Scott’s new Lumen range takes inspiration from the Spark and ups the rear travel to 130mm

By Oscar Huckle

Published: Thursday, 01 December 2022 at 12:00 am

Scott has launched the Lumen, a mid-level assist electric mountain bike with 130mm of suspension travel front and rear.

Taking obvious design cues from the brand’s Spark cross-country mountain bike, the Lumen also features an internal shock layout and runs on 29in mountain bike wheels.

All of the bikes in the range feature a TQ HPR50 electric bike motor and battery. This system debuted on the Trek Fuel EXe and has more recently featured on the BMC Fourstroke AMP.

The system provides 50Nm of torque and is said to be one of the lightest, quietest and most compact systems on the market.

The lower torque is claimed to feel more natural to ride compared to more conventional electric mountain bikes.

The four-model range starts at £6,499 / $6,999 / €6,999 / AU$12,799.99 for the Lumen eRide 910 and rises to £14,699 / $15,999 / €15,999 / $25,599.99 for the Lumen eRide 900 SL model.

There will also be a single Contessa model for women, the Contessa Lumen eRide 910, which will retail for £6,499 / €6,999.

Want to know how the Scott Lumen rides? Check out our first ride review of the Scott Lumen eRide 900 SL.

Is the Scott Lumen the lightest and most expensive mainstream electric mountain bike?

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The Lumen eRide 900 SL is almost £15,000.
Oscar Huckle / Our Media

The top-spec Lumen eRide 900 SL comes in at a claimed weight of 15.5kg, which should make it one of the lightest eMTBs on the market.

As well as being decked out in SRAM Eagle XX1 AXS components, the bike also uses Syncros Silverton SL2-30 CL wheels, which are claimed to weigh 1,280g and retail for £3,431 / €3,999.

At £300 shy of £15,000 ($15,999 / €15,999), we also believe the range-topping Lumen eRide 900 SL to be the most expensive mainstream bike we’ve ever tested.

Let us know in the comments if you know of a pricier bike.

How Scott designed the Lumen

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The Lumen was designed by Charles Moreau, who was also the brains behind the Spark and Ransom.
Michal Červený / Scott

Scott says approximately 40 per cent of its turnover comes from electric bike sales and offering a bike that would complement the Spark was the logical development from the previous E-Spark, which originally launched in 2017.

The Lumen was designed by Charles Moreau, whose previous projects include the Spark and Ransom.

Scott says its goals with the Lumen were to keep the frame lightweight and aesthetically clean. The motor system also needed to be silent and compact. In a bid to be user-friendly, it also wanted to use regular mountain bike components.

Frame details

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Other than the slightly beefier bottom-bracket area, you’d be hard pressed to tell this is an electric mountain bike.
Oscar Huckle / Our Media

When designing the bike, Moreau says he wanted the electronic system to be as low as possible, to retain a lower centre of gravity.

Moreau wanted the frame to be compatible with two bottle cage mounts. He says he initially tried to integrate the shock under the top tube, as on the Patron, but there was not enough space for a bottle cage and he realised the shock needed to be integrated into the seat tube.

Moreau claims integrating the shock reduces maintenance because it is protected from the elements.

Integrating the shock also means the cables and hoses are said to pass as close as possible to the pivots, which Scott says results “in less friction”.

By incorporating the motor and battery into the down tube and bottom-bracket area, Scott says this transfers the load into the ‘stiffness area’ of the bike, which is the head tube, down tube and chainstays. In comparison, the other frame tubes are designed for compliance.

The motor has to be removed if you change the shock.

An electric bike that rides like a conventional mountain bike?

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The Lumen uses Scott’s HMX carbon fibre construction.
Oscar Huckle / Our Media

Despite featuring electrical assistance, Scott claims “the ride feel is like a regular bike” and the bike is aimed at every rider.

Although the Lumen is constructed using Scott’s lightest HMX carbon fibre, the down tube has been reinforced to help protect the battery and increase stiffnes. The bottom-bracket area has also been beefed up.

Scott claims a 1.95kg frame weight, without the rear shock, for size medium.

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The ribbed chainstay protection has a minimal aesthetic.
Oscar Huckle / Our Media

The frame features ribbed chainstay protection and utilises SRAM’s universal derailleur hanger (UDH) standard.

Tyre clearance is rated up to 29×2.6in and the seatpost diameter is 31.6mm.

Two Torx T25 screws underneath the down tube keep the battery secure.

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It’s an integrated front end.
Oscar Huckle / Our Media

The Lumen integrates its cables and hoses, which run under the handlebar and into the stem before passing through the upper headset bearing into the head tube.

The speed magnet is integrated into the driveside chainstay.

Suspension design

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The shock is housed internally.
Oscar Huckle / Our Media

Like the Spark, the Lumen uses an integrated shock. The system has one main pivot located above the bottom bracket and a linkage that drives the hidden rear shock. There’s a flex point on the seatstay that functions as the pivot that would usually be located at the seatstay/chainstay junction.

The design has 130mm of rear-suspension travel.

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Scott has opted to use a flexstay.
Oscar Huckle / Our Media

The Lumen uses the same seat tube pivots as found on the Spark, which are larger than the previous-generation Spark and e-Spark. These are claimed to boost stiffness.

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The link is forged and there’s an external sag indicator sticker to help with setup.
Oscar Huckle / Our Media

The shock internals are accessed via a plastic hatch at the base of the bottom bracket.

There is an external sag indicator on the non-driveside face of the seat tube junction with the linkage, featuring a printed scale up to 25 per cent.

Although the Lumen comes stock with 130mm suspension up-front, Scott says it can accept a 140mm fork.

