The former Scott Foil was a true all-terrain vehicle. Not as aerodynamic as the best aerodynamic bikes, nor as light as the best climbing bike, but a very capable runner. The new Scott Foil, however, seems to have returned to the Aero school and came out the other side as a transformed machine, with new tube shapes, fork and patented parts.
Of the large number of new bikes we’ve seen (officially or otherwise) in the Tour de France race from Canyon, Trek and Pinarello, the new Scott Foil is perhaps the biggest deviation from its ancestor to date. Sure, the new Madone has a big hole in the back, but it looks like it’s a total aerodynamic bike, which the new Foil also seems to point to now.
The shapes of the tube are visibly deeper (image credit: Scott)
The fastest Scott road bike
Although Romain Bardet is featured in the launch material, and will certainly go with this bike at some point in the Tour, it is a bike aimed at sprinters and escape specialists rather than alpine whippets. While some brands seem to converge on a single race bike strategy, Scott has doubled down and made the nominally aerodynamic Foil even more aerodynamic.
Interestingly for a new bike launch, no figures have been put in the box as to the watts saved, or seconds faster at a given speed, only that it is more aerodynamic than its predecessor. Looking at the bike, it won’t be a statement for anyone to dispute, figures or not, as it is clearly a much more streamlined picture frame.
New bars abandon old model (image credit: Scott)
The steering tube is noticeably deeper, with a sculpture at the bottom edge and is designed to act as a fairing to shape the flow of air around the pilot. The fork legs are also deeper and there is a higher fork crown. In fact, it’s easier to say that each tube is noticeably deeper, thanks to a relaxation of UCI regulations. Interestingly, the seats are tilted inward at a 10-degree angle to force airflow to the rear spokes, which apparently also makes things faster.
The top tube is still subtly curved, but noticeably more horizontal, and flows into a deeper, sloping seat tube and seat stem, which is heavily sculpted around the rear wheel. As is also becoming commonplace, the bottom bracket area looks at the top of the front plates even at a professional level for maximum rigidity and aerodynamic gains.
The front and rear edges have also been revised with a new patented seatpost and bar rod combo from Syncros. The new bars have abandoned the swoopy design of yesteryear and instead opt for a much more linear profile and a narrower cross section. The seatpost is also narrower, in addition to being deeper.
A very high BB area for rigidity and aerodynamic advantages (image credit: Scott)
Aero, with comfort
According to aerodynamic claims, there are still no figures regarding the weight of the new Scott Foil, only that there has been a 30 percent reduction in the number of carbon parts compared to the layout of the previous model.
Fortunately, comfort has not been left out in the pursuit of speed either. The new Syncros bars feature what is called “Adaptive Compliance”, so in the hoods the small bumps are extinguished thanks to the built-in bending, but in the falls during sprints things are stiffer for a larger transfer of precious watts.
The seatpost, too, is deeper, designed to add comfort. The two-part system consists of a narrower front blade that tilts at the top to accommodate the seat clamp and a wider rear section. There seems to be a fairly large area between the two, presumably full of slightly flexible material, although it can also accommodate an integrated rear LED.
The new Scott Foil comes with a 28mm rear tire and a 25mm front tire in stock, but can support up to 30mm if you need a little more.
The seatpost is designed to flex and a removable tail light can be placed in place of the hinge (image credit: Scott)
Price and availability
The new Scott Foil will be available in five options of different specifications, but as it is the price is not known. Please come back later for an update.