Scott Voltage FR 20 - Tested

• Purpose: freeride/bike park
• Rear wheel travel: 160 - 180mm
• Adjustable geometry
• Full length 1.5'' head tube
• ISCG-05 chain guide tabs
• 135mm thru-axle or QR compatible dropouts
• RockShox Domain R Dual Crown fork
• 65° head angle, 348mm (13.7'') BB height
• Ultra short 365mm (14.4'') seat tube
• MSRP: $2399 USD


Frame Details
While a large amount of adjustability has been built into the Voltage frame, it actually employs a simple - but proven - single pivot and linkage-activated suspension layout. Scott didn't try to reinvent mountain bike suspension with the Voltage, but they certainly have put some effort into designing a robust rear end that looks to be ready for anything. Large diameter tubing, along with clevis type pivots employed at both ends of the seat stays, show that the bike should be ready for some serious abuse. It's all held together with anodized aluminum hardware. As you'd expect, sealed bearings are present at every pivot.


The FR 20's frame is the very same as found on the top tier $3699 USD Voltage FR 10, making use of extensive hydroforming to construct some very unique tube shapes. The bike's top tube flares out just aft of the head tube and reminds us of the head of an angered cobra before tapering down to where it joins the very short seat tube. The bike's low stand over height is impressive - its seat tube is just 365mm (14.4'') long on both the short and the long frame size (tested here) - giving it the appearance of a stubby dirt jump frame. This should make it easier to throw certain tricks or make a quick exit if things go awry on a jump.

The rear end of the FR 20 is flexible in a good way: its 135mm wide IDS (Interchangeable Dropout System) allows you to choose from a quick release, standard thru-axle, or Maxle system, making it possible to run a variety of different wheels if need be. The arrangement also allows you to alter the bike's chain stay length to be either 10mm shorter or 10mm longer than the standard 425mm (16.7'') length, with the shorter 16.3'' option sounding great for tight jumps or slower trails, and the 17.1'' length making sense if you spend your days on the bike park.


Component Spec
Deciding the spec on a sub-$2500 freeride bike can't be an easy task, but Scott has done an admirable job of it. You won't find any carbon fiber, 10 speed cassettes, or boutique parts here - the FR 20 is all about real world function. The Fox Van R shock out back is paired up with RockShox's affordable, 200mm travel Domain R fork. While the Domain doesn't get the exposure that the pricier BoXXer receives, the steel stanchioned Domain looks to be a good option for those who value reliability and money saved over light weight and extra dials to turn. This makes the FR 20 the only Voltage to utilize a dual crown fork, a fact to keep in mind if you're a heavier rider or plan on racing.

Specifications Release Date 2012 Price $2399 Travel 160-180 Rear Shock Fox VAN R Fork RockShox Domain R Headset FSA Orbit E 1.5R Cassette Sram PG-950, 11-28 9speed Crankarms Truvativ Hussefelt 1.0, 165mm w/ 36t ring Chainguide E.thirteen LS-1 w/ taco (ISCG 05) Bottom Bracket Truvativ Howitzer XR, 73mm shell Pedals Wellgo B102U SCT, replaceable pins Chain Shimano CN-HG53 Rear Derailleur Sram X.7, short cae Shifter Pods Sram X5 trigger, rear only Handlebar Scott Pilot FR 1 Pro, 20mm rise Stem Truvativ Hussefelt, 40mm Brakes Avid Elixir 5 Disc, 200mm rotors Hubs Scott Comp 20mm, Scott DHL-135 12mm thru axle Spokes DT Swiss Champion black 2.0mm Rim Alex FR 32 Tires Schwalbe Big Betty DH 2.4 Seat Scott Voltage FR Seatpost Scott DJ zero offset, 31.6mm Compare to other DH/Freeride Bikes

Smartly chosen components include the bike's mixed X5 and X7 9 speed drivetrain, likely putting a smile on the face of any prospective FR 20 buyers who have yet to hop aboard the 10 speed train, along with 165mm long Hussefelt cranks. e.13's steel backed LS-1 guide, complete with protective taco, takes care of the chain keeping duties. Scott has also bolted up a proper direct mount stem and 750mm wide bar, along with meaty 2.4'' wide, dual ply Schwalbe Big Betty tires, making the FR 20 ready to rock without requiring any immediate upgrades. There is no reason that the red and white Scott can't be taken straight out of the box and onto the hill, not something that can be said about all of the competition.

---

Riding the Voltage FR 20

The FR 20's cockpit feels a touch shorter than what you'd find on many downhill bikes, with a horizontal top tube length of 582mm for our 'long' sized bike. I wouldn't go so far as to say that it is cramped for my 5'10" frame, although lankier riders might find themselves wishing for a bit more room for their knees and arms (this is the largest of the two sizes). Having said that, the short feel makes complete sense when you consider that the FR 20 has been designed to be a big travel play bike. Throwing a leg over the top of the bike's incredibly low top tube reveals an immense amount of stand over clearance, a layout the Scott has employed for the very same reason. It is so low, in fact, that it makes other 180mm travel bikes feel as if they are on stilts - short shredders rejoice!


