Review: Scott Addict 10

For the past few years, Scott’s only road bike has been the aero Foil. For 2014 Scott complements the Foil with the return of the Addict line, a batch of lightweight all-rounders.

The original Addict was the first bike with a sub-900-g frame, so the new version needed to be special for Scott to revive the name. It does not disappoint. The combined frame and fork weight of the top-end Addict SL comes in at less than 1 kg, making it the lightest production road frame in the world. But this featherweight doesn’t come cheaply: the Addict SL costs a cool $10,000.

The Shimano Ultegra Addict 10 hits the sweet spot of the Addict lineup. It’s built with a slightly lower modulus carbon fibre than the SL. The frame and fork are a little more than 200 g heavier than its big brother. Otherwise, the Addict 10 rides and performs identically at less than half the price.

A key area of improvement on the revamped Addict is ride comfort. The integrated seatpost design is replaced by a standard round 27.2 mm post. Along with a careful design of fibre layup and shaping around the seat cluster, Scott claims a 39 per cent increase in flex under seatpost load. The cracked, rutted and debris-filled roads after the harsh winter made for excellent testing grounds of Scott’s claims.

The new Addict’s ride is a big improvement over the original and the Foil. But the Addict is no plush endurance cruiser, for that you would be better off with Scott’s other new 2014 bike, the Solace. What the Addict does do is dampen the jarring effects of seams and rough chip-seal tarmac without insulating you from the road surface. I could always feel what the road surface, and hence the traction, was like. Remember, the Addict is a race bike and stiffness and power transfer override comfort.

As with any good race bike, the Addict exhibits neutral handling that is still sharp and responsive. On descents at speed, the stiff chassis of the Addict reacted predictably to any lines I chose. Even better, I was able to make mid-corner corrections easily, a harrowing manoeuvre with some bikes. But going uphill is where the Addict excels. The wide and stiff bottom bracket ensures every watt goes to the rear wheel, helping me keep up on several group rides despite the lack of winter miles in my legs.

The Addict 10 is equipped with a complete Ultegra 11-speed groupset from Shimano. It’s a big improvement over the previous version of Shimano’s second-tier drivetrain, and comes very close to Dura-Ace performance. The entire group is a virtual clone of Dura-Ace, without the anodized finish. The new slimmer hoods and powerful yet predictable brakes are particular highlights. Shifting in the front and rear are smooth and precise, besting even the previous generation Dura-Ace in this department. It still isn’t quite as good as Shimano’s electronic Di2 groupset, which sets the standard for fast, effortless shifts that work under all conditions. However, the longer lever throws of the mechanical system do provide more feedback than their electronic counterparts, a big plus when riding with thick gloves.

The rest of the bike is outfitted with a selection of Scott’s house component brand Syncros. The bar, stem and seatpost are all solid performers with understated logos matching the Addict’s decals, giving a unified look. The wheels in particular are a nice surprise: a Syncros design with DT Swiss components, the RP 1.5 are a reasonably light set of training hoops that spin up quickly, a good match for this frame.

Scott’s revamped Addict is a classic all-around race bike. While Scott brought over a small amount of aerodynamic shaping from the Foil, weight and stiffness are the primary goals, and the Addict reflects them. It is a bike made for the hills, both going up and down. The mid-tier Addict 10 performs virtually identically to its higher price sibling, and still leaves room in your budget for a set of race-day wheels to really maximize its performance. The Addict 10 is a good choice if, like most of us, you can only have one race bike.