The Scott Scale is a no-holds-barred XC bike with race-bred DNA coursing through its tubes. But how well does the performance of the high-end carbon models trickle down to the cheaper end of the pricing spectrum? We hit the trails on the alloy Scale 770 to find out.
The frame
The entry-level, 650b-wheeled Scale 770 uses a
custom-butted 6061 aluminium frame. Scott engineer subtle shapes into the tubes
to enhance stiffness and add a degree of comfortboosting compliance.
There’s no routing for a dropper post if you’re
looking to get a little more extreme, and the outer gear cable isn’t continuous,
so you’ll need to stay on top of maintenance through the winter. There is provision
for a rack or mudguards, but the Scale is really built with trail charging in mind.
You can rage on the 770 and the frame feeds back a sense of strength and toughness
– it’s no flimsy waif.
The kit
The spec is a good balance of quality, cost and
performance. The non-series Shimano triple crankset and the stem, seatpost,
saddle and wheels from Scott-owned Syncros are well sorted, good value items. The
rest of the transmission is faultless Shimano Deore. Bash a mech and it’s cheap
enough to replace without tears. The entry-level Shimano hydraulic discs and
coil-sprung Suntour fork are basic, solid, serviceable items that get the job
done.
The ride
Scott are defining contemporary competitive XC bike
geometry in the same way that Kona did in the early 90s. The result is a bike
that feels light, taut and aggressive. A trail-ready 69-degree head angle gives
a can-do feel in tech sections, while the 73-degree seat angle positions you
over the pedals for power on grinder climbs. First-time mountain bikers fell in
love with this fast-but-playful frame.
The mid-size 650b wheels add to the fun factor,
smoothing the ride like larger 29in wheels, but with extra eagerness to get into,
and out of, the turns. The Schwalbe Rocket Ron tyres find surprising levels of
traction in all but wet clay soils. The 770’s budget spec does mean it struggles
to achieve instant acceleration though – the wheels are built for strength and
durability over light weight, as are the other components.
In the rough you’ll have to work within the boundaries
of the budget fork and brakes, though neither will stop you from hitting the
lines you’ve scoped. The fork absorbs a good deal of punishment and the brakes
are strong, if a bit wooden feeling at the lever.
As a first proper mountain bike, you’ll probably not
notice these small, nuanced drawbacks, and simply enjoy wearing the parts out.
The next model in the range, the Scale 760, gets a lighter frame and better
RockShox XC 30 TK fork but keeps the same brakes and rims, and costs a whopping
460$ more, making the 770 something of a
bargain.
FRAME Butted 6061 alloy
FORK Suntour XCR RL-R, 100mm (3.9in) travel
DRIVETRAIN Shimano M522 crankset, Deore shifters
and derailleurs
WHEELSET Syncros XC37 rims, Formula CL51 front
hub, Shimano RM35 rear hub, Schwalbe Rocket Ron 27.5x2.1in tyres
BRAKES Shimano M395
BAR/STEM Syncros FL2.5 T-Bar, 700mm/Syncros
FL2.0, 80mm
SEATPOST/SADDLE Syncros FL2.5/Syncros XR2.5
WEIGHT 13.05kg (28.77lb) without pedals