Foldable Bikes Party: Scott Contessa Spark 710 Plus first ride review

Thursday, 20 October 2016

Scott Contessa Spark 710 Plus first ride review

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If you want a bike with performance pedigree it’d be hard to improve upon the Scott Contessa Spark 710 Plus, which has evolved from the bike that won this year's Olympic women’s cross country race. While Swedish rider Jenny Rissveds took the cross-country RC 27.5 version to victory, the 710 Plus has added features that transform an out-and-out race bike into something that’s a whole lot more trail friendly.

Scott Contessa Spark 710 Plus highlights

Frame geometry and design has been updated to save weight, and the Spark now has a unisex frame
27.5+ wheels and Maxxis Rekon 2.8 EXO tyres provide grip on loose or slick surface and roll smoothly over rough terrain
Climbs well as you'd expect from a Scott bicycle, but the slacker head angles have improved control and stability on technical descents
Twinloc offers remote suspension control from the cockpit
A custom Contessa tune on the suspension is designed to suit lighter riders

Scott Contessa Spark 710 Plus spec overview

Spark Plus carbon frame with alloy swingarm
Syncros XR2.0 Plus rims, plus Maxxis Recon 2.8 EXO tyres
Shimano XT 22-speed groupset
Fox 34 Float Performance Elite Air forks with 130mm travel
Fox Nude Trunnion EVOL shock with 120mm travel and Contessa custom tune

Scott Contessa Spark 710 Plus ride impression

There’s a general move in the world of XC bikes towards slacker angles and shorter chainstays, all the better for handling the increased technicality of World Cup courses, and all the better for everyone else looking for a bike to handle their local trails.

The Spark has had a complete overhaul from previous years. A huge amount of engineering and design has gone into shaving off a little unnecessary tubing here and there, and the result is a much lighter frame with a slacker head angle that makes handling more stable and confident on technical descents.

Suspension comes courtesy of 120mm Fox Nude shock plus Fox 34 Float Performance Elite air with 130mm of travel. Both have a Contessa Custom tune, designed to suit the on-average lighter weight for size of female riders. The shock positioning has also been updated for 2017, moving from a top-tube mount to a Trunnion shock mounted near the bottom bracket.