SCOTT Spark 930 Bike

The Spark down tube shock and linkage are clearly asymmetric, when looking from the top of the bike. Carbon fibres achieve their full potential when used in smooth straight lines. Off setting the shock slightly to the left hand side of the bike gives a clean and continuous structure from the down tube through the shock mount to the main pivot.

Boost is a hub and drivetrain standard developed by SRAM. Boost is built around a wider rear and front hub and enables stiffer wheels due to a wider spoke bracing angle. Boost 148 rear hubs move each flange of the rear hub three millimeters wider.

Boost is designed as a complete system so drivetrain performance isn’t compromised. Even though Boost pushes the cogs three millimeters outboard, the crankarm Q-Factor remains the same as the Boost system’s crankset utilizes front chainrings that sit a corresponding 3mm outward to ensure the required chainline. Boost cranks can onlybe used when paired with a 148mm hub. On the front the hub spacing is increased by 10mm to 110mm. Increased wheel stiffness and greater clearance for bigger tires are the main advantages of Boost technology. On our bikes, we wanted to go beyond the basics and reap all the benefits of this innovation by optimizing frame design and geometry.The 3 mm outboard chain ring adds clearance in the chain stay area that allows a substantial increase of the chain stay tube cross-section. Correspondingly,the stiffness in this part of the frame improves. Also, with a wider range of positions for the rear wheel, the frame geometry can be adjusted. We can shorten the chainstays for more agile handling.

The Spark carbon linkage is constructed with a compression moulding process. It’s 37g lighter than the aluminium equivalent and half the weight of the previous Spark linkage. Making the link in two pieces means all excess material can be removed from the inside of the linkage,without sacrificing stiffness.

We have adopted the new Metric shock sizing standards with a Trunnion mount. Since the shock body now extends between the two lower mounting bolts, our suspension partners have more design space. This means the shock has more stroke for the same eye to eye length. Stroke on the 165mm eye to eye shock has increased from 38mm to 40/45mm.The Trunnion standard also offers structural gains. The shorter shock enables us to build a very compact frame and shock package, which integrates tightly to the seat tube. We managed to have a very tiny yet stiff linkage-lighter than ever. Thanks to the Trunnion mount construction, stand over height on the new Spark is very low. We are still able to realize a super compact full suspension frame and provide the ability to mount both a small and big water bottle.

The Spark family maintains the 165mm eye-to-eye shock length of the previous Spark 900 (our shortest shock), but realises up to 7mm more shock stroke. All Spark RC and most Spark and Spark Plus bikes utilize the FOX Nude shock, specially made for SCOTT:

-165mm Metric Trunnion shock

-40mm (100mm travel RC Spark line-up) vs. 38mm (old Spark)

-45mm (120mm travel Spark line-up)

By turning the Trunnion shock upside-down, we can fully integrate it into the frame which results in several benefits.Since the Trunnion mount is the same width as the down tube and mainpivot, we can have a very clean frame design in this critical area. The lack of tight transitions and small details allows for an efficient, continuous carbon structure. Carbon material added to reinforce the shock mount also stiffens the connection between the down tube, main pivot and bottom bracket, a key stiffness path.

The flipped shock also lowers the frame’s center of gravity helping to give a more planted feel when riding. Unsprung mass is reduced since it is the lighter part of the shock, connected to the linkage, not the heavier body which must move during an impact – the suspension system can react faster.Our TwinLoc remote cable can be routed cleanly into the down tube.

Weitere Infos zu TwinLoc gibt es hier: https://www.scott-sports.com/page/twinloc

Dank TwinLoc kann der Fahrer den Rahmen, die Gabel und den Dämpfer effektiv als komplettes System steuern. Warum ist das so wichtig? Ein Bike mit einem 150-mm-Federweg, der korrekt eingestellt ist, hat einen größeren Negativfederweg (Sag) als ein Bike mit einem 130-mm-Federweg. Genau dieser zusätzliche Federweg sorgt für den extra Fahrspaß, vor allem bei Abfahrten. Der größere Sag hat eine enorme Auswirkung auf die Geometrie des Bikes und die Leistung bei Anstiegen. Hier kommt TwinLoc zum Einsatz.

TwinLoc ermöglicht eine nuancierte Feineinstellung der Federung. Während es bei den meisten Systemen schwierig ist, die Kompression für eine effiziente Pedalumdrehung zu erhöhen, können wir mit TwinLoc nicht nur die Kompressionsdämpfung ändern, sondern zudem die Federkennlinien, um die Geometrie des Bikes dynamisch zu ändern. Im Trail-Modus ist die Dämpfung nicht nur fester, sie hat auch einen weniger dynamischen Federweg. Das Bike sitzt höher, hat selbst bei Aufstiegen einen steilen Sitzwinkel und fährt deshalb agiler. Darüber hinaus bieten wir einen dritten vollen Lockout-Modus, um auf effektivste Weise bergauf zu fahren.

Diese speziellen Einstellungen optimieren die Anstiegsgeometrie, selbst bei Bikes mit längerem Federweg. Vergessen Sie den „langen Federweg-Effekt“, der deine Effizienz schmälert. Das heißt aber nicht, dass wir deinen Downhill-Spaß trüben und dich um den vollen 150-mm-Federweg berauben wollen. Ob für Rennen, beim entspannten Lunchride oder auf deiner Hausrunde – die verstellbaren Modi, die du abhängig vom Untergrund mit einem Hebel verstellen kannst, sind von zentraler Bedeutung, um schneller zu fahren und um einfach mehr Spaß auf dem Trail zu haben. 

On the Scale, Spark and Genius, to provide a clean look and a functional solution for all the different control cable standards on the market, cable routing is fully internal and designed for full length cable housing. Routing the cables internally omits bulky external hardware and looks cleaner. The cables can endure a longer lifetime as they are protected within the frame. The entry points are machined alloy removable inserts that come along with the frame and can be chosen according to the setup of the bike. Assembling an electronic group or a dropper post will not be a problem and the look will always be clean-cut.

"Scott's fully revised Spark XC rig ticks all the right boxes. Mtbr’s 2016 cross-country bike of the year is really two bikes. Or three if you count the plus version. Or five if you account for 27.5 and 29er offerings. But for the purposes of this award, focus is on the new 120mm Scott Spark with 29er wheels. That’s because for a modern cross-country bike, we see it as the near perfect combination of uphill efficiency and downhill capability. Granted if your name is Nino Schurter or Jenny Rissveds, you’re going to opt for the racier RC model (as in “racing concept”). That bike has 20mm less suspension, a slightly steeper headtube angle, and two Olympic gold medals to its name. But most of us aren’t training for Tokyo 2020, and instead are looking for a bike with well-balanced talent. And that is just what the latest iteration of Scott’s XC platform is. (...)"

Read the full review: http://reviews.mtbr.com/mtbr-best-of-2016-awards-cross-country-bike