The all-new Scott Spark DC does get more travel and more relaxed geometry than its XC racing RC sibling. But the Spark DC isn’t quite a full-fledged Trail bike, nor is it just an XC race bike with extra travel. Instead, Scott adapted the Spark platform to build a more versatile all-rounder. A mountain bike that combines the same efficiency of a cross-country bike, yet with more capability for more technical terrain.
The result is the all-new Scott Spark DC. A rocket-fast mountain bike with 138mm of capable rear travel hidden inside its integrated frame design, matched to 140mm travel forks.
2026 Scott Spark DC 140mm full-suspension mountain bike
The Scott Spark RC may be the winningest XC bike in pro cross-country racing. But lots of mountain bikers want a bike that mixes fast with a bit more fun. And that’s where Scott’s downcountry DC adaptation of the Spark family has come in. You pretty much get all of that World Cup XC-proven tech, in a more capable, longer-travel, trail-tuned platform.
Much of the core details about the new Spark RC are shared with the new Spark RC that launched back in June. You can read all about that great race bike, here. So, today let’s focus on what makes this DC different.
OK, so what’s different between the RC & DC?
First up is travel, the most logical place to start as we categorize mountain bikes. The RC is 120mm front & rear. The new DC is 138mm in the rear and 140mm up front. Both share the same updated Bold-inspired integrated suspension design. That means a new short-link concentric around the bottom bracket and pivot-less flex in the stays. Since chainstay length grows with suspension travel, you effectively get supple 4-bar suspension action with fewer moving parts.
The longer-travel DC is designed to work with longer stroke shocks, and here’s where the modular internal frame storage & shock cover of the RC comes in. The Spark DC was designed to work with pretty much any coil or piggyback shock, so those modular covers make anything possible.
One other big change is this bike’s internal cable routing. The RC was fully integrated internal routing through the headset only. But every model of the new Spark DC can be set up with more conventional internal routing through headtube cable ports that Scott neatly hid behind interchangeable headtube badges.
The downcountry bike also gets slightly larger mini frame fenders, with neater bolt-on integration behind the seat & chainstay bridges.
Downcountry-capable geometry, too
Of course, the Scott Spark DC is a longer-travel downcountry version too, so it gets more capable trail-ready geometry to match. You still get a 3-position angle-adjustable headset (slack -0.5°, neutral 0°, steep +0.5°).
Interestingly, the neutral 65° headtube angle is only a tiny bit slacker, literally just -0.9° vs. the RC. But I would guess most DC riders will sit in the slacker position for most riding.
But headtubes are a bit taller, and frame Stack is 2.5cm taller for a more upright (read: comfortable) position, even with an extra centimeter longer frame Reach balanced by 0.7° steeper seat angles. Overall, the DC is a bit longer, 6mm longer chainstays, and generally more than 4cm longer wheelbases for more stable handling.
How does it ride?
I got a chance to put in a few test rides on the new Spark DC earlier this season, back-to-back with the new RC. First riding the XC bike, I was already pretty psyched with how quick and capable that bike felt. But then, jumping onto the Spark DC with 16% more travel, I realized that this was more the bike for me. I’m no XC racer. I haven’t entered a cross-country style race for more than two decades. But I love going fast.
The new Spark DC literally felt as quick as the RC to me, but with a more comfortable position and more forgiving suspension. While I never really felt that the RC was really limited by its shorter suspension travel (less grippy tires held it back in my opinion), I definitely felt more comfortable charging into more technical trail sections on the Spark DC.
DC shines with Flight Attendant
One thing I loved about both bikes, was actually their automated Flight Attendant suspension control, which I managed together with a Hammerhead computer. I really appreciated the 3-position TwinLoc lockout that Scott first included on the previous generation of the Spark family – for both RC & DC versions – and which is here for lower specs, again. But now Flight Attendant really offers the ability to get both maximum plushness and max efficiency, in a way you could never match with human-operated mechanical controls.
With the Spark DC, I let RockShox’s Flight Attendant control 3 positions for the rear shock (Open, Pedal & Lock) and then only 2 positions for the fork (Open & Pedal). In a 1.5hr, <25km ride, Flight Attendant changed shock modes 278 times, and fork mode 129 times. This gave me an unbelievable feeling of pedaling efficiency without ever seeming like the bike’s suspension was stiff. And keeping the fork always at least partially open kept the ride plush and ready to tackle anything rough that came up.
