Scott has today released its all-new Addict RC, an impressively integrated and — much to our surprise — disc only race bike.
Save for the addition of discs in 2016, this is the first major update the bike has seen since 2014.
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What’s new with the Addict RC?
The first generation Addict was released in 2008 and, at the time, was one of the lightest bikes available on the market.
Lightness is still one of the most important traits of the new Addict RC — the presentation for the bike included all the usual tropes about increasing stiffness and improving aero-optimisation, and we will come to all of that.
However, improved, and we're sure Scott would argue, market-leading integration is the real focus of the bike.
So, tell me about that cockpit
The heart of the bike and all of this integration is the Syncros Creston iC SL cockpit
This impressive one-piece cockpit/handle-stem/stem-bar (or whatever you want to call it) routes all cables/hoses through the bar, then the stem and eventually into the head tube.
Everything is then routed into the frame and fork leg via the offset top bearing and funky custom headset spacers with a channel moulded into them. Absolutely no cables are visible on the front of the bike.
This arrangement is referred to as the “eccentric bicycle foreshaft”, which is so delightfully to the point that it makes me smirk from ear-to-ear. This is a patented design owned by Scott.
Clean lines aren’t the iC SL’s only party trick — the new cockpit is also claimed to be lighter, stronger, more comfortable and stiffer than the outgoing model.
One-piece cockpits are often criticised for having a harsh ride quality, but the ‘thin’ (as in, short, vertically speaking) stem of the Creston iC SL is said to add a degree of vertical compliance without compromising on stiffness.
Indeed, the bar is said to be 26 percent stiffer overall compared to the outgoing model. A smattering of high-modulus fibres is also used throughout the bar to tune feel.
Syncros claims that the gentle V-shape that the stem forms as it joins the bar also allows it to better align fibres along the full length of the bars and into the stem. Looking (very) closely, you can indeed see these fibres running along its length. This is claimed to improve strength.
In terms of weight, the Creston iC SL is said to weigh 295g for the whole package in an unspecified size, which is pretty impressive for a one-piece cockpit. The hardware for the Creston iC SL is also fully replaceable.
It’s worth noting that the top cap cover shown on the iC SL photos is not a production example. Production top caps will have the same texture as the bars, will be held in place with a magnet and the gaps between it and the stem will be practically invisible.
Do all new bikes come with this cockpit?
No. On cheaper bikes, the iC SL cockpit is swapped in favour of the more traditional-looking iC 1.5 handlebar and RR iC stem.
This setup still encloses all cables within the bar and stem but, unlike the iC SL, stems can be swapped without bleeding brakes or disconnecting any cables.
This is accomplished by shrouding the alloy stem in cosmetic, non-structural plastic fascias. With these removed, the stem can then be removed and swapped for a different length. This process was demonstrated to us and seemed remarkably easy.
This may sound odd but, when attached, the whole setup actually looks really clean.
Why should I care about these handlebars?
There’s no denying that Scott’s execution with both of the handlebar systems is impressive — it’s a super clean looking setup and the iC 1.5’s ability to swap stems without disconnecting hoses is unique.
Scott was keen to shout about this and both systems were discussed at great length during the product presentation. It’s a key part of the bike and it stressed that the new bike is best viewed as a system, with the cockpit at its core.
That the brand is eager to push this message comes as no great surprise — road bikes are (supposedly) getting lighter, stiffer, more aero and more compliant with each new generation.
When this is the message coming from every brand, something must be done to separate one offering from another and this is what Scott has aimed to do with its approach to integration
Wait, did you say the Addict is disc only?!
Yes, as mentioned, the Addict RC is now disc only.
This came as something of an unsurprising surprise — the sale of new road bikes is now heavily skewed towards disc-equipped bikes, but the Addict is a classic hill-climbing beast, and we fully envisaged Scott continuing to service this niche section of the market with its new bike.
When we asked Scott why the new Addict was limited to discs only, it explained that it wasn’t as simple as reacting to reduced market demand, as we had assumed.
Instead, it explained that adding rim brakes to the disc model and calling it good just wasn’t possible — to meet all of Scott’s design goals with the new Addict, it claimed that the two bikes would be so fundamentally different that making a rim brake model would be as good as designing two whole new bikes.
A focus on other core parts of its bicycle business (*cough* e-bikes *cough*) also diverted valuable engineering resource away from the project.
So there you have it. The arrival of discs is now an unstoppable tide and you should definitely let us know how sad/happy that makes you in the comments.
What else is new?
Along with discs, wide tyres are the new norm on road bikes, and the new Addict has clearances for 28mm tyres when mounted to 21mm wide (internal) rims. All stock bikes come with 28mm tyres as standard.
As a side note, it’s exceptionally rare for a brand to actually specify rim specs when quoting tyre clearances, so hats off to Scott for being thorough here.
Increasing tyre volume fractionally raises the whole bike, which can affect handling. To counteract this, Scott has dropped the bottom bracket a smidge.
