#SCOTT SPARK PLUS#
This on-the-fly actuation is also made possible by the Scott/Fox Nude tech featuring two internal air chambers that, depending on TwinLoc toggle, offer three settings: a larger volume allowing more sag and a slacker position with more available travel (Descend Mode) a smaller volume, shorter travel, less sag, and a steeper, more agile geometry (Traction Mode) or full-lockout (Climb Mode).Ĭonsistent with the mid-level price point, the Spark 720 Plus build features mid-pack components more concerned with a combination of price and durability than bling and weight, including a Fox Performance 34 Boost (110x15mm), SRAM GX1 1×11 drivetrain, and Shimano M615 hydraulic disc brakes. The two extra cables required to perform this magic creates a bit of a cluster at the bar, but I was ultimately won over by the ability to alter suspension behavior at the flick of a finger. Specifications FeaturesĪs a linkage-driven single pivot, the Spark’s pedaling performance relies on a well-tuned shock, but also benefits from Scott’s TwinLoc remote system which simultaneously adjusts shock and fork damping from a single lever situated at the left grip. 38mm) over their previous 190mm eye-to-eye shock, making better use of frame space and design to provide a cleaner and more compact look, lower standover height and center of gravity, and clearance for bottle cage mounts within the front triangle. The trunnion mount increases shock stroke by 7mm (45 vs. Scott has adopted metric sizing for their Fox-manufactured Nude shock and has also taken advantage of a trunnion mount, in which hardware inserts through the shock body instead of a separate eyelet. Internal routing ports at the head tube accommodate up to five individual housings, and exit points are located on the underbelly of the down tube, at the distal end of the drive side chainstay, within the seat tube for internal seatposts, and along the side of the down tube if you choose to run a side swing front derailleur. The complete Spark Plus weighed in at a respectable 29 pounds (tubeless, without pedals). The Spark 720 Plus frame is constructed using hydroformed alloy, has a tapered headtube, press fit bottom bracket, and employs Scott’s own Fox Nude shock to actuate the rocker link-driven solid rear swing arm in an effort to achieve a stiff, lightweight frame.
The bottom bracket sits 329mm from the ground which wasn’t apparently low, until I experienced a higher than normal pedal strike count over the course of my review time. The expected incremental changes between sizes occur in most other dimensions, including the stem, which starts at 50mm for sizes small and medium, increasing to 60 and 70mm for the large and XL sizes, respectively. Across all sizes chainstay (438mm), seat angle (73.2°), and head tube angle (66.9°) remain the same. On paper, the Spark Plus geometry looks about as well-balanced as you could expect from a trail bike. Here, I review one yellow/black/turq Spark Plus 720, which retails for $3,699 USD. Customers have their choice between six Spark Plus build kits (including two Contessa women’s frames) with prices ranging from $8,000 to $2,700 USD. To close the gap between Scott’s smaller Spark XC whips and the Genius, which sports 160mm of rear travel on a 27.5″ design, Scott extended the Spark lineup with yet a longer-travel fork, 148mm rear spacing, and meaty 2.8″ tires on 27.5x35mm wheels in the all-new Spark Plus 700 series. More of an everyman’s XC bike, the standard Spark follows with 120mm of travel and no less than 24 build options, including 29″ and 27.5″ platforms and four women-specific (Contessa) frames.
#SCOTT SPARK FULL#
Scott’s Spark lineup starts with 100mm of travel on one of the lightest, race-ready, and winningest full suspension 29er XC mountain bikes on the market in the Spark RC. The Spark Plus is a bike that anyone can get along with for a very long time, as it clearly wasn’t a cursory effort by Scott in a plus-sized race to the bottom. The 720’s stout wheel and tire combo produces a heightened sense of confidence and larger margin of error for a short travel trail bike that, for some riders, will be more capable than its standard-wheel contenders. After accusing it of “redefining the limits” of a trail bike, I was beyond stoked to take delivery of the Spark 720 Plus for a long-term review.īottom Line: The Spark 720 Plus is marked by an affordable, yet trustworthy, components package, up-to-date geometry and style, and a bit of innovation that’s actually worth talking about. Due to his affinity (and the curiosity of 99.9% of mountain bikers who’ve yet to try one) for plus wheels, Greg spent most of his time on the Spark Plus. During Scott’s press camp in Crested Butte, CO last summer, our Chief Editor, Greg Heil, unveiled the latest revisions to the Scott Spark line of XC and trail bikes.
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