Test: You have that at the start of last year's Tour de France new Scott Foil can see at the pros for the first time. That was it The Swiss manufacturer's aero bike has undergone a facelift, which not only improved the look but also improved aerodynamics thanks to the complete integration of trains and cables. We tested the 2021 Scott Foil Pro model with Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 over 5000 kilometers for you. Read here how it drives...
The Scott Foil 2021 has the same light and aerodynamic frame as the previous version and is still one of the lightest aero bikes on the market. At around 7,4 kilos in the top version with Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 and in-house Syncros 50mm wheels, this weight is quite impressive. The carbon frame remains unchanged in terms of geometry and core features and offers an appealingly sporty seating position, which can also be toned down a bit with spacers.
The biggest innovation is the Scott Foil's all-new cockpit, which is created by even better coordination between the fork, headset and handlebars to minimize drag. The Syncros Creston IC SL Aero cockpit enables fully internal cable routing for mechanical and electronic shifters, which also has a lot to offer visually. The carbon fork has also been completely redesigned, optimizing the airflow at the transition to the frame. In addition, the new fork of the Scott Foil offers space for tires up to 30 mm in 700c.
Despite the sporty race character of the new foil, the necessary comfort should not be missing. This is made possible by the seat stays, which are offset downwards. Exactly the same concept was used in Mat Hayman's victory at the Paris Roubaix cycling classic and was crowned with success on the toughest circuit in the world. This targeted approach to improving the comfort of the Scott Foil has also resulted in a significant improvement in vertical performance.
Scott Foil Pro 2021 in a long-term test
In our long-term test, we wanted to put the Scott Foil to the test in all situations, on all terrains and in all weather conditions to get a really accurate impression of the bike. Our test bike came in the Pro version in matte black with glittering logos and made for a strikingly unobtrusive look alone. Equipped with a Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groupset, Syncros Capital 1.0 50 disc wheels with 50 mm rim height and the clean Syncros Creston IC SL Aero cockpit, you actually have everything on the bike that you could ever wish for. The additional equipment, such as the Syncros Belcara saddle and 28mm wide Schwalbe Pro One TLE tires, leaves little room for improvement. In size M, our test bike without pedals weighs an incredible 7,38 kilos, which is really impressive for an aero bike with disc brakes of this caliber.
But so much for the equipment and the optics, because it should be much more interesting for many how this aero racer actually drives. The short and sweet answer to that: Fast! But joking aside. To start with the foil's most obvious strengths, let's look at its rolling characteristics and aerodynamics. Even without a complex aero test and we could feel time and again on our trips and also at various bike marathons how fast the Scott Foil really is. With the same wattage, the average speed in the training trips increases by 1-2 km/h on the same route and at speeds of 45 km/h and up the bike can hardly be stopped. Especially at the cycling marathon events, we were able to close gaps on slightly sloping straights without any problems or gain decisive seconds without effort. Compared to the competitors, who certainly don't have bad racing machines either, you simply have the feeling of having even more thrust. On the one hand, this is of course due to the first-class aerodynamics of the frame set including the integrated cockpit, but on the other hand it is also due to the fast Syncros wheels, which maintain momentum for a very long time.
In our opinion, however, it is most fun when you not only have to let it roll, but also have to pedal properly to keep up the speed. The sporty seating position and the high-quality carbon layup in combination with the first-class rolling characteristics give you direct propulsion and you just want to accelerate.
When it comes to propulsion, we want to talk about liveliness right away. While the Scott Foil really isn't sluggish, there are certainly more zippy road bikes out there on the first three pedals. But once you pick up some speed, the foil really gets going and knows exactly how to convert the powerful kicks into distance in order to still achieve the sprint victory.
With such good rolling characteristics, one would think that the enthusiasm should be over at the latest on passes and long climbs. But far from it, because the Scott Foil made a good impression at our bike marathons, such as the Maratona Dolomites or the Sportful Dolomiti Race, each with around 5000 meters of altitude difference, and took us to the top without a murmur. Of course you can squeeze a few grams out of the bike with lighter wheels, and for absolute top riders that crucial kilo should more or less make a difference. Ultimately, however, there was rarely one of our previous test bikes that rode uphill so quickly with such an aero setup.
"What goes up, must come down" is a well-known saying and the performance on the descent was of course one of the decisive criteria for us. Due to the extreme propulsion of the foil, you have to concentrate very hard on fast and technical descents and aim for a good line in order not to lose your rhythm. Especially at the beginning, this can lead to one or the other small driving error, so you should rather take the first few corners slowly. But once you get the hang of it and know how to control the foil, it feels like it's on rails and you can really let it rip on the descents. Even on very winding sections, we only had to dare a little to change the bike accordingly. But then the Scott never lets you down and has always kept us on track. What can seem a bit sluggish at first, always worked to our advantage at really high speeds, because here the Scott Foil lies firmly on the road and doesn't let itself be disturbed, which gives you a lot of security even at speeds of around 100 km/h.
