Cross-Country Comfort
Though this aluminum cross-country racer doesn’t boast the exotic carbon fiber and secret build techniques of the bikes above it in the Spark line, it does have the same semirelaxed geometry and efficient 4.3-inch-travel design that have made those bikes popular endurance racers. “I know it’s a race bike, but I’d go trail riding on it all day long,” wrote one tester. “It just goes exactly where you want it to.” The Spark 40 also comes with Scott’s great TwinLoc mechanism—a single lever on the handlebars that can set both the front and rear suspension to full travel or full lockout. 26.9 lbs (medium);
Climbing: 3.7
Descending: 4.2