Scott’s TwinLoc remains…

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Scott’s TwinLoc system migrates to the Lumen.
Oscar Huckle / Our Media

The Lumen features Scott’s TwinLoc suspension system that connects the fork and shock to a handlebar remote. The remote also integrates the dropper post lever. This enables riders to cycle through three different suspension and geometry settings.

Scott Lumen geometry details

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There are three possible settings to adjust the head tube angle.
Oscar Huckle / Our Media

The geometry takes clear cues from the Spark, but there are some revisions.

The Lumen sports a 65.5-degree head tube angle, which is 0.3 degrees slacker than the Spark.

This can be adjusted by 0.6 degrees in either direction using angled headset cups.

The Lumen has a 77-degree seat tube angle, which is steeper than the Spark’s 75.9 degrees. Scott says this is to improve climbing performance.

The Lumen’s reach is a touch longer than the Spark at 446mm on a size medium.

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Every size has a 338.5mm bottom bracket height.
Oscar Huckle / Our Media

The chainstay length has also grown by 12.5mm over the Spark to 450mm, which Scott says results in increased stability.

Every frame size can accept two bottle cages or one bottle cage and a range extender. Moreau says you couldn’t do this on the smallest size of the Spark.

The TQ motor allows Scott to keep a standard Q-factor with a 55mm chain line, which is identical to the Spark.

FrameSMLXL
Head tube angle setting (degrees)65.565.565.565.5
Seat tube angle (degrees)76.87777.277.5
Top tube length (mm)562589620645
Head tube length (mm)110110120135
Seat tube length from centre of BB (mm)415440480520
Bottom bracket height (mm)338.5338.5338.5338.5
Chainstay length (mm)450450450450
Wheelbase (mm)1,1761,2061,2401,270
Reach (mm)416446476501
Stack (mm)615615625638

Enter TQ…

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The Lumen uses TQ’s HPR50 system.
Scott

Scott has partnered with TQ (Technologie in Qualitat) for the Lumen, using its HPR50 system.

Trek had the exclusive rights to the HPR50 system until 15 October, and now other brands are starting to use it.

TQ claims it is the smallest, quietest and lightest motor system on the market. It also says it offers instant engagement, with no delay or noise.

Many of the sensors in the HPR50 system are patented because TQ says it couldn’t find anything good enough off the shelf.

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The display is fitted into the top face of the top tube.
Oscar Huckle / Our Media

There are ‘Eco’, ‘Mid’ and ‘High’ modes, with the High mode delivering 300W of assistance. There is also a ‘Walk’ mode.

TQ also provides the rest of the system, with a minimalistic handlebar-mounted remote featured and a display integrated into the top tube.

The display provides information such as the battery percentage, remaining range and power output.

The battery is 360Wh and is claimed to charge up to full in two and a half hours, or to 80 per cent in 90 minutes.

A range extender for longer sojourns

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The range extender is said to weigh 950g.
Oscar Huckle / Our Media

TQ also provides a range extender, which it claims is the smallest on the market in size and energy density.

The 160Wh range extender adds 50 per cent of range capacity and is said to weigh less than 1kg.

It attaches via a proprietary quick-release mount to the down tube bottle cage.

Scott Lumen range and specifications

Scott Lumen eRide 900 SL

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Scott Lumen eRide 900 SL.
Michal Červený / Scott
  • Frame: Carbon HMX, Integrated Suspension Technology
  • Motor: TQ HPR50
  • Fork: Fox 34 Float Factory Air, Kashima FIT4, 44mm offset, 130mm travel
  • Shock: Fox Nude 5T Factory EVOL, 130mm travel
  • Drivetrain: SRAM XX1 Eagle AXS, 12-speed
  • Brakes: Shimano XTR M9120, 4-piston
  • Wheelset: Syncros Silverton SL2-30 CL
  • Price: £14,699 / $15,999 / €15,999 / AU$25,599.99

Scott Lumen eRide 900

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Scott Lumen eRide 900.
Michal Červený / Scott
  • Frame: Carbon HMX, Integrated Suspension Technology
  • Motor: TQ HPR50
  • Fork: Fox 34 Float Performance Elite Air, FIT4, 44mm offset, 130mm travel
  • Shock: Fox Nude 5T EVOL, 130mm travel
  • Drivetrain: SRAM GX Eagle AXS, 12-speed
  • Brakes: Shimano XT M8120, 4-piston
  • Wheelset: Syncros Silverton 15-30 CL
  • Price: £9,299 / $9,999 / €9.999 / AU$17,599.99

Scott Lumen eRide 910

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Scott Lumen eRide 910.
Michal Červený / Scott
  • Frame: Carbon HMX, Integrated Suspension Technology
  • Motor: TQ HPR50
  • Fork: Fox 34 Float Rhythm Air Grip, 44mm offset, 130mm travel
  • Shock: Fox Nude 5T EVOL, 130mm travel
  • Drivetrain: Shimano Deore M6100 with XT M8100 rear derailleur, 12-speed
  • Brakes: Shimano Deore M6120, 4-piston
  • Wheelset: Syncros X-30 SE rims on Formula CL-148M hubs
  • Price: £6,499 / $6,999 / €6,999 / AU$12,799.99

Scott Contessa Lumen eRide 900

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Scott Contessa Lumen eRide 900.
Michal Červený / Scott
  • Frame: Carbon HMX, Integrated Suspension Technology
  • Motor: TQ HPR50
  • Fork: Fox 34 Float Rhythm Air Grip, 44mm offset, 130mm travel
  • Shock: Fox Nude 5T EVOL, 130mm travel
  • Drivetrain: Shimano Deore M6100 with XT M8100 rear derailleur, 12-speed
  • Brakes: Shimano Deore M6120, 4-piston
  • Wheelset: Syncros X-30 SE rims on Formula CL-148M hubs
  • Price: £6,499 / €6,999 (not available in USA or Australia)