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TECH NEWS
new scott foil.pngIs Scott set to launch a new Foil aero road bike?
A photo posted on Scott’s Instagram account recently with the caption "Nothing to see here" suggests that the company might be about to unveil an update of its long-running Foil aero road bike.
Scott used a camo paint job to vaguely disguise its new Addict disc-equipped cyclocross bike earlier this year, before it was officially unveiled to the world. It looks like the company is doing the same with its expected Foil replacement.
Scott Foil 15 aero road bike review
What makes us think this is a replacement for the Foil? Largely because the Foil was first introduced in 2011 and in the bike world that’s an eternity. Plus the company has more recently launched new time trial (Plasma), cyclocross (Addict CX) and endurance models (Solace), leaving the Foil the last bike due an update.
There's more conclusive evidence on the UCI's approved list of frame and forks, which lists a model called the "FO2" approved on the 6th March 2015. Before the Foil was officially revealed it went under the name FO1 during its development phase.
12 of the fastest aero road bikes
With the likes of Trek set to launch a new Madone with even more aero features, and rumours of a new Venge in the pipeline, Scott needs to be seen to investing in its flagship aero road bike, and aerodynamic design is rapidly evolving and maturing. Scott sponsors two professional road teams, IAM and Greenedge, and they both favour the Foil.
What is new?
There’s not much we can tell from the photo, but there’s one intriguing detail, a Syncros integrated handlebar. One-piece integrated handlebars are in fashion at the moment as manufacturers work to find more aerodynamic savings and reducing the frontal surface area and smoothing airflow over the handlebars has prompted Specialized, Canyon and Cervelo to launch such handlebars in the last year.
First look: Canyon Aerocockpit CF integrated handlebar
We can also see that the bike is fitted with a Shimano Dura-Ace direct mount front brake - the current Foil has a dual pivot front brake - and direct mount brakes are a common sight on the latest crop of aero road bikes.
There’s more. The cable routing is very different. The current Foil has the rear brake cable internally routed into the left side of the head tube, this new bike has the routing on the opposite side. There’s also no sign of the Di2 wire either, so it’s most likely Scott has routed the wiring inside the handlebars and through the frame, in a similar style to the Canyon Aeroad.
If this is indeed a new Foil, we’re hoping Scott addresses the stiffness of the frame which was a complaint when we reviewed it. It feels fine on a perfectly smooth race track, but it can jolt and jar on regular roads.
Aero road bikes usually come with a weight penalty compared to regular road bikes, but at a claimed 850g the current Foil isn’t a heavyweight. Still, Scott is a company famously obsessed with light weight and we’re sure they’ve made savings.
David worked on the road.cc tech team from 2012-2020. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds, and you can now find him over on his own YouTube channel David Arthur - Just Ride Bikes.
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12 comments
I have talked to a few pro cyclist who aren't in favor of discs on road bikes. They site the following reasons:
1. Wheel designers spend millions making wheels aerodynamic. With discs you need to unbalance the wheel, strengthen and unbalance the hub, add more spokes and have a chunk of metal hanging off of one side of the wheel. The wheel becomes as aero as a 1970s box rim. Discs undo the aerodynamic work. Bike makers will be doing everything to spin that they can change the rim and compensate for the weight and Aerodynamic loss.
2. There is only so much of a contact patch and there was never a problem especially in dry conditions where they could not lock up their wheels.
3. The modulation benefits would only pay off on really tight and twisty courses. They want to see some independent studies on existing courses that show the time saved in corners versus a standard brake outweighs the lost aero and weight benefits.
4. They want to see studies that show discs will actually make the peloton safer.
5. Far more maintenance.
They get discs in cross and mountain biking because of the twisty conditions and the mud and sand that would sandpaper rims and destroy them. They just don't see the need for them on the road except for wet conditions. Interesting.
They also said they wouldn't speak out against the technology because it may hurt their bike sponsors,
The reason why they've developed a new Foil without discs (apart from the obvious fact that they're not UCI legal yet) is because this is an aero frame and just like the new Venge it's all about reducing drag. Why would a sprinter want extra drag on their bike? Sure we'll see 'some' Pro bikes in the future with discs, but for the sprinters I very much doubt the calliper will go, especially when it's now being integrated wherever possible.
Problem with disc brakes is they're not currently usable in competition and as the bike will be seen "officially" at the Tour (cos they always launch shiny new kit at the Tour!), it has to be rim brakes.
By the time everyone has settled on a standard for discs, got them approved for road racing etc, it'll be time for this bike to have another revamp - 4 years time maybe.
Nice bike, I do like Scott.
Pinarello are doing disc version of all their race bikes, specialized already have disc version of theirs, Merida will have a disc Scultura soon, I'm sure I've seen something about cannondale doing disc versions of their race bikes, and Giant have the disc only carbon Defy range already out and I'd bet a disc TCR and/or disc Propel will be seen shortly. That looks like most of the main pro peleton bike providers to me. And the UCI are trialing it this year, which means good chance of having disc int he peloton full time in 2017, if not 2016.
Like I say, not much point putting development in at the top end with regards rim brakes. Lower end, maybe, but then how much development do you see at the lower end that isn't simply stuff trickling down from the top end.
This Scott will be coming out now as a result of it being in development since before the UCI suddenly decided to consider disc brakes seriously - expect a fairly hastily adapted disc version to appear soon!
I like that camo paint job!
Matosvelo[dot]fr have a few pictures (without the integrated bar and stem) from an Orica rider at the Tour de Suisse:
http://www.matosvelo.fr/public/Matos-pro/Scott/F02/Tour_de_Suisse/Scott-...
Scott-Foil-F02-2016-001.jpg
Ugh. Brake under bottom bracket.
Looking at the direct mount front brake - are there any murmurs of a top-pull system a la Campag Delta, in order to get the cable/armature out of the wind? Would seem like something that manufacturers would be interested in pursuing, although the wind resistance from those parts must be minimal.
I would have thought any development time/money for improvements in brake technology will be spent on disc brakes now, and reducing/removing the already minimal aero disadvantage they have.
Not much point doing much with rim brakes any more when the majority of the top flight look likely to switch to discs within 18 months.
And I'll now stand back and wait for the backlash to my comments.
I'm not sure rim brakes will disappear altogether, especially at the lower end of the market, the point you make about the top end stuff switching to discs is an interesting one - some manufacturers have grabbed the bull, but there's many that haven't (such as this Scott) but they have made the move to direct mount brakes. I wonder if there's more development to come at the top end - not saying I know either way, but it would be interesting to know if there are rumours.
I agree that there is an increasing push for disc brakes as the UCI begins to look at introducing them. However, as Trek, Specialized, and Scott all have new bikes on the UCI approval list that are yet to be released (the aero Madone, the new Venge, and this new Foil) it seems that rim brakes still have at least one iteration left in the peloton.
I bet that's because a) they have been in development since before UCI started taking road discs seriously, so they have to release them or take a hit, and b) discs are not allowed at the moment. These bikes may get launched, and used, but they will not spend the usual two-three years in the pro-peloton - at least not in rim brake form.