MTBR review - XC Bike of the Year

MTBR review - XC Bike of the Year

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. (...)