royalflash

I have had my new Scott Sub 10 for little over a week now and am still in the honeymoon period but I thought some of the BF members might be interested to take a look at the bike and get some first impressions:

The Specs:

PRODUCT MODEL YEAR: 2005
SIZE: L
Frame: New Evo/Aero Alloy tubing w Evo D/O 26"
Forks: straight alloy fork 26", Pulo, disc only TL 316
Rear Derailleur: Shimano Deore XT, RD-M760- 27 Speed
Front Derailleur: Deore LX FD-M581
Shifters: Shimano Deorec LX Dual C ST-M 585
Chainset: Shimano FC-M 540 L 48/36/26 w CG
Bottom Bracket: incl. In crank set
Chain: Shimano CN-HG 53
Freewheel: Shimano CS-HG50- 9 9- Speed 11-32
Headset: VP 41 AC E
Stem: Rocket Stem Eco Scott adjustable NVO
Handlebars: Scott X-Rod Kalloy Al-001 G blk
Front Brake: Shimano BR-M 585 disc
Rear Brake: Shimano BR-M 585 disc
Brake Levers: incl. In shifters
Rims: Alesa DP 2000 blk/cnc/ w eyelet 32H 26" f. disc
Front Hub: Shimano HB-M585
Rear Hub: Shimano FH-M585
Spokes: DT 1.8mm blk 2 crossings
Tyres: Continental Sport Contact 26"x1.3
Saddle: Velo VL 1137
Seatpost: Scott Comp JD 495 SCT
Pedals: Shimano SPD (replacing the original Wellgo platforms)
Bar ends: Ritchey WCS (fitted by me NOT standard kit)

The good points:

* this bike is light (more SPEED)-maybe not by racing bike standards but for a commuting bike with hydraulic brakes there is no fat. I got the shop to weigh the bike and it weighed in at 11.45 kg with pedals (frame size large)

* the hydraulic disc brakes are very smooth and powerful- nice power modulation and definitely better than any brakes I have used before (V-brakes and mechanical discs) and just feel nicer

* good quality components all round

* narrow slick efficient tyres (26 x 1.3) and wheels

* very aggressive efficient aerodynamic riding position- you can´t tell so much from looking at the bike but the ridng position is very forward

* no suspension so more pedalling force gets to the wheels

* adjustable stem height (just loosen the stem bolt and slide up and down and retighten)

* silky gold paint finish looks nice


and the bad points:

* the seat post clamp is integral with the frame- if you snap this little sucker it will be the last time you ride the bike (I have snapped a seat post clamp before) and I notice in the Scott handbook it says that if you don´t apply the correct torque that Scott will deny any responsibility so time to buy a torque wrench I think.

* hydraulic brakes means more complicated maintenance issues like bleeding and stuff which I vaguely remember from my motorcycle days

* no suspension at all so the bumps can hurt if you dont keep an eye out for them

* the aggressive riding position can strain the arms/wrists/back but I havent suffered any problems yet. There is always the possibility to fit a riser bar if you can´t take it. It would have been nice though if the steerer tube could have allowed a longer adjustment upward

* no bar ends as standard and they are really necessary to get a different hand position particularly with the low riding position.

* little clearance on the handlebar to fit lights/tachos/bells and other junk (might be good thing)

* aluminium frame - seem to be popular in bike shops but not on the forums

the bottom line:

I like this bike- it does exactly what it sets out to do- fast and efficient city/commuter bike- if you want to get there fast and are not worried about a few bumps then take a look at this bike- you could give the roadies a run for their money on this bike.

kttan2

Hi,

are you from Singapore? btw, I am considering Scott after much lobbying by LBS here. May I know how much you bought yours? And if you are in Singapore, which shop did you buy it from? I had bad experience with some shops though.

Also, I have a peculiar criteria to shortlist MTBs based on colour first. The one in your picture looks alright (unlike the dull blue).

