Scott Foil

A brute of a bike that just about manages to pull its punches

- SAM CHALLIS

The Scott Foil has a good claim to be the forebear of the well-rounded aero bikes we see on the market today. Well, the second generation does – riding the first was like operating a jackhammer – but Scott’s engineers introduced enough forgiveness in its successor that in 2016 Mat Hayman was able to win Paris-Roubaix on one. The Foil’s reputation of being able to blend speed with comfort was cemented, and many competitors were playing catch-up for the next few years.

Since then the Foil has had tweaks, such as the inclusion of disc brakes and the integration of cables, but this latest update to the Foil RC is the first true overhaul the bike has had since that cobble-crushing design of 2016.

Burly do-over 

The previous Foil was an elegant affair, its sculpted tube profiles attempting to balance aerodynamics with stiffness, light weight and comfort in equal parts. Now Scott has changed tack. Developed with input from aerodynamicist Simon Smart, the new bike’s tubes are narrower, deeper and more aggressively angled. With its extended head tube and down tube, dramatically dropped seat stays and seat tube that follows the curve of the rear wheel, it looks more like Scott’s Plasma TT bike than its Addict RC road bike, and it’s the same in performance terms. The new Foil is reportedly 16 watts more efficient at 40kmh.