Scott Addict Gravel 10 review

The Scott Addict Gravel 10 is the best gravel bike in Scott's range, and while it borrows the Addict moniker from the brand's road range, it's definitely not just a road bike with wider tyres. 

With a completely overhauled geometry, the Addict Gravel has been designed from the ground up as an altogether different beast. This XL (58cm) frame has a 5mm longer reach, 14mm higher stack, 12mm longer chainstays, a 48mm longer wheelbase and a head angle slacker to the tune of 2.3-degrees. 

As the discipline of gravel broadens, a spectrum of niches is becoming apparent, and while some bikes equip themselves with short stems, wide bars and smaller wheels to be dedicated trail whips, the Addict RC does still remain at the fast-road end of the range. With 700C wheels, fast-rolling tyres, 42cm bars with only a small amount of flare, and a 2x chainset, it's begging you to pin a number on - I'm sure with a pair of the best road bike tyres, this would keep up on your Tuesday night crit without issue. It's just a shame that nobody can, at least for a few more months. 

The clearances are increased - as you'd expect given it comes with 35c tyres, and to account for the added stress of gravel terrain, all tube shapes are noticeably beefier. With that said, though, the Addict Gravel 10 tips the scales at just 9.07kg in a 58cm frame. 

There are three models within the Addict Gravel range, differentiated by a numerical suffix of 30, 20 or 10 - all of which share the same carbon frameset. For those on a budget, Scott also makes the aluminium Speedster, with a further three spec options. 

Women are catered for too, with a solitary carbon fibre model called the Contessa Addict, and two aluminium Contessa Speedster bikes. 

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Specification

While a load of engineering prowess no doubt went into Scott's range-topping HMX carbon fibre, the same as used on their best road bikes, the paint it's wrapped in is a much more interesting focal point. The pearlescent purple-blue flick is stunning. It's also stunningly difficult to photograph, so you'll have to take our word for it, but the way it catches the sun and shimmers really shouts that the Addict Gravel 10 is off the top shelf. 

There's no denying the bike is designed as a gravel race bike, even the frame is described by Scott as having 'Gravel Race geometry'. Talking of which, at 602mm, the Addict Gravel sports a 60mm lower stack than an equivalent-sized Merida Silex+ and over 30mm lower than the 58cm 2021 Specialized Diverge. 

The 700C wheels see it roll quickly over all terrain types, and the 2x groupset provides a 48 x 11 highest gear - just two teeth away from a compact road chainset. At the other end, the 31 x 34 gear flattens hills with ease, and although the spread of gears means larger jumps between each sprocket, the crisp-shifting from the GRX Di2 groupset means rolling road terrain can also be handled without a problem. 

Further clues that the Addict Gravel is a racer's gravel bike come when looking for any extra bottle or bag mounts. While our recently reviewed 3T Exploro features mounting points at every given opportunity, the Addict Gravel features just the usual down tube and seat tube bottle cage mounts. Day-long adventurers might want to look elsewhere, although the Velcro nature of bikepacking bags may negate this issue for most. 

While some gravel machines have followed the road scene of integrated cockpits for aerodynamic gain, we're happy to see that Scott has kept things simple and easy-to-maintain. While there may be a watt or two to save, the four-hour soul-destroying rebuild for anyone wanting to change stem length really isn't worth it. However, as has seemingly become the Scott way, Torx bolts are used as standard throughout so you'll need to check your multi-tool before you head out, just in case. 

The bike isn't rated to take 650B wheels, and although tyre clearance isn't quoted by Scott, the 35c Schwalbe G-One tyres fitted have ample room up front, with less, but still a good 10mm either side out back. 

Components and build 

The Addict 10 is fitted with Syncros' new gravel wheels, the Captial 1.0 X40. A 40mm deep carbon rim that measures 23mm internally is laced to Syncros Straightpull hubs using a sturdy-but-not-overkill 28 spokes. Weighing just 1,616g per set, they are on par with many similar depth aero wheels from the tarmac-only road world, and considerably more impact-proof too - as I may have found out when hitting a dried tractor tyre rut hard enough to rotate the bars downward. 

