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Scott Foil 30 2013 Product Review | Rutland Cycling

Words by Aaron Scott

on 29/08/2013 19:36:00

This Is An Older Post, To View Scott Products Click Here

Cue the dramatic soundtrack with rumbling drums, ascending brass section and the synchronised sweeping spotlights. Bring on the dancing girls and fire the streamer cannon. This is it, the bike of your life: ladies and gentlemen, we present the stunning SCOTT Foil 30. Now let us sit quietly and reflect for a few minutes...

 

Scott Foil 30 2013 product review

 

RIDING IMPRESSIONS

The Foil rides with a stiffness that screams pro-level platform. There's no doubt the level of kit you're riding when sat atop all that carbon goodness. Every pedal stroke seemingly delivers more than you put in, almost making you feel bad for not working as hard as the bike seems to be. The sensation of speed is palpable as you put power through the drivetrain and rocket forward without even the slightest loss of drive through the frame. Yet, on decent surfaces, you get the magic carpet experience of a beautifully designed carbon frame that offers a certain level of compliance. You really feel you can take on the world on this bike, or at least your own immediate world. The Sunday meet will never be the same.

 

FRAME AND FORKS

What a piece of kit, simply to look at. To walk around this bike and drink in its impeccable details is to study the finest carbon fibre research and development available to us mere mortals. The Foil platform is Scott's flagship race geometry road bike range, knocking the CR1 models from their lofty pedestal to make way for this featherweight and impossibly aerodynamic offering. With the CR1 now considered a more sportive-style offering with a more relaxed riding position, the Foil is the hardcore, aggressive set-up for competitive performance. This design has spent a great deal of time in a wind tunnel and its resultant aerodynamics is apparent on every tube of the bike. (In fact, it spent nearly 100 hours in the Mercedes-Benz F1 wind tunnel). The way some of the tubes have almost been sliced across the top edge to create a flat section helps make this an incredibly efficient frame, but also one that is remarkably stiff and very, very light. Essentially, the trailing edge of the head tube, bladed forks and bottom bracket area are removed to create a greater virtual aerofoil, smoothing airflow as it passes around the frame.

The Scott Foil 30 features a carbon fork and steerer.

The Scott Foil 30 features a carbon fork and steerer.

The down tube is as fat as a gate post, yet it feels like there's nothing there. The way it controls the dynamic forces when pedalling hard makes for almost breathtaking acceleration, yet the carbon design still offers a certain amount of compliance on the rough stuff. This review may as well end here, as paying nearly £3000 for just this frame wouldn't be considered mad, if this package didn't exist.

Buy the Scott Foil 30 >>

KIT

SRAM Rival carbon double-tap levers and brakes offer the level of precision you'd expect, sitting atop that frame. Despite bringing this incredible bike below £3k, it is far from modest in components. The SRAM Rival d�railleur mated to an Ultegra 11-28t cassette makes for seamless shifting in the kind of think-it-and-it-happens manner you'd need while putting the hammer down.

SRAM Rival Carbon Double Tap Shifters

SRAM Rival Carbon Double Tap Shifters[/caption] Scott's in-house component brand, Syncros, finishes off the Foil to attain that high-value price tag, including rims rolling on Continental Ultra Race rubber and a Syncros Anatomic drop 31.8mm bar.

THE RIDER

This bike is perfectly suited to anyone looking for a seriously competitive road bike for taking scalps at the weekend. This might seem a lot of money for a bike, but not when you get this level of riding performance. And, as mentioned, it wouldn't be out of the question to pay this kind of money for the frame alone; it truly is a work of art.

BOTTOM LINE

This is your key to the front of the pack and the best value frame and component package around for this kind of money. Exceptional science that has to be ridden to be believed.

Buy the Scott Foil 30 2013 >>

SCOTT FOIL 30 FRAME GEOMETRY

Scott-Foil-30-geometry

 

SCOTT FOIL 30 - FULL SPECIFICATION

  • Frames: Scott FOIL HMF NET IMP AERO Carbon technology Road Race geometry Replaceable Dropout STD Seattube / INT BB
  • Fork: Scott FOIL HMF NET 1 1/8 " - 1 1/4" Carbone steerer Integrated Carbon Dropout
  • Front Hub: F: SYNCROS RR2.0 R: SYNCROS RR2.0
  • Rear Hub: F: SYNCROS RR2.0 R: SYNCROS RR2.0
  • Rims: SYNCROS RR2.0 20 Front / 24 Rear
  • Spokes: SYNCROS RR2.0
  • Front Tyre: Continental Ultra Race FOLD 700 x 25
  • Rear Tyre: Continental Ultra Race FOLD 700 x 25
  • Shifters: Sram Rival 09 Carbon Double Tap 10 Speed
  • Front Derailleur: Sram Rival 09 Black
  • Rear Derailleur: Sram Rival 09 Black
  • Chainset: Sram Rival 09 Black 34 x 50
  • Cassette: Shimano Ultegra CS-5700 11-28 T
  • Chain: Shimano 105 CN-5701
  • Bottom Bracket: Sram Rival 09 Press Fit
  • Front Brake: Sram Rival 09 Black
  • Rear Brake: Sram Rival 09 Black
  • Saddle: SYNCROS RR2.0
  • Seat Post: RITCHEY FOIL AERO PRO CARBON
  • Handlebars: Syncros RR2.0 Anatomic 31.8 mm
  • Stem: Syncros FL2.0 1-1/8" / four Bolt 31.8 mm
  • Headset: Ritchey PRO Integrated
  • Weight: Not Specified

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