Scott Enters the Electric Gravel Bike World

The Scott launched first electric gravel bike named Scott Solace,which featured both electric gravel bike and electric road bike option and share the same frameset. it is a new drop-bar electric bike range that is based around TQ’s HPR550 motor system.

The electric gravel bike has 50mm tyre clearance and TQ’s HPR50 motor and battery,which is claimed to be one of the quietest and most compact systems on the market.

Original intention

Scott says it has aimed the Solace line-up at both new and experienced road and gravel cyclists.Lightweight, silent, compact and comfortable is the main target to design this bike frames.

The lightweight aspect is not just for performance benefits, but also for user-friendliness too, for example when loading the bike into a car.

Scott says the starting point in the Solace’s development was to decide on which motor and battery to use. The brand says it wanted the lightest, most compact and silent option on the market and once it decided on the TQ system, it could then work out how to design the frame around it.

Like the majority of its other drop-bar bikes, the head tube, down tube, bottom bracket area and chainstays are said to be designed for stiffness and rigidity. In contrast, the other tubes are designed with comfort in mind.

A versatile frame with plenty of neat details

Scott manufactures use top-spec HMX carbon fibre and claims size medium gravel bike frame weighs 1.2kg.Compared to the Addict Gravel, the “wall thicknesses are slightly reinforced to hold the battery, mostly in the down tube in the battery clamping area” and “very similar stiffness values”.

The Solace uses 700c wheels and has clearance for 50mm tyres, or 45mm with mudguards. Like the Lumen, Scott has specced all of the bikes with regular road and gravel bike components.

The hydraulic hoses and gear cables run through the upper headset bearing.

There’s some particularly neat detailing at the non-driveside thru-axle dropout. It uses a rubber grommet on the outside that is removable, with a metal spacer inside, for the thru-axle to insert through.

This saves the need for an alloy or foam insert on the inside of the dropout and Valls says a shorter axle can be used, both of which save weight. He also claims the design enables a “direct transfer of loads from the axle into the internal face of the dropout” for a better ride feel.

Unlike the Lumen, where the magnet is integrated into the driveside chainstay, the magnet on the Solace can be found on the inside of the non-driveside dropout.

The speed sensor sits on the non-driveside dropout. The wire to this routes through a pocket in the carbon and routes internally to the side of the brake caliper mounting bolts.

In a nod to versatility, Scott has added kickstand mounting points on the underside face of the non-driveside chainstay.

Scott Solace geometry details

The geometry is similar to the non-assisted Scott Addict Gravel.

The 71-degree head tube angle, 73.5-degree seat tube angle and 387mm reach on a size medium are all identical.

The stack is 1mm taller at 566mm and the chainstay length has grown by 10mm to 435mm.

Valls says the 1mm increase in stack is due to the battery in the down tube adding additional height.

Scott says the longer chainstays help to balance the weight distribution of the battery and motor by moving the centre of gravity towards the middle of the bike.

The brand says this translates to increased stability at higher speeds, as well as achieving the 50mm tyre clearance.

Heading to the road

Although the Solace was designed primarily as an electric gravel bike, but also work as a road bike at the start of the project.

The Solace eRide is specced with Schwalbe Pro One 38mm tyres, which it developed in collaboration with Schwalbe. The tyres are tubeless-ready and will be available after-market.

Both Solace eRide models receive Shimano groupsets with 2x cranksets. The Solace eRide is specced with a Syncros Creston IC SL bar-stem over the Creston IC SL X found on the Gravel models. This features less flare and some added texturing to the tops of the hoods for grip.

Aside from these differences and a change in saddle, both the road and gravel platforms share identical components.

TQ HPR50 system details

The bike is built around TQ’s HPR50 motor and battery system.Scott wanted to use a bottom-bracket based motor to balance the rider’s centre of gravity.

The system provides 50Nm of torque and is said to be one of the lightest, quietest and most compact systems on the market. An increasing number of bike manufacturers are partnering with the motor brand, such as Trek, BMC and Simplon.

The lower torque offers assistance that is claimed to feel more natural than more powerful motors.

Modes are selected via the button on the integrated top tube display, rather than a handlebar or shifter remote.

The display provides information including remaining battery life, range and power output.Scott claims the 360Wh battery charges in two and a half hours, or up to 80 per cent in 90 minutes.