SCOTT SOLACE 15 DISC 2015 £2599
Original price Distance ridden 3360 miles
8.75kg (52cm) Solace HMF carbon Solace HMF carbon disc Shimano RS500 Compact crankset (50/34t), Ultegra front and rear mechs, Ultegra RS685 disc 11-speed shifters Shimano RS785 hydraulic discs Syncros RP2.0 Disc Syncros RR2.0 bar, Syncros FL2.0 stem, Syncros Carbon FL1.0 seatpost, Syncros FL2.0 saddle, 30mm Schwalbe S-One tyres
GEARS WEIGHT FINISHING KIT BRAKES FRAME
It didn’t take long for the noise to properly penetrate my head. It was jarring enough to distract from the whir of the transmission, the click of the freewheel and the sound of rubber on tarmac. And unlike those more natural cycling noises, it was more than a little annoying.
At least the cause of this reverberating rattle was easy to track down: though Scott has, for the most part at least, dealt with the internal cable routing on the Solace 15 Disc neatly, one cable does still rely on a rubber insert to keep it wedged in place.
I’d initially had no issues with this particular cable, but not long after my last instalment (see issue 305), the rattling began. What was happening, I quickly discovered, was that this rubber insert was becoming dislodged, letting the cable rattle at will. Though stuffing the rubber insert back into place would cure things temporarily, the respite never lasted long, and soon enough – as the insert progressively became tired of being manhandled so frequently – it readily ejected itself from the Solace and into a gutter somewhere near Bristol.
Luckily, curing the problem once and for all was both quick and affordable – if a little prosaic. I simply wrapped the cable with a layer or two of duct tape and wedged it into the hole in the frame; I’ve had nothing but silence since. I know this seems like a big moan over a small issue, but when you’re splashing this sort of cash on a bike, niggles like this shouldn’t happen.
Anyway, aside from this small but annoying negative, I’m pleased to report the Solace has
HIGHS
Surviving a seriously wet winter with no real maintenance
LOWS
Some of the internal cable routing could be better
FORK WHEELS