Scott SUB 10 Bike - 2012

Comments about Scott SUB 10 Bike - 2012:

I was looking for a commuter bike to be used on city streets for relatively short bike rides (home -> 3.5 mile bike ride -> bus -> 1 mile bike ride -> work. Same on the commute home in reverse). I wanted a hub-shifter for smooth shifting and because I have to lay the bike on it's side while riding the bus. It's nice having a belt drive instead of a chain for less maintenance and no grease. The bike is very fast compared to the gears on my older Cannondale, which this bike replaced. The handlebars are difficult to adjust yourself and the manual states you should take to an authorized service department to have them adjusted. The seat is a bit uncomfortable for me, even for my short 3.5 mile rides to the bus station. Overall, it's a very sturdy bike and I recommend it to those who are looking for a good all around commuter that has great gearing and requires low maintenance.

Service and delivery comments:

Purchased this at the REI store after reviewing online. Customer service was very prompt, bike was prepped, they added a saddle bag, and I was on my way. All this on a very busy Sunday afternoon. Nice job REI bike crew!

Comments about Scott SUB 10 Bike - 2012:

This is bike # 5 for me. I have a beach cruiser, a time trial (tri) bike, a road bike and a mountain bike. I do a lot of cycling. With this bike I was looking for a bike that I could ride 4 miles to work and back each day through the streets of San Francisco (with some hills). It's perfect for this purpose. The breaks are fabulous. The belt drive is a 'must have' now what I've ridden it. I never worry about catching my pants or getting grease on them (I don't even pin or roll them up). I simply get on the bike and ride. The Alfine 8 has more than enough gear ratios for riding up hills and for the couple places on my ride where I can generate decent speed where the 'top' gears are needed. This bike has the components of bikes that cost 50-100% more. I couldn't recommend it higher (for the explicit purpose of riding commuting around town - outside of the 'sport' of cycling).

Comments about Scott SUB 10 Bike - 2012:

I love this bike. I ride it every day to work and use it as a commuter. It has several key features

1. The upright position makes it ideal for bicycling in traffic. You have a heads up view of traffic.

2. The disc brakes are powerful and are ideal again for zipping in and out of traffic and then stopping quickly before you get into trouble. You are not wearing down those beautiful bright red rims everytime you use the brakes!

3. The drive belt is different to say the least! It is quiet. You don't hear your chain. And I don't care how well you have your chain lubed and your gears adjusted metal on metal will make noise. With this bicycle it is so great to ride in silence. On the other hand there is not that solid connection you get between your legs and the wheel when you pedal. It is not spongy, but it is not that solid clank when your gears engage. This belt does not give and is strong, but the feel is different than a chain. Never having to lube your chain is a big advantage. The bike stays clean and you do not get grease stains all over you. I would have to replace my gearset, chain and chain rings periodically, because I ride so much and I am hoping this will solve that problem.

4. The internal hub works great. Lets face it simpler is better and very few people know how to use the system of 3 gears in the front and 9 in the back. I was trying to explain it to my daughter who is 8 and riding her first geared bike and I was telling her you shouldn't cross your chain over from the left side on the front gears to the right side on the back gears. She looked at me blankly and said "then why do they have them there." I also never realized how much I was looking down at my gears to see what position they were in. The internal hub system is also supposed to be no maintenence. I have some doubts about what happens when the grease in there wears out but we will see. You can shift at a stop - which is helpful. The range of gearing is adequate, I have never had a problem climbing hills, but it is slightly undergeared and at about 20 MPH it does no good to pedal anymore. One disadvantage is the internal hub is very heavy. It is one solid piece of metal. But I love not having to adjust derailers and gears you just hop on it and go.

5. Dislikes - The seat was uncomfortable. I am 6'1" and it is too narrow. Switched it out. The cable routing is poor. The cables rub against the frame and take off the paint. Fixing a flat is probably difficult. Because of the internal hub it does not have quick release levers on the hub. Taking off the back wheel requires some technical knowlege and some tools you may not ride around with (a 15 mm wrench and an old bicycle spoke). There are videos on youtube of how to do it. The simplest solution is to patch the tire with the wheel still in place. The tires are puncture resistant with a kevlar layer and I have ridden over a lot of glass without any problems.

6. Finally this bike is great looking. It turns heads and people ask what is that. The white on red pattern is done beautifully and the red wheel rims make you look twice.

