Shame for the Scott-SRAM MTB team to be introducing the new bike at a very wet looking Leogang.
Based on the World Champs last year I imagine that quite a few of the riders would have been opting for their HT it given the choice.
Good test/advertisement for the hidden rear shock though with all that mud!
I share some of these concerns. Iām glad I have a 2020 for the ease of maintenance. Iām sure the 2022 is faster though, and I drool over it, much to the delight of their marketing dept.
Ha! I have the 2021. Glad I snagged one in time. As a small rider the 100 shock / 110 fork suits me just fine. It flies. But yeah the design team really nailed the new aesthetics.
Itāll be interesting to watch what Kate Courtney runs. Sheās been committed to racing on 100/100. They might trick her new Spark out to match that. Whereas Nino has been running longer front and rear custom travel at races for a while now.
I know they specifically called out that the cable routing was designed so that the headset could be removed, flipped and cleaned without interfering with the cable routing. To fully replace would probably require disconnecting the brake hose though.
Iām all for it, there is nothing worse on XC bikes than the 6 cables run out front that look like crap, rattle around or get caught as the bar spins.
I do wonder how many people actually service their shocks themselves.
It appears (grain of salt as from Scott affiliated athletes/mechanics etc) that itās actually been designed to be extremely easy to access when the time comes. It looks to me to be easier to adjust/maintain than the current Spark given the way the cable and dial etc sit within the concave shape at the bottom of the downtube.
We will see, the proof is in the pudding, and noone has had their hands on the thing yet to tell us honestly.
(Iām not suggesting you donāt do your own servicing at all, just thinking/waffling aloud)
By like 2023, when it finally arrives in stock, Iāll be happy to ride anything that has a fresh pair of XTR brake pads, which are sold out everywhere 
Thatās a more flattering angle.
Well, I bit the bullet. After much consideration I placed an order for the RC Team Issue AXS version:
https://www.scott-sports.com/nl/en/product/scott-spark-rc-team-issue-axs-bike
While I do think the Pro looks better, as in hang it on the wall in your living room and never get it dirty better, the Team AXS feels like it would be much easier to live with and actually ride. It will also leave me with plenty room to upgrade to shorter cranks/oval ring/lighter wheels and have cheaper replacement parts as opposed to the full XTR on the Pro model. AXS on a 5k full suspension bike feels like a great deal to me. Also, the Team AXS color scheme looks much better on the vids Iāve seen than it does on the website photo.
I sure hope the dealer was right and it arrives later this year 
Probably the first Scott bike I like, although I wonder what the weight penalty is for all that carbon down there surrounding that shock, then again Iām sure it adds a good bit of stiffness to the BB as well
Where, how did you order it?
My local Scott Dealer in the Netherlands.
Heās already ordered several versions of the Spark (RC) and expects them somewhere in Q4 this year.
Can I suggest investing in a bike stand? No need to flip anything upside down.
I used to be a shock tech, thatās old school bad advice.
Lubrication comes from within grasshopper.
The new bike didnāt perform too well in the XCC (short track) race. Maybe 120mm suspension, all the levers on the bars, and the extra weight doesnāt help for an all out 20 minute race.
Thatās the same excuse I use when Iām having a bad day. Surely it must be the bike 
I compared the XT team on the Scott Website with my 2018 GX Eagle team and its 2.5lbs heavier. I could shave 1lb by changing to my wheels, but the then integration stops me going much further. Then its about Ā£1000/$1300 more expensive RRP.
So I would spend $5000 on a new, heavier bike.
My 2021 fuel ex with a 34 fork and 2.4 tires weighs pretty much 27 even. Thatās including a heavier AXS dropper as well. I canāt seem to find a comparable bike on Scott site to compare
Thanks! 
Good to know
Also, please no World Cup Spoilers out of the World Cup thread lol. That way I only have one thread to avoid until I can watch it later 
Concerningly, it looks like the lower model RCās donāt come with a dropper too