I’ve read a lot of mixed reports on the Scott Sparc pro, some of them really not flattering. It’s especially the rear shock which seems to get the grunt of the disapproval. But I just got a Spark Pro and thinks it’s great, so here is a report by someone who actually owns one (2 x 36 km N Farms + 1 x 25 km GroenKloof ride). Am I qualified to review bikes? I’m a middle aged committed week-end warrior who has been MTBing for about 18 months. I’ve never been on a 90 K Specialised so no I don’t know what I’m missing, I did not come through the 26er ranks so I can’t really compare with that, I’ve only owned one other bike – also a 29er – so my spread of opinions are limited, I’m not a pro and I’m not particular fast. So guess what? I probably represent 75% of the Mtb riders in South Africa so maybe they are interested in an opinion. My other bike is a Trek Hi Fi Plus 29er, so before you cry that’s entry level consider that I’ve upgraded the wheels, tyres, stem, saddle, seatpost, handlebar and shock (to a RP23 with Kashima bling),Its 13 kg and not a bad bike. Scott Sparc Pro: Lets start with the sales pitch: So this bike has a 3 position switch which is handled from the handlebar (easy peasy) and you can have 3 settings. (1) The front shock is quite hard and the rear shock is totally locked. Yep – you now have a HT, congratulations. This configuration is made for smooth-ish climbs and flats. I use it a lot as you have no bop and have maximal power transfer to the wheels. You can even stand out the bike if you want. Yes – you can feel the difference (2) The front shock is more plush and the rear shock opens up a bit, but still firm. This is like riding a RP23 with the toggle to the right. This configuration is where it’s rocky, rutty or you are moving fast over unknown terrain (3) Both front and rear shock is totally open. Like riding a RP23 with the toggle to the left. Clearly this is for downhills and as it’s so simple to flip the switch to get here, why not use it? The ride: So you can change the suspension with the flip of a switch and that adds a great dimension to the ride as you can optimise your bike given the 10 meter of dirt in front of you. But that means that you must use it – if you take a hard hit whilst you have the shocks locked out you will break your bike and risk falling as you now have less traction. So the marketing pitch actually works…and very well. In single track the bike amazed me. So much faster than what I’m used too – you can just rip. The bike turns tight and turns in properly. This is probably an even bigger feature than the suspension system. I felt that I could sit down longer and did not have to stand as quickly to get better handling. Downhill - Its very accurate – you wheel goes where you aim and the bike splendidly tracks direction – it takes no effort to keep it on route. When you hit the brakes hard the back does come loose so it required more still than what I’m used to. I think my Trek rolled faster downhill – maybe the RP23 soaked up hits a bit easier, but I felt more comfortable on the Scott because it would stick where I aimed, until you hit the brakes and you have no Trek APS to assist. Climbing – I believe I can climb more efficient. Technical up and down – The balance is great, I did not have to think of moving my weight back or concentrating on weight distribution, it’s just so easy and feels natural. The feel of the bike is more Racing than Cruiser. I find myself huffing and puffing more as I keep on pushing to go faster. With this bike you need to pace yourself – it will burn you out if you don’t watch your pace. The components: The gears shift like silk, no issues, no delays, no chain drops – simply delicious and what one would expect for this kind of money. Brakes brake. I don’t know how one is better than another… The 2 x 10 will still take me a while to get used too…My issues are not that I felt that did not have enough gears…more to do with the choice of the larger blade, or the smaller one. There is no middle blade so you gotta pick larger or smaller. The handlebar is wide and contributes to the smooth handling through windy single-track. I replaced it with a 660 mm 5 degrees handlebar but my hands got sore and I feel I lost a little bit of the handling, so I’m going back to the original configuration, Pro has a carbon version which I will try and get. The tyres are Rocket Rons (tubeless) which are simply great – fast rolling and confidence inspiring. I swapped out the front tyre with a Racing Ralph and the Rocket Ron definitely feels a bit more confidant. These tyres compliment and contribute towards the great feel of the bike. The saddle is lekker. The seatpost is nonsense. Its heavy and is a set-back seatpost on an aggressively setback frame. I can’t get the saddle moved forward enough. Best replace this with a light seatpost with zero set-back. The wheels are OK but a tad heavy. I’m swapping them out for my ‘old’ American Classics which will yield about 400 g weight saving. I really can’t fault the suspension, for all the criticism I think the DT Swiss Nude 2 shock works very well. I think the bike will come in at 11 kg with XT Deore pedals, slime, bottle cage. Right now its 11.4 kg but there are still upgrades to be done. It’s a Carbon frame so if you win the lotto you can really get it light with upgrades. In conclusion I did my best average speed on my standard 36 km route on my first go on it, and I did not try to beat any records. Its not a cheap bike but I think it lives up to the marketing type. Its still very good value for money (in the cycling world). I think it’s great and does not deserve the bad rep some people posting on it (who never tried one). Swap out the wheels, handlebar and seatpost and surely this must compare with other 60 K bikes? It’s nimble and efficient. The only downside I can think off is that you now have a bike that you can turn into a HT for half the ride, your bum certainly feels the extra impact. And of course – you are going to battle to find one as the last stock for 2012 are drying up… Robo
