Here is a customers review of the Scott Scale 29 Pro that we currently have in demo.
Review courtesy of Pat D'Innocenzo:
"I recently had the opportunity to test ride the new 2011 Scott Scale 29 Pro mountain bike, which is one of Scott’s two new carbon fiber 29er hardtail models for next year. The Scale 29 Pro bike consists of their redesigned carbon fiber frame along with a solid component spec, all at a very attractive price. Some of the highlights of the bike include the oversized tapered head tube for increased steering precision, the unique seat and chain stay design for improved vertical compliance in the rear end, an oversized bottom bracket area for pedaling stiffness, the high quality Schwalbe Rocket Ron tires and the 100mm travel Rock Shox Reba front fork (which is 20mm more travel than 2010).
My test ride was on the Chimney Gulch trail in Golden, which had a few brief patches of snow but was in otherwise excellent shape for mid-November in Colorado . The ride began with lots of climbing, sometimes steep with tight switchbacks and other times straight ahead at a moderate grade, but with rocks and roots. The Scott did well at climbing with its lightweight frame, grippy tires and excellent bottom bracket stiffness. I did find that the front end of the bike tended to drift somewhat on the steep climbs and switchbacks unless I made a concerted effort to shift my weight forward over the front wheel. Overall though, 29er hardtails are excellent climbing machines with their big wheels, light weight and direct power transfer . . . and the Scott was no exception.
On the flatter sections of the trail, the big wheels and the precise steering of the oversized head tube/fork steerer made for some fast and fun riding. The Scott really excelled, however, when the trail pointed downhill. The frame did an excellent job of smoothing out the small bumps as they made their way to the rear wheel. Its compliance and straight-ahead stability made blasting the downhills fun and secure. Of course, 100mm of travel from the Reba helped smooth things out quite a bit as well. The one aspect of descending that did take some getting used to was the maneuverability of the front end while negotiating tight downhill switchbacks. Because the steering was so stable at straight-ahead high speed decents, it was also somewhat less maneuverable around the switchbacks and sharp turns. For a hardtail, however, the Scott Scale 29 ranks in my book as one of the best high speed descenders in its class.
All in all, the Scott Scale 29 Pro mountain bike was an excellent ride. Its high speed descending was truly remarkable with its compliant frame, oversized head tube, stable geometry and big wheel advantages. It also did very well over rolling terrain with its ability to pick a line and hold its momentum. On tight switchbacks, however, it did take extra effort to keep the front wheel planted when climbing, and to maneuver the bike around the sharpest of corners while on the downhills. Overall, the ride and the handling of the 2011 Scott Scale Pro were very controlled, stable and predictable. The great tires and reliable components added to the well designed package. It truly is amazing how far 29er technology has come, and how much fun this bike was to ride."
Additional specs and details can be found in the in depth BikeRumor.com Review.
