The Addict RC is the Swiss brand’s all-rounder road racing bike, designed to balance low weight with aerodynamic efficiency.
This latest iteration, with its smaller gears and bigger tyres, is less brash than Addicts of old. Instead, it goes about its business quietly and efficiently.
Stamp on the pedals, though, and it’s obvious there’s still plenty of life in the old dog yet.
Some middling tyres aside, this is the best the Addict has ever been.
Addicted to speed
The Addict has a long-standing reputation as a cut-throat racer. Mark Cavendish fans will likely have fond memories of the 2010 Tour de France, where the Manx Missile piloted his HTC-Columbia Scott Addict to five stage wins.
It was one of the original ultra-light, ultra-stiff carbon frames, which made little concession to comfort or aerodynamics.
When the Addict RC launched in 2019, though, Scott shook up the formula. Rim brakes, skinny tyres and round tubes were gone. In came hydraulic disc brakes, wider tyres, truncated aerofoil tube shapes, dropped seatstays and integrated cable routing.
Overall, these changes are claimed to make the Addict RC 6 watts more efficient at 45kph than the previous Addict.
When it comes to weight, Scott claims the Addict RC frame and fork weigh a svelte 1.21kg combined. In total, this build weighs 7.9kg.
While there are lighter builds available (such as the £12,649 Addict RC Ultimate, which is claimed to weigh 6.7kg), that’s not a record-breaking figure by any means, especially not for a Scott Addict – back in 2008, for example, you could get an Addict that weighed less than 6kg.
Unless you’re a dedicated hill climb racer, though, the extra weight doesn’t noticeably impact performance. In fact, I’d contend today’s Addict is likely the fastest the series has ever been.
Scott Addict RC 10 geometry and ride impressions
The Addict RC’s handling is sharp, with a long and low position that makes it feel nimble and reactive to your inputs.
The head tube angle of 73 degrees sits right in classic road-race bike territory, as does the 73.3-degree seat tube angle.
The 1,000mm wheelbase is 5.8mm longer than an equivalently sized Scott Foil RC, the brand’s dedicated aero road bike. On paper, this suggests the Addict RC is a bike with a touch more stability, but it’s a relatively minor difference – this is still a fast-handling bike.
Overall, the Addict offers a similar ride quality to the venerable Cervélo R5. It feels lively and responsive to your inputs, surging forward quickly when you stand on the pedals.
At the same time, it’s also impressively compliant and predictable. When taken onto rough roads, the Addict RC is refined enough to keep the ride smooth and not feel like a bucking bronco.
As with the R5, this makes for a bike that gives you great confidence to push your limits both up and down hills.
Scott Addict RC 10 finishing kit
As with any bike with integrated cable routing, making front-end adjustments isn’t as simple as it used to be. However, the Addict RC 10 does an admirable job of keeping things clean and aerodynamic, but still relatively unfussy.
The wireless SRAM Force eTap AXS groupset helps, because there are only two hydraulic hoses to route internally, but the cable routing system is designed to work with mechanical and wired electronic groupsets as well.
Thanks to some clever engineering and use of non-structural plastic covers, the aluminium Syncros RR 1.5 stem (which is available in 10mm increments from 90 to 140mm) can be swapped for a different-length model without disconnecting any cables.
Split headset spacers mean the handlebar stack height can also be adjusted without cutting the steerer tube or disconnecting any cables, as long as you don’t mind running round spacers above the stem.
You’ll eventually need to cut the steerer down to size in order to be able to use the rear stem cap and get the cleanest possible look, but it’s nice to be able to trial different bar heights without being forced to commit immediately.
Because the hydraulic hoses are routed internally through the Syncros Creston 1.0 carbon handlebar, swapping it will mean disconnecting those. However, the bar is available in widths of 380 to 440mm, and Scott confirmed a dealer should be able to swap to your preferred width at the point of purchase (assuming what you want is in stock).
The rest of the finishing kit is well considered, too. The Syncros Duncan 1.0 Aero seatpost has 20mm of offset and adds a good amount of compliance to the rear end of the bike (versions with offsets of 0mm and 5mm are available separately).
The Syncros Belcarra Regular 2.0 saddle that sits atop it is also very comfortable, though I can’t say the biscuity brown colour is to my tastes, even if it does match up with the tan-wall tyres.
Scott Addict RC 10 groupset, wheels and tyres
As already noted, the Scott Addict RC 10 gets a SRAM Force eTap AXS groupset. It’s been heavily praised practically everywhere, and rightly so.
