If you were standing at the spot this photo was taken right now, it would be perfect fat bike conditions. After breaking myself off the day before these pictures were taken, the following crush of trade shows, travel, and pain killers caused the new Big Ed to go overlooked. But after a few requests from readers, and dumping of snow in part of the country (while the other part is treading water), it seemed like the perfect chance to revisit the new fat bike from Scott.
You may remember our post on the 2015 Big Ed, but for 2016, Ed got a major face lift…
Technically, the original Big Ed frame is still around – it’s just sold as the Big Jon. The fully rigid Big Jon appears to use the exact same frame as the original Big Ed (with a new rigid 15x150mm fork) which helps keep the price down to just $1599 for the complete bike. The only drawback is that some riders like myself may still run into the issue of the seat stay rubbing their calves.
The good news here is that among other things, the 2016 Big Ed sees shapely seat stays that seem to take care of the issue. Keep in mind that at 5’8″ I have somewhat wide calves and short legs, so individual results may vary. For me though, the new frame for 2016 is a big improvement. It should be noted as well that the new Big Ed frame has almost the same geometry except the chainstay length. The new frame’s stays are much shorter at 450mm vs. 465mm while keeping the 4.8″ tire clearance.
Other changes to the 6061 custom butted Superlight aluminum frame include a move to Scott’s IDS SL DM dropouts for 197×12 rear spacing. The spacing is the same for Big Jon, but it uses a generic dropout system. Big Ed also moves to a 121mm pressfit BB shell for the e*thirteen TRS Double crankset instead of the 100mm threaded BB on Big Jon. Internal dropper post routing is also available just above the bottom bracket.
Big Ed continues with a 100mm RockShox Bluto RL Solo Air spec, this time with a OneLoc remote lockout system. Sold with Schwalbe Jumbo Jim EVO 4.8″ x 26″ tires, the complete bike is built with Syncros components including 80mm cutout rims, CT150/197 hubs, and a 35mm bar and stem combo with decently wide 740mm bars.
As built the bike has a claimed weight of 31.97lbs (14.5kg) and will sell for $2,799 with a SRAM 2×10 x7/x9 drivetrain and Shimano M506 hydraulic disc brakes. Overall, the Big Ed seems like a big improvement over the Big Jon (and old Ed) and looks well speced for the price.
