rfryer wrote:Am I the only person to worry about the top tube stretching? Is it made out of toffee?
I don't get that either - I can see how the lower frame flexes, but stretch? It would make sense if the top tube was curved, then it would straighten, but it's not, it's straight. Still, I expect they know what they're doing. I think the animation might be exaggerated though.
I like the Scott Foil's frame shape but I do think the integrated aero stem is fugly - aero road bikes are all getting that now - spoils the look for me.
If the dropped seat stays help with compliance then I suppose they're worthwhile, but as thelawnet's illustration showed, as far as 'aero benefits' go it's such a ridiculously marginal gain that it would only ever be even slightly relevant if you were racing.
If you look closely at the photo of the Scott Foil above, you'll see the rear brake is below the bottom bracket. Putting it there allowed the seat stays to be less stiff - they'd have had to brace the brake to some extent if it was in the usual place, and there was a slight saving on drag, but in practice it's flawed - there's enough movement down there, compared to if it was at the top of the seat stays, for the pads to rub, and it's seriously exposed to the elements. Going over to disc brakes, as on some versions, has solved that problem but introduced others. They're clever engineers at Scott (it's a Swiss company; I thought it was American), but the Foil is more race bike than road bike. Maybe there's not supposed to be a difference but there is and so there should be.
