Weight was given top priority in the further development of the Scales. Production is correspondingly uncompromising: a frame that exceeds 899 grams due to fluctuations in the manufacturing process is discarded and not sold. Scott attaches great importance to defining the weight specification as a maximum value and not as an average value, as has been the case in the past or with other manufacturers. By way of comparison, a "Cannondale Flash", which is currently the leader in the weight ranking, weighs 950 grams. Thanks in part to the Lefty suspension fork, Cannondale can also reduce the final weight of the Flash to 7.5 kilograms.

Love of detail
Scott achieves the weight reduction of almost 100 grams on the Scale through the art of engineering in the detail work. Thanks to proprietary carbon technology, the entire frame is made from a single piece and not by joining individual elements as was previously the case. Scott saves 15 grams in the headset area alone. The rear brake is also screwed directly into the carbon frame and mounted on the chainstay. However, problems with heat transfer from the brake to the carbon frame are not expected: measurements have never reached a critical heat level. Weight has also been reduced here. The integrated seat post clamp is striking. The seat post is clamped directly over the compression of the carbon seat tube. Here too, 11 grams have been lost compared to the previous seat clamps.

On the Scale 899, all aluminum parts (brake sockets, dropouts, bottom bracket threads) have been eliminated. Only the small threads for attaching the brake shoe and bottle cage are still made of aluminum. Even if the implementation of a carbon thread had been technically possible, the weight reduction achieved would have been disproportionate to the additional costs.No compromises on stiffness and safety
When slimming down the Scale, Scott made no compromises in terms of stiffness or breaking strength and achieved the same or better values as before. The weight reduction is the result of a lot of detailed work and better utilization of the possibilities with the carbon frame material. In terms of comfort, the rear triangle has been given a slight flex in the longitudinal axis. This absorbs vibrations and protects the rider. After all, comfort has long been a question of efficiency. However, the oversized seat post has been retained. While other manufacturers such as Cannondale achieve comfort via a flexing seatpost, Scott wants to achieve this effect via a cleverly designed rear triangle.

Also available: 29-inch version
The Scale with the same frame technology will also be available in a 29-inch version in the future. Athletes such as Nino Schurter and Florian Vogel will be testing the bike intensively this summer and are considering using it in competitions. The frame technology corresponds exactly to the Scale 899, while the frame geometry has had to be adapted due to the design. The weight of the 29-inch version of the Scale will be around nine kilograms.

More pictures of the 2011 Scott product news: click here