Scott Bikes

[Divegirl]

Good Morning

I would like get some thoughts and opinions on Scott bikes.

I have been getting into regularly riding the last 2 summers. I city ride or "urban mountain biking" as I call it - no trail riding or racing - just riding. I deal w/ traffic, people, animals, potholes, curbs, coffee shops and hills and as an added bonus, I live on the coast and ride along a peninsula so I also get to deal w/ sand and wind - lots of both as I ride a long the ocean and a bay.

My current bike is a 25 yr old Schwinn mountain bike which I like very much but it is showing its age. The Scott Sportster 50 - Lady has been recommended by my local bike shop. It seems to be a hybrid bike for both city and trail riding. I trust the guy who made the recommendation but I have not found much in the way of on-line reviews. Technology has changed greatly since I last bought a bike so I need to do some research rather than just blindly buying a bike.

Thank you

Laura

 

[bounceswoosh]

REI has a specs page, which verifies your hybrid impression and gives you some stats to compare with other bikes:

https://www.rei.com/product/879475/scott-sportster-50-womens-bike-2015#tab-specs

 

[Divegirl]

Thank you! I was surprised to learn in my research that Scott bikes are made by the same company that makes Scott skis, goggles, poles and so on.

 

[bounceswoosh]

Thank you! I was surprised to learn in my research that Scott bikes are made by the same company that makes Scott skis, goggles, poles and so on.

K2 makes bikes, too. But Scott has a long-standing tradition of bikes. They are a reputable brand (I don't intend to impugn K2 - I just don't know enough about K2 bikes to comment). So I wouldn't have any question about whether Scott as a whole makes decent bikes; it's more, is this particular bike right for you? Is there anything about the design of this bike that turned out to be a dud (even great brands occasionally mess up).

Here's a review, presumably from a different year: https://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12838424& ... read through the comments; there aren't that many, but they're informative.

I'm curious, as these aren't available from REI anymore, if this bike has been replaced by a different model - in which case the price from the store should definitely reflect that.

 

[Divegirl]

I know someone w/ a K2 bike. I didn't equate the 2 until I saw the K2 emblem on the front of her bike.

Thank you for the link - that one did not come up on my search. I have found forums discussing the men's version but not much on the women's. I also noticed a lot of sites like REI either have it discontinued, sold out or low stock. I also noticed that UK bike sites showed up more than US based. I am not sure if this the end of the 2015 model year in the US or Scott bikes are more popular in the UK.

The gentleman I am working with knows the area where I ride very well and his opinion is this the bike for me - it will help me with the sand, hills, wind (I struggle in the wind) and can handle curbs and potholes very well. He also knows I will not buy anything w/o researching it to death first.

I did ride it around the shop lot and I liked it though the shocks will take some getting used to. Vastly different from my current bike.

 

[bounceswoosh]

I know someone w/ a K2 bike. I didn't equate the 2 until I saw the K2 emblem on the front of her bike.

Thank you for the link - that one did not come up on my search. I have found forums discussing the men's version but not much on the women's. I also noticed a lot of sites like REI either have it discontinued, sold out or low stock. I also noticed that UK bike sites showed up more than US based. I am not sure if this the end of the 2015 model year in the US or Scott bikes are more popular in the UK.

The gentleman I am working with knows the area where I ride very well and his opinion is this the bike for me - it will help me with the sand, hills, wind (I struggle in the wind) and can handle curbs and potholes very well. He also knows I will not buy anything w/o researching it to death first.

I did ride it around the shop lot and I liked it though the shocks will take some getting used to. Vastly different from my current bike.

Your current bike is 25 years old, so anything modern should feel like a vast improvement in weight and shifting.

 

[geargrrl]

Scott is a very reputable brand. The term "hybrid" always scares me as usually a hybrid bike does nothing well. There are some new categories of bikes: city bikes, flat bar road bikes, utility bikes that have the gearing of road bikes, but a less laid-out geometry and wider tires (for stablity) that are gaining popularity. These types of bikes are suitable for road and rough roads, and might be a great option for you.

 

[altagirl]

Scott is a very reputable brand. The term "hybrid" always scares me as usually a hybrid bike does nothing well. There are some new categories of bikes: city bikes, flat bar road bikes, utility bikes that have the gearing of road bikes, but a less laid-out geometry and wider tires (for stablity) that are gaining popularity. These types of bikes are suitable for road and rough roads, and might be a great option for you.

I would agree with trying a few other types of designs before making a decision. I concur that hybrid bikes are kind of a weird niche where they're basically notorious for not being particularly good at anything (in an effort to be somewhat useful both on and off road). That said - IF you ride it and it feels comfortable and useful in sand and on road... go for it! But a city bike style or something like that may feel more natural.

Are you actually riding in deep sand or just talking about sand drifted on the road? That one word makes it a tough call for me, as for ease of pedaling, skinny tires will make things easier, but riding in sand makes me want the fattest tires I can get. To me, the bottom line is what type of geometry (body position) feels comfortable for you, and where you want it to perform (are you more concerned with handling the sand or easy/fast pedaling?)

 

[Robyn]

I bought a 2011 Scott Speedster Contessa this year (new) and love it. I got a screaming deal. I agree with the thoughts on hybrid bikes.

https://road-bikes.gearsuite.com/l/290/2011-Scott-Contessa-Speedster-15