- 2 days ago
The 2025 Scott Addict road bike is one of the lightest production road bikes currently available, however, it's now the same weight as the original Scott Addict from 2005, so have things actually improved? How do two road bikes with the same name actually compare? In this video Sam Gupta gets hands on with both bikes and compares each bike against a number of different categories such as frameset technology, groupset, brakes, wheels, tyres and more. Let us know what you think, do you think bikes have gotten better or worse over the last 20 years?
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00:00The original Scott Addict and the 2025 Scott Addict.
00:04Two bikes that are nearly 20 years apart, yet they basically weigh the same.
00:09So what's changed? Have the bikes of today really improved that much?
00:14In this video, we're going to find out.
00:24Before we get into the nitty gritty, a quick history lesson.
00:28Back in the mid-2000s, the original Addict caused quite a stir upon its release.
00:33The reason why? Weight. Or rather, the distinct lack of it.
00:38In its top-spec Ultimate build, a complete bike was claimed to weigh just 5.9 kilos.
00:43For the time, and even by today's standards, that was incredibly light.
00:48The lowest spec builds were also light, with many flirting with the UCI's minimum weight limit of 6.8 kilos.
00:55Speaking of the UCI, from 2009 to 2011, some guy called Mark won quite a lot of races on board the Addict.
01:04He's retired now, but by all accounts, I think he had a pretty spectacular career.
01:10And some of his best years were when riding an Addict.
01:13So, not only was it light, but it was also raced successfully at the highest level.
01:19Another Addict that's been raced at a pretty high level is this one that I have before me.
01:24It's owned by John Bowman, and he rode it, albeit with a slightly tweaked spec,
01:29at the 2024 National Hill Climb Championships.
01:33It's a 2009 model, and features many period-correct parts.
01:37You've got the original 10-speed SRAM RED groupset, an integrated seatpost,
01:42and Zips 202s, with 23mm Vittoria tyres.
01:46Right, history lesson over, let's get back to the present day.
01:50First up, let's talk about the frameset.
01:52As I've already mentioned, the original Addict made a splash upon its release,
01:57and that's mainly down to the feathery weight of 790 grams for the frameset.
02:02Incredibly light at the time, and still respectable in today's market.
02:07Looking at the frameset I have today, it has all the features you'd expect to find
02:11on a mid-2000s road bike.
02:13We've got that classic double diamond silhouette, rim brakes, externally routed cables,
02:19and quick-release axles, and an external BB.
02:23It's also worth mentioning, the original Addict offers very little in the way of aero optimisation.
02:28It was all about weight and stiffness back then.
02:32Looking at the modern-day Addict, and it's clear to see things have moved on
02:35in the intervening years.
02:37The tubes have the almost industry standard teardrop tube shape,
02:41which is claimed to improve aerodynamics.
02:43And you also get the drop seat stays to help give you some extra compliance at the rear.
02:49In terms of cables, well, there aren't any.
02:52Or more accurately, the brake hoses are hidden away inside the frame.
02:57As this is a disc brake bike, you get those neat through axles,
03:01instead of the quick releases found on the old bike.
03:04And the weight, believe it or not, it's actually lighter than the original,
03:08with a claimed weight of 640 grams in the highest HMX SL spec.
03:13So, I think it's safe to say the new model outperforms the old model in every respect.
03:19It's lighter, no doubt faster, and more comfortable.
03:25Things do become a little more nuanced when it comes to integration.
03:30The old Addict had very little in the way of integration.
03:33All the parts could easily be swapped for other brands,
03:36and externally routed cables made home maintenance relatively easy.
03:41Looking at the modern day Addict, and it's a harmony of integration.
03:45All in an effort to make the bike as fast as possible.
03:48You only have to look at the handlebars, headset, seat post,
03:51and the aforementioned internally routed hoses to see how neat this thing looks.
03:57Again, this makes for a very fast bike.
03:59However, it also makes for a bike that can be tricky to work on at home,
04:03and expensive when it comes to repairs or spare parts.
04:08Say you need to replace a brake hose.
04:10It's not going to be as quick as replacing a cable on the old Addict.
04:13It's internally routed hydraulic hoses will need to be rebled.
04:17And say you wanted to try a different bar width.
04:20On the old Addict, you could find a cheap handlebar online and pop it on your current stem,
04:25which is basically what John has done with his Addict.
04:29With the new one, you'd need to buy a whole new handlebar stem combo from Scott,
04:34which is likely going to cost more.
04:36But Scott does have a huge variety of bar widths and stem length combos.
04:40And of course, you do have the option of fitting one of the eight different sized stems
04:44and then fitting any 31.8 millimeter bar that you like.
04:49And it's also worth remembering these bikes are designed to be raced at the highest level,
04:54where ease of maintenance will always come second to performance out on the road.
04:59Whichever way you spin it, I think we'll call this one a draw.
05:03We want bikes that are cheap and easy to maintain,
05:06but those desires aren't compatible with the modern day race bike.
05:11Let's quickly chat brakes.
05:13And I say quickly because we have gone over the rim versus disc argument many times on this channel,
05:18and it does not need repeating.
05:20So I'll try and sum it up as succinctly as possible.
05:24In short, disc brakes offer far better braking performance, but they weigh a little more.
