# 2014 Scott Solace 30 & 2016 Scott Foil Team Issue Review



## Indyxc (Jun 1, 2007)

Hi all,

Being a Scott bike fan I thought I would post a review of both bikes in case anyone was considering buying either. In the USA I really think the Scott brand is one of the best values out there.

Some background. I've been riding all my life, but got into serious miles about 5 years ago. I upgraded from an AL bike to the Solace about 3 years ago, and just purchased the Foil about 3 weeks ago. I have about ~2500 miles on the Solace and about 100 on the Foil. I'm about 5'10, with a 33 inseam, and ride a 56 in both frames.

2014 Scott Solace 30
Overall: This was my first carbon bike, and immediately I was surprised how much the carbon absorbs the road vibrations. I had ridden the Giant Defy and Spec Roubaix/Diverge, and this was my choice. I was really glad I upgraded from AL to Carbon. The rear seat tube stays are very thin, and you can tell they really absorb the road. Also, the endurance geometry when I first started riding really let me setup a very comfortable upright position. The bike as it came, I was very happy with it. 105 components all around, except the crank set and rear cassette seemed pretty general. I upgraded the crank set to a true 105 eventually, and to an ultegra cassette. 

Pros:
-Rear chain stays being thin really do absorb the shock
-Geometry is very relaxed, and when you are new, it is very easy to setup a very upright position.
-Bottom bracket of the frame is very robust, so even though it's comfortable, it feels relatively stiff, especially for an endurance road bike.
-Chain stays and wheelbase are relatively short for a endurance frame, so it actually handles pretty well.
-Uses Shimano Hollowtech cranks- so lots of options to upgrade crank sets.
-Rear brake is direct chain stay mounted- so you get the aero gain !?

Cons:
-Rear brake is chain stay mounted, which is the main con of this bike. 1. If you run a stages power meter, you have to run a TT style brake to clear the power meter, which can be a pain to setup.
-Chain stay brakes get dirty easily.
-Internal cable routing tends to rattle a bit, especially front derailleur cable when it is slack.
-Geometry is very relaxed, so if you get more advanced and what a more sprint or aero position, you are going to be limited because the front head tube is really long.
-When you start putting out decent sprinting power (1000 watts~15s) the frame does begin to feel a bit soft, especially once you ride a race bike.
-Front fork isn't really stiff, after you ride a bike like the Foil. I guess it's suppose to flex to be comfy?

2016 Scott Foil Team Issue:
I decided to buy a new bike, not because I needed it, but mostly because I was getting bored, and wanted something new. I have grand ideas of road racing and crit racing so this fit the bill. This foil was a build off the frame set, so it is the HMX carbon frame, with all DuraAce DI2 components. I added Reynolds Forty Six Clincher wheels. 

Pros:
-Massive thickness and stiffness of frame, while being lightweight. Compared to the solace this frame feels massively stiff. When you sprint there is an noticeable different in how the rear wheel tracks. It doesn't feel like you are wagging the rear tire at all. The entire bottom bracket area is a tank.
-Surprisingly comfortable. I was expecting it to be jaring compared to the Solace. Strangely, it doesn't feel any less comfortable over rough road than the Solace, which is hard to believe considering how stiff the frame is. They really pulled out some engineering magic.
-Aero frame geometry- The way they designed the frame makes it look really aero, but still really light.
-Cables are still externally mounted from handlebar into the frame, vs say Venge Vias. This makes it a lot easier to work on when you need to assemble or change a cable.
-Front aero handlebar stem design. Simple design and is pretty aero.

Cons:
-Same chain stay brake mounted cons as above for the Solace.
-Mine came with a 1 piece aero handlebar/stem combo. While this is great when it is the perfect size, I would say I could probably go from a 110 mm to 110, but for $400 dollars for a new combo set, i'll get used to the 10 mms.
-Aero bar mounted for garmin. It's proprietary, so it's hard to find the Garmin mount for the handlebar. Scott dealers are always out of stock, so I had it was hard to find out, and it was expensive.
-Di2 junction box is mounted in the handlebar, and you have to remove the garmin mount to get to it, and it's kind of a pain.
-Scott is moving away from colorful bikes to more Matt colored frames with bright writing. Personal preference but I prefer their colorful schemes. I thought their 2014-2015 models had the best schemes in the industry. 
-Beyond a European brand, their USA support seems lacking compared to other USA brands, but you get more value for your money.

Hope this helps folks considering a Scott purchase. Overall, I would highly recommend their bikes to anyone.


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