It’s easy to find yourself buying into the tenets of aero doctrine governing the bicycle industry, and while much of what is preached is true, the speeds required to unlock these watt savings are not always achievable for the average rider. For the most part, aero road bikes are heavier than the climbing equivalent, and while they do devour roads - particularly rolling terrain - at a much faster rate than lightweight bikes, there’s a sense of purity and feel that is lacking.
Scott is one of the brands bucking the aero trend and still offers a genuine climbing bike in its portfolio, the Addict RC. The Addict RC has long been considered one of the best lightweight bikes, a fact underscored by the original 2008 model. For the latest iteration, Scott set out to rekindle the original's values, and the result is a lightweight thoroughbred designed to mince climbs and rail descents while still holding its own on the flats.
We set out to assess how the Addict RC Pro would perform across varied terrain and surfaces, amassing over 1,100km of testing to deliver a definitive verdict.
