Scott Bikes has been plauged with a reputation of availability
So with the upcoming 2012 race season fast approaching, it is time to start looking at building up a new race bike, as my current bike is several years old and is a 26er. I have been riding and have done a few races on a 29er now, and it now seems that the 29er has finally come of age in the serious mountain bike scene. We have seen sales of 29ers outpace 26ers two to one lately, and even Europe is finally starting to take notice of the 29er. We have seen a few big name cross country racers win world titles on 29ers now, and the momentum behind the 29er seems unstoppable. My requirements for a 29er were that it be lightweight, that it be carbon fiber, that it be full suspension and that it have a suspension system that is very performance oriented with short stays and isolated from pedaling induced bobbing. I had narrowed it down to two frame designs, the Scott Spark 29er and the Niner Jet 9 RDO. Scott Bikes has been plauged with a reputation of availability issues on their high end bikes and it looks like 2012 will not be any different. Last year Scott introduced a nice carbon hardtail 29er, unfortunately most folks that wanted one couldn't get one because Scott didn't have the foresight to import enough bikes to fulfill the demand. So, as we got into December of 2011, it was becoming apparent that Scott was going to be having trouble with availability again.
