MARCH 2018mbr 71
ROO’S SCOTT
GENIUS 900 TUNED
£6,999 / 29in / scott-sports.comTHE RIDER
ROO FOWLER
PositionFreelance
photographer
Mostly rides
Surrey Hills
Height6ft 4in
Weight86kg
THE BIKE
■29er with
progressive
geometry and
genuineXLsizing
■Full carbon frame
with 150mm travel
■Twin Loc
suspension provides
threedistinctsettings
■SRAM XO1
Eagle drivetrain
■Flip-chipinshock
link means geometry
canbeadaptedfor
27.5 Plus wheels
JAMIE’S CALIBRE
BOSSNUT V2
THE RIDER
JAMIE DARLOW
PositionBuzz editor
Mostly rides
Surrey Hills
Height6ft 1in
Weight75kgTHE BIKE
■130mm-travel trail
bike with RockShox
suspension front
and rear
■Budget £1k price
tag twinned with
modern low and
slack geometry
■Shimano drivetrain
with Shadow Plus
rear mech for
silent running£999 / 27.5in / gooutdoors.co.ukWHYIT’SHERE
Surely there
must be
E a catch?ven though the weather has sucked
recently,I’vebeenoutridingtheScott
Genius more than ever, and I’m happy to
report that it has performed flawlessly.
EventheSRAMGuideRSCbrakeshave
deliveredsolidstoppingpowerwithconsistent
leverfeelsincetheirinitialbleed.
It’s the versatility of this lightweight 29er that
reallyshinesthrough,though.NomatterwhenI
pull the Genius out of the garage, it always seems
to be the right bike for the ride I’ve planned. The
post-ridecleanisn’ttheeasiestthough—arecess
belowthelowershockmountdoesagreatjobof
collecting mud and water, not to mention all the
tightspotsonthecarbonframewhereyoucan’t
get a brush in.
Onadifferentnote,thisisthefirstbikeI’ve
had in a while which has a bottle cage mount, and
I’mmakingfulluseofit.I’veboltedonaSyncros
Matchbox Tailor Cage HV1.5 that combines a bottle
cage with multi-tools and a pump. I’ve also added a
Syncrossaddlebagforaninnertube,sowhereverI
goIhaveapump,multi-tool,chaintool,bottlecage
and tube, allowing me to ditch the hydration
pack(sadlythecamerapackismore
challenging to delete). Yes, I’m somewhat
late to that party, but it has revolutionised
my riding experience. And even with all
oftheaddedextrasandafullbottleof
water, the Genius still weighs in under 30lb.
Impressive for such a capable bike.MONTH 4:Roo ditches the
hydration pack and loads up
the Genius with some bolt-
on accessories
MONTH 8:Bossing the
syrupy South Downs
WHYIT’SHERE
It’s the longest
production
29er from a
mainstream
brandT
ake an old seabed of chalk, sprinkle
inagenerousbilliontonsofflint,
pour on four months of rain and
sculptthewholethingintorolling
hillsofgrey.That’stherecipeformy
localridingspot,theSouthDowns,which
hides some surprisingly good singletrack,
buttendstobethemostslipperyplaceon
earthatthistimeofyear.I’vebeenriding
heredecades,soIknowthatifit’sjustrained
it’slikeridingoniceandifit’sbeenafew
days it’s like riding in treacle. It’s something
ofasurprisethentofindthattheBossnut
copesincrediblywellhere,probablybetter
thanmostbikesI’veridden.
Whythen,I’mwondering?Forstartersthe
Bossnut doesn’t clog up as easily as other
bikes. There’s a ton of clearance around the
somewhat crude-looking seatstays, which
isusuallythefirstthingonabikethatstops
your rear wheel when it’s really cakey out
there.IdohavetoconfessthatI’veputa
bigger and more weather-appropriate
tyreontothebiketoo—aMaxxisMinion
DHF2.5inWideTrail—butwithoutthe
wide rims of the Bossnut it wouldn’t have
been possible.
There’s more going on that makes the
Bossnut a good mud plugger though. Months
ago, when trails were dry, I pointed out
howtheshockwasoverdampedandIhad
towindoffallthereboundtoimprove
the ride. Now, though, I’m glad of that
slowershockasIslitherdownthe
trails, it gives me more chance
keep control and avoid a
knee full of fl int.Maxxis Minions
havehelped
conquer the crud