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
01:03the 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.
01:18Another 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 zipped 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.
01:53As I've already mentioned, the original Addict made a splash upon its release,
01:57and that's mainly down to the feathery weight of 790g for the frameset.
02:03Incredibly 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 on a mid-2000s
02:12road bike.
02:13We've got that classic double diamond silhouette, rim brakes, externally rooted 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 in the intervening years.
02:37The tubes have the almost industry standard teardrop tube shape, which 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 instead of the quick releases found
03:02on the old bike.
03:04And the weight, believe it or not, it's actually lighter than the original,
03:08with a claimed weight of 640g in the highest HMX SL spec.
03:14So I think it's safe to say the new model outperforms the old model in every respect.
03:20It'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.
04:13Its 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.
04:28With 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 31.8mm 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.
05:00Whichever way you spin it, I think we'll call this one a draw.
05:03We want bikes that are cheap and easy to maintain,
05:05but 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,
05:33the weight thing is kind of a moot point.
05:36Disc brakes will also be harder to work on when it comes to home maintenance,
05:40but 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 wheel set,
05:58but they would often come with a significant weight penalty,
06:01which 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.
06:13The Zip 202s on this bike being a prime example.
06:17Nice and light, but not very aero.
06:20So 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.
06:28And as a sign of the times, they 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 some aero credentials.
06:55And 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, offering 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.
07:38The prevailing wisdom at the time was that a thinner and harder tyre would offer the lowest rolling resistance.
07:45And thus, more speed.
07:47Fast forward to today, and we now know this is not the case.
07:51With wider tyres at lower pressures, offering less rolling resistance, along with a bunch of other benefits.
07:57These include added comfort from the larger tyre volume, more grip in the corners,
08:03and 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, but I'll try and sum it up as
08:24best as I can.
08:26Tubeless tyres will lessen the chance of you getting punctures, but 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 of electronic
09:14group sets in the pro ranks.
09:16So, as you'd expect, it came with a good old fashioned cable group set.
09:21And depending on which model you bought and from what year, that might have been from Shimano,
09:26SRAM 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.
09:43Quick, 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.
10:10Looking 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.
10:20On our 2025 Addict, we have something far more contemporary,
10:25with 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,
10:35so you should have no problems spinning up the steepest of climbs.
10:40By now, it should be fairly obvious that even though these Addicts weigh the same,
10:45a lot has changed in the years between them.
10:48The bikes we're riding now are faster, more comfortable and with better handling.
10:53So what's not to like? There are some small costs though, in the form of trickier home maintenance
11:00and some extra proprietary 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
11:11a
11:11modern road bike at a similar overall weight to the lightweight bikes of old.
11:16And remember, that hasn't always been the case. It wasn't that long ago,
11:20that choosing a modern aero road bike often meant a significant sacrifice in terms of weight.
11:27But with bikes like the new Addict, that's not the case.
11:31And for me, that can only be a good thing.
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