A lot of similarity to the Spark and a thinned-out but versatile fleet: this is how the New Genius from Scott for the 2018 model yearwhich the Swiss unveiled for the first time a few days ago in the Aosta Valley. In order to put an end to the whole plus and tyre width discussion, Scott will no longer add the plus suffix to any of its bikes in future. However, wide tyres up to 2.8 inches are the rule for 27.5-inch bikes in the entire Scott range. "Narrow 27.5-inch tyres will only be available on some Aspect models, nowhere else," says Head of Development Rene Krattinger. In the new Genius with its 150 millimetres of travel, the buyer can choose between 27.5-inch tyres in 2.8-inch width or 29x2.6-inch tyres on all models. Overall, the Genius range has been thinned out considerably. While in the current model year ten Genius models and four Plus variants are still available, there will be seven in model year 2018, plus one or two Contessa bikes.
The story of the Scott Genius
31 August 2003: On this day, Thomas Frischknecht's great hour struck and the Scott Genius was honoured for the first time. Because what many people don't know: Frischknecht rode a Genius to his first marathon world championship title in Lugano in 2003. A few weeks earlier, Scott had presented the Genius to the public for the first time and it was due to hit the shops in 2004. The first generation of the Genius RC, which Frischi was riding, had a 100 mm fork and 