On that point, the overall geometry of the Addict RC was developed in conjunction with Rablador bike fitters and the Mitchelton-SCOTT pro team. The geometry is ever so slightly more aggressive than the outgoing model, which Scott now describes as an ‘endurance’ model.
The new bike is built around an industry-not-standardised-standard D-shaped seatpost.
This is secured with a nifty, ultra-light clamp that is claimed to weigh just 12g. This was far easier to adjust than wedge-based seat post clamps we have used in the past and hope to see the design carried over to Scott’s other bikes.
The profiling of the tubes has been updated, which is said to have improved the Addict’s aero and comfort qualities. These efforts are said to result in a 6 watt saving over the previous generation of the bike at 45km/h.
The overall construction of the frame has also been optimised, with the frame now made from three parts instead of six. This has reduced the number of joins in the frame, which reduces weight and is claimed to make the frame stronger overall.
The total claimed system weight for the new Addict RC in an unspecified size is as follows;
- Frame: 850g
- Fork: 360g
- Cockpit: 295g
- Seatpost: 142g
- Clamp: 12g
- Total weight: 1,695g
Scott Addict RC range overview
Before we get into our summarised Addict RC range overview, it’s worth mentioning that the current generation Addict, and its gravel, women’s and cross derivatives will continue to be offered for 2020. The lineup shapes up as such:
- Addict RC — this is the new bike
- Addict
- Contessa Addict
- Addict Gravel / CX
The weight for each model is a claimed figure in an unspecified size. Please feel free to chastise us for forgetting to bring a set of scales to the launch in the comments.
We also have no pricing as of writing, but expect to get this soon, so check back for further details.
Scott Addict RC Ultimate
- Groupset: SRAM RED eTap AXS
- Wheelset: Zipp 202 NSW
- Tyres: Schwalbe Pro One 28mm tubeless
- Cockpit: Syncros Creston iC SL
- Saddle: Syncros Belcarra Regular 1.0
- Claimed weight: 6.9kg
Scott Addict RC Premium
- Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 9170
- Wheelset: DT Swiss ETC 1100 Dicut DB
- Tyres: Schwalbe Pro One 28mm tubeless
- Cockpit: Syncros Creston iC SL
- Saddle: Syncros Belcarra Regular 1.0
- Claimed weight: 7.12kg
Scott Addict RC Pro
- Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9170
- Wheelset: Syncros Capital 1.0 35 Disc
- Tyres: Schwalbe One V-guard 28mm
- Cockpit: Syncros Creston iC SL
- Saddle: Syncros Belcarra Regular 2.0
- Claimed weight: 7.3kg
Scott Addict RC 10
- Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace R9120
- Wheelset: Syncros RP2.0
- Tyres: Schwalbe ONE Race-Guard 28mm
- Handlebar: Syncros Creston iC1.5
- Stem: Syncros RR iC
- Saddle: Syncros Belcarra Regular 2.0
- Claimed weight: 7.81kg
Scott Addict RC 15
- Groupset: Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8070
- Wheelset: Syncros Capital 1.0 35 disc
- Tyres: Schwalbe One Race-Guard 28mm
- Handlebar: Syncros Creston iC1.5
- Stem: Syncros RR iC
- Saddle: Syncros Belcarra Regular 2.0
- Claimed weight: 7.65kg
Scott Addict RC 20
- Groupset: SRAM Force eTap AXS
- Wheelset: Syncros RP2.0 Disc
- Tyres: Schwalbe ONE Race-Guard 28mm
- Handlebar: Syncros Creston iC1.5
- Stem: Syncros RR iC
- Saddle: Syncros Belcarra Regular 2.0
- Claimed weight: 7.9kg
Scott Addict RC 30
- Groupset: Shimano Ultegra R8000
- Wheelset: Syncros RP2.0 Disc
- Tyres: Schwalbe ONE Race-Guard 28mm
- Handlebar: Syncros Creston iC1.5
- Stem: Syncros RR iC
- Saddle: Syncros Belcarra Regular 2.0
- Claimed weight: 7.95kg
Scott Addict RC first ride impressions
My time riding the Addict RC on glass-smooth roads around Scott’s HQ in Fribourg was limited, so I’m reluctant to draw any meaningful conclusions about the bike’s performance — I’d ideally want to spend time on familiar crappy home roads and, critically, get to know the internal routing system a little better before making further comment.
Nonetheless, I can say that 50-ish-km of cruising confirmed that the bike was, indeed, light, stiff and quick handling.
That much can probably be expected of a top-flight Force AXS-equipped bike with go-fast, mid-depth wheels fitted and I would be surprised if I finished a period of testing in the UK thinking anything different.
However, as I alluded to earlier, with so many similar bikes out there now, it’s the unique features (the Addict’s cockpit and internal routing in this case) that make each bike stand out.
How well these features stand up to real life use — and, of course, how it compares to its competitors in both value and performance stakes — will determine our overall judgement, and I look forward to seeing how the bike fares in the months to come.
