2022 Scott Spark

Not really…

  • massive shortages of components still exist.
  • Scott isn’t really a major player in the US market
  • You’d be surprised at how few high end bikes actually sell in the marketplace overall.
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Depends on who you ask. Generally speaking I like putting newer riders on a bike a bit more “safe” than “aggressive”. In this situation, I’d choose a more “Downcountry” bike like the 900 vs the more “XC Race” bike like the RC version.

I like having a new rider with a bike under them that can cover up and handle mistakes a bit better than a more race oriented bike with steeper angles and less suspension. Others have voiced the opposite thoughts in other threads when this basic topic came up.

In reality, if we are comparing bikes like the 900/RC or the Epic/Evo, etc. you are talking about relatively minor differences overall. It’s different at that level than a bigger step like old XC vs Trail selection we had before these newer Downcountry bikes filled the space between them.

You probably can’t go wrong with either, and consideration about exactly what you want from a bike will lead into a specific direction. Like a desire to race shorter stuff vs longer stuff (RC), or a pure focus on a snappy trail bike that can be raced on occasion (900).

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To be honest with you, I’d say the RC is the better bike if you have any plans to race XC.

As Chad says, it’s great to go to something capable. Both these bikes are, but as a very fit road cyclist (assumption here) you may be more inclined to go fast on intermediate trails than start hucking your way down advanced ones.

I bought the 2021 910 and shortened the forks to 120mm and it’s a fantastic compromise. You could do that to the 2022 900 series as well but I don’t know that it’s worth it when you can get the 120mm travel from the RC off the bat.

It more comes down to the terrain you want to ride, and perhaps future racing intentions. Either would be excellent bikes, but slightly different riding styles.

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Spoiler

Nino wins worlds and confirms the 2022 Spark RC is still a XC race bike… and here I thought it was the rider that wins races.

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Definately the bike! Hope to get mine later this year ready to crush next year’s worlds on my 250W FTP :joy:

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Just drove past my dealer and they’ve got the RC Team Issue AXS as a demo bike. Ofcourse I’m totally unbiased, but my god what a gorgious looking bike. Photo’s don’t do it justice imo. Looks stupid fast.

I guess I know where I’m gonna be hanging out come tuesday :smiley:

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Small dealer update:

  • Had a detailed look at the RC Team Issue AXS demo bike. Looks and feels amazing. Not able to do a testride, because the bike was already sold. Only point of concern is the location where the cables enter the steerer tube. That’s not properly sealed up so water/dirt can get in. Scott really should’ve thought of a better solution. Only option now is to plug the holes or tape it shut which sucks imo. No dealbreaker ofc, but something to be mindfull of.
  • The whole of BeNeLux (Belgium, Netherlands and Luxemburg) is only going to receive 150 bikes and it is currently unknown when more bikes will become available.
  • My dealer is only going to receive 8 bikes and those have already been sold. Luckely my bike is amongst those 8. They should receive an update on delivery times on those bikes in the coming 2 weeks as the Scott rep is currently on holiday.
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Are you happy with the bike? Which version did you get?

Bike hasn’t arrived yet, will probably be somewhere early next year. Delivery times are absolutely terrible.

I ordered the RC Team Issue AXS.

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I am wondering if someone knows about the dampers in the ultimate vs select+ models on the 2022 sparks. My understanding is the select+ still uses the old charger damper from the previous years of the SID. This would make some sense to me because the new race day damper is a 2 position rather than 3 position model.

However, I was just looking again at the specs and the top tier models with the ultimate fork say “custom race day 3 position damper”. So did scott figure out a way to make the new damper work on their bike, but only specced it on the ultimate not select+ models? I am looking to buy maybe in a few months and would ask a shop, but wanted to check here first. Not every shop has people selling who are intimately familiar with details like this as well.

A local shop in Phoenix AZ just got a few of the team gx build of the Spark RC in (6 bikes total). Still waiting on the higher end model though.

In terms of the damper question, my understanding is that Select+ is the good charger 2.1 model, it’s just 100 grams heavier than the race day damper but should perform just as well. Select is the old charger damper.

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The race day damper changes its performance too, not just weight. There are reviews that mention it but i always take them with a grain of salt, but in the time on my friends sid with the race day it was immediately obvious how much more compliant it was in the first bit of travel. Felt far more like my 34 than a super stiff racey xc fork. I currently have a 2020 spark, and I have the feeling the new damper would feel absolutely amazing with the ability to swap between trail and open, that’s why I am curious about this.

I just realized there is an upgrade now available aftermarket for a 3 position race day damper when I was googling around. Might just consider getting that instead.

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Which shop has a few 2022 Sparks in Phoenix? Bicycle Haus?

Yep, Bike Haus.

I’m curious, has anyone heard of the high end Spark RC models getting delivered to shops yet? So far I’ve only seen and heard of the GX AXS team build being available. Still waiting on a World Cup model (USA) that was supposed to arrive in October/November.

Only 200 Sparks are to make it to the US. That includes all sizes and models. If you don’t already have one ordered and guaranteed you’re most likely not getting one. Since the 2022 model was launched I’ve been working with the one of the largest Scott dealers in the US to get a Spark Pro 2022. It appears it’s just not gonna happen as supplies are so low. I’m really looking forward to that 2023 model though, lol.

Looks like Scott have just increased the prices of the Spark. Mine went from up by 300 Euro. Hope I don’t have to pay extra as I’m still waiting for delivery of the bike I ordered back in June.

I’m a bit confused about sizing. I thought I’d be a medium as my current Trek Procaliber is a medium but a small seems more comparable. Would you go for a Small or medium to get the same fit as my medium procaliber?

I would sit on both if you could. I think the small is going to super tight.