£8,149 / 29in / scott-sports.com
NEED TO KNOW
Concealed Fox Nude shock contributes to futuristic looks but adds inconvenience
World’s first e-bike with integrated shock has 160mm travel, Bosch Performance Line CX motor and huge 750Wh battery
Six-bike Patron range extends from £5,699 in aluminium right up to £10,849 for the Ultimate carbon model
Smooth lines represent a completely new design DNA for Scott
TwinLoc 2 remote offers Traction Mode with reduced travel as well as a full lockout
Scott’s new Patron e-bike is so streamlined and slick, it’s almost as if the design concept rolled off the sketch pad and became reality. Angular with smooth edges, the chunky frame draws the eye from stays through shock-concealing top tube to a fat sculpted head tube with oversize 1.8in steerer tube inside. The overall effect is more Blade Runner than traditional mountain bike.
Scott’s latest creation isn’t so imageobsessed that it’s impractical, though. The integrated shock concept (shared with the brand’s new Spark trail bike and sister brand Bold Cycles) makes engineering sense, in that it keeps the shock hidden from dirt and water and allows Scott to place the latest Bosch motor and battery as low as possible for better handling.
The new Patron replaces the Genius eRide in the Scott line-up, so it gets 160mm of travel front and rear with a four-bar linkage and Horst Link. A custom Fox Nude shock is paired with a FIT4-damped 38 fork and linked to the handlebar-controlled TwinLoc system. It’s here that all the hard work of making the sleek frame is undone – the clump of levers and tangle of cables is a mess.
As a system, Scott’s TwinLoc splits opinion; many (mostly non-UK) riders will appreciate the lockout and 115mm travel ‘Traction Control’ setting on a full-fat e-bike as much as the bike’s kickstand mount, but here in the UK, we’re less convinced. Without vast Alpine climbs on our doorstep, the lockout, and to a lesser extent the Traction mode, seems superfluous.
The Patron’s unique looks come off while still using the same off-the-shelf Bosch drive unit and controller as other brands. Scott gets smart with the longer 750Wh battery (that’s the sole 2022 option) and motor by integrating it neatly, but also by twisting the latter upwards to place the heaviest component (the 4.3kg PowerTube battery) lower down in the chassis. It’s a neat trick, and one already used by Whyte and Specialized. The Patron’s motor is also cradled from underneath (not all round), meaning excess heat can also be dumped out of the top via a vented cover. There’s a charging port for the internal battery, but it’s also easily removable for off-bike replenishment.
Clocking the Bosch drive unit makes room for a water bottle, but eats into real estate for the shock, which is why the damper now hides inside the top tube. A plastic door accesses the rebound dial and Schrader valve, with the shock being driven by a cold-forged link with a splined three-piece interface (based on a Bold Cycles design) that penetrates the top tube. Scott claims the new linkage brings massive stiffness gains (45% more than Genius eRide) and should cycle the shock more cleanly for a smoother suspension response. Hiding the Nude shock does make setting the sag more difficult, however, as the exterior gauge is quite vague and requires the help of another person.
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