# scattante xlr cross...opinions?



## marc180 (Feb 2, 2006)

anyone riding one? what's your impression? i'm thinking of getting into cross this year and the price of the frameset right now is wonderful!

minor point...do the decals come off or are they under clearcoat?


----------



## law (Feb 18, 2007)

I work at a Performance shop part time to get a discount on parts. That being said, I have very little loyalty to this company and will shoot straight with regard to their stuff. The XRL Cross frame is a very nice bike. Stickers will not come off, they are under the clearcoat. The fork is pretty nice considering that it is a carbon fork with aluminum steerer. I am thinking of buying a size 57. The frame weighed 3.76 lbs and the fork weighed 660 grams uncut. I know two other guys that are riding this frameset. One commutes on it and the other has it set up for cross. Both love the frame. Their positive opinions are what have me thinking of building one up. It will be a back up cross/commuter for me if I do it. 

By the way the off-white frameset looks really good in person. The black version is a safe bet too. For 229 bucks (current sale price), it is a great deal. I think it is comparable to the midgrade Redline frameset.


----------



## marc180 (Feb 2, 2006)

*thanks law...*

too bad the decals are under the clearcoat, but that's not enough reason for me to not buy the frame. 

anyone else ride this frame? where's it made? what other frames is it comparable to?


----------



## law (Feb 18, 2007)

marc180 said:


> too bad the decals are under the clearcoat, but that's not enough reason for me to not buy the frame.
> 
> anyone else ride this frame? where's it made? what other frames is it comparable to?


sticker on the frame reads "taiwan"


----------



## krisdrum (Oct 29, 2007)

I built one up this fall for more of a winter training/rail-trail bike. Took it out the other day for the first real ride through mixed terrain (paved, gravel, hardpack dirt, mud) and thought it performed very nicely. Built it up with mostly SRAM Rival in a 1x10 drivetrain set-up. So far I have been very impressed. Oh, and I went for the off-white/khaki color and really dig it. For the price it is hard to beat. Not sure I'd ever race it (I don't currently race), but my only concern would be the sloping top-tube for that use. However I am little, so I went for the XS size, so the sloping tube really eats away at shouldering space with such a short seat tube. You might want to keep that in mind if you want to race it.


----------



## kannas (Feb 7, 2004)

theres is also the tsunami compact cross frame '04 is $199 from chucksbikes.
also the '08 non compact is $295. over on the track/ fix thread there is a unbadged white track frame, looking pretty good. most likely all made in the same factory...


----------



## marc180 (Feb 2, 2006)

*bought it...*

pulled the trigger last night. can't wait to build it up and get it dirty


----------



## meat tooth paste (Oct 6, 2004)

marc180 said:


> pulled the trigger last night. can't wait to build it up and get it dirty


Congrats. Post pics when you get it. Did you get the egg color or black?


----------



## marc180 (Feb 2, 2006)

i went with the egg color w/ blue/red graphics. black fork. 

build will be: 

K elites w/ Schwalbe Racing Ralphs (clinchers)
Shimano 105 w/ 39t ring/outer chainguard/n-gear jump stop
ultegra rear derailleur
12-27 ultegra cassette
shimano 105 brifter (R)/cane creek SCR-5 lever (L)
cane creek SCX-5 canti brakes
ritchey wcs handlebar
stem/seatpost TBD
selle italia flite gel Ti saddle

can't wait...


----------



## law (Feb 18, 2007)

marc180 said:


> i went with the egg color w/ blue/red graphics. black fork.
> 
> build will be:
> 
> ...


If only they had a medium....:cryin:


----------



## meat tooth paste (Oct 6, 2004)

Sounds like a good build in the making.

Good choice on the egg color. I was eyeing of these egg frames. Only thing that stopped me from buying was because a LBS had some 06 Tricross S-Works frames on sale.


----------



## zeno303 (Feb 26, 2008)

[anyone else ride this frame? where's it made? what other frames is it comparable to?[/QUOTE]

I am working on a web photo gallery of the Boulder Colorado Fall 2007 Cyclocross series, where I took several thousand pixs of 4 races. All those nice CX bikes gave me the bug to build my own.

I got my Scattante frame after Christmas for the sale price of $250 plus S&H -- unbelievably including a carbon fork. 

I believe it is the same frame & fork (from the same Taiwan factory) as the Redline "Conquest Pro," which goes for about $500. Most people never heard of "Scattante," so just tell them its an Italian Redline. ;-)

It was a pretty straightforward build. This is the first bike I have put together with an integrated headset. The included headset was an FSA, although there appears to have been some Cane Creek parts mixed in. No headset assembly instructions were included.

I was able to take advantage of a number of year end close outs to build it for a ridiculously low price, including new Campy Centaur 50-36 crank, BB & shifters, Richey Pro Stem, Veloce derailleurs, 13-26 Miche cogset & 2007 Mavic Aksium wheelset with cushy 35mm Maxxis rubber. I added bars, seatpost, ATACs, a brake set & a saddle from my parts bin. Including the frame, it came in well under $800, which is hard to beat, IMO, for the result. 

