
afan
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$2000.00
Purchased At:
evans
Strengths:
Very light & fast,
Weaknesses:
noisey
Similar Products Used:
Gary Fisher Sugar Race, Ellsworth truth
Bike Setup:
Standard except Easton Monkeybars, eggbeaters
Bottom Line:
Very light & fast, laughs at hills, accelerates like a greyhound, racing position but with a long top tube quite comfy. Jury is still out on the saddle. Cool stealthy carbon looks. Sounds like a cement mixer in the mud as the frame amplifies all the rear end noise. Could use some lighter components as it only comes in a pound under my F.S Fisher Sugar. If you want to win the race or just leave your mates for dead this is the bike for you & considering the frame is £1600 then £2000 for the bike with fox forks is a bargain.
$ 3349.00
Overall Rating:
