My Scott Speedster S50

[maDKient]

Hey guys, I thought I share my story of my bike, my beloved S50.

I purchased this back in February 2009 with the intent of commuting. Sick of unreliable buses, wanting to improve my cardio fitness, and being environmentally conscious I was adamant on riding as a means of transport. I actually first had a 2008 Giant Boulder but that got flogged out of my backyard (still haven't been found and doubt it ever will be). After the grieving period, I decided it was time to get another bike. I wanted something with a little speed but not too expensive because I didn't know whether I'll commit to bike riding long term. Thus a budget of $1000 give/take a few hundred was allocated.

And this is what I bought from MC Cyclery, 2009 Scott Speedster S50:



Admittedly I bought her over other brands such as Giant purely because it looked good. I was a n00b (and still am) and didn't know jack shit about parts and etc. I picked her because I liked the colour scheme and Scott decals lol. She's an Alu alloy frame with a mix of Sora/Tiagra/Scott components with Alex Race aero wheels. So it's an entry level bike. Nonetheless, I still enjoyed riding her to and fro home and uni everyday when it didn't rain.

MCC has a complementary service for a new bike during the first three months after purchase. I took advantage of this and fortunately I did because they found a crack running down both sides of the head tube! The bike was under warranty and a new frame from Scott was immediately sent out.

And this is what replaced the cracked frame!



As you can clearly see it was a dramatically different frame, a Limited Edition frame! Initially I was taken aback because I liked the colours of my old frame. But then I quickly got used to this one because it looked more meaner, more masculine if you will lol. And it matched my black and gold Onitsukas .

So anyway, after riding her most days to uni, I got the upgrade bug. It came about because I became more knowledgeable about bikes and parts and could start seeing faults with her and improvements that could be made. Damn you learning and knowledge! I initially thought of just selling her and getting a totally new bike altogether. But I have an emotional attachment to her and couldn't think of letting her go. So I decided to treat her to some new bits.

First was a new (old) wheelset and new shorter FSA stem. The stock Alex wheelset was replaced with Ultegra 6700 wheelset (bought from Tokyo Drifter). The effects of the new wheels were immediate and drastic: lighter; stiffer; smoother; and faster! The stem improved comfort because no longer I had to over stretch my torso when braking and it was easier to get down on the drops for a more aero position.

First round of upgrades:



That's it for now, there have been more upgrades since and stories to share but I'll leave it at that for now! Thanks for reading!

[Jing]

thx for sharing!

[aussieidiot]

Nice!

I like the original colour scheme, but a limited edition frame is a nice upgrade.

I have a friend who bought one the same and feels like he's out grown it already and wants a better roadie.

[maDKient]

thx for sharing!

Thanks for reading Jing!

Nice!

I like the original colour scheme, but a limited edition frame is a nice upgrade.

I have a friend who bought one the same and feels like he's out grown it already and wants a better roadie.

I liked the red one too but the Ltd Ed frame was a selling point in getting used to it (had little choice anyway lol).

I had the same feeling after riding it for a year. It got to the point where I relaised I could do with a better bike. But I didn't want to splash the cash until i finished my degree so I'm waiting till then as a reward for myself later on. At the same time, I thought it was a good time to look into some upgrades.

I'm currently at the stage of equipping it with a 105 groupset, a modest upgrade that'll hopefully breathe some new life into it.