SCOTT Foil RC SL

A full 20 bike presentations lie between the Contessa and this incredibly sleek SCOTT Foil RC SL. And we have to admit — we expected a presentation like this much sooner.

The Contessa was Miss Dangerholm’s first complete build. This dream build left nothing to be desired and, at the time, came in at an excellent 7.49 kg including pedals. The bike also carried a clear political statement: it’s not only guys who have a right to their dream bike — girls should absolutely fulfill their dream of a custom, individual bike too, and not settle for second-rate components.

”While I already have a super nice SCOTT Addict Gravel, there was a lot to learn and to figure out now that I set out to build myself a road bike from scratch. What sort of ride characteristics did I prioritize, which components would be best suited and so on.

Unless you’re already quite the bike nerd this might seem like an overwhelming task, but I really encourage everyone and especially other women to dive into these things. The more you learn and understand about your bike, the more you can fine tune it and make it even more enjoyable when out riding.

I decided to go with a SCOTT Foil RC frame set as a base, partially because I just love its sharp aero looks but also because it’s actually incredibly lightweight. This made it a perfect choice since I got all the aero benefits but still could build it light enough to be a great climber, so the best of two worlds really.

The end result exceeded all my expectations. Sure it’s beautiful to look at but the biggest and most enjoyable thing about it is how well it rides. It’s super responsive and the low weight felt very helpful on big climbs, but at the same time it gave me a huge confidence boost at higher speeds. I’m descending faster and better than ever, especially thanks to the bike’s geometry and the powerful brakes.

I can’t stress enough how big the difference was compared to my old and quite basic road bike. Of course you don’t need an expensive high-end bike to enjoy cycling, but realizing how much a great bike can do for the experience was an eye-opener. Things that might just sound flashy actually make a difference out on the roads.

So no matter your level as a rider or the size of your budget, I hope that this bike perhaps can serve as inspiration and encouragement to go for your dream bike and not just ”good enough”. If you have the chance to do so, I’m certain you won’t regret it!”

Bike Presentation

Frame

The centerpiece of this build is a SCOTT Foil RC made from HMX SL carbon. With this frame, SCOTT left nothing to chance, using the highest-quality carbon fibers and further improving the fiber layup compared to the regular models. The result is a frame with extremely low weight but enormous stiffness and durability. In size 52, the frame with all the bits and pieces weighs just 860 g. For the paintwork, Pernilla opted for a fully custom polished raw-carbon finish. As beautiful as it looks in the end, the manufacturing process required for it is just as time-consuming. The frame is first carefully sanded in 6–7 steps and then polished in 3 steps. If you were to do this on an aluminum frame, you’d get a completely mirror-smooth surface. On the Foil RC, you end up with a glossy finish with lots of depth and an almost metallic-looking sheen. Another advantage is that it’s very easy to care for, since it’s much harder than normal paint and doesn’t scratch as easily. However, it should be mentioned that raw carbon is generally not recommended, because you must be 100% sure that the resin used is UV-resistant. So don’t try to replicate this finish, as it adds an extra safety aspect that needs to be taken into account — warranty loss included. To create a nice contrast to the carbon, Pernilla chose white logos and a very beautiful color called Bondi Beaches. Depending on the light, it shifts between light blue and turquoise.

Cockpit & Saddle

The cockpit uses a Syncros Creston iC SL Aero handlebar. The Syncros headset was upgraded with CeramicSpeed SLT bearings. The goal here isn’t to save watts through low friction, but outstanding durability and longevity, which is why it’s made entirely from stainless steel. The real highlight, however, is the “Solid Lubrication Technology,” where a special plastic polymer is used inside the bearings instead of conventional grease. Thanks to this technology, neither water nor dirt can get in, making them essentially maintenance-free and extremely long-lasting.

Pernilla uses two different seatposts depending on the situation — the Syncros Duncan SL Aero in the standard version and in the CFT version. The former is the lightweight standard option, while the latter offers improved comfort and a super-practical integrated rear light. She sits on the Setka from Björn, which at 139 g is one of the lightest saddles and features 3D-printed padding. Depending on the area, this provides different levels of support.

Björn is also the brand behind the carbon-fiber bottle cages used on the bikes. Each weighs about 22 g, yet they have a very sturdy carbon construction.

Shifting & Drivetrain

Shifting and braking are handled with SRAM Red levers. In addition to the excellent overall ergonomics, the easy adjustability for small hands is particularly noteworthy, giving the rider much more confidence in the bike at high speeds or during emergency braking. To keep the weight as low as possible while still delivering this performance, the Carbon-Ti X-Rotor SteelCarbon 3 in the Centerlock version is used. By combining carbon fiber with a steel braking surface, weight is reduced to a minimum without compromising braking power.

At the core of the bike are the now almost legendary THM Clavicula SE crank arms. Made in Germany, they are exceptionally light at just 305 g for this specific set and feature a true full-carbon construction, including the axle itself. They spin on a CeramicSpeed bottom bracket, which of course offers excellent efficiency but is also durable. This area is rounded off with chainrings from Carbon-Ti. The X-CarbonRing X-AXS chainrings are super light and specifically developed for use with SRAM AXS electronic front derailleurs.

Pernilla uses the Time XPRO 12 SL pedals. The flagship model comes with hollow titanium axles and weighs only 176 g.

Wheels

For the wheels, Pernilla chose 45 mm deep MCFK rims as the base. They weigh 370 g and have a beautiful UD carbon surface that matches the frame well. Aerodynamically, deeper rims would of course make more sense, but you pay for that with higher weight and greater sensitivity to crosswinds. The hubs are (still) a prototype of the new Tune Yokto CL hubs that have recently come onto the market. The design is completely new from the ground up, the freehub has a lovely sound, and this prototype weighs only 219 g. The production version has been slightly modified to further improve the hub and overall wheel strength, making it a few grams heavier, but it’s still among the lightest on the market. With their unique turquoise anodizing, they match the paintwork of the frameset perfectly under the right light.

The 1039 g wheelset was expertly built by our wheel builders using carbon-fiber spokes.

Goodyear Eagle F1 Supersport tires in 28 mm width are used. These are even lighter than the regular Eagle F1 and roll faster. However, this advantage comes at the cost of slightly less puncture protection. Perilla decided against the tubeless versions here and uses Revoloop Race.ULTRA tubes, which weigh just 25 g per tube.

SCOTT Foil RC SL