Handling
With 180mm of rear wheel travel available and a full 200mm of front via the dual crown RockShox Domain R, it should come as no surprise that the red and white Voltage can gobble up some seriously challenging terrain. The bike is incredibly stout feeling, likely thanks to its clevis suspension pivots and large diameter tubing, and tracks like it's on rails through the chunder and rough corners. There are very few rigs out there that are flexy enough to feel like it's hindering the bike's performance, but the FR 20 is surely at the opposite end of the spectrum - the entire bike is on the same plane regardless of how hard you square up, even on the most off camber of off camber sections. The Voltage isn't a downhill race bike and it doesn't pretend to be, but its sturdy character makes for a bike that can be ridden hard enough to trouble true DH machines on certain trails. This is admirable when considering that both the front and rear suspension units cost quite a bit less than what you'd find on a purpose built DH thoroughbred. Unlike many long travel bikes in this price category, Scott doesn't spec the FR 20 with flimsy single ply rubber, but rather a set of dual ply tires in the form of Schwalbe's Big Betty tires. They not only grip well, but we also didn't suffer a single flat.

A 65° head angle makes for an easy to ride bike in the steeps, while the short front seemed to make it easy to weight the front tire for hard cornering. The bike had a snappy sensation to it as long as the trail was pointing down, with its relatively short wheelbase giving it a compact feel that didn't mind being thrown from berm to berm, or getting the front end up for a long manual. It didn't take much effort to have the FR 20 sideways enough to bring a smile to our face, a trait that is a surefire sign of a fun bike.

When the ground begins to level out is when you'll find yourself at a disadvantage, with the FR 20 just not feeling as motivated out of corners and on the flats relative to other similar travel bikes. It isn't the bike's weight - it comes in at just under 40lbs, or an overly active rear end - the suspension was firm and well behaved, but the Voltage was much happier to be allowed to carry speed out of sections as opposed to having to earn it after them. A very supple fork and short top tube didn't exactly have us sprinting with the spirit of Carl Lewis either.


Suspension Action
The FR 20's RockShox Domain Dual Crown R fork is matched well to the bike's intentions. The burly, steel stanchioned slider is coil sprung and incredibly smooth and active, if a bit portly when compared to more expensive choices. While we'd go so far as to say that our Domain R was more active than those same pricier forks, we could also feel that its damping isn't as sophisticated when we pushed it hard, with a tendency for it to gobble up too much travel or respond unexpectedly. Adding some oil volume to the spring side is an easy way to make the Domain more progressive, and something that we'd recommend to any FR 20 rider who is either going large or large themselves.

The rear end's action impressed us, with a firm stroke (for 180mm of travel) that stayed composed over both fast, rough terrain and on large hits. It is that last point, how it handles itself on heavy landings, that is essential for a bike like the FR 20 to excel in its intended environment. Riders who session drops and jumps, the FR 20's target audience, will be pleased to find that the bike resists blowing through its rear wheel travel, even when thrown off of tall structures with poor landings. We didn't feel the need to go up in spring rate on the Fox shock, something that would have compromised the bike's performance on the trail. As it sits, the FR 20 strikes a good balance between taming trails at speed and being able to handle itself when sending something large.

We spent the large majority of the time riding the bike in its 180mm travel setting, largely due to the Domain fork's unadjustable travel/ride height. The bike felt a touch awkward when set to the lesser 160mm rear travel position, although that would likely be an entirely different story if it was equipped with an adjustable travel fork that could be set up to match the rear of the bike. We can't fault Scott too much here, though, because speccing such a fork would put the FR 20 very much above its reasonable asking price, but FR 20 owners shouldn't expect to run the rear of the bike in the shorter setting without having to swap to a different fork for best results. The bike can also be setup with 130mm of rear wheel travel, but the likelihood of many riders doing this is slim given that it requires a shorter stroke shock.


What about those parts?

• E.thirteen's LS-1 may use a steel back plate in order to keep cost down, but the important parts - the upper slider and lower roller - are both the same as found on the more expensive version. The guide was trouble free during our time on the bike, never once dropping a chain or clogging up.

• Schwalbe has come on strong over the last few seasons and the FR 20's Big Betty DH tires show well. The 2.4" wide rubber was very predictable, and despite having read negative feedback on them when they are used in the muck, we have to disagree - they offered a great feel when things got slimy. No, they are not a mud specific tire, but they seemed to hold onto wet roots and saturated dirt at least as well, if not better, than any other all condition choice. Scott also went to the trouble of using different compounds for the front and rear tires, with Schwalbe's soft Vertstar up front and the longer wearing Triple Nano Compound out back.

• Scott's decision to spec the FR 20 with a 9 speed drivetrain was likely a smart one given the bike's intention as a freeride bike - it's going to see some abuse. The X7 rear derailleur did everything that we asked of it, and while the X5 trigger looks lower quality than an X7 unit (as well as not being MatchMaker compatible), it also works just fine.

• The bike's Avid Elixir 5 brakes, complete with 200mm rotors, could be a bit noisy in the wet, but offered great power and feel with less dials to break off when the bike goes flying after a stunt gone wrong.



Pinkbike's take:

www.scott-sports.com
Photos by Brad Walton