Here’s the second of our three-strong test fleet for June, a month in which we’ll celebrate a ‘Summer of Cycling’.
For many riders, thoughts at this time of year will turn to racing, and to that end this month’s test fleet is filled with bicycles unashamedly built for speed.
The Foil Team Issue is second only to the £9,500 Foil Premium in Scott’s range of aero race bikes, and boasts the same full carbon frameset as its more expensive cousin, despite costing £3,000 less (the Premium has a Dura Ace Di2 groupset).
We took a detailed look at the high modulus carbon frameset of our Team Issue test bike and found several interesting features.
The flat ovalised top tube broadens from 3.5cm at the seat tube to 5cm at the head tube, itself a short unit, just 13cm high on our 52cm test bike.
The down tube is one of many on the Foil Team Issue with an inverted pyramid profile, its flat side uppermost in this instance, directing the aero profiled ‘point’ downwards and into the air flow.
At the seat tube, the flat surface is at the rear, creating the kamm tail design popular with a host of manufacturers (Neil Pryde and Trek to name just two).
The flat profile of the rear of the seat tube continues above the junction with the seat stays, which flow over the seat tube and in to the top tube.
At the rear triangle, the pyramid shapes continue. The chain stays are pointed on the upper and the lower surface (imagine two pyramids joined at the base). The inner plane slopes dramatically towards the wheel on both sides, and they retain much of their depth on their journey from the bottom bracket (4cm) to the drop out (2.5cm).
The integrated seat clamp is one of a series of elegant design features that includes an arrow shaped head tube and internally routed cables (brake cables through the head tube; gear cables through the down tube).
Top level componentry includes a full SRAM Red groupset and a Zipp 404 wheelset with bearing caps anodized red to match the frame.
The finishing kit comes from Ritchie (a Logic Curve carbon handlebar, a carbon Axis 4, four-bolt stem, and flat-backed carbon seat post) and from Fizik (a carbon railed Arione saddle).
We’ll get it on the scales for the following review, but at this stage we can safely report the Foil Team Issue is far from heavy; absurdly light might be nearer the mark.
The Scott Foil Team Issue costs £6,499 and is available in seven sizes from 47cm to 61cm.
Check back soon for a full review.
