Ever since the Whistler premiere of ‘From the Inside Out’ last October, I’ve been riding and evaluating the 2012 Scott Voltage FR 20.
The bike is geared toward the entry to mid-level gravity rider. Scott says it’s a freeride bike, but I don’t think they give it enough credit for its downhill capabilities. This bike would be great for any newcomer or dirt jumper who is looking to take a crack at riding big bikes, as it is easy to maneuver and has a few great geometry features. At just $2399 US, you get a whole lot of bike for a very reasonable price.
Basic Specs
Choose from 5, 6, or 7 inches (130, 160, or 180mm) of rear travel via the Fox Vanila R shock by simply repositioning the rear shock mount.
8 inches (200mm) of front travel via a Rock Shox Domain R fork
65 degree head angle
13.7 inch bottom bracket height
135mm Interchangeable Dropout System (IDS) to accommodate several axle systems and allow for chainstay length adjustments between 415, 425, or 435mm.
Other notable components include Avid Elixir 5S brakes, Sram X7 drivetrain, and an e.thirteen chainguide.
First Impression
After riding it around on Vancouver’s sidewalks (we all use the “parking lot test” for the basis of our initial impressions), I was excited to take it to the trails. The stock Scott Pilot FR 1 Pro 750mm bars and Avid Elixir 5S disk brakes combine to make a comfy cockpit. After just a few minutes on the bike it was clear that it pedaled well - it didn't bob heavily while sprinting and felt surprisingly efficient considering the build. Looking down, I was impressed to see that Scott spared no expense when it came to tires. The 2.4” Schwalbe Big Betty is an excellent tire that I preferred when racing for the Yeti/Fox Support Team a few years ago. Having said all that, the bike passed the parking lot test, but how would it fare on dirt?
On the Trail
First off, I was incredibly surprised at my stupidity and the bike’s resilience to my stupidity. During the first ride, I took it on a new trail and sent a long step down kicker a good 15 feet past the intended landing. Considering the bike’s suspension hadn’t been touched whatsoever, the Rock Shox Domain R fork on the front and the Fox Racing Shox Vanilla R on the back responded well and predictably. I wasn’t bounced out of place and I continued on the trail casually. The bike undoubtedly helped save me in that scenario. I was stoked to get out of that one without my helmet full of tree bark and mud. The frame was noticeably stiff side-to-side over all trail features, including the step-down incident. The “full nelson” weld technique on the head tube area of the aluminum frame not only looks sleek, but it also provides a lot of strength to the frame, which is crucial when you’re learning to ride (or over shooting step-downs).
Prior to riding it, I found it interesting that the Coastal Crew was riding the Voltage instead of the more downhill-oriented Scott Gambler. After riding it, I understand why they would want it - the bike was so easy to pick up off of the ground that it made for a whole new airborne experience for me. This bike is easy to throw into berms or flick around corners. I was testing a large frame and found it incredibly easy to maneuver. Considering it was a "long" size frame and the fact that I’m 5’10’’ tall, the sizing of the bike did feel a bit small. I would have felt cramped on a "short" size. Consider this when purchasing a Voltage frame or complete bike.
Because this model is spec’d with with a 200mm fork, I did not find it necessary to adjust the rear travel from the longest 180mm setting during the time I had the bike. However, the ability to adjust the travel would be key if I ever decided to put a single crown fork on the bike, which would instantly transform it into a capable enduro rig or mid-travel park bike.
The Interchangeable Dropout System (IDS) allows for a wide variety of rear wheels to be used, which is certainly a big bonus. Standard QR, MAXLE and 12mm thru-axle wheels are all compatible. It’s also easily replaceable if a derailleur hanger is bent beyond repair or broken. Chainstay length can be shortened or lengthened 10mm from the stock 425mm setting, which can help make the bike snappier or more stable at speed.
Scott packed a lot into the package, but to create a bike at this price level a few concessions have to be made. Top-of-the-line suspension is expensive, so Scott opted for the budget minded Rock Shox Domain R fork. While the fork was bomb-proof, predictable, and functioned consistently, it clunked at the bottom of its travel on a lot of the hard hits, and I couldn’t find a way around this. I doubt this affected my riding very much, but it was annoying. The stock Wellgo B155U pedals might be ok for strictly jumping the bike, but they were far too small for any gravity rider to be truly satisfied with. Having said that, I can tell you that the first thing that will need to be replaced due to wear-and-tear are the tires. The components are durable and reliable.
This bike was ridden mainly in the lower mainland around the North Shore of Vancouver. After riding it in that area, I’d be willing to say that it would function great on anything - from high-speed flowy trails, to dust and rocks, to sending jumps at the bike park.
Scott‘s investment in riders such as the Coastal Crew, Floraine Pugin, and Brendan Fairclough really shows their commitment to gravity and their confidence in their bikes. It also gives them status as major contributor to the gravity scene. To me, the Voltage FR 20 reflects a combination of their star gravity athletes - the bike is dynamic. It is responsive and maneuverable while freeriding, surprisingly stable while downhilling, and there are so many ways to tune the bike that it really can cover a huge range of rider and trail styles.
Bottom Line
The Scott Voltage FR 20 has a pretty impressive build package, is very capable over a variety of terrain, highly adjustable, downright fun to ride, and will help the budget-minded rider excel to the next level.