Comments about Scott SUB 10 Bike - 2012:

I am a 5'11"195# 65 years & a bike commuter for 30 years. I use my bike for transportation not sport. The SUB replaced a15-year-old aluminum Raleigh 12 speed with drop bars.
The SUB is great. It's light, even with the rack I added it's easy to carry up and down stairs. The tires are a wider than the Raleigh, which gives a nicer ride and is better for riding on grass and gravel; they don't seem to slow me down perceptibly.
The eight speeds are more than enough for flatland Stockton where I live, but maybe not Seattle or San Francisco. The "shift while stopped" feature & the low top tube design are real pluses when driving in traffic signal country. Shifting is quick and idiot proof, better than a derailleur. For me the bike is a tad over geared, I can spin out on a downgrade. The gear indicator actually turns out to be useful when stopped.
I would prefer narrower bars just so the SUB would fit into smaller spaces but "urban" bikes seem to go with wide bars for some reason. I rode my old bike by gripping the bars inside of the drops & the curved part was very handy for leaning against walls, it holds the forks steady against a vertical surface. With wide flat bars the SUB could use a flick-stand type gizmo to immobilize the front wheel, so you could lean it against stuff to park. I use ball bungee to hold the front wheel straight, what a pain.
Belt drive is supposed to last "twice as long" as chain. The REI guy showed me how to pull the rear hub and there's a video of how to remove the belt (to change the back tire for example!) on the Gates "Carbon Drive" website. I just hope I never get a flat back tire in the middle of nowhere. BSA motorcycles in the 60's had a "skewer" through the back wheel so you could remove the wheel without disturbing the drive chain or brakes, something like that would be nice for fixing flats. The pedals are slippery and flimsy, I suppose they figured everyone would replace them as I did. I see no advantage to hydraulic brakes, just more tech that's hard to fix. Drum brakes would be ideal, as sooner or later some knucklehead will bang into a disk while the bike is parked; however the brakes work great.
The worst feature is the price (due to eight-speed hub, disk brakes). I think they decided not to clutter things up with a rack, lights, fenders etc. folks like their bike clean. The bike makers and the handle bar accessory/rack makers should get it together so that the computers, bells, lights, GPS, I-phone/pad/pods etc. all fit on neatly.

Comments about Scott SUB 10 Bike - 2012:

I am a male 5'11"195#65 & a bike commuter for 30 years. I use my bike for transportation not sport. The Sub replaced a15-year-old aluminum Raleigh 12 speed with drop bars.
The Sub is great. It is light, even with the rack I added it's easy to carry up and down stairs into my basement. The tires are a wider than the Raleigh, which gives a nicer ride and is better for riding on grass and gravel; they don't seem to slow me down perceptibly.
The eight speeds are more than enough for the Central Valley flatland where I live, but maybe not Seattle or San Francisco. No long grades just steep but short bridge approaches. The "shift while stopped" feature & the low top tube design are real pluses when driving in traffic signal country. A hub-geared bike beats a derailleur at drag racing, as the shifting is quick and idiot proof. For me the bike is a tad over geared, I can spin out on a short downgrade. The shifter has two short levers one for up shifts and one for down, why not one lever for both (or a twist grip)? The gear indicator actually turns out to be useful when stopped.
I would prefer narrower bars just so the Sub would fit into smaller spaces but most "urban" bikes seem to go with wide bars for some reason. I rode my old bike by gripping the bars inside of the drops but curved part was very handy for leaning against walls, as the curve holds the forks steady against a vertical surface. With wide flat bars the Sub could use a flick-stand type gizmo to immobilize the front wheel for parking. Then you could lean it up against stuff to park. I use ball bungee to hold the front wheel straight, what a pain.
Will the drive belt hold up? These belts have been used for years to drive accessories on vehicles and are supposed to last "twice as long" as chain. There is a video of how to remove the belt (to change the back tire for example!) on the Gates "Carbon Drive" website. I just hope I never get a flat back tire in the middle of nowhere. BSA motorcycles in the 60's had a "skewer" through the back wheel so you could remove the wheel without disturbing the drive chain or brakes, something like that would be nice. The pedals are slippery and flimsy.
The worst feature is the price, due to eight-speed hub, disk brakes? I think they decided not to clutter things up with a rack, lights, fenders etc. Folks like their bike clean, but we need our stuff. The bike makers and the handle bar accessory/rack makers should get it together so that the computers, bells, lights, GPS, I-phone/pad/pods etc. all fit on neatly. I don't see any advantage to hydraulic brakes, just more tech that's hard to fix. Drum brakes would be ideal, as sooner or later some knucklehead will bang into a disk while the bike is parked; however the brakes work great.