SCOTT Addict eRIDE Review: Faster, Farther, Fresher

SCOTT Bikes has long prided itself on leading-edge innovation and pushing the boundaries of what has typically been considered possible with bike technology. Whether it’s the introduction of clip-on aero bars that helped Greg LeMond win the Tour de France or the revolutionary TwinLoc suspension system for mountain bikes, SCOTT has changed the game multiple times.

They may have done it again with the all-new SCOTT Addict eRIDE.

But wait? Is yet another entry to the increasingly crowded e-bike market really breaking new ground? What makes the SCOTT Addict eRIDE special?

For me, the SCOTT Addict eRIDE is an open door. If anyone knows me, they know I’ve had a life centered on bicycles and bike events for a loooong time. However, a few years back I developed a little heart condition that limits my participation in the traditional world of cycling events. Even though I’m a relatively young 51 years old, my cardiologist let me know my racing days should be in the past. Even hard efforts like climbing Big Cottonwood Canyon are not on the approved list. Heck, before the medical stuff happened those big climbs were a lot less fun for a 6-foot-4, 220-pound dude.

The SCOTT Addict eRIDE allows me, and others like me, to get back into the sport in a way I thought was gone. Not everyone wants a pedal-assist bike because their ticker is on the fritz, of course. Some just want a less-difficult ride and there are myriad reasons why an e-bike might feel right for you.

Electric bikes may have traditionally been viewed as clunky, hefty absolute chonks of machinery that look, feel and ride huge. That’s not the SCOTT Addict eRIDE - not even kinda. The Addict e-Ride is among the lightest pedal-assist road bikes on the market.

With a frame and overall aesthetic that looks more like a standard-issue SCOTT Addict than any other e-bike that’s come before, the Addict eRIDE will fool you when you hop on for your first test ride. The weight is another giveaway that the Addict eRIDE isn't your grandma’s electric bike.

While weight might be the leading wow factor, there’s plenty of other features on the SCOTT Addict eRIDE that should convince you to give it a look. SCOTT decided if they were going to get into the electric road bike game, they wanted to do it right. That meant they invested thousands of hours of engineering know-how into making sure the Addict eRIDE breaks the molds in many ways.

Using the same carbon fiber tech they employ for the Addict RC racing bikes, the Addict eRIDE is snappy, aerodynamic, and ready to ride. With a geometry designed for endurance - and a battery pack primed to provide it - you’ll be able to crush mile after mile with smile after smile.

We like to think of riding the SCOTT Addict eRIDE with three Fs. Faster, farther, and fresher.

The 20mph eBikemotion powertrain will help you climb like a champ. Pedal assist in the form of 250W of power and 40Nm of torque helps you move along, but will never do all the work for you. Instead, the Addict eRIDE kicks in enough juice to get you up to 20 miles per hour. Any faster than that and the bike figures you’re more than capable of going it alone.  The powertrain turns off - preserving battery life for when you actually want it - and the bike pedals like a high-end road bike.

With a 252Wh battery and an optional 208Wh range-extender battery for a maximum 460Wh capacity, you can put more miles into your adventures. In optimal conditions, the SCOTT Addict eRIDE has a claimed range of nearly 80 miles and 2200 meters of climbing in eco mode. Granted, those numbers can change depending on the rider, the riding style, and even the wind conditions, but the point remains the same - you’ll have a long day in the saddle before you have to worry about a dead battery.

Faster and farther naturally lead to fresher.

With fresh legs when the ride is over, you’ll be ready to roll into the evening with a spring in your step. And really, who doesn’t want to cap a long day of riding off with enough energy in the tank to enjoy putting a few post-ride beverages in the tank? Or, if riding to exhaustion is and will always be the goal, why not push that exhaustion limit a few dozen extra miles down the road?

Thankfully, the days of being self-conscious over riding a pedal-assist bike are in the past. As welcome in a weekend group ride with the club as it is on vacation with your partner, the SCOTT Addict eRIDE will change the way you ride. In fact, it may become the favorite way you ride.

The SCOTT Addict eRIDE is unmistakably a road bike. It looks just like its non-electrified sibling. If the bike you want is definitely a road bike and it will ride like one - great handling, responsive components, and all that jazz.

Personally, I’ve had my eye on the SCOTT Addict eRIDE from the moment it was announced. I’ve also been looking at comparable bikes like the Orbea Gain and the Pinarello Dyodo. Each has advantages and disadvantages compared to each other depending on what you want from your bike.

If you, like me, want to mix in some dirt and gravel with your road riding experience, perhaps the Orbea Gain or Pinarello Dyodo Gravel are more your thing. With wider forks and seat stays, you get more clearance for chunkier tires that are more capable of hitting the back roads when you find yourself Jonesing for the road less traveled.

Ask yourself what kind of riding you plan on doing. If it’s primarily group rides on the weekend with the club or charity century rides, the SCOTT Addict fits like a glove. If you anticipate a diet of one part dirt and one part asphalt and want one bike that handles either, perhaps the Gain is a better choice.

Ultimately, I settled on the Pinarello Dyodo because I wanted a gravel bike that could handle the road rather than a road bike that could take some gravel. That’s the joy of bikes and options, I suppose.

That said, every time a SCOTT Addict eRIDE arrives at the shop and gets built up, I wonder if we’ve got one in my size. With this batch, we got the Extra Large - but I’m reluctantly leaving it for someone else. Maybe you?

Contender Bicycles has a size run of the SCOTT Addict eRIDE with the Addict eRIDE 10 and Addict eRIDE 20 models available. The Addict eRIDE 10, built up with a Shimano Ultegra Di2 drivetrain and carbon wheels, weighs just 25.5 pounds in a size medium while the Addict eRIDE 20, with a blend of Ultegra and 105 mechanical components, checks in at 26.4 pounds. It wasn’t too many years ago that the average road bike weighed more than the 2021 SCOTT Addict eRIDE, but that means that the Addict eRIDE is among the lightest e-road bikes on the market today.

Want a SCOTT Addict eRIDE or a pedal-assist road bike for yourself? Give us a call or send us an email any time to info@contenderbicycles.com.