08/21/2008

First Impression: Scott High Octane 1 Scott is back on this side of the pond and ripping up the trails Words by Motion MacIvor

I like to think of myself as an all-round cyclist, but I find trying to maintain a complete quiver can be a bit pricey. I've had a few full suspension bikes, but I've never had the spare five or six thousand dollars kicking around to spend on a full-blown DH racing rig. So when Cam asked me to test Scott USA's new High Octane 1, I was pretty stoked to temporarily fill that final spot in my quiver.

After years of touring in Europe, Scott USA is coming back to North America in 2005. Despite the fact that Scott USA is the brand that I used to associate with the 'Unicrown' fork, a quick look at the '05 line up reveals a company that is serious about making sick bikes.

Pretty much every line of bikes from Scott has an absolute showstopper at the top of the pile, including the CR1 road bike - one of the lightest road frames in the world - so its top DH racer should be hot.

The High Octane 1 is a very serious looking bike. The fat-ass downtube and carbon fibre seat mast give the bike a solid brutish look. Something about the matte black finish with carbon, and glossed flame highlights make this one of the burliest, most agro, and sexy looking bikes out there.

Even though you could argue that a single pivot frame is the simplest form of rear suspension, this bike looks totally teched out and stealthy, as if aerospace engineers designed it. Then again, my buddy Eron thinks it's one of the most freakish looking bikes he's ever seen. So maybe you should decide for yourself.

I think it's fair to characterize the Scott's spec as flashy and reliable. The drivetrain is made up of Race Face Diabolus cranks, an FSA Chain Pimp chainguide, and XT derailleur. Up front, an 8" Boxxer Team is steered by a Race Face Diabolus stem and oversized Scott handlebar.

Shimano (rear) and Scott (front) hubs, Sun Double Track rims matched with front- and rear-specific Maxxis Minion tires keep the bike rolling fast, and a set of 8" Hayes Nines are there to bring it under control (the bike will be sold with El Caminos, but they weren't available for this review).

The real highlight of this bike is the frame. Travel can be adjusted from 7" to 9.5", and the seat angle, head angle, and bottom bracket height can all be independently adjusted. The head angle is the most interesting adjustment: it consists of an offset headtube sleeve that is clamped into the front of the frame.

Twisting the sleeve 180º changes the head angle by about 3º, without changing the bottom bracket height. The headtube clamp could turn out to be the weak point of the bike, but it looks pretty burly so I won't jump to any conclusions.

My first few rides on this bike have confirmed my worst fears. The Scott High Octane 1 is not a good climber - which isn't a big surprise from a double-crown bike with 9" of rear travel. On the other hand, it gives me the power of invincibility on descents, so I guess these things even out in the long run. And I gotta tell ya, I'm really looking forward to getting to know this bike better.

Some people might say this bike is overkill, and others may say it's overcompensation to hide unrelated inadequacies, but I say those are the words of bitter, unhappy, player haters. I know a good time when I see one.

Stay tuned to nsmb for a full-on review of the Scott High Octane 1.
Brought to you by guest writer Motion MacIvor