[First Look] The All New Scott Genius

Today Scott is releasing their new Genius, an All Mountain rig with 29-inch wheels and 160 / 150mm of travel at the front and rear respectively. The thing that immediately catches the eye is the frame with the hidden shock absorber, along the lines of the Spark. Read on for a deeper dive…

Geometry

The bike on test is in size M. I am 179cm tall and I find myself straddling the M and L. In this case the 460mm reach was sufficient for a nice central position which, assisted by a saddle angle of 77.1° and a 440mm chain stay helped me a lot on steep and technical climbs, preventing the front end from lifting too easily.

The head angle of the Super Trail version is 64 °, but an asymmetrical headset is available that allows you to adjust the angle by +/- 0.6°.

The new Scott Genius

It is worth going into the details of the new Scott Genius, starting with the model in test, namely the Genius Super Trail Tuned. The substantial difference with the classic Genius lies in its more downhill nature, exemplified by the non-lockable Fox 36 Factory Grip 2 fork and the Fox Floax X Nude shock absorber with piggy back.

In fact, as on all Scott models, also on the new Genius we find the handlebar remote control equipped with three levers: the two upper ones close and open the suspensions, the lower one takes care of the dropper seatpost.

On the Super Trail Tuned, the remote manages only the rear shock absorber. On the other models it also takes care of the fork, which however is a Fox with Fit4 hydraulics.

Speaking of the shock absorber, the intermediate position decreases the volume of the positive chamber, acting as a volume reducer (like the “ramp control” on the Ransom), which is convenient for both the uphill technical parts, because the sag will decrease and it will stand taller in travel, and in descending to increase its progressivity.

The rebound and compression adjustment knobs have been placed in a different position than the classic Fox Float X, in order to make them accessible, since the shock absorber is inside the frame.

It is very easy to reach shock absorber once the frame protection/downtube cover is removed by pressing a single metal button.

The frame is completely made from carbon fiber and in its most high end version – the HMX – with a claimed weight, without shock absorber and in size M, of 2,295 grams, compared to the 2,795 of the HMF version.

If you are wondering how to measure sag, the gauge is located on the left side of the frame at one of the main pivots.

Staying on the subject of integration, Scott opted for a cable passage as hidden as possible also at the cockpit level, in fact these go to slip into the headset.

This is a solution that the undersigned does not particularly like because it complicates the maintenance of the bike and the replacement of components.

On the other hand, the carbon handlebar with integrated Syncros stem is easy on the eyes. 780m wide and with a 15° rise in size M (20° for the L and XL), it turned out to be stiff but not so much that it was uncomfortable.

Or rather, the grips are too tight for my hands and after a while, going downhill, they…

The drivetrain is a reliable and precise SRAM Eagle AXS. The gearing is 10-52T out back and a 32-tooth front chainring with an integrated upper chain guide attached to the frame.

The detail of the carbon plate is very nice to avoid scratches from the chain in case it falls.

The Fox 36 Grip 2 fork.

I’m not a big fan of 2.6 “tires because they add weight and are less precise than a good 2.4”, not to mention that the Exo carcass, also present at the rear on the Genius, is too delicate for a bike with this travel.

Not only that, but the 2.6″ leaves too little space for clearance in the rear end. Several times it happened to me that pebbles got stuck in the tire knobs as they went into the frame, scratching it.