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Scott Media Camp: Frigoulet, France

Pushing the limits of Scott’s new Genius mountain line

While cycling fans everywhere have been glued to the daily results of the Tour de France, Canadian Cycling Magazine has been in the south of France at the launch of Scott bicycles redesign of their Genius mountain bike line.

At the welcome evening for the event, former world mountain bike champion Thomas Frischknecht, or “Frischi,” considered one of the most successful mountain bikers ever after an exceptionally long career as a pro, said that 26” mountain bikes are dead. They may not be dead, at least not yet, but Scott’s replaced their 26” Genius model with a new 27.5” (AKA 650b) model.

The bikes are now only available as the Genius 700 (27.5”) with 150mm of travel and the Genius 900 (29”) with 130mm of travel.

Scott’s feeling is that larger wheels perform better. They reduce the angle of attack making it easier to ride over objects, provide more traction with a larger contact patch, which translates to more control and better braking, and provide more stability on the trails.

The biggest drawback with 29” bikes, however, has been the limitation of suspension travel options. By introducing the new 27.5” bike to their line Scott has managed to maintain many of the benefits of 26” wheels while still maintaining many of the advantages found in 29” bikes. At first glance one isn’t sure what to make of the new size but after spending a day in the saddle on one I can say I was surprised by its performance.

The bike was nimble and agile, cornering like a 26” but also cruised over rocks and exposed roots with ease and climbed exceptionally well. The advantage of the 27.5” bike is you can run a 150mm front fork which gives you a lot more travel for those harsh descents or aggressive flats. The added versatility with its longer travel allows for it to be built with more robust wheels and aggressive brakes for a bike that can take bigger hits, or alternatively, can be built with lighter parts as a XC racer that will roll fast but handle well at the same time.

The Genius 900, its 29” counterpart, was also surprisingly nimble and handled the varied terrain with ease, allowing the rider to negotiate the technical downhill with confidence. The smaller 26″ rims, however, still may have a bit of an edge in certain situations allowing for quicker accelerations and better handling on more technical terrain.

What also makes these bikes incredibly versatile is Scott’s patented TwinLoc system. TwinLoc allows riders to switch through three suspension modes –lock, traction and descend, depending on trail conditions. This is particularly useful when the trail changes from a more technical descent or rough flat to a sudden climb.

With the flip of a switch the rider can easily shift from the downhill mode where the suspension system has more travel, to a traction mode with less travel making climbing much easier and more efficient. The Genius 900 series travel is from 0-90-130mm in the three modes, and from 0-100-150mm for the Genius 700.

Both bikes are made from their proprietary High Modulus Extreme (HMX), which has the frames ringing in at only 2300 grams, other versions are available with a mix of HMX and High Modulus Fibre (HMF) and there is also an alloy version available.

The Genius 700 might be a good option for smaller riders who want to get many of the benefits of a 29er while minimizing some of the potential fit and suspension issues. Even larger riders, who are not ready to give up the quick handling feel of a 26er may want to take a long hard look at 27.5”. Ultimately in the end, more options for consumers is a good thing.