It’s not the lightest (Shimano Ultegra R8070 Di2 comes in around 200g lighter) or most stunning-looking groupset on the market, but it brings the performance of SRAM’s flagship Red eTap AXS groupset down to a more attainable price point, with little compromise.
It’s also fantastic to see Scott has included a SRAM Force AXS power meter. It uses the same internals as Quarq’s excellent DFour DUB power meter, and adds a lot of value to the bike.
If you prefer Shimano drivetrains, the Scott Addict RC 15 features an Ultegra R8100 Di2 groupset (and a lighter claimed weight of 7.58kg) on an otherwise identical frameset and build. At £5,699, it’s also slightly cheaper, though it’s worth noting this build doesn’t include the power meter.
The Syncros Capital 1.0 35 Disc wheelset is solid if unspectacular. The hooked, tubeless-ready carbon rims are 35mm deep, with a 21mm internal width and a 28mm external width.
These are laced to Syncros hubs using 24 straight-pull aero spokes, front and rear. The total claimed weight for the wheelset is 1,574g.
That’s not heavy by any means, but it isn’t class-leading and there are similarly priced wheelsets, such as the Hunt 44 UD Carbon Spoke Disc or Zipp 303 S, which manage to combine deeper, wider rims at slightly lower weights (though it is worth noting the Zipp 303 S uses hookless rims, meaning you can only use tubeless tyres).
Similar to the Reserve 34/37mm wheelset on the Cervélo R5, the Syncros wheelset provides a small aerodynamic benefit over basic alloy wheels, but doesn’t cause any trouble on windy days.
Were this my bike, I’d want a more aggressive wheelset with deeper rims, but those who ride regularly in mountainous or windy areas and value predictable handling over outright speed are unlikely to be disappointed here.
The low point of the Addict RC10’s build is the Schwalbe One TLE tyres. While they feel reasonably supple and grippy on the road, it’s hard to ignore the data that shows they produce around 50 per cent more rolling resistance than the best road bike tyres, such as the Schwalbe Pro One TLE or Continental GP5000S TR, according to independent test labs such as Bicycle Rolling Resistance.
Fortunately, swapping to better tyres is one of the best cheap road bike upgrades you can make, so it’s not a deal breaker.
In terms of clearance, the Addict RC frameset can officially accommodate tyres up to 700 x 28c on 21mm internal-width rims.
With that combination in place, there’s a few millimetres of extra clearance left, so you can push things slightly. Fitting 32c or larger tyres (as is possible on competitors such as the Merida Scultura Team, Giant TCR Advanced Pro Disc, Lapierre Xelius SL or Cervélo R5) is likely not an option, however.
While 700 x 28c tyres will probably offer enough volume for those who stick mainly to tarmac, riders who like to venture off the beaten track might find this more limiting.
Scott Addict RC 10 bottom line
The Scott Addict RC has come a long way since the days when peak performance simply meant being the bike with the highest stiffness-to-weight ratio.
While it’s far from the lightest Addict ever, this latest iteration offers a delightful combination of a smooth ride with excellent handling, and a responsive feel when you turn on the taps.
A clever integrated, but still adjustable, cockpit also strikes a great balance between performance and real-world practicality.
The build on this Addict RC 10 model is unflashy, but almost everything puts in a solid performance. The only exception is the slightly middling tyres, which don’t get the best out of the frameset, but that’s easily fixed with an upgrade.
Performance Bike of the Year 2022 | How we tested
Whether you’re riding up or down hills, in a straight line or through tight corners, jostling for positions in a bunch or simply going for that KOM you’ve always dreamt of, the best performance road bikes are wicked-fast and inspire confidence. They should make you feel a little bit like Tadej Pogačar, even if your legs can’t back it up.
With that in mind, we challenged the contenders primarily to an onslaught of technical, hilly routes and fast-paced rides around south Bristol.
Given most riders don’t have a fleet of bikes or a professional mechanic at their beck and call, we also considered how easy each bike is to live with and service.
Can you customise the fit or are you stuck with what comes as stock? Are the deep-section wheels usable in all conditions, or will windy days have you questioning how much you want to go out on a ride? Is it comfortable enough for a long day in the saddle when the roads are less than perfect?
All of the bikes featured in this year’s Performance Bike of the Year test are at the upper end of the pricing scale, with premium groupsets and parts showcasing the best contemporary equipment, but most are also available in cheaper specs if your budget doesn’t stretch as far.
Our Performance Bike of the Year contenders are:
Thanks to…
Thanks to our sponsors HUUB, Lazer, 100% and Garmin for their support in making Bike of the Year happen.