"Terrible, that low step-through on women's bikes," a biker recently blasphemed as he rode past on tour. So much for prejudices. The Scott Genius Contessa has exactly the same frame as its unisex counterpart. Scott and Trek said goodbye to specifically female frame geometries years ago. It is the equipment that now makes the difference - a little more with Scott, a little less with Trek. This makes the comparison of these two very similar all-mountain bikes all the more interesting. Can you really feel the well thought-out female features on the Genius? Or is the minimal tuning of a women's saddle and smaller grips on the Trek Remedy enough?
For the designers, the All Mountain category means: a robust bike with plenty of suspension travel for sporty, technical terrain and the best possible uphill performance. Our test course therefore consisted of a long climb (tarmac, gravel, steep trail with roots) and a descent including a winding, rooty forest trail. Okay, the heavier bike first, you think to yourself as a tester and spontaneously reach for the Genius. The chain quickly shifts to the twelfth sprocket - of course, the 2.8 inch wide tyres take their toll. However, thanks to the shorter crank arms (170 mm) and the 30 mm chainring, the climb is pleasantly small. The only annoying thing is the bobbing when pedalling - despite the traction mode, which can be conveniently adjusted on the Scott bike using the Twinloc lever on the handlebars. However, the reduced rear travel of 110 millimetres was more than enough to roll over the roots on the final ramp. A nice side effect of the traction mode: You sink less into the suspension travel of the shock, which keeps the front wheel on the ground for longer on steep climbs.
In comparison, the Trek should now be flying up the same climb. But no way. The Remedy climbs well, but not noticeably better considering the 0.4 inch narrower tyres. Only our lab measurements will show why this is the case: Although the Remedy has a 200 gram lighter frame, it weighs a full 260 grams more than the Genius. This is partly due to the significantly heavier shock and partly due to the not exactly light wheels (196 grams more) - this is on the subject of optical illusion and the partly unjustified prejudice regarding plus tyres. The large 32 t chainring on the Trek requires a little more effort when things get steep, and the 175 t standard crank length doesn't really suit legs of average length.
But now to the showpiece discipline of the two long-travel bikes: the downhill. The Scott Genius delivers what it promises visually. With its suspension travel switched on at the touch of a button, it sits firmly on the trail, smooths out minor riding errors and larger obstacles with ease. Nothing seems to rattle this bike. The only thing you shouldn't forget is its low centre of gravity. It's therefore better not to pedal over larger obstacles, otherwise you'll end up sitting on it. To activate the reserve suspension on the Remedy, you have to take one hand off the handlebars and switch off the platform on the shock, then you can start dancing around the tree trunks. The Trek is a little more direct and active on the trail.
However, you can clearly feel that the suspension has not been adapted for lightweight women. Even at a weight of 65 kilos, we had to run the rebound of the shock completely open. So there are differences between the bikes. But our scoring system still leads to the photo finish. Why? Scott makes up for the inferior brakes with more space for the water bottle. Trek also scores with a lifetime warranty. It's enough to make you tear your hair out. But this duel ends in a draw.
Test summary by Gitta Beimfohr, BIKE editor:
The neck-and-neck race ends in a tie in our points table. If I had to choose one of these two bikes for a longer Alpine tour, I would go for the more comfortable Genius (with a different saddle) and possibly upgrade to a 29er. For shorter, trail-orientated trips, however, I would prefer the lively Trek and its more powerful brakes. Everyone also thought the purple paintwork was very stylish.
Read more about the bikes on the next page....
Scott Contessa Genius 710 27.5"
At first glance, the Genius Contessa is no different from the unisex model. Scott has also dispensed with a special geometry for women. The female features are in the details: the suspension elements are also adjustable for lightweights, the handlebars (740 mm) are narrower, the grips have a smaller diameter, and a 30 mm chainring saves power on the drivetrain, while shorter cranks are better suited to the ergonomics.
Price 5199 Euro
available at Specialised trade
Spring travel 145 mm / 157 mm
Material / Sizes Carbon/aluminium / S / M/ L (44 cm)
Weight o. P. / frame 13.21 kg / 2521 g
Fork / damper Fox 34 Float Performance Elite / Fox Nude DPS Twinloc Remote
Cranks / gears Sram X1 Carbon / S. Eag. X01, GX 1x12
Transmission / Handlebars 30; 10-50 / 740 mm
Brake system / Disc Shimano XT / 180 mm / 180 mm
Telescopic support Fox Transfer / 125 mm / 31.6 mm
Impellers Syncros TR 2.0 system wheels; Maxxis Rekon+ 3C MaxxTerra /Maxx Speed 27.5 x 2.8 tyres
Reach / Stack / BB-Offset 445 mm / 599 mm / -24 mm
BIKE judgement VERY GOOD*
Trek Remedy 9.8 WSD 27.5"
In line with the motto: women looking for a bike in this price segment can already ride well and don't need any lighter and energy-saving features, Trek has only changed two details on the Remedy WSD for female ergonomics: the saddle (shorter and wider) and narrower grips. Surprisingly, although the frame is 200 grams lighter than that of the Genius, the Remedy weighs 260 grams more.
Price 4999 Euro
available at Specialised trade
Spring travel 159 mm / 155 mm
Material / Sizes Carbon/aluminium / S / M/ L (42 cm)
Weight o. P. / frame 13.47 kg / 2303 g
Fork / damper Rockshox Lyrik RCT3 / Rockshox Deluxe RT3 Re: Active
Cranks / gears Truvativ Desc. / Sr. GX Eagle 1x12
Transmission / Handlebars 32; 10-50/ 780 mm
Brake system / Disc Sram Guide RS / 200 mm / 180 mm
Telescopic support Bontr. Drop Line / 125 mm / 31.6 mm
Impellers Bontrager Line Elite 30 system wheels ; Bontrager SE4 TLR Team 27.5 x 2.4 tyres
Reach / Stack / BB-Offset 423 mm / 596 mm / -18 mm
BIKE judgement VERY GOOD*
*The BIKE judgement reflects the laboratory measurements (BIKE laboratory measurement) and the subjective impression of the test riders. The BIKE judgement is independent of price. BIKE judgements: super (250-205 P.), very good (204.75-170 P.), good (169.75-140 P.), satisfactory (139.75-100 P.), with weaknesses, unsatisfactory.
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Gitta Beimfohr
Editor
