Scott Bikes Now Arriving in the Shop

Scott & Pivot Mountain Bikes are arriving in the shop

I realize we’ve been talking about fat bikes and riding on snow for quite awhile now, but watching what Michael has been building up in the shop has got me itching for a little dirt (and short sleeves and warm sun!). Right now we have a Scott Genuis 730, a Scott Spark 900SL and a Carbon Pivot Mach 429 in the bike stands. In between scheming a rush down to the desert, I thought I would share with you all what’s up for the spring & summer.

Scott is no stranger to making bikes out of carbon fiber, with over twenty-one years of experience, beginning with the Endorphin model that was unveiled in 1992. The Genius 720 features a carbon front triangle constructed using Scott’s proprietary Integrated Molding Process (IMP), which involves using high modulus fibers oriented and layered to achieve the optimum strength-to-weight ratio. The bottom bracket area, which uses the PF92 standard, is visually impressive, looking like something from a stealth fighter, a shapely mass of carbon designed to be laterally stiff so that pedaling input is translated into forward motion, not wasted on side-to-side flex. The shift cables and rear shock control are internally routed, disappearing into the frame just behind the tapered headtube before reemerging at the rear shock and bottom bracket area.

The rear dropouts of the Genius are interchangeable, allowing wheels of 142×12, 135×12 or 135×10 spacing to be used. Big fans of creative acronyms, Scott calls this system IDS-SL, or Interchangeable Dropout System – Super Light. The Genius 720 comes with a 135x5mm DT Swiss RWS quick release, which threads into the drive side dropout.

On level and rolling terrain, the Genius’ geometry put us in a relaxed and upright position that could be maintained for hours on end, with the sloping toptube providing enough clearance for maneuvering the bike when the trails turned technical.

The Genius 720 was well-mannered and predictable when descending in both travel modes, although we never felt like we were getting the full amount of travel, despite the o-ring on the rear shock telling us otherwise.

At higher speeds the bike shook off some of its serious demeanor, and felt more nimble and easier to whip around. One of our test tracks had a section of sweeping, bermed corners that dove in and out of small gullies. This was where the Genius felt most at home, traveling at high speeds on terrain that wasn’t overly technical, but that required a lot of bike movement – quick uphills, followed by equally quick downhills.

Scott has packed a veritable Swiss Army knife’s worth of features into the Genius 720. We’re not sure where the little toothpick is, but we have no doubt it’s mounted somewhere on the handlebars. All joking aside, the Genius 720 is a versatile bike that can go from 150mm of travel to 100 with the push of a lever. Technically savvy riders that aren’t daunted by the array of controls on the Genius will find themselves switching travel modes multiple times throughout a ride, dialing in the right setting to match the terrain. Please click to read the full review on Pinkbike.com.

For 2013, SCOTT bravely went wheels-deep with its Genius line of bikes, decamping from 26-inch wheels entirely and instead offering both a 27.5-inch and 29-inch version. We had just the 27.5-inch version on test and, like the ‘in-between size’ wheels in general, the Genius left us scratching our heads as to what it all really means.

At first, the 150-millimeter-travel label had us thinking this would be a highly capable bump-munching monster, perhaps a contender in the all-mountain category. However, we soon found that the Genius was more of a long-legged trail bike that wants to act tough and shotgun a beer, but also wants to hang out with the spandex crowd…So, if you like mixing it up between cross-country throttling and technical charging, the Genius could be your match.

Stop by the shop to see the new bikes and get your stoke up for the coming riding season!