Tyres come from Schwalbe with the 35mm wide G-One Evo. Tubeless setup was first on the agenda, and on every occasion, they went on without levers, then seated and inflated even before sealant was added. A refreshing reminder of how easy tubeless should be. 

The tyres are surprisingly fast-rolling over tarmac, so I was dubious as to what levels of off-road grip I would get when heading out for the first test ride. I was wrong to be, and in both wet and dry conditions, the tyres have excelled themselves on this front. The one problem I have found is fragility. On ride number one, after little more than 20km of ride time, I managed to tear a sidewall and write off a tyre whilst climbing over not-all-that-sharp rocky terrain. 

The Addict Gravel 10 is fitted with Shimano's GRX Di2 gravel-specific groupset, and while the groupset is configurable as a 1x setup, the Scott wears the 2x chainset with 11-34 cassette out back. For the type of riding this bike is likely to see underneath me, this works better than the alternative 40,11-42T setup, as it offers more room at either end of the spectrum for short-and-steep British climbs and the fast stretches of tarmac between bridleways. Racers might prefer the lower weight and added simplicity of a 1x setup, but the durability of Di2 is sufficient enough that I would happily use it, and only the claggiest of mud - think Mid South levels - would make me change it up. 

As my esteemed colleague Graham pointed out in his recent Merida Silex+ 8000 E review, the standout feature of GRX Di2 is the ergonomic hood shape. With a backwards curvature of the hood, hands feel locked into place, and with a new lever shape and higher pivot point, braking power from the hoods is excellent. Overall control from the hoods is by far the best of anything I've tested, and the benefit of not needing to switch hand positions mid-way through a rough descent is one that someday, somewhere, will prevent a crash from happening. I'm certain of it. 

• Shimano gravel groupsets

Finishing kit comes from Scott's in-house componentry brand Syncros and, like the wheels, carbon fibre can be found throughout. The carbon-railed Tofino saddle is a neutral, well-designed perch, slightly cut off without being too short, and with medium levels of padding such that it shouldn't disagree with many. I can only speak for my own comfort, but on early impressions, I've found no negatives. 

The Syncros Creston bars are also carbon fibre and are flared, albeit only a little, meaning wrist clearance is taken care of without the open-arms mountain bike stance that overly flared bars can cause.

Early impressions

An out-and-out race bike designed for pinning on a number will always be difficult to test in the midst of a global pandemic in which racing has been cancelled, but after a few two- to three-hour rides of varying intensity in the punchy Somerset countryside, I'm wholly impressed. 

On the road, the bike is as fast and responsive as many road bikes I've ridden and has even earned me a couple of Strava top 10s. Off-road, it's just as impressive, offers a surprising amount of grip even when the going gets wet. The wide gear range leaves no need for excuses when the road points north, and the levels of control provided by the GRX Di2 hoods provides all the confidence you need to send it back south. 

The niche subdivisions of gravel riding will mean consumers' priorities vary according to fitness, preferences and locality. The vast quantity of gravel bikes available nowadays cover the entire spectrum of those needs, and the Addict certainly sits at the faster, racier end of that spectrum. 

It'll appeal most to gravel racers who want exactly that from their gravel bike, but if you want to explore your local network of bridleways and woodland, and want a fast, performance-minded bike on which to do so, there aren't many better than the Addict Gravel 10. However, the lack of mounting points, and thus versatility, might be slightly offputting to those who have aims of one day heading out into the wilderness for a multi-day epic.

Tech spec: Scott Addict Gravel 10

• Price: $6,499 / £5,899 / €6,499
• Frame: HMX Carbon
• Size: XL / 58cm
• Weight: 9.07kg (58cm)
• Groupset: Shimano GRX 810 Di2
• Crankset: Shimano GRX 800 48/31
• Wheels: Syncros Capital 1.0
• Tyres: Schwalbe G-ONE Evolution, 700x35c
• Brakes: Shimano GRX 810, 160mm rotors
• Bar: Syncros Creston 1.0 Flare
• Stem: Syncros RR1.5
• Seatpost: Syncros Duncan1.0
• Saddle: Syncros Tofino Regular 1.0 Cutout