On 30 October 2014, Matthias Brändle beat the then Hour Record of Jens Voigt, going 757m further than the 43-year-old German. BikeRadar had the chance to get up close with the modified Scott Plasma 5 used by the IAM Cycling rider.
Matthias brandle’s hour record scott plasma 5 - video
Video: Scott refined its newest triathlon bike – the Plasma 5 – to aid Brändle in his record-breaking ride.
Brändle’s Plasma was built and set up especially to perform on the 200m track used for the attempt. The tri version’s front drinks system and top-tube bento box were dispensed with, having been labelled ‘unnecessary bulk’. The rear dropouts were also tweaked to accommodate a fixed gear and a 120mm rear track hub, which is 10mm narrower than a regular road wheel.
The bar setup is the stock TT version, while the brakes – normally shrouded on the stock Plasma 5 – were removed, the covers re-engineered and moulded into the frame and fork structures. This gives the same look and aerodynamic properties, but in a completely solid piece. A pair of Lightweight disc tubs finish the package. Brändle used a 58T on the front, with a 15T on the rear to push the massive power needed to beat the record.
Prior the taking the record, which was beaten more recently by Rohan Dennis, Brändle, was focused completely on the attempt, citing the influence of Voigt on him as a rider. He said: “I have decided to try my luck with the record-breaking effort, partially because Jens Voigt has been a role model for me since my childhood. His personality and style mark him out as an exceptional man in my mind. He attacks, and then attacks again in any conditions, and fights to exhaustion, knowing that a win in the end remains a small prospect. That mindset has also become my trademark.”
Check out the bike in the Hour Record video below (teaser video below that) - and all the shots of the Scott Plasma in our gallery above.
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Video: Matthias Brändle's Hour Record preparation