I have been using it for Winter crud riding. Recently it warmed up some in Boulder County, so I have been able to take it on the rolling single track around Left Hand Reservoir. This is the first Cross bike I have ridden, so naturally I went over the handle bars the first time I went down a steep section and grabbed a handful of brake that would have been no problem on my mountain bike. Agility, skinnier tires & a more upright position have their price.

The frame is pleasantly compliant (for aluminum) while still being plenty stiff & responsive enough for me. Feels like a Ferrari compared to an MTB. Coupled with 60 PSI '35 tires, I was surprised at how comfortable the ride was on single track. Descends & climbs well, although I quickly learned my limitations when climbing steep hills in the dirt with a 36/26 low end and large diameter tires, all powered by my aging legs.


----------



## meat tooth paste (Oct 6, 2004)

nice build. good seeing a campy crosser built up. i was gonna put my veloce group on my crosser, but then decided on mtn cassette in the rear and went shimano


----------



## zeno303 (Feb 26, 2008)

meat tooth paste said:


> nice build. good seeing a campy crosser built up. i was gonna put my veloce group on my crosser, but then decided on mtn cassette in the rear and went shimano


Thanks! I have been using Campy shifters too long to switch. Besides, Centaur & Veloce are very price competitive with comparable Shimano components right now, especially if you shop around for sales. They are comparable to what you got with Chorus only a few years ago -- durable and reasonably light weight.

Zeno


----------



## slbaker1970 (Apr 23, 2008)

*Ordered One To Replace Kona Jake The Snake*

I have been without a cross bike for about a year and have missed it every day. I put 3900 miles on my jake, but had to sell it off. I'm a big fan of the Surly Cross Check and the Soma Double Cross, but I already have three steel bikes. I just wanted something good looking and light, and for $229 PLUS headset PLUS fork, I couldn't go wrong. 

The Nashbar CX is just plain UGLY. Couldn't do it....

I'll let you know how it goes, and I'll post pics. It's getting an Ultegra/FSA build with Aksium wheels.

Aloha!

Spencer

www.twowheelkarma.blogspot.com


----------



## shomyoface (Nov 24, 2007)

These days, there are only a few bicycle manufacturers and thus, this frame may very well have been manufactured in the same factory as a Cervelo?! Does that mean it's as good or better, or worse....I don't know.

In the carbon road bike lines, many manufacturers use the same frame and are rebadged as different brand, and certainly "some" prestigious Italian brands are made by Giant.....!


----------



## slbaker1970 (Apr 23, 2008)

*There's a great article called "where was my bike made" worth googling. Certainly any production line has more than one "station" and end product, but almost ALL of the middle-of-the-road steel and aluminum comes from Taiwan. The Product Buyer (the name that will go on the decal) still gets to make decisions for specifications and owns the quality assurance process. Noone would suggest that just because all US titanium comes from the same mine in Tennessee that all TI bikes are "the same". All I'm trying to say is that with consolidation and economies of scale (same bike sold to numerous "decal" owners lowers cost and increases profit). The bikes that met the FUJI, KONA, REDLINE, GIANT specifications but that were in excess of ordered quantity end up becoming Scattanta and other "knock off" brands.

Just plain and simple good business practice (known as price discrimination) where you sell the exact same product to different markets by offering it at a lesser price. It drives the total cost of production (fixed costs anyway) WAY down and brings more customers to the table.

Aloha!

Spencer*[/B][/B]


----------



## d2p (Jul 29, 2006)

. . and the frames and other parts that are "not quite imperfect" become what? You know that don't toosed.


----------



## slbaker1970 (Apr 23, 2008)

*Every production line produces scrap.... It's an oversimplification to pretend they make high volumes of material that are "out of spec" - enough to create a whole brand... Not the case in real manufacturing. Believe me, if the Taiwanese factories were producing enough defective material do create a whole brand, American investors would go elsewhere.
*


----------



## slbaker1970 (Apr 23, 2008)

*I'll post a detailed review with pictures when it arrives. Then I'll ride the hell out of it.*


----------



## killsoft (Oct 17, 2005)

meat tooth paste said:


> nice build. good seeing a campy crosser built up. i was gonna put my veloce group on my crosser, but then decided on mtn cassette in the rear and went shimano


Campag 10 spd Ergo shifter + Campag 10 spd rear der. shifts Shimano 9-spd cassettes really (really) well. Use a 9-spd chain. I had that exact setup on my Gunnar until I built a Campag rear wheel.

It's not too late for you! Repent and turn back!  

KS


----------



## slbaker1970 (Apr 23, 2008)

*Great Idea...*

I'm actually saving up for a CHORUS group for my Soma Smoothie... I'm just building the CX bike up to replace my Kona.... Didn't have any info about Campy in the dirt, but I'm sure it must be nice...

