First Rides

Straight out of the box & onto the trails

Scott have given their crosscountry race hardtail a 2023 update focused on weight savings, geometry improvements and other refinements. This top-end Scale RC SL tips the scales at just 8.93kg - a weight reflective of its racing pedigree, racking up wins under the likes of Nino Schurter and Kate Courtney, and one worthy of its lofty price tag.

THE FRAME

The chassis is now made up of just three pieces, including a new monocoque front triangle. Scott say this saves weight (as fewer junctions are required) while maintaining high levels of stiffness. The RC SL uses the Swiss brand's most advanced 'HMX SL carbon fibre, which allows for very thin wall thicknesses (just 0.8mm in places), shaving more grams.

Scott have split the frame into two 'zones, tuning the carbon lay-up of the upper half (top tube, seat tube and seatstays) for light weight. This is complemented by a 'stiffness zone' (head tube, down tube, bottom bracket and chainstays), designed to give a fast ride feel and efficient pedalling the characteristics Scott say are ideal for an XC hardtail. Frame details include a lighter, flush-sitting rear axle, a lightweight polymer bottle cage and a 'service door' under the BB to access the internally-routed cables.

Key geometry figures include a 67.9-degree head angle, which, thanks to an angle-adjust headset, can be slackened to 67.3 degrees. The seat tube angle is a relatively steep 75.4 degrees, reach figures span from 418.5mm to 491.2mm (small-XL), and the chainstays are short, at 425mm.

THE KIT