Scott Spark Upgrades - Your thoughts

[AllAboutRides]

Hi all hubeers ....

In March I bought myself the Scott Spark RC Comp as this was the only bike my budget allows me to buy, but also knew there will come a time that I would like to upgrade some components.

In general, I looooove the bike, smooth, nippy and the ride is very comfortable.

I would like to upgrade to the following and yes I know it might be a lot of money and that I can buy I bike with the same spec 2nd hand or maybe new, but I like this bike. If I find a better spec Scott, I will rethink my idea of upgrading;

Bike parts on Merlin Cycles UK is very well priced as you don't pay for duties, only VAT, I might be wrong but did some research

Firstly:

* Current gears is Sram NX, so I would like to go to AXS, was thinking of GX AXS shifter and rear deraileur as this is not to expensive, R8999, XX1 AXS will be R13999 so is it worth going for the XX1 or is the GX good enough with smooth and easy shifting?

* Brakes currently is Shimano SLX, which I would like to upgrade to SRAM Level Ultimate, coming in at R5499.....worth it?

So basically this will be almost same spec as the Scott Spark Team Issue, but they retail for R130k so upgrading might work out better?

Your thought will be appreciated.

[Cat2forLife]

I think the GX AXS is great. Seems to be a staple on mid range bikes these days. I have read somewhere the the springs on the pins that connect to the battery on the rear derailleur sometimes give issues, but honestly I can't really tell you... Seems to be few and far between.

Anyway, while upgrading your groupset is great, I'd suggest looking at some carbon wheels first. A good set completely changes the way the bike feels. For the better, of course.

Brakes are a good idea, but SLX should be good for now, at least.

If it were me and I was spending my money, I would get wheels first, the AXS, then brakes.

But I'm sure there are cleverer people on here than me

[Ruben101]

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Edited October 9 by Ruben101

[JacquesJ]

I will never buy sram brakes again. I had level TL's that literally went away at the top of Montagu Pass...most hair raising descent ever. Ditched them straight after that for Formula Curas...super happy with the decision. 

I have AXS GX, that will be a great upgrade over NX in terms of longevity from what Ive read. Cant speak to the additional benefit of XX1. I had niggles with getting the shifting to work, but after a wheel rebuild its been perfect, so must have been some alignment or spacing issue on the wheel,  not the derailleur itself. The microshifting on the fly is very nice, helped me finish a stage of Tankwa when the hanger bent a bit and I could only get into 11 of the 12 gears. 

Long way of saying...get the AXS, keep the Shimano brakes until they die.

(When I got my bike, carbon rims also felt like it made bit difference over my previous alu rims, if you are looking for something else to upgrade instead of brakes 😆)

My 2c

 

 

[Prince Albert Cycles]

Keep your SLX

[CARANXCycleMobile]

Shimano for President , the new XT8200 should do the trick !

[dave303e]

My current bike has GX AXS and Sram Level.

I would definitely do the GX AXS Upgrade, bomb proof and shifts perfectly. 

I would not install sram level brakes, the clearance is just too tight in my personal opinion, slightest bend in brake disc and they drag.
I am currently looking at those lovely new low profile XT M8220. Makes brake cable routing so neat

 

I would skip the brake upgrade, there is nothing wrong with slx and then I would look at hubs or hoops rather. nothing quite like carbon rims to change the way a bike feels

[Daniel de V]

One thing to note - I think the freehub for NX and GX cassettes is different... You might want to factor the cost of a new freehub in as well?

[dave303e]

you can run gx axs on an nx cassette

[michaelbiker]

As others have mentioned, wheels would be my first upgrade.

GX AXS Eagle is still very good. I haven't tried transmission, but that would require chain, cassette etc which is pricey. I run it on 4 bikes now and been quite happy. XX1 is not worth it as it's almost identical save for a bit of weight in the cage.

I'd avoid the SRAM brakes in general, although have heard the newer mineral oil versions are decent. If you want a noticeable brake upgrade, go with 4-piston calipers or larger rotors.

[DieselnDust]

13 hours ago, AllAboutRides said:

Hi all hubeers ....

In March I bought myself the Scott Spark RC Comp as this was the only bike my budget allows me to buy, but also knew there will come a time that I would like to upgrade some components.

In general, I looooove the bike, smooth, nippy and the ride is very comfortable.

I would like to upgrade to the following and yes I know it might be a lot of money and that I can buy I bike with the same spec 2nd hand or maybe new, but I like this bike. If I find a better spec Scott, I will rethink my idea of upgrading;

Bike parts on Merlin Cycles UK is very well priced as you don't pay for duties, only VAT, I might be wrong but did some research

Firstly:

* Current gears is Sram NX, so I would like to go to AXS, was thinking of GX AXS shifter and rear deraileur as this is not to expensive, R8999, XX1 AXS will be R13999 so is it worth going for the XX1 or is the GX good enough with smooth and easy shifting?

* Brakes currently is Shimano SLX, which I would like to upgrade to SRAM Level Ultimate, coming in at R5499.....worth it?

So basically this will be almost same spec as the Scott Spark Team Issue, but they retail for R130k so upgrading might work out better?

Your thought will be appreciated.

 

GX AXS is adeqate, the up charge to XX1 only gives you a shifter paddle upgrade which is R300 on its own (the pod is the same) and a carbon jockey pulley cage vs steel.

Level Ultimate, i assume the new 2025 brakes are superb and fully servicable, unlike the SLX units and also around 100gr lighter per brake.

Your wheels though are a wea point. Your rear hub is a cheap Formula hub with a HG freehub that cannot accept a 10t sprocket that XD drivers allow for. The free hub on your sec hub is also not upgradable if i have the model correct, well it is but you may as well buy a new hub if you go that way. I'd leave the brkes for now and upgrade them when they bomb out. Rather spend the money on a new rear hub or new wheels and the GX AXS 

[thebob]

Lekker set of Lyne Pulse carbon wheels (or something from @nick_the_wheelbuilder) and a good set of tyres. Ride the drivetrain until it is dead

[nick_the_wheelbuilder]

29 minutes ago, thebob said:

Lekker set of Lyne Pulse carbon wheels (or something from @nick_the_wheelbuilder) and a good set of tyres. Ride the drivetrain until it is dead

Thanks for the shout-out.  
 

I agree with most - keep the SLX brakes. If they ain’t broken, don’t fix em.  
If you want better braking power, get new pads and better rotors. 
 

A wheel upgrade will be your best investment (not only because I’m a wheel builder). 
 

With new wheels you could even keep your NX shifters and derailleur and upgrade to a GX cassette which will save weight and get you the 10t small cog. 
 

Invest in the electronic shifting later. 
 

A set of wheels with good hubs and carbon rims can weigh as little as 1200g, saving probably 600-700g on your current wheels. 
 

This will be the most noticeable difference. 
 

When it comes to wheels, get the best you can afford. 
 

Don’t pay R20k for a 1600g set when R25k can get you a 1200g set. 

Edited October 10 by nick_the_wheelbuilder

[DieselnDust]

Don't keep the NV shifter and Derailleur. They're sh&t. Those parts just don't last. Eagle 90 is way better if your bike can accommodate UDH

[AllAboutRides]

What carbon wheel will you all recommend?

[DieselnDust]

2 hours ago, AllAboutRides said:

What carbon wheel will you all recommend?

The Zerotwo from omnico is a good option that doesn’t break the bank. 
the new rear hub is also very reliable and reasonably priced spares make it easy to live with.

 

money no object? South industries on hubs of your choice. Speak to the Sultan of Bling in Somerset West ( Williams Bike Shop)

Edited October 13 by DieselnDust