Friday, 03 February 2012 01:25
Exceptionally Versatile Spark 40
The redesigned Spark 40 has more travel, bigger pivots, more stiffness, better performance, and all at an affordable price. It’s no wonder this fun machine caught the attention of Bike Magazine ride reviewer Seb Kemp.
The Spark turned out to be a lively, spritely bike that felt like it had the full 120-millimeters of rear suspension to play with. While comfort often comes at the expense of speed, and often comes at the expense of speed, and vice versa, the Spark balanced itself adroitly between the two. Spark pedals well, and we generally preferred to ride with the shock wide open, but it was handy to have the lockout ready on the longer stretches of fireroad.
Perhaps the biggest change in this new generation of Spark, however, is a very noticeable boost in frame stiffness. The rear through-axle gets some credit here as does Scott’s decision to move away from the small, spindly pivots of the past and toward much stouter frame hardware. It’s refreshing to see the company shift away from emphasizing ultra-light weight at the expense of stiffness; the Spark is a considerably more capable trail bike for that change. The fact that you can adjust the bike’s geometry via its flip chip also broadens the bike’s potential.
Sunday, 23 October 2011 20:11
Scott Scale 29 Pro review (Bikeradar.com)
If there’s one area where bigger wheeled 29er bikes are making conventional-hooped rides look like cold blooded egg layers it’s high speed, long distance hardtails. Nothing does it better for each buck than Scott’s carbon weave wagon wheeler either.
For a start, at just over a kilo the full-carbon Scale Pro frame is as light as most 26in hardtail frames. The tapered head tube, oversize down tube and Press-Fit PF92 bottom bracket area means it’s not losing out on stiffness and steering accuracy.
By curving the seat tube and bringing the back wheel in as close as possible and fitting a short stem as standard, steering responsiveness and precision is as good, if not better, than most race bikes. Scott have used their road-bred SDS super-slim seatstays to remove some rear end rattle before it gets to the rider and fitted big volume 2.25in tires to cushion the ride.
However sorted the Scott is, 29ers feel significantly different to a conventional bike. The increased inertia of the bigger wheels means slightly slower acceleration and a correspondingly sluggish feel. Ironically the way the wheels smooth out rough sections removes the rattle and blur that creates much of the speed sensation of riding, which can create an underwhelming first impression.
As soon as our testers kept cranking those wheels for a few more turns, though,they started to pull clear of the rest of the pack without even trying. The rougher the trail got the more obvious the rolling advantage of the wheels was to riders and followers. Rather than relying on the right suspension path or shock setup, the shallower contact angle, longer contact patch and increased momentum let the Scott skim over the top of trouble.
Traction is outstanding for a hardtail too, finding purchase and free speed on the loose pebbles or scree that sucked other bikes to a standstill. It also rolled up the stepped or rough slab paved paths of high passes with ease, surging ahead as others struggled. Even with a relatively simple fork, cornering and descending control are equally enhanced.
If we had to compare its capability with anything it would be with the best short-travel suspension bikes. There’s no way you’d get a full suspension bike anywhere near this weight and responsiveness at this price though. There's masses of upgrade potential left in the workmanlike spec on this chassis too, making it even more of a bargain.
Experienced 29er riders were stunned with how well sorted, light and responsive the Scott was for a $2700 bike. Big wheel freshers were blown away with the combination of enhanced speed, smoothness and control that the Scale Pro delivered. Either way, this is a superb example of state of the art superlight hardtail performance at a remarkably good price.
Sunday, 09 October 2011 17:19
Vital MTB Previews the Genius LT 10 (Vital MTB)
Drool over the 2012 Scott Genius LT 10, which takes capable, long-travel all-mountain bikes to the next level.
The suspension technology inside the Scott Equalizer 3 shock and custom Fox 36 Talas 180 fork make this bike special. Scott’s TwinLoc system means front and rear travel can be locked out, limited to 110mm rear and 140mm front for pumping and flowing or left wide open at 185mm rear and 180 mm front for agro descents.
RockShox Reverb Stealth keeps things clean. Only available on Scott and Trek frames, the Stealth eliminates the problem of cable snag and play. Please click here to see more of Vital MTB's coverage of the Genius LT 10
Friday, 23 September 2011 19:16
Ridiculous Gravity Fun
The 2011 Voltage FR10 featured on BikeRadar.com
The Voltage is an extremely adjustable bike, with shock mounts that allow for a range of travel from 130 to 180mm, depending which shock you plug in. The stock shock – a Fox RC2 – allows 160mm (6.3in) and 180mm (7in) settings, so we flicked between those for the test, because they’re the most relevant for an all-day big hit bike.
The Voltage's head and seat angles are in full-on downhill bike territory, and the low 348mm (13.7in) bottom bracket also hints at a gravity bias, but the top tube length, at 557mm (for our ‘short’ model), is very short. However, the combination actually works really well, bringing downhill-bike speed to short play-bike fun. In use, the top tube doesn’t feel overly short, partly thanks to the 750mm bar and slack 65-degree head angle. The bar’s 20mm rise, along with its upsweep and backsweep, makes the front end really comfy.
The new Voltage FR10 for 2012
The Scott feels almost like a full-on downhill bike. The four-bar rear end is controlled amazingly well by the Fox RC2 shock, without any unusual characteristics in either of the travel settings. Square-edged compressions are managed without any harshness and pedalling is dealt with pretty well too, when you take into account the bike’s running a downhill coil shock
