Australian Mountain Bike — December 01, 2017

90 - AMB

ESSENTIALS

BRAND Scott

MODEL Genius 920

RRP $5,699

WEIGHT 13.3kg (as tested)

FROM scott-sports.com/au

AVAILABLE SIZES S, M, L, XL

FRAME MATERIAL Carbon HMF mainframe,

alloy swing-arms

FORK Fox 34 Performance

150mm

SHOCK Fox Float Evol

Performance, 150mm

SHIFTERS SRAM GX Eagle 12sp

DERAILLEUR SRAM GX Eagle

CRANK SRAM X1 Eagle,

Boost, 32t

BOTTOM BRACKET SRAM GXP Pressfit

CHAIN SRAM GX Eagle

CASSETTE SRAM GX Eagle

10-50 12sp

WHEELS Syncros CR2.5 30mm,

Boost, Centrelock

TYRES Schwalbe, Nobby Nic

Addix, 29x2.6”

BRAKES Shimano M7000, 180mm

STEM Syncros, FL1.5, 50mm

HANDLEBARS Syncros FL1.5 mini riser,

760mm

SEATPOST Fox Transfer

Performance, 31.6mm

150mm drop

SADDLE Syncros XM 2.0

TESTED

chain device. There’s a neat port on the downtube
for 2x11 drivetrains and SideSwing derailleurs,
and other models in the range come so equipped.
It’s easy to think of lockout and low weight and
associate that with riding on the XC end of the
spectrum. But that would be a mistake. With
two geometry settings via a chip in the top shock
mount, it’s still a slack and long bike. So although
the bike can be made to be pretty spritely thanks
to the lock out and low weight, it’s when pointing
downhill and going fast that the Genius really
comes alive.

ON THE TRAIL WITH THE GENIUS

Getting the Genius up to speed was easy - with
a tight back end it springs alive way differently
than you would expect. The feeling of the
Genius 920 being a big, long bike was really only
prevalent when manoeuvering out of buildings
and getting the bike into or onto a ute or car.
Thanks to the relatively tight 438mm (436mm
in the high setting) chainstay length, the Genius
920 is remarkably manoeuverable. It makes it
easy to loft the front wheel, and combined with

a supportive suspension package, the bike

accelerates and changes direction far more

easily than you would expect given the wheel

base is over 1230mm.

Much of the riding of this bike was done in the

Victorian High Country. From Mount Beauty,

to Mount Buller, Bright and Falls Creek. The

progressive suspension and modern, long

geometry meant that even on the fast trails with

high speed corners and hits the bike stayed

planted when you wanted it to, and calm under

pressure. Point down something really steep

and with the 150mm dropper slammed and the

suspension open you just had to keep it pointing

straight to get through.

The TwinLoc is very easy to get along with. At a

quick count I have owned 22 Scott bikes since

2005, across road, mountain and cyclocross.

And five of them had this system and were the

bikes I spent the most time on offroad. Still, I

haven’t owned a Scott mountain bike since 2012,

and I haven’t used TwinLoc since 2011. But

the system is intuitive to use and certainly way