Aluminum frames offer value and durability. And because Scott believes in pushing the limits of all their bikes to make them better, they’ve cut 200g of frame weight from their 900/700 Scale Alloy frames. And that’s weight you can feel.

This Scale platform remains largely unchanged from the carbon-fiber offerings. Whether you go with the 27.5” or 29er version, the geometry is identical to what you’ll find executed in fancy HMF or fancier HMX carbon. The tubing is called 6011SL Custom Butted Superlight Tubing. What you need to know is that the frame is a scant 1470g. The shapes, and they do shape the tubes, mimic the shapes you’ll find on their carbon bikes. The shaping here is simpler, due to the limitations of working metal tubes. But the short stays help keep the bike scooty on uphills, the bridgeless stays offer plenty of clearance. The slack head angle, combined with a 100mmm travel fork featuring a tapered 1 1/8” to 1 1/2” steerer, offer a nice balance of stability and agility, and the 31.6mm seatpost limits the vibrations coming up from the frame.

Even with the aluminum tubing, they still give you internal cable routing, to keep the frame looking clean. One change that they felt was necessary when going with aluminum is the bottom bracket shell. The BB92 has been replaced with a conventional English-threaded bb.

Scott builds the alloy frames up with Shimano drivetrain componentry and brakes, but opts to finish the build with Syncros componentry. Syncros is Scott’s house brand, which means they’ve not only been able to specify exactly what they want, but also color-coordinate for a pro look, and cut out intermediate steps in the supply chain to keep prices down while performance remains high.

The two big decisions for you is what level build to go for and wheel size. Do you prefer the agility of the smaller 27.5” or the efficiency of the 29er?