Only the top two models get Flight Attendant – Spark DC Factory & Spark DC 10. I rode the DC 10. But if you can afford it, that’s tech that genuinely offers another level of suspension performance.
Tech details
- lightweight carbon downcountry bike with integrated shock inside & 2 layup options:
– HMX frameset with alloy lower link & Ceramic Speed SLT bearings
– HMF frameset with alloy lower link, mechanical shift compatibility & stainless bearings
(note: weight claims for size M, painted with hardware and frame covers, but no shock.) - 138mm of rear wheel travel paired to 140mm fork travel (rated for up to 150mm forks)
- 210x50mm rear shock inside, with modular covers to fit all possible shock options
- threaded BSA 73mm bottom bracket in the alloy lower suspension short link
- max 34T chainring with 55mm chainline
- 29 x 2.6″ max tire clearance
- +/-0.5° angle-adjust tapered headset
- fully internal cable routing through the headset, or semi-internal through headtube badge
- headset rotation lock-block integrated into the lower headset race pressed onto the fork steerer
- fully guided, flexible color-coded internal Octopus routing
- UDH derailleur mount
- 31.6mm seatposts with conventional 34.9mm external seatpost clamp
- no seattube bottle bosses to fit long travel, full insertion dropper posts
- extra cage mount under the toptube
- 2 removable bolt-on mini rear fenders
- integrated external suspension sag indicator
- integrated mini chainguide
- internal frame storage with included Syncros Save the Day kit: spare tube & multi-tool (only down to DC10, otherwise mini-tool-only)
- hidden tool-free tire repair Syncros Tool & Tubeless Handlebar kit inside the bar end (tubeless kit only down to DC10)
- Category 4 (all-mountain/enduro-level) frame certification
- 4 sizes available (S-XL)
MY27 Scott Spark DC – Pricing, options & availability
Scott offers the all-new Spark DC in five complete bike builds, in four stock sizes (S-XL).
Only the top-tier $13,000 / 11,500€ Scott Spark DC Factory features the lightest HMX carbon frame. It gets RockShox Pike & SIDLuxe Ultimate Flight Attendant suspension, complete SRAM XX SL AXS Transmission drivetrain with a spindle powermeter, Motive Ultimate 4-piston brakes, a Reverb AXS dropper, a Syncros 1-piece carbon cockpit, and ultralight Syncros Silverton CF1 carbon wheels wrapped in 2.4″ Maxxis Forekaster/Rekon tires – at a claimed 11.5kg complete.
From the $10K / 8500€ Scott Spark DC 10 and down, all others share the same, more affordable HMF carbon frame layup. The DC 10 gets the same RockShox Ultimate Flight Attendant suspension, an XO AXS Transmission with spindle powermeter, Motive Silver brakes, a mechanical Syncros dropper, the 1-piece carbon Syncros cockpit, and still light Syncros Silverton CF2 carbon wheels with Forekaster/Rekon tires – at a claimed 12.3kg. (Real 13.12kg, size L with pedals.)
The $7300 / 5700€ Scott Spark DC 20 switches to Fox 36 SL & Float Factory suspension with TwinLoc remote controls, Shimano XT Di2 with a Deore component mix including Deore brakes, the Syncros dropper, conventional alloy stem & bar, and alloy Silverton AL2 wheels – 12.7kg claimed.
The $5400 / 4700€ Scott Spark DC 30 goes back to RockShox with a Pike Select fork & Deluxe shock with TwinLoc remote, SRAM S1000 AXS Transmission, DB6 brakes, and the same alloy Syncros finishing kit for 13.0kg in total.
And at $4400 / 3700€, the Spark DC 40 is the most affordable of the new generation of Scott’s downcountry bike. It gets a budget Pike fork & Deluxe shock still with 3-position TwinLoc remote lockout controls, a mechanical Shimano Deore, non-series MT620 brakes, and the aluminum Syncros components – all at a claimed 13.8kg complete.
All five models are available now, from your local Scott dealer bike shop.
