"Scott introduced their Spark 29er last year, and the potentially ultra-light, remote lockout-equipped
machine only continued Scott’s deserved popularity among racers"
With a reasonable all-up weight and immediate shock lockout, the Spark spins up fireroads and tarmac well and the ‘high’ chip position gives it a more perched cross-country feel. The middle setting is essential for stopping back-end bob and morale sapping suck-down in high torque/low rev situations on rougher climbs, however, and that in turn makes it more prone to spilling traction and momentum over the bigger lumps.
With the geometry chip in low and the shock
fully open, the Spark feels like a proper badass. The rollover effect of
the big volume tires offsets the twin chamber-compromised feel of the
rear shock, so while it doesn’t enhance the ride it doesn’t undermine it
too badly either.
Add impressive mainframe stiffness and that smooth-riding Fox fork and the Spark’s downhill and tech trail attitude is all about minimum braking and maximum speed. The downhill trails were definitely the Scott’s time to shine.
The low center of gravity and relaxed head encourages you to properly throw it through corners too, though you may want to consider a tire upgrade to get the most out of this bike.
Frame & equipment: Decent kit on an excellent frame, shock aside
The seriously light 930 is the cheapest carbon front/alloy rear Spark frame. The skinny quick-release rear axle means some tracking flex, but shifter and shock cables are internal and the bottom bracket is a very stiff, light press-fit design. The neat bar lever toggles the twin chamber shock from open to reduced volume to lockout, and tallies with similar settings on the synced Fox fork.
The SRAM transmission is light, the Shimano Deore brakes are excellent and the Syncros finishing kit includes decent wheels and saddle, plus a well-shaped short-stem, mid-width flat bar cockpit
We love the Scott’s mix of low weight and high stiffness, as it helps create surprisingly playful and descent-dialled handling. The Spark’s kit levels are good for the price too. But it’s the usual Scott story of whether you like the idea of the remote shock switching – or not – that will ultimately decide if the Spark ignites your riding enthusiasm.
This article was originally published in What Mountain Bike magazine
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