Hope to hear from you soon, thanks.

royalflash

no I have never been to Singapore- I am in Munich, Germany- the list price of the bike is 1300 euros but by various means I got a 10% reduction and paid 1170 euros

Colour is not my first consideration but it depends on your priorities (are you female by any chance?)

kttan2

Thanks Mate, I'm a guy. I like the paint after a few more looks though. However, I realized that European countries will normally have varied colour schemes, just like Nokia phones. I would not hesitate to get this if it is the actual colour in Singapore though.

Anyway, it is a cool MTB, which will set me admiring it all day long...

I am also getting my first mtb, but wonder if S$1000 will be a realistic buy for realiable quality (travelling on normal roads and occasionally on dirt tracks).

Keep in touch and congrats on this beautiful mtb!

royalflash

thanks-I have only seen the Scott Sub 10 in gold (no other colours)

joshvr6

Are you still liking this bike? I was just at the LBS and they have a Sub 20 for $450 in my size. I was thinking about jumping on it. What do you guys think? They are getting me a price for the Sub 10. Here are the specs (sub 20) from Scott USA:

Price (USD)
$629.99

Weight
11.5 kg / 25.3 lbs

Frame
New Evo/Aero Alloy tubing with Evo D/O 700 C ECO

Fork
Straight alloy fork
26" / 700C, Pulo TL316

Derailleur
Shimano Deore

Derailleur
Shimano Acera

Shifters
Shimano Alivio

Brake Levers
Scott Comp

Brakes
Scott Comp

Crankset
Shimano Alivio 22x32x42 with CG

Seat
Scott SUB

H'stem
HL-TDS-AL-C41-8 black

Pedals
Wellgo 998 S

Seatpost
HL-SP 233 black

Hub (Front)
SCO 31 QR 32 black

Hub (Rear)
Shimano FH-RM 60-8 blk

Cassette
Shimano CS-HG30-8l 8 speed 11-30 T

Spokes
DT 1.8 mm black

Rims
Alesa DP 2000 black / CNC w eyelet 32 H 26" or Alesa DP 2000 black / CNC w eyelet 32 H 700C

Tires
Kenda Kwest K193 26"x1.25 black or Kenda Kwest K193 700x35C black

dynaryder

Nice. I dig how they mounted the rear caliper between the seat and chain stays. Now you can fit racks/fenders no prob.

max-a-mill

i got passed by one of those this morning... definitley looks quick for a mtb and much lighter than my surly!

royalflash

yes the bike is great for commuting- if you want to get from A-B in the city FAST then this is the bike-I have got a bit more used to the forward riding position now and I think it has even helped with my road bike as I have been able to lower the bar on the road bike and achieve a more aerodynamic position on that. If you are used to riding an upright city bike though the riding position will come as a major shock.

The seat clamp still worries me- it is not easy to set the clamp right so the post doesnt slip but the clamp doesnt break.

The best thing about the bike is the light-weight combined with good stopping power from the hydraulic bikes. I definitely do my commute significantly faster on the Scott.

I am not a fan of the flippy shifting (dual control) but I can live with it.

I think you could even make the bike more versatile by having a real MTB wheel set for winter with wide tyres. There seems to be enough clearance in the fork and frame to fit them in.

PartyPack

Hey if you are still around, I'm thinking about one of these for my next commuter and was wondering how you have gotten on with it over the last couple of years?

royalflash

Yes the bike and I are still going strong- the original tyres were not really up to the task of hard core commuting so I have Schwalbe marathon racers for summer and Schwalbe marathon plus MTB (2.0 wide I think- 2.3 will not fit) for light winter conditions. This adds some weight --but weight is not the main worry for commuting.

The shimano hydraulic disc brakes can be a bit tricky to get aligned perfectly sometimes but this has not been a major problem. I once wore out a set of pads on one commute however when they were not properly aligned- so better align them right before you set off.

One of those rear mudguards that clip on the seatpost is a good idea in winter but I have never bothered getting one for the front. It doesn´t cause a problem

Overall I am very happy with the bike. Its definitely the best all purpose bike I have seen. With the Conty sport contact tyres it can be nearly as fast as a racing bike then with a quick change of tyres it is a perfectly acceptable MTB substitute.

PartyPack

Thanks for that; probably the two things that concern me are the integral seat post clamp and the ride quality. I'm going to test ride one hopefully today but I am interested in your opinion of the ride quality of an all Aluminium frame and fork with 26" tyres. Does it absorb any road shock or does it tend to transfer it all to the rider?

royalflash

In respect of ride quality the road shocks do tend to be transferred to the rider particularly if you have opted for the narrower tyres (as come as standard). The ride quality is comparable to an aluminium racing bike (so quite harsh). This effect is reduced slightly with wider tyres. I have used Schwalbe big apples on the bike and this made the ride a bit softer. But if you want a comfortable ride where you can stay seated through pot holes etc then you might be better looking for a bike with some suspension.

Personally I think suspension is necessary only for real mountain biking and is overrated for commuting (you pay for the suspension on effiency losses). You just have to adjust your riding style - i.e. avoid pot holes and come off the seat where necessary. But of course everyone has their own particular circumstances and preferences.

APTokyo

I have the SUB20 and have been riding it since April this year. I love it. It's not too heavy, really tough, has lots of mount points for various racks, fenders, etc. The only thing I don't like is the seat clamp. I haven't had any problems with it and would recommend it for anybody.

Jacobi

Great bike! I almost got one, but my commute is 20+ miles! This bike in white is the BEST looking bike out there!

-Barry-

straightedge

I bought a 2006 SUB 20 back in July. Overall I really like it. I had been commuting on a road bike which I pretty much wore out. This is a good middle ground between a road bike and a hybrid. From putting a lot of miles on my road bike I was accustomed to the riding position and the forward position on this bike is quite similar. It's still a fairly quick bike, it just lags a bit on acceleration and sharp handling compared to a road bike. I keep my tires up at the max so it can be a harsh ride, but that doesn't bother me too much. Also, I've got full fenders and a rack on mine, they make it even sweeter

idodweck

Hey,
what do you think about the Sub as a touring bike?
I mean mostly and usually as a speed utility bike (well, a SUB...) and once, twice a year a long trip bike, with the gear on the back and such.
Is it good for that?

Thanks

royalflash

well this thread started with first impressions but has gone beyond that. You only get this depth of review on bike forums.

I have had the bike for 6 years now and used it for commuting most days and have just worn out the freehub body on the rear axle. The headset has got a little loose also. But for the use it has seen this bike has performed extremely well.

I always had difficulties in putting the rear wheel back on the bike following tyre changes and eventually found that it was due to the right hand side skewer spring that got lodged in the drop out and prevented the wheel from being aligned properly in the frame. So I just threw the right hand skewer spring away and everything was fine. Also i noticed that the drop outs don´t have lawyer lips which is nice and makes wheel removal and mounting easier.

The seat post never gave any trouble but I did have to put some tape on to stop it sliding down. I would have preferred a standard seat post clamp here though. Sometimes it can be handy to take the seat post out for putting on a bike stand or adjust the height and that is a lot of trouble with this bike so you usually don´t bother.

But it is definitely a very versatile and useful bike. I currently have a Nokian Extreme 2.1 on the front which just fits in the forks (but is just too wide for the rear frame) and a Schwalbe marathon plus MTB 26 x 1.75) on the back. So it can cope with some quite wintry conditions. Even with these tyres the bike still feels quit lively.Then come summer you can put the Conti sport contacts back on and get some real speed up. This bike just really feels lean and efficient.

I have also really been impressed with the Shimano disk brakes. In terms of bang for buck these brakes have been by far the best I have ever had. Although I have a mountain bike now with more powerful Avid disks, the Avids were much much more expensive. The Shimanos keep going with good power in all conditions with minimum fuss and squeaking. No adjustment issues- no servicing beyond brake pad changing-great brakes. Much better for example than the Magura Julies I had on another bike that lasted one winter and then just seized up and had to be thrown away. Shimano disk brakes are very underrated I think.

I also had a front wheel made up with a Schmidt hub dynamo for winter.

Summary: Buy a Scott Sub 10 you won´t be sorry

CornyBum

Wow, thanks for following up after six years.