To understand how we got to the point of current development and what were the evolutionary steps to get to what we use to pedal today. We had the opportunity to visit the museum of Scott Sportsinside the brand new and futuristic HQ of Givisiez, in the Swiss canton of Friborg. The reasons why we have been inside the new headquarters are many, one of these was precisely to understand where all of Scott’s modern models have their roots. We have seen the ancestors of the cross country mountain bikes used by Nino Schurter, but also other models that were part of the development process.
THE FIRST EXAMPLE … A SKI POLE
Many will not know, however, that Scott has not started producing bicycles in its history, it all started in 1958 when Scott was born and began his adventure with the production of the first ski poles made of metal and non-wood. However, skiing remains one of Scott’s great focuses, which still continues to produce accessories for skiing. Between the first ski pole and the first mountain bike, Scott specializes in the production of motorcycle and ski accessories.
PRO RACING, THE MOTHER OF THE FRONT
In 1990 Scott launched the first mountain bike, the Pro Racing. The frame was made of lightweight chrome steel tubes produced by one of the oldest Japanese companies Tange Prestige. On the Pro Racing obviously 26 “wheels appear, with Cantilever brakes no suspension and a three-crown transmission. It is the bike that Scott had brought to Val di Sole in 2018 to celebrate his 60th birthday.
IN 1993 THE FIRST HIDDEN MONO MTB
When you are surprised by the new Scott Spark or the Bold, think that Scott’s background is so rich that he experimented with a frame with integrated suspension as early as 1993.
The CAT DH it was a prototype that also represents the first carbon frame produced in the history of mountain biking. This model was only produced in 10 units and already had a handlebar control for controlling the suspension … and yes, in the nineties in DH we raced with a high saddle.
ENDORPHIN, THE FIRST XC CARBON FRAME
In 1997, the mission of producing highly performing cross country models intensifies with the design of the Endorphin Pro Racing World Cup.
Scott returns to think big for the World Cup with the first monocoque carbon frame, the futuristic design is reminiscent of many of the designs of the current ebikes, but the inspiration is probably the same, the enduro bikes of the 90s. The Endorphin has become a true legend, but the surprising thing is the chainstays that had damping qualities.
IN 1998 THE FIRST LONG TRAVEL ARRIVES
There Intoxica it is Scott’s first long-travel full suspension with a carbon frame, only a hundred units were produced by Intoxica in 1998 and the concept disappeared just two years later. Impressive is the series of intertwining of the tubes, with a front triangle that was even composed of two parts.
At the rear there was a travel of 35 mm, while at the front the fork in addition to having an exposed headset, could be adjusted in inclination.
G-ZERO, YEAR 1999
The name of the G-Zero means Zero Gravity with an ultra-light aluminum frame that turns into a true benchmark in the Scott range.
The lightest full suspension of all those proposed by competitors, one of the very first designed for racing use. The scheme incorporates the previous models but the shock absorber is no longer spring, but air, it is the RockShox Sid Dual Air. So is the fork, also RockShox SID Long Travel Dual Air.
THE OCTANE WITH DOUBLE PLATE
In the same 1999, the Octane DH a double plate with an elongated motorcycle-style seat.
With that type of saddle we wanted to give more stability on fast descents to the Octane DH, a futuristic design with a Marzocchi Shiver fork, disc brake system, there was a massive swingarm a spring suspension and of course a double seatpost for the voluminous saddle .
GENIUS WAS ALREADY A DOWN COUNTRY
The first Genius of history was not an enduro bike as everyone remembers it, but the cross country and marathon bike used by Thomas Frischknecht also al world marathon championship of Lugano, in 2003.
The result was the success of Frischi, the first victory on a full suspension. The Scott Genius chassis already had the system Twinloc for the closure of the suspension which had a travel of 120 mm, just what most riders are looking for now.
In the assembly of the Genius MC10 you can see Fox suspensions with a travel adjustment system.
NINO’S STAIRS IN LONDON
Coming to more modern times we have rediscovered the Scott Scale 700 used in 2012 by Nino Schurter during London Olympics.
It was the period in which Nino continued to use 27.5 “wheels and above all a hardtail on an ultra-modern course like the one in London.
The cables still run out of the frame tubes. In those seasons N1NO used Dugast tubulars, DT Swiss suspension and wheels and a Sram 1x drivetrain. This bike led him to win the silver medal at that year’s Olympics.
WORLDWIDE SPARK
The 2015-2016 two-year period represents one of the crucial steps in the history of Sparkin the 2015 Nino Schurter wins his second world championship riding the second generation of the full suspension born in 2006 for cross country.
The Spark winner ad Andorra in 2015 it was the last in the Scott house with a shock absorber positioned under the top tube but it already had pivotless chainstays.
In the setup of that year Nino kept the choice of Dugast tubulars and DT Swiss suspensions, the transmission was 1×11.
RISSVEDS AND THE OLYMPICS
In the 2016 the Swedish athlete Jenny Rissveds becomes the first Scott athlete to win an Olympics gold medal.
The frame of the Spark used in Rio de Janeiro has a shock absorber positioned vertically with the head upside down and the cables pass inside the frame.
In the men’s race Nino Schurter wins his gold medal riding the same bike that remained in the Scott range until last year. Neither had used dropper posts, and Rissveds also had a modest upward-facing stem.
We like to end this visit to the Scott museum with this quote from Dumitru Novac: “We need to smell the scent of the past to give the present the right value.”
SCOTT MUSEUM: A DIVE INTO THE PAST, FROM THE ENDORPHIN OF 1997 TO THE SPARK OF 2016