Scott Speedster 40 review

Sitting just off the bottom of Scott’s Speedster road bike range, this model gets double-butted alloy tubing, but a lower-spec groupset than many other bikes at this price point. The Speedster 40 also borrows heavily from the frame design of its more expensive, race-oriented relatives, with an aero fork that takes cues from the Grand Tour-ready Scott Foil. But has scrimping on the build left us with a superior frame that needs a serious upgrade?

Frame

Although on the face of it, the Speedster 40 doesn’t look like it’s been designed to slice through the air, Scott claims that its ‘aero alloy frame’ design gives a 20% increase in aerodynamic performance, and can save a rider 5% of their normal power output.

A fat, triangular-profile down tube also adds stiffness to the package, its profile echoed in the seatstays. The Scott’s head angle is a measured 73°, making for good neutral handling. A steeper seat angle of 74.5° does push your weight forwards and onto the wrists. Cables routed externally along the underside of the down tube get covered in road muck, but it makes maintenance and fitting easier (you can get sealed cables if it turns out to be a problem).

Groupset

As we’re dealing with Shimano Sora (towards the bottom of Shimano’s groupsets), the Scott gets a nine-speed set-up with gear cables emerging from the hoods, with integrated gear position indicators. The front and rear derailleurs and shifters are all Sora, while the 50/34 chainset and cassette are non-series Shimano. The Octalink bottom bracket is a little dated compared to the Hollowtech II units found on Shimano’s more expensive groupsets. Budget Tektro dual-pivot brakes complete the picture.

Finishing kit

Scott has owned finishing-kit brand Syncros since 2012, so it’s no surprise to find its products all over the Speedster 40. A 31.6mm alloy seatpost is fatter than most and, with 60mm of seat tube pokes above where it joins the top tube, it does equate to a harsher than average ride feel. The padded Syncros seat is firm and has grippy material over the sit-bone area to keep you in one place. We were also really impressed by the handlebars and tape as there’s just enough flex in the bars to prevent that ‘steering an ironing board’ feeling, and the tape is all-day comfy without having to wear gloves. Finally, the colour-matching on this bike is very classy indeed. 

Wheels

These strong alloy clinchers weighed 1.4kg for the front and 2kg for the rear – the Syncros Aero 27s are durable wheels, designed for all-round use. The Kenda Kontender tyres aren’t as confidence-inspiring as the more expensive Kountachs on the Avanti. These are heavier, and use a harder compound, but theoretically are puncture-resistant, longer-wearing and allegedly perfect for all-weather riding.

The ride

Just a few miles into our ride, we were hammering along a country lane, carrying more speed than we would have expected from a weighty alloy bike with budget components. The Speedster has an unexpected alertness to it. It’s a good example of a well-constructed, double-butted frame that allows you to get the power down efficiently. In fact, it borders on being too stiff; which the 31.6mm seatpost doesn’t help with one bit.

That stiffness is a godsend once we’re really punching it and on rolling roads, it allowed us to scythe through corners and get the power down on the other side. When faced with our local climbs, the Speedster didn’t baulk, although the nine-speed set-up has its drawbacks with some big jumps between ratios. The riding position is a funny one – it neither has the race-readiness that Scott claims, nor the relaxed, sportive-ready position we expected. This bike inhabits an otherworldly place where the two almost meet; a compromise set-up, but one that never causes fatigue. To spice things up a little, both 15mm spacers were moved above the stem, which immediately placed more weight over the front wheel. However, a word of warning for hot-headed speed freaks: Make sure you apply the brakes well in advance. The brakes are the big let down here, which is a shame as it saps quite a bit of confidence on the descents.

It’s not what we’d call a razor-sharp ride. The front end suffers from a judder or two on poor surfaces, but theSyncros bars absorb most of the buzz when you’re riding on the drops. But it’s on the wet and windy lanes of rural England where Kenda’s 25c tyres prove to be a very comfortable choice. The Kontenders rolled through chippings and fallen twigs, picking up neither a puncture nor a wobble. A harder compound and increased resilience makes them ideal for winter. However, occasionally, a soft feeling when sprinting or climbing was noticeable due to the Syncros Race 27 wheels – and their flex robs this bike of some urgency.

Overall it’s a solid dependable bike but those brakes and tyres can pull the rug from under you a little, so we think the Speedster is best used on the commute, rather than the club run. 

Frame - Good for long rides and speed but can be a bit stiff - 8/10

Components - Mostly Sora, but gearing could be more friendly - 6/10

Wheels - Good for winter rides but flexibility softens things - 6/10

The Ride - Neither too sporty or too sedate. Rather polite - 7/10

Overall - Great looks and low-cost kit works wonders - this bike would be a fine choice for winter - 7.9/10

Geometry

Spec