[Review] Scott Voltage

Scott introduces the Voltage, a light ebike with TQ motorization, a built-in 360Wh battery, 29-inch wheels, 160mm of travel at the front and 155 at the rear. I was able to preview it on the trails in Girona, Spain, and then on those back home, assisted by the unstoppable CrisB.

Our followers will notice similarities with the Scott Lumen, and indeed the Voltage has the same motor and battery, as well as the now typical Scott design with the shock hidden in the frame. The character of the bike is radically different: this is an all mountain that loves downhill. Details and review in the video (Italian)!

Scott Voltage geometry

I rode a Voltage in size L, with 485mm reach, and it felt good. I am 179cm tall and have a saddle to bottom bracket distance of 74cm. The rear triangle is 455mm long, long enough to be able to climb up the steep while keeping the front wheel well glued to the ground, also because the 77° saddle angle is nice and vertical. Also not to be forgotten is the Traction mode of the Fox Nude shock absorber, which decreases the volume of the positive chamber, effectively decreasing the sag and thus sinking less.

Scott Voltage on the trail

Indeed, the Twin Lock, that is, the remote handlebar control, could not be missing on a Scott. On the left side of the handlebar we find three levers: two to open/close the rear suspension, and one to operate the dropper seatpost. The fork remains open at all times because the Fox 36 Factory has the Grip2 cartridge, which has no lock out.

It sounds complicated, but in the end it just takes a little getting used to operating the Twinlock without a second thought. On an Ebike, it is not so fundamental, but Traction mode undoubtedly comes in handy when climbing on technical terrain.

The TQ remote control is minimalist, functional and easy to use. Once you remove the “Beep” that sounds by default when changing assistance levels, the system is silent. The motor is the quietest on the market, and also the most natural. No sudden acceleration, the force on the pedals is transferred to the motor very smoothly. On the other hand, it is also not the most powerful, with its maximum torque of 50Nm. If you ride technical uphill trails you will have to be good in shape, with the help that the Voltage Tuned in size L weighs 19.3 kg on our scale.

The display is also very unobtrusive, well integrated into the top tube. This is complemented by thr TQ app that is quick to recognize and find the bike, with a few screens that mind the business and where you can also vary the assistance levels (watch the video).

The 360WH battery is not removable, partly because there is the shock absorber to contend with. Here’s a cutaway of what’s inside the Voltage frame.

Downhill, this is an excellent all mountain that doesn’t disdain slow, technical trails either. The rear suspension is very responsive, sustained and progressive at the end of travel, once adjusted with 30 percent sag via the gauge we find on the bottom bracket shell.

The rider’s position is nice and central, requiring no particular torso movement to impart directionality to the front, although Cris is of a different opinion. The 19.3kg is also “felt” on the descent, as the Voltage is nimble and easy to pump over obstacles, quite different from a full power ebike.

Since Scott is the king of integration, the cable routing inside the headset could not be missed. Impractical, but seen from the front undoubtedly neat, especially when paired with SRAM Code Stealth brakes. With HS2 discs, performance improves markedly over the lousy Centerline, though they are not at the level of a 4-piston Shimano system.

I just can’t bring myself to like the plastic headset turret with integrated cable routing, although the Garmin mount is a treat.

For those worried that the battery won’t be enough, there is a 160Wh range extender (weight: 1 kg) that finds its place on the seat tube via a very practical and very stable attachment, which can be turned into a second (!) bottle cage if necessary.

I personally manage to ride a little over 1000 meters of elevation gain in Trail mode. Eco assistance is really minimal with the factory settings.

Final detail: the multitool with chain tool built into the Syncros bottle cage. The allen wrench for 6 is located in the lever of the rear axle.

Pricing and assembly

Voltage eRIDE 900 SL: €12,999.00
Voltage eRIDE 900 Tuned (on trial): 10,999.00 €
Voltage eRIDE 910: 7,399.00 €
Voltage eRIDE 920: 6,799.00 €
Contessa Voltage eRIDE 900: 7,199.00 €
Contessa Voltage eRIDE 910: 6,599.00 €

Builds on the Scott website

Action photos by Daniel Geiger.