Scott unveils dazzling paint jobs for Rio Olympic race bikes

Scott has unveiled the dazzling bikes its sponsored athletes will race in the road and mountain bike events at the upcoming Rio Olympics.

The Scott Addict pictured at the top of the article is one Adam Yates will be riding - unless he's riding a plain black UK Sports Institute bike that the team rode in London four years ago.

- Tour Tech 2016: Adam Yates’ Scott Addict

Why the bold paint jobs? There are strict branding rules governing equipment used in Olympic events, and taking a leaf out of Specialized’s book - the company delivered bright red road bikes to its athletes, including road race winner Alexandre Vinokourov (boo, hiss etc) - Scott has opted for a colourful design that is sure to stand out.

It’s calling the collection of bikes by the Rio Special Edition name and #seRIOusgames hashtag, which as well as bikes, includes accessories such as shoes and helmets.

The colour scheme has, says Scott, been inspired by the colourful spirit of host nation Brazil. 

“When we kicked off the project, we did a lot of research regarding colours, patterns and symbols which represent aspects of Brazilian culture,” says Michael Pinto, the designer behind the Rio Special Edition. “It wasn’t until I spent my holidays in Brazil that I found this unique pattern in the streets of Rio which for me perfectly represents the colourful culture and spirit of the Brazilian people.”

Scott will have a decent showing at the Olympics. Road cyclists from Team ORICA-BikeExchange, Orica-AIS and IAM Cycling have qualified, of course including Adam Yates, and also mountain bikers led by Nino Schurter, Jenny Rissveds and Irina Kalentieva. Triathletes such as Flora Duffy and Sarah True will be fighting for medals in the road, TT, Mountain bike and Triathlon events.

Following the Olympics, Scott will offer a limited edition run of just 50 Foil framesets, coming out in September. No price has been confirmed, but if you’re interested the best bet is to speak to your local Scott dealer.