Bike at Bedtime: Simon Yates' 2019 Scott Addict RC

Adam Yates is currently leading the Tour de France on a Scott Addict RC, a bike similar to the one his brother Simon rode to two stage wins last year. When we looked at Simon's (not Adam's!) 2019 bike, it had been launched less than a month previously.

The Scott Addict RC is a disc brake-only bike with a focus on aerodynamics and integration while maintaining the low weight that the Addict has been known for since it debuted in 2008. 

A key feature of the Addict RC is the Synchros handlebar/stem that provides full internal routing. You can have a separate bar and stem or the one-piece all-carbon Syncros Creston iC SL combined cockpit that Yates uses. The tops are ovalised while the drops have a compact bend with a 2° flare.

Yates goes for a three spacers to bring the front end up a bit, and he has a satellite shifter fitted so that he can change gear while his hands are on the tops when climbing. He has the buttons pointing forward so that he can operate them with his index finger rather than with his thumb.

Although the recently updated Scott Foil is the true aero bike in the range, Scott focused on aerodynamics with the Addict RC, using its own airfoil tube shape for the down tube, head tube, seat tube, seatpost and seatstays. Those seatstays have been lowered (the junction with the seat tube has been moved a little closer to the bottom bracket) to reduce the gap behind the seat tube. This avoids air stagnation, according to Scott.

The result is a reduction in drag that's the equivalent of six watts at 45km/h (28mph) compared to the previous Addict.

Scott revised the layup of the carbon, creating a “stiffness backbone” that it says increases bottom bracket stiffness. It also reduced the number of bonding joints to reduce weight, making the frame out of three parts instead of six.

Mitchelton-Scott riders use Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groupsets, including Shimano's chainset-based power meter. The wheels are from Shimano too. These are Dura-Ace C40s on Simon Yates' bike, fitted with Pirelli P-Zero Velo tyres.

Yates' bike is also fitted with Shimano Dura-Ace SPD-SL pedals and Elite Leggero carbon bottle cages.