Scott Scale 980 Review & Specs

At Westbrook Cycles, we are huge fans of the Scott Hardtail Mountain Bike Range. In our opinion, the hardtail range from Scott covers all riding requirements and all budgets. These hardtails are at home on the daily commute, as much as they are at home crossing challenging terrain and singletracks.

The Scale 980 is perfectly positioned as Scott’s sub £1000 hardtail. It’s a bike which delivers on all fronts, and comes fully loaded with a Shimano 12 speed drivetrain, as well as a Suntour fork which has 100mm of travel, perfect for soaking up uneven terrain. The bike is packed with features, such as remote lockout for the front forks, with plenty of travel settings so you can adjust and ride to the exact ground you are travelling across.

The frame of the 980 is made from Scott’s own lightweight alloy mix, and the bike has a cross country race geometry. The forks, as mentioned above, provide 100mm of travel with plenty of different travel options for different terrain. There’s also a high quality Shimano Deore 1 x12 drivetrain which has a massive array of gear ranges which makes lightwork of both ascents and descents, allowing for efficient and quick progress. The Deore provides good quality gear changes. The bike also arrives fitted with good specification tyres, with the Maxxis Recon Race tyres being fitted, providing little in the way of resistance, whilst providing plenty of grip.

High quality Shimano Disc Brakes are also fitted to the 980, meaning great stopping power - regardless of the weather conditions. One of the most exciting things about the 980, is how ready the bike is to be upgraded with different parts and components. The 980 comes as standard with tubeless ready Syncros wheels, the bike also has wider Boost141 hubs which provides stronger wheel strength, as well as better tyre clearance for when the going gets muddy.

Styling wise, this bike has internal cabling - and the frame can also be upgraded with a dropper seatpost for those looking for maximum levels of control and convenience. Overall, this bike is an excellent cross country option, for recreational riders and racers alike.