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Fast is fun for Scott-SRAM's new Spark RC cross-country bike
Kate Courtney, Lars Forster and Nino Schurter will have a brand-new weapon when they race the World Cup from now on. Here's the lowdown on the new cross-country bike from Scott.
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The Scott Spark RC has been a very successful cross-country bike since it made its debut on racing tracks in 2008. Nino Schurter has ridden the bike to multiple World Championships, World Cup overalls and individual World Cups, while Kate Courtney has also won multiple times on the women's equivalent, the Contessa Spark RC, at World Cup races since she switched to the Scott-SRAM team in 2019.
We're onto the the fourth generation of the Scott Spark RC with this model
© Scott
Like the Spark RC, the Contessa Spark RC has been updated
© Daniel Geiger
We checked in with Scott-Sram team’s head mechanic – and Schurter’s personal mechanic – Yanick Gyger to get the lowdown on all the details on the new Spark RC model. Watch him discuss the bike below and scroll down for more.
It's a full suspension bike but where's the rear shock?
The first thing that stands out in the new Spark RC is the fact that there appears to be no rear suspension. Except there is, you just can't see it. It is stored in the frame, making the Spark pretty unique in terms of cross-country bikes that are available on the market.
Kate Courtney on the Contessa Spark RC
© SCOTT / Kifcat
The cabling for brakes and gears are also routed into the bike frame making for a nice sleek looking bike. There are some obvious advantages of having everything integrated and closed off. No dirt, grime or mud is going to get into the shock or things like bearings, while the frame, as it is designed now, will allow two water bottles to be fitted on the bike. The frame weight is super light at just 1,870g.
"Everything is nicely integrated. It's a pretty good-looking bike," Gyger says as he introduces the bike.
How do you access the rear shock if it is closed off?
Given the rear shock is stored inside the frame. The question of access is an obvious one. Gyger explains that the shock can be accessed via a hatch on the frame and it is easy to adjust rebound, compression and shock pressure when the hatch is open.
Access to the rear shock
© Daniel Geiger
Like the previous incarnation of the Scott Spark RC, the Scott TwinLoc suspension lockout system is in use and the Scott-SRAM team pair it with RockShox suspension in the rear and on the front fork.
A hatch covers the shock
© Daniel Geiger
With the TwinLoc, a rider has the ability to choose a suspension set up in three ride modes – descend, traction control and lockout. Each mode changes how the bike feels when it's ridden and can be an advantage on the varying course demands that World Cup racing brings. The TwinLoc is operated via a handlebar remote.
"For those riders that don’t have twin lock, they have to compromise their suspension to keep it firm enough to climb, but with twin lock you can have it open and plow through everything. Each athlete has the opportunity to use lock/open/traction mode," says Gyger.
Clean lines at the cockpit
The new Spark features an all-new Fraser iC SL handlebar
© SCOTT
The new Spark features an all-new Fraser iC SL handlebar and stem combo from Syncros. The design of the Fraser iC fits in with the sleek lines of the Spark. The shape of the bars allows the cables to flow under the bar and around the sides of the stem before disappearing into the headset with integrated plastic parts to keep it clean and efficient. It provides for a minimalist front end.
Cables disappear into the stem
© SCOTT
Geometry
One of the main goals for the bike was to have a frame designed around 120mm of suspension travel front and rear. This has been achieved and Gyger believes that Scott have now set the benchmark for other brands to follow. The Spark features a headtube angle of 67.2 degrees, which is adjustable by 0.6 degrees to make the angle slacker or steeper. Everything on the bike is further to the front making the bike nicely stable, explains Gyger.
As Euro Champion Lars Forster's Spark RC will have special detail in 2022
© SCOTT
Tyres and wheels
Scott moved to Syncros products for its wheels in 2021 and the whole team currently use Syncros Silverton SL wheels.
The stunning Syncros wheels
© Bartek Wolinski/@wolisphoto
"They are incredible, one-piece carbon fibre and super stiff. They give the athlete the best outreach and the acceleration is amazing," adds Gyger.
Drivetrain
Scott uses SRAM EAGLE AXS throughout. The rear cassette is 10/50 for all three of the Scott riders. Schurter is known for having the biggest chainrings available on his bike and he'll have a 38 tooth chainring with a crankset that has an integrated power meter. Sometimes, Schurter even uses a 40 tooth chainring size that only Scott athletes have access to. Forster runs a 36 tooth chainring and Courtney a 32 tooth chainring.
Power meters have become more important for athletes
© SCOTT
Gyger says: "Power meters have got more and more important for athletes. Nino sometimes uses it for a race to collect the data and see what's going on. The Sram integrated power meter is super lightweight."
Brakes wise, the team uses Sram's Level product. On the back brake the rotor disc is 160mm while on the front it is 180mm.
180mm rotor on the front
© Bartek Wolinski/@wolisphoto
"Because the courses get more and more demanding and technical, the riders have the opportunity to brake even later," explains Gyger.
The dropper seatpost
Schurter was one of the last cross-country athletes to adopt using a dropper seatpost, but it's safe to say he's now a full convert. That said, he'll switch between using one or not depending on the track, when he does Rockshox will provide the seatpost and it has 100mm of travel. The dropper seatpost is operated via a special mounted button that in Schurter's case has been slot cut into the left-hand grip on the handlebar.
Dropper seatposts are now an integral part of the ride
© Bartek Wolinski/@wolisphoto
"Nino likes it this way as you don’t have to open your thumb," says Gyger. "He likes it inside the grip. It being nicely stored in the grip means he doesn’t have to open his thumb up."
Full specs - Scott Spark RC
- Fork: RockShox SID Ult. RD3 120mm Fork
- Rear shock: RS Nude 5 RLC3, 120mm, TwinLoc
- Remote suspension system: Scott TwinLoc Suspension System
- Handlebar and stem: Syncros Fraser iC SL
- Seatpost: RockShox Reverb AXS
- Saddle: Syncros Tofino 1.0
- Grips: Syncros Foam
- Pedals: HT Components M1T
- Rear derailleur: SRAM XX1 Eagle AXS
- Shifters: SRAM XX1 EAGLE AXS
- Crankset: SRAM EAGLE
- Cassette: SRAM 10-50
- Brakes: SRAM Level Ultimate Blackbox
- Wheels: Syncros Silverton SL 29"
- Tyres: Maxxis Aspen
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