Spencer


----------



## aabbas (Oct 16, 2004)

The Performance description says the top tube is teardrop-shaped. That means that you have a sharp side of it either facing up towards the family jewels or down to dig into your shoulder when carrying, right? Sounds like a less-than-perfect cross design.

Alex


----------



## CrankyMonkey (Jul 8, 2007)

from the pictures it looks like the top tube has the pointy part down which would dig into your shoulder... owee!


----------



## krisdrum (Oct 29, 2007)

Tear-drop top tube faces down, I guess they figure the shoulder can take it a bit more than the sensitive bits. Not ideal for racing. But I'm currently not using it for that purpose, so no complaints yet. We'll see if I end up trying my hand at racing.


----------



## Vanilla Gorilla (Mar 22, 2004)

The performance website says this frame gives the rider a more upright position? How true is this? Would you say the frame measures about right?


----------



## slbaker1970 (Apr 23, 2008)

*Upright?*

Vanilla,

Sloping top tube, standard geometry otherwise... I don't know if I feel "upright" or not. Feels just like my Jake the Snake except this one is the right size.

I'm totally satisfied with the look, the weight, the stiffness, the design and build including the welds/joints, the fork is very solid (for carbon).

Nothing but praise so far.

PS: Redline/Fuji builds them.... That's what the RL stands for in both the rodad frame and the CX frame...

Have a great day!


----------



## Armchair Spaceman (Jun 21, 2003)

*Tyre size*

Hey you guys who have bought these frames - what's the max tyre width?


----------



## slbaker1970 (Apr 23, 2008)

*Tire/Tyre size*

it should take up to a 40mm no problem. I'm riding 32mm Kenda Kross and there's TONS of clearance around the tire.


----------



## Vanilla Gorilla (Mar 22, 2004)

* Lightweight 7005 butted, aluminum tubeset is intricately shaped and manipulated, including S-bend stays, teardrop-shaped down tube and top tube
* Uses the same race-inspired geometry found on other popular Scattante models to give you an excellent balance of predictable handling and nimble agility
* Small details were not overlooked: look close and you’ll find a replaceable dropout, an integrated headset, pro paint and fast graphics
* Comes complete with a carbon fork, integrated headset and CNC-machined seat post collar


Specs
Headset Size: 1 1/8” Integrated
Seatpost: 27.2mm
Weight: 3.30lbs.
Front Derailleur: 31.8mm
Bottom Bracket: 68mm (English)
Frame Material: 7005 butted, Aluminum tubeset w/ S-bend stays and teardrop-shaped down/top tubes
Fork: Carbon fork w/ Aluminum steerer
Fork Travel: NA
Replaceable Dropout: Yes
Sizing Chart



This frameset delivers the speed of a high-end road bike with the more upright positioning of a commuter bike.


Taken off the Performance website..


----------



## slbaker1970 (Apr 23, 2008)

*Here's my Scattante XRL CROSS build*

60cm Scattante CX frame, Carbon fork ($229 including headset)
FSA Gossamer double compact crankset, 175mm, external BB
Ultegra 10spd STI shifters
Dura Ace rear derailer
Ultegra front derailer
Tektro Oryx cantilever brake calipers
Mavic Aksium wheelset
Kenda Kwest tires, 700x32
Ritchey Pro handlebar
Bontrager stubby stem
Cane Creek headset
Zion seatpost, WTB saddle

I'm COMPLETELY happy with it so far!!! 
I like the geometry better than my Kona-Jake The Snake, but my Jake was too small.... 
Don't get me wrong, the Jake was a bad ass machine. I put 3900 miles on it as a commuter in Hawaii.

I imagine I would like an appropriately sized Kona just as much or more...

I'll post updates as I beat the S**T out of the SCAT CX in an attempt to validate the warranty...

Here's my flickr site for pix of it and my other bike projects and rides:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/slbaker1970/2468993393/

Here's my blog:
www.twowheelkarma.blogspot.com


----------



## ncsu (Dec 28, 2008)

*about to buy it myself...*

Hi guys, 

I am on the verge of buying this frame myself. For those of you who own this frame, is there a different (cheap) frame that you would rather have had? I was going to pull the 105 drivetrain off my roadbike and buy some Mavick Open Pro rims to build up the bike.

Would this frame make a good Cat 4/5 racer? (I can't think of a better frame/bike)

Joshua

Aside....How much faster is a 20 pound cross bike compared to a 27 pound mountain bike? If I raced either around a course, would I notice any speed differences?


----------



## theextremist04 (Jan 23, 2009)

I've put about 500 miles on mine and using it primarily on the road...I think it's great for the price. The aluminum is a lot more forgiving than my last alu frame (cannondale 2.8...) and it looks great as long as you can get over the name on it. I'd be all over it if I didn't already have one. And the new ones have a round top tube.


----------