05:29But with the 2025 Addict now matching the weight of the original, the weight thing is kind of a moot point.
05:36Disc brakes will also be harder to work on when it comes to home maintenance,
05:41but they will require less regular maintenance compared to rim brakes.
05:46So there you go.
05:47Let me know if I've simplified things too much down in the comments.
05:52Next up, we're going to talk wheels.
05:54Back in the mid 2000s, it was possible to buy an aero wheelset, but they would often come with a
06:00significant weight penalty, which relegated them to flat or sprint stages.
06:05Lightweight climbing wheels were available.
06:07However, their sole focus was usually reducing weight at the expense of any serious aero credentials.
06:14The Zip 202s on this bike being a prime example.
06:17Nice and light, but not very aero.
06:19So riders would often choose between the two depending on the terrain that they were riding.
06:25Without stating the obvious, the wheels were rim brake only, and as a sign of the times,
06:29they would feature a relatively narrow rim profile to match the narrow tyres.
06:34But more on tyres in a minute.
06:36The wheelset on the 2025 Addict has moved on considerably from the wheelsets of the mid 2000s.
06:42We now get a wider 25mm internal width, hookless and tubeless technology, and a 40mm depth.
06:49This depth strikes a decent balance between keeping the weight low while maintaining
06:54some aero credentials.
06:56And of course, these wheels are also disc brake only.
06:59The wheels I have on this bike have a claimed weight of 1170 grams.
07:05So, basically, they're as light as some of the lighter rim brake wheelsets of the mid 2000s.
07:10Not only that, but I'd wager they're a more balanced wheelset,
07:14offering a better mix of speed, handling and weight.
07:20Tyres are arguably one of the least sexy parts of a bike,
07:23but they probably affect the performance of said bike more than anything else.
07:28Looking back at the original Addict, it came with 23mm tyres,
07:32and the bike shop you bought it from probably pumped them north of 120 psi.
07:37I know that's what I did at least.
07:39The prevailing wisdom at the time was that a thinner and harder tyre
07:43would offer the lowest rolling resistance, and thus, more speed.
07:48Fast forward to today, and we now know this is not the case,
07:51with wider tyres at lower pressures offering less rolling resistance,
07:55along with a bunch of other benefits.
07:58These include added comfort from the larger tyre volume,
08:01more grip in the corners, and less chance of pinch flats if you're running a tube.
08:06Speaking of tubes, the 30mm wide Schwab tyres that come on the 2025 Addict can also be run tubeless,
08:13something that didn't really exist on road bikes back in the mid 2000s.
08:18The pros and cons of tubeless tyres probably needs its own video,
08:22but I'll try and sum it up as best as I can.
08:26Tubeless tyres will lessen the chance of you getting punctures,
08:29but they will take more time to set up.
08:32They'll also offer lower rolling resistance in certain cases,
08:36but that can be down to the brand of tyre and the pressure that you're running them at.
08:41So, to repeat what I said at the start of this segment,
08:44while the 30mm tyres on the 2025 Addict are probably not the sexiest part of this build,
08:50they have one of the largest effects on how quickly and how comfortably the bike will be to ride.
08:56Compared to the original Addict, this is one place we can see some of the largest improvements.
09:06Finally, we are going to talk group sets.
09:09The original Addict came out just before the beginning of the mass adoption
09:14of electronic group sets in the pro ranks. So, as you'd expect, it came with a good old-fashioned
09:20cable group set. And, depending on which model you bought and from what year,
09:25that might have been from Shimano, SRAM or even Campagnolo.
09:28As you'd expect, the modern-day Addict has the latest and greatest in electronic group sets,
09:33with the model before me being equipped with SRAM's Red Axis group set.
09:38Now, you only need to read the reviews to know how good electronic group sets have become.
09:44Quick, accurate and hassle-free shifting means that in terms of pure performance,
09:48they're a huge upgrade on the group sets of nearly 20 years ago.
09:53Again, they come at a weight penalty compared to the lightest cable-actuated group sets of old
09:59and can sometimes be trickier to set up. But, for me, the benefits outweigh any negatives.
10:06Gearing on modern road bikes is another important consideration.
10:11Looking at our original Addict, we've got what was fairly standard gearing of the time,
10:15with a 53-39 chainring and an 11-26 cassette. On our 2025 Addict, we have something far more
10:24contemporary, with a 46-33 at the front and a wide-range 10-33 cassette at the back.
10:31That is a much wider spread compared to the original bike, so you should have no problems
10:36spinning up the steepest of climbs. By now, it should be fairly obvious that even though
10:43these Addicts weigh the same, a lot has changed in the years between them. The bikes we're riding
10:50now are faster, more comfortable and with better handling, so what's not to like?
10:56There are some small costs though, in the form of trickier home maintenance and some extra
11:01proprietary parts that can make swapping components more of a headache.
11:06The key thing for me though, is we're now at a point where you can get all the benefits of a modern
11:11road bike at a similar overall weight to the lightweight bikes of old. And remember,
11:16that hasn't always been the case. It wasn't that long ago that choosing a modern aero road bike
11:23often meant a significant sacrifice in terms of weight. But with bikes like the new Addict,
11:30that's not the case. And for me, that can only be a good thing.
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