Scott has always felt like a European brand, and Eurobike was certainly a comfortable environment for them in Germany. Weight and tech weenies proliferated the halls, forming ques wherever carbon bike makers showcased a lightest-in-class bike or product. It came as no surprise that Scott was on every geek's i-Pad GPS app. After all, this is the bike maker that, a decade earlier, shamelessly sold the first production carbon race-bike to top 10,000 dollars. There is no stopping these guys when it comes to chasing grams at any cost, but someone has to take that lead. If there is one bike that should be on Pinkbike's radar, it is Scott's Genius 10.
Genius 10To rationalize the Genius 10's estimated $6999 USD price tag, begin with a three-chamber, remote-actuated, Equalizer-2 pull-shock that switches from 90 to 150-millimeters of rear-wheel travel, add an 1800-gram, bare carbon chassis and then pop a Fox TALAS FIT RL 120/150 fork on the front. Keeping things lightweight, is a SRAM X.0 20-speed drivetrain, DT Swiss X15 through-axle wheels and a busload of carbon Syncros cockpit items. 25.33 pounds, says the sticker, and it feels a lot lighter in hand.
Genius 10 details:
(clockwise) Angular reinforcements and contrasts, like its minimalist rocker link and the huge box-section around the bottom bracket area of the Scott Genius 10 carbon chassis, reflect the type of no-compromise design we expect to see in a military weapon • Scott's Equalizer-2 pull-shock switches from short-travel, lockout and long-travel modes from a handlebar remote lever • The pull-shock arrangement of the Genius 10 allows for a lighter weight rocker link and a low center of gravity • Scott's carbon rear dropout uses a 12mm through-axle.
Need more suspension travel? Scott's Genius LT 10 has the same chassis, burlied out with 180 millimeters of front and rear travel, massively oversized rocker links, a chain-guide-equipped SRAM X.0 two-by drivetrain, a RockShox Reverb remote seat post, DT Swiss AM 10 wheels and a Fox 36 TALAS fork. Scott puts the LT's weight at under 30 pounds, which is quite impressive. Price: about $7,000 USD.
Gambler WC-10Scott's Gambler WC-10 downhill bike is not new for 2012, but it deserves a look anyhow. The welded-aluminum, 215-millimeter-travel chassis has three wheelbase settings, Fox suspension (40 RC2 Fit fork, DHX RC4 shock), Syncros cockpit items, Shimano Saint drivetrain parts, and DT Swiss EX 500 wheels.
Scott's display of technology was over the top this year, with a sales staff of robots that could speak five languages and regurgitate every statistic of their lineup. When not busy hobbling around the exhibit, the 'bots would congregate on this special platform to recharge their batteries in sleep mode. Scott dressed the 'bots to show off its well-designed 2012 off-road riding gear.
Check out Scott's entire lineup for 2012, and put your words in a row if you have any thoughts about Scott's light-is-might anthem.