Test: A few weeks ago, Scott presented the new Genius 2018. That's not only exciting because it's one of the longest-serving models in the portfolio, but also a bit of the "poster boy" among Scott mountain bikes. We were able to put the all-rounder with 150mm travel through its paces for the first time as part of the Eurobike Media Days and are convinced that the Scott Genius legend will live on with the 2018 model.
Product news: Scott Genius 2018: The next stroke of genius?
Market / MTB: Three years after its last facelift, the Scott Genius 2018 gets a new, major update: Almost everything is new, only the orientation has remained the same. Scott Genius 2018: The duty and the freestyle 13 years is a proud age for a bicycle model - especially in such a fast-moving market. In 2004 they gave […]
For our test ride in beautiful South Tyrol we were allowed to sit on the top model Scott Genius 900 Tuned with 29″ wheels. Befitting the ranks with a carbon frame, high-end equipment consisting of a Fox Factory chassis, SRAM XX1 Eagle gears and wheels from DT Swiss. The prices are not 100% certain yet, but we were told that they will roughly move in the areas where the Genius is currently. This means that the top model we tested will cost around €8.000 - a steep price that seems justified in view of the noble equipment and the really excellent performance. Anyone who is satisfied with an aluminum frame and less expensive components should be able to enjoy the Genius for significantly less.
One of the unique features of the Genius has long been Scott's own TwinLoc system. The damper and fork can be controlled at the same time and adapted to the terrain and riding style using the handlebar remote. The special thing about TwinLoc is that you don't just modify the compression stage, as with the competition, but also the spring travel itself. This is made possible by a second air chamber in the fork and damper, which is separated at the push of a button. This reduces the spring travel and the bike is automatically positioned higher in the spring travel, which in turn affects the seating position. The price you have to pay for so much comfort and technology is an additional lever and two cables on the handlebars.
Speaking of handlebars: Here you can see something very special on the top model of the new Genius: the Syncros Hixon iC. This is a handlebar-stem combination made entirely of one piece of carbon. This not only looks incredibly good, but also saves a lot of weight: The standard version, which corresponds to a conventional setup with a 50mm stem and 760mm handlebar, weighs just 290g. However, one thing is also clear: Everything has to fit right from the start, because it is no longer possible to adjust the stem length or turn the handlebars.
Scott Genius 900 Tuned: First impressions of the trail
The new Scott Genius also had to prove itself on the same test trail as all of our test bikes during the Eurobike Media Days. The Piz de Plaies Freeride Trail is technically not particularly demanding, but demands a lot from the bike with its extremely steep berms and countless changes of direction. One or the other root excursion puts the chassis to a hard test. The way back up is extremely steep in places and the bike has to prove its climbing skills here.
We were extremely impressed at first by the enormously strong climbing performance of the Genius. Especially if you switch to medium traction mode via TwinLoc, the 150mm fully goes up extremely well. It worked so well that we even switched to the trail afterwards and jetted up the berms there. Something like Uphill Flow even comes up here - a term that is usually more associated with e-bikes.
We almost expected that the Scott would also perform extremely well on the way down: In view of the geometry with a 65° steering angle, which is very downhill for a trail bike, the safe and stable handling was not a big surprise. The very light bike can be easily circled around the curves and pushed into the berms with a lot of dynamics. Even if it gets really steep and a bit technical, you are by no means stuck with the Genius: Thanks to the flat front and the long main frame, even steep steps are not too big a problem.
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