New Plasma RC TT, Scott's fastest bike to date

Time trial bikes are the ultimate expression of pure speed, an essence that Scott has captured in the latest generation of its Plasma RC TT, the fastest bike manufactured by the Swiss brand and which provides Team DSM riders with the best possible bike for the 2023 edition of the Giro d'Italia, where the fight against the clock will play a major role in deciding the final result.

Scott Plasma RC TT, pure speed

What does it take to make the best time trial bike? That's the question Scott engineers asked themselves with input from Team DSM members and other athletes, analyzing their needs and requests. With all this feedback they came to the conclusion that they had to build a bike whose aerodynamic drag was optimized for speeds around 55 km/h, that was tremendously stable at those speeds, and that had a multitude of adjustment options to achieve the optimal position without penalizing the integration of the various components.

Aerodynamics to the limit

As usual in Scott's developments, the project of the new Plasma RC TT started with an intense work with CFD software, virtually testing different design options until the right solutions were found to balance the numbers, always within the limitations set by the UCI.

As in the creation of its Foil RC, Scott has relied on the wisdom of Simon Smart's Drag2Zero aerodynamic laboratory with whom they tested the different solutions proposed in the wind tunnel using 3D printed models of the different designs of seat tube, seat posts, down tube, etc. reaching conclusions such as that, for example, a shorter seat tube profile is more effective with the rider seated on the bike, as opposed to when the measurement is made without the rider.

Maximum stability

A bike capable of moving at the speeds at which a time trial bike can go must necessarily be stable so that it is simply easy to ride along the chosen line without wearing the rider out fighting with it and with the effect that the wind can cause on aerodynamic elements such as high wheel profiles.

To do this Scott has tweaked the geometry of the bike by increasing the resulting trail of its steering by 5.2 mm. A considerable increase with which, in addition to greater stability, it is achieved that, not having the rider to fight with the bike this can maintain a more static position. This makes possible much more consistent numbers that more closely resemble the measurements obtained in the wind tunnel.

Integration and adjustment

Another of the key points of the chrono bikes is the handlebars and the couplers. Scott, of course, has built a tremendously integrated set with the rest of the lines of the bike, of course with the necessary internal routing of all its cables, a real engineering work given the meager frontal area offered by its steering.

For its part, the handlebar and stem set is fully adjustable in all necessary parameters. A must on any modern time trial bike where getting the perfect position is key to optimizing rider performance.

To achieve this, Scott has analyzed the positions of the Team DSM riders in both the men's and women's squads in order to achieve the best ergonomics.

The Syncros Creston iC TT handlebar set will be available in 3 different sizes: 85, 105 and 125 mm and the height of the elbow rests is adjustable between 0 and 145 mm while the angle of the extensions can be adjusted between 0 and 15º. The elbow rests can be adjusted horizontally by 30 mm and have a 5° tilt range.

The Scott Plasma RC TT in numbers

As a result of all this, the Scott Plasma RC TT is capable of riding 33 seconds faster than its predecessor at a given power over a real 40-kilometer course. A remarkable improvement that Team DSM riders such as Romain Bardet will surely appreciate, who highlighted the improved ergonomics of this new machine.

By the way, although it is a detail that is not usually taken into account in this type of bike, with the new design, Scott has managed to reduce the weight of this Plasma RC TT by 12% compared to the previous version without affecting the stiffness of the whole. A bike that will be available in the catalog of the brand as a kit frame, seatpost, handlebars with a price of 7,999 €.

For its part, Team DSM has made an exquisite set-up for its riders with the following components:

• Frame: Scott Plasma RC TT
• Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2, Crankset 54/40, casette 11-30
• Handlebar: Syncros Creston iC TT
• Pedals: Shimano Dura-Ace
• Seatpost: Syncros Duncan SL Aero 15 mm
• Saddle: Syncros Belcarra V Tri Firm
• Tyres: Vittoria Corsa Speed 700x25c