Most brands send mid-to-high-end models to us for bike tests. While this is cool, we regularly ask for lower-end models to cater for a larger segment of the market. SCOTT Sports Africa responded by sending us a Spark 960, a-sub R45 000 aluminium full-suspension 29er. Here’s what we think…
THE BIKE
SCOTT’s current Spark was launched in 2021 and instantly made an impression. Not only was it the first big brand to put the rear shock inside the frame; it also set about winning major races, including the 2021 and 2022 UCI XCO World Championships under ace pilot, Nino Schurter.
The current Spark, the fourth edition of the Swiss brand’s full suspension mountain bike, also won a few stages in the Absa Cape Epic before claiming the overall title this year with Schurter and Filippo Colombo as Team SCOTT SRAM Racing. The top athletes ride and race on the Spark RC, which is specced and designed for high-performance racing. The Spark (without the RC tag) is very similar, but not quite as light and better suited to trail riding, recreational riding and amateur marathon and stage races.
All the same technology on the flagship SCOTT Spark RC model raced to international success has been integrated into all Spark models, including the base-level 960. There’s the integrated rear shock (X-Fusion Nude 5 RLX Trunnion) with 120mm of travel and standard adjustability, which is done through the hatch at the frame’s ‘underbelly’. The fork on this model is the base model from RockShox, the Judy Silver, with 130mm of travel and three mode adjustability.
The reason for the internal shock is two-fold: one, to be able to accommodate a second bottle inside the frame and two, to make the most of the vertical shock orientation and linkage-driven single-pivot suspension design, which delivers superior suspension action to the simpler flexible-stay design on most modern XC/Marathon bikes.
On the size Medium that we tested, we could fit a small second bottle into the seattube mounted cage. Two bottles inside the frame can be a make-or-break feature for many South Africans who spend long hours in the saddle.
SCOTT’s engineers duplicated the design of the carbon fibre Spark frame in the aluminium models, giving the 960 the same geometry and structural make-up as the flagship carbon Spark models. This includes the significantly oversized bottom bracket and seattube base to accommodate the rear shock. This requires the joining of some large sections of the frame and the welds are prominent, some might say a bit too prominent, but performance has been prioritised over aesthetics here.
The headtube angle comes standard at 65.8 degrees and can be relaxed by 0.6 degrees by turning the headset cups 180 degrees. It’s a cool feature in that it gives you a bit more stability on steep descents, but is unlikely to be needed by the kind of rider that will purchase this bike.
Another feature is the internal cable routing through the headtube. SCOTT owns the Syncros components brand and the Syncros Fraser 2.0 bar and stem has been designed to accommodate all the cabling to neaten up the cockpit, which is significant because there are four cables and two brake hoses.
Two of the cables are for TwinLoc, SCOTT’s proprietary suspension adjustment system. To have TwinLoc on a bike in this price range is impressive as it essentially gives the rider the ability to lock out, partially open or fully open the front and rear suspension simultaneously with the left thumb.
Other features on the Spark 960 are Shimano MT501 hydraulic disc brakes, a Shimano Deore shifter and a Shimano XT 1×12 derailleur. There’s a Syncros dropper seatpost and Schwalbe Wicked Will tyres on the Shimano (hubs)/Syncros (rims) wheelset. The tyres are tanwall and the Syncros Tofino saddle is also tan in colour. This, combined with the understated ‘black’ frame colour gives the SCOTT Spark 960 a rather suave look. SCOTT says the colour is black, but it’s primarily dark charcoal and with black accents.
THE RIDE
We rode five different Johannesburg trails parks during a dry winter on the Spark 960, ranging from the smooth, flowy, manicured trails at the Cycle Lab Bike Park to the more natural, rugged, steep routes at Thaba Trails – and others in between.
A large part of riding the Spark 960 is managing the suspension and the geometry between its three settings. It may sound like a lot, but you quickly adapt and then begin to really feel the benefits of this technology. The handlebar-mounted remote activates both the fork and shock simultaneously, offering three distinct suspension modes at your thumb’s disposal – Descend, Traction Control & Lockout. In Descend (fully open) you’re using all 120mm of travel; in Traction Control, it firms up compression damping to use 80mm of travel; and then Lockout, is fully firmed up, front and rear.
Adjusting from Descend to Traction Control modes not only firms up the suspension, but also changes the geometry slightly. It feels like you’re riding two different bikes and really is an impressive feature. Not surprisingly, Traction Control is the mode that we used most. It’s quite firm and efficient, but still deals well with small to medium-sized hits – the kind of terrain most buyers of this bike will encounter.
One thing that took some getting used to was the dropper seatpost lever being directly beneath the TwinLoc levers. It took a couple of rides for the engagement of each – separately – to become intuitive.
While there’s plenty of shock activity early on in the stroke, things ramp up quite quickly. The progressive leverage rate delivers great mid-stroke support, and ensures it remains poppy and purposeful at pace in Traction Control mode. With the stiff chassis, sensitive suspension and lowish bottom bracket, the Spark 960 corners with impressive precision.
This was the first time we have ridden Schwalbe’s Wicked Will tyres and they impressed us on all surfaces, which were dry during our test period. They’re quite fast rolling and grippy on corners – a true allrounder tyre.
Bigger hits or rocky descents are obviously best done in Descend mode, where the suspension is very active. We needed to be wary of returning to Traction Control mode when pedalling hard again as it lifts the bike up noticeably and ensures a low risk of pedal strikes. We tackled some rocky descents at pace and found the RockShox Judy Silver suspension fork a little out of its depth. But to be fair, most who ride this bike won’t be charging that fast on descents, and will find it more than capable.
On steep, uneven climbs, the Spark 960 in Traction Control mode is efficient and feels a lot lighter than it’s 14.56kg (weighed with pedals, sealant and one bottle cage), while on long climbs, the steep seattube angle (75.79 degrees on the Medium) puts you in a position that allows you to settle into a rhythm with composure.
The Shimano MT501 hydraulic disc brakes were typically capable and more than adequate for this level bike, while the Shimano 1×12 Deore XT mechanical drivetrain delivered crisp shifts throughout our test period and reminded us just how dependable Shimano’s mechanical shifting is.
From a cockpit perspective, the 60mm stem and 760mm wide bar were just right for our testers (both males – 172cm and 174cm tall), but smaller-stature riders may want to trim 20-30mm off the bar. The Syncros Pro lock-on grips ideally need to be ridden with gloves as they’re quite firm, while the shape of the Syncros Tofino saddle took a bit of getting used to.
If we were to upgrade anything, it would be the grips. We’d fit stickier/grippier grips and would make sure they are also tan in colour to enhance the look of Spark 960 even further.
TREAD Test scores
Cimbing: 8/10
Descending: 7/10
Cornering: 9/10
Handling: 8/10
Looks: 8/10
SUMMARY
The SCOTT Spark 960 is a feature-packed, full-suspension aluminium mountain bike from one of the world’s leading performance bicycle brands. It’s got enough high-performance DNA to make it responsive when pedalling hard and sharp in corners, but it’s ultimately a base-level full-suspension bike that’s designed to offer stability, control and comfort for long hours in the saddle and it delivers all those really well.
SCOTT Sports Africa offers after-sales support through two service centres – one in Gauteng and one in the Western Cape.
MSRP: R43 500
COLOURS: Black/Charcoal
SIZES: S, M, L, XL
