Having moved to Asheville, NC, last year, gravity phenom Neko Mulally showed up for a Scott Bicycles demo ride at Billy Goat Bikes recently and gave us the run down on his new team bike.
The frame is the 2015 Scott Gambler with 27.5″ wheels that was introduced last summer, and a Scott rep informed the model will carryover unchanged for 2016, save for the likely spec updates. We were thinking there might be a carbon version coming, but the official word is that the riders are doing quite well on the alloy bike and are very happy with it. Neko’s been testing a coil version of a new dual high/low speed compression/rebound Fox shock for a couple months now, we just couldn’t photograph it the first time he showed it to us. We spotted a prototype Fox air shock using the same new damping controls in testing earlier, and our source tells us Neko could be swapping that in soon, too.
Drop in for a little Q&A and closeup pics…
Two dual-function knobs appear to control high and low speed compression damping separately. From the looks of it, an allen wrench will handle the inner dial and a spanner wrench will turn the outer one. A handy directional arrow makes it easy to know which direction adds damping to slow things down.
BIKERUMOR: What are you riding for 2015?
NEKO: For 2015 I am riding the Scott Gambler with Fox suspension, Shimano Saint Group, Schwalbe tires, DT Swiss wheels and Syncros components.
BIKERUMOR: What made you jump ship to Scott Bikes?
NEKO: The GSTAAD-Scott team was really appealing to me. After some good results in 2014, I had a few options for this season. GSTAAD-Scott seemed like the best place for me to get the results I wanted. They showed the best support and team environment. Now that I have been working with them for a few months I could not be happier with my decision!
BIKERUMOR: Anything custom or special about your bike or setup? Any prototype parts you’re testing on here?
NEKO: The bike has a lot of adjustments! I have been riding a lot this winter to feel what they all do. We have adjustable BB height and wheelbase options, adjustable head angle every degree from 61-65 degrees. We are currently running the prototype Schwalbe Procore, which is awesome running low pressures. I am also working with Fox in development of the new X2 shocks.
BIKERUMOR: What’s the basic spec rundown for you this year?
NEKO: Scott frames; FOX suspension; Shimano drivetrain, brakes, cranks and pedals; Schwalbe tires; DT Swiss wheels, Syncros bar, stem, seat, post; and e*thirteen chainguides.
Teammate Brendan Fairclough was there, too, showing off a couple custom bits for his own Scott:
Brendan: “The pedals are my signature DMR pedal called ‘brendog’ DMR vault pedals. The grips are ODI. Got proto shock and stuff but can’t say anything else I’m afraid.”
Huge thanks to Dave for shooting the pics and the assist on the interview.
