While dedicated gravel bikes are a relatively new branch on the road riding tree, there are a few distinct divisions readily sprouting off. Some gravel bikes are all about hauling gear, others about exploring dirt roads, paths, and forgotten byways, yet others are all about shameless speed. It's here you'll find Scott's Addict Gravel 10.
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Scott Addict Gravel 10 specs
- Addict Carbon HMX frame
- Addict Gravel HMX carbon fork, flat-mount disc
- 1 1/8" – 1 1/4" tapered steerer
- SRAM Force 1 drivetrain, 11-speed
- SRAM Force hydraulic discs, 160mm rotors
- Syncros carbon seatpost and handlebar
- Syncros RT1.0 Disc carbon wheels
- Schwalbe G-One 35mm tires
- 7.54kg / 16.62lbs
'Cross meets gravel
Scott took its cyclocross race-focused Addict CX frameset and added a flared handlebar, a wider-range cassette and some slightly bigger tires to re-badge the bike with the Gravel moniker attached.
There's plenty of space in the main triangle for a frame bag and two water bottle cage mounts are present. However, outside of those no provisions are included for racks, fenders, or extra storage, AKA: typical gravel accessories.
For the gravel crowd, this may seem like a cop-out, but in reality, bikes currently built for the genres of 'cross and gravel have quite a bit of overlap especially when racing is the primary objective, which is the case here.
A few component changes
I'm going to be blunt. My first ride on the Addict Gravel 10 was awful. I had been tooling around on Why Cycles' very nice, very smooth R gravel bike a lot and jumping on the stiff, stretched-out Addict was quite the contrast.
Things soon got much, much better as I dialed in the fit with a shorter stem and some saddle adjustments. With that sorted, the intentions of the Addict were unmistakable.
This thing wasn't bred for bouncing around forgotten mining roads, it's intended for scorching dirt roads and out-of-the-saddle hammering. I will confess, the speed was fun, but ultimately, it's going to appeal more to racers rather than recreational riders.
The singular focus was obvious in the stock gearing as well. The SRAM Force cranks spun a giant 44t single ring with a perhaps apologetically massive 10-42 spread on the cassette.
While I was impressed with the shifting and chain management from the SRAM bits, that massive chainring was entirely too much for most of my steep, mountain roads, but would likely work well on flatter and rolling terrain.
To ease the prodigious gearing, I threw on a tiny-looking 32t chainring and happily span my way up some ridiculous roads and century old paths. But on the flip of that equation I suffered a bit as I frequently got spun out while straight-lining gravel roads.
The stock Schwalbe G-One tires also proved to be excellent at sailing up and down hardpack dirt roads with their minimal tread and thin, supple casings. But like the gearing, I eventually swapped them out for some 40mm Kenda Flintridge Pro tires.
Scott Addict Gravel 10 ride impressions
With the bike now better aligned for my fit and testing grounds, the Addict Gravel 10 and I went on some colossal rides. It was here that the speed, responsiveness and low weight of the once too-harsh Addict started to make sense.
Smashing the pedals for a little spurt of momentum to clear a nasty section was often a relief, cranking hard out of corners was exhilarating with the no-screwing-around acceleration, and picking lines and zig-zagging through the ruts, roots and rocks proved to be almost amusing on the quick-handling Addict.
Going uphill seemed to be the bike's preferred direction of travel with every twitch resulting in altitude gained. Cruising the flats was also met with constant velocity, quite similar to a full-on road bike, actually. If it weren't for the larger tires, I'd be hard-pressed to distinguish much difference in sheer efficiency between the Addict Gravel and a new-school road machine.
On the descents, the Addict Gravel 10 demanded attention, but it also rewarded it with razor-sharp line selection and utter responsiveness. Its cyclocross racing heritage was clear in the way it felt high-strung yet eager to do exactly as the pilot demanded.
But as expected, that same high-strung nature caught me out a few times on longer rides where my legs had become noodles and my reflexes dulled from hours of pedaling. In those times I was more than pleased to have hydraulic power clamping the disc brakes.
Scott Addict Gravel 10 bottom line
Like any Scott bike with Addict plastered on the side, this gravel version is all about racing and going fast. Its brutal stiffness can be tempered with bigger tires but that dilutes the go-fast recipe. Going fast on rough roads where a standard road bike would lose efficiency is what this machine is all about.
If you ride around with beers and/or a flask tucked into your frame pack, the Addict Gravel 10 likely isn't going to be your cup of tea. However, if you think a skinsuit is the correct gravel riding uniform, then it should absolutely be on your short list.
Plus, if you want your gravel bike to roll double duty at cyclocross races on the weekends, the Addict is a very strong contender.