Following the successful launch of the new generation Spark last year, a brand new Scott Scale is joining the XC party for 2023. The Scale receives an all-new chassis that is both sleeker and lighter than its predecessor, which makes this one of the lightest mountain bikes currently on the market. With carbon and alloy frame options, more tyre clearance, plus the addition of contemporary (and adjustable) geometry, there is a surprising amount of tech going on with the new Scale.


An overview of the 2023 Scott Scale
The Scott Scale has long been known as the Swiss brand’s lightweight XC hardtail race bike, which is designed to go head-to-head with competitors like the Cannondale Scalpel HT and Canyon Exceed. Featuring a stiff and responsive double-diamond frame, the Scale is built specifically around 29in wheels and a 100mm travel fork.
While full suspension bikes like the Spark RC are becoming the most popular option for World Cup XC racers, a hardtail like the Scale is still preferable on smoother courses, where it offers more precise handling and maximum response under power.
For privateer racers, a hardtail is a simpler machine that is easier to maintain, and cheaper to purchase in the first place. And if you care about weight, it also offers a significant advantage over a full suspension bike.

Scott Scale weight
Weight is of course a big reason why you’d consider a hardtail like the Scott Scale, which stands as one of the lightest mountain bikes on the market. Unbelievably, this new 2023 Scale manages to go even lighter than its predecessor.
According to Scott, the top-end Scale HMX-SL frame weighs just 847g. Even the cheapest carbon frame, the HMF, is claimed to weigh just 1,013g, which is still lighter than most of the competition.
Scott has achieved this incredible figure by improving the carbon layup, reducing the number of metal inserts in the frame, and simplifying tube profiles and junction points.
For example, the dropouts are now entirely hollow. This not only saves a few grams in itself, but it also allows the chain and seatstays to be narrower, and therefore lighter. Along with the new post mount brake tabs, a lightweight chain guide, and a move to polymer inserts for the bottle cage bosses, grams have been shaved despite the new frame becoming significantly longer and slacker than the outgoing model.
Dropped stays & bigger tyres
A notable visual change with the new Scott Scale frame is its dropped seatstays. This design follows a similar route to the Scalpel HT and the latest Giant XTC, with the goal being to improve rider comfort by minimising the amount of trail chatter that makes its way up to the saddle.
The Scale has also moved to the new-school 55mm chainline standard, which employs a slightly wider crankset that pushes the chainring further out from the frame. This allows for a thicker chainstay yoke to increase stiffness and provide more direct power transfer between the pedals and the rear wheel. It also provides clearance for wider rubber, with stock models coming standard with 2.35-2.4in wide tyres.
As with the latest Spark and Genius, the Scale adopts internal cable routing that sees the rear brake hose and cables sent through the headset. Top-end models come with a one-piece carbon cockpit to reduce weight and complete the fighter jet look. A service door underneath the downtube is there to provide you easier access when replacing a cable.

Scott Scale size & geometry
The Scott Scale has received some big changes to its geometry, with the frame getting a longer reach, a slacker head angle and a steeper seat tube angle.
The carbon frames also adopt the same modular headset cups that we’ve seen in the Spark, Genius and Lumen, which allows you to adjust the head angle by 0.6° in either direction. In its most raked-out position, the Scale features a 66.7° head angle, making it one of the slackest XC bikes around.


Scott Scale price & specs
While we’ve been wowed by the sleek design and high-tech construction of the top-end Scott Scale RC frames, sadly we won’t be seeing any of those models coming into Australia. That’s not exactly surprising given the popularity of full suspension bikes these days, which is made clear by the fact that there are no fewer than 12 models in the current Spark lineup.
However, for those of you who have a smaller hardtail-sized budget, or simply prefer riding hardtails, you’ll be happy to know that there will be three Scale models coming to our shores. Two of those will feature an alloy frame, and the other gets the HMF carbon frame. Prices start at $2,099 AUD for the Scale 980, and will go up to $3,799 AUD for the Scale 930.

2023 Scott Scale 930
- Frame | HMF Carbon Fibre w/Adjustable Head Angle
- Fork | Fox 32 Rhythm, GRIP Damper, 44mm Offset, 100mm Travel
- Wheels | Formula/Shimano Hubs & Syncros X-30 SE Alloy Rims, 30mm Inner Width
- Tyres | Schwalbe Racing Ray 2.35in Front & Racing Ralph 2.35in Rear
- Drivetrain | Shimano Deore 1×12 w/32T Crankset & 10-51T Cassette
- Brakes | Shimano MT401 2-Piston w/180mm Front & 160mm Rear Rotors
- Bar | Syncros Alloy Flat Bar, 740mm Width
- Stem | Syncros Alloy, Length: 50mm (S), 60mm (M), 70mm (L), 80mm (XL)
- Seatpost | Syncros Alloy, 31.8mm Diameter
- Saddle | Syncros Belcarra 2.5
- RRP | $3,799 AUD

2023 Scott Scale 965
- Frame | 6061 Alloy
- Fork | RockShox Judy Silver TK Solo Air, 44mm Offset, 100mm Travel
- Wheels | Formula Hubs & Syncros R27 Alloy Rims, 27mm Inner Width
- Tyres | Maxxis Rekon Race 2.4in Front & Rear
- Drivetrain | Shimano Deore 1×12 w/32T Praxis Cadet Crankset & 10-51T Cassette
- Brakes | Shimano MT201 2-Piston w/180mm Front & 160mm Rear Rotors
- Bar | Syncros Alloy Flat Bar, 740mm Width
- Stem | Syncros Alloy, Length: 50mm (S), 60mm (M), 70mm (L), 80mm (XL)
- Seatpost | Syncros Alloy, 31.8mm Diameter
- Saddle | Syncros Belcarra 2.5
- RRP | $2,399 AUD

2023 Scott Scale 980
- Frame | 6061 Alloy
- Fork | Suntour XCR32, Coil Spring, 100mm Travel
- Wheels | Formula Hubs & Syncros Alloy Rims
- Tyres | Maxxis Rekon Race 2.25in Front & Rear
- Drivetrain | Shimano Deore 1×12 w/32T MC511 Crankset & 10-51T Cassette
- Brakes | Shimano MT200 2-Piston w/180mm Front & 160mm Rear Rotors
- Bar | Syncros Alloy Flat Bar, 740mm Width
- Stem | Syncros Alloy, Length: 50mm (S), 60mm (M), 70mm (L), 80mm (XL)
- Seatpost | Syncros Alloy, 31.8mm Diameter
- Saddle | Syncros Belcarra 2.5
- RRP | $2,099 AUD


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