The new Scott Genius

Genius MC-50 [bigger picture]

Thanks to its newly developed rear shock unit, the recently launched Scott Genius frame heralds a new concept in XC bike technology.

The unit has three positional settings – an ‘all travel mode’, for when you need max travel; a ‘traction mode’, which limits the suspension and helps the bike to dig in on climbs; and a ‘lock-out mode’ for battling up tarmac. The key to this system is the Intelligent Linkage System (ILS).

The design of the rear triangle allows the position of the Virtual Pivot Point to be changed depending on the distribution of rider weight on the bike. When climbing, your weight is placed over the rear wheel which causes the rear end to sag. With the bike in this position, the pivot is at its lowest point – the optimum point for climbing. When descending, the weight on the rear end is reduced, which limits the sag and gives the bike (thanks to the ILS) a high virtual pivot – perfect for descending.

The range
All frames in the range are built from scandium alloy, and this refined material has allowed the designers to get the weight down to just 2.15kg (on the RC models) – an astonishing figure for such feature-filled framesets. The monocoque-style rear dropouts, which rid the bike of solid sections of machined/forged alloy in favour of stronger and lighter welded box sections, have really helped to shed weight.

There are three frames in the range. The freeride/enduro Genius MC offers 125mm of travel, ‘marathon’ geometry and riser bars. The 90mm travel Genius RC sports racy lines, with a long top tube and a short swingarm, to make accelerating and climbing an absolute breeze. The women-specific Genius Contessa comes with 90mm of rear wheel travel, a shorter cockpit and more clearance over the top tube.

There will be nine models in the range
– five based around the MC frame, from a basic build of LX and Manitou Black Comp fork to a high-end package of XTR and Fox Talas RLC fork. The RC will come in three flavours, with specs ranging from an LX/XT mix with a Manitou Skareb Super fork to a range- topping XTR-laden whippet adorned with the fantastic Fox F80X Terralogic fork. The Contessa is a one-off women-only model, and this comes with a Manitou Axel Comp fork, a mixture of XT/LX components and a female-specific saddle. The ride out on the trails, the bikes are nothing short of inspiring.

The MC set is aimed at the all-day rider; although our test MC10 model initially came with a ‘euro’ style long stem, we changed that for a much shorter version and the bike really came to life. The back end hooked up fantastically on the climbs, and sketchy downhills became easy work. The short top tube was a little too short for some, but there may be a slight alteration to the geometry on production rigs. The RC’s geometry is much racier, and really inspires a top performance in the rider. The handling is spot-on and, despite the whippet status of the bike, there’s no loss of control on loose, rocky descents, as the RC rails round corners and battles through obstacles like a bike with twice the travel. Scott has seriously upped the ante with this comprehensive range of 2004 Genius bikes. We’re impressed.

Interested in a Genius? Call your nearest dealer or reference centre:

Southampton	Peterborough	Wokingham
Poole	Billingham	Blackburn
Derby	Crawley
More Genius pro Shops
Certini Cycle Co Saltash PL12 6LF tel: 01752 849 315 [email protected]
Cyc-Vibes Exeter EX4 4AX tel: 01392 499 555 [email protected]	KAW Ltd T/A Worcester Cycles Worcester WR1 2LU tel: 01905 611 123
Ron Spencer Warrington WA2 7BE tel: 01925 632 668	The Cycle Centre Jersey BA4 5SB tel:01534 876889 [email protected]	Wicked Wheels Worthing BN11 1QN tel:01903 201901
Wheely Good Bike Shop Hillingdon UB10 0CP tel:01895 811214 [email protected]

Reference Centres
Norwich	Peebles	Carlisle
Stoke on Trent	Tonbridge	High Wycombe
Poole	Derby
More Reference Centres
Ron Spencer Warrington WA2 7BE tel: 01925 632 668
Test Ride
Rutland	Betws y Coed
More Test Ride Shops
Grizedale MTB Hawkshead LA22 0QJ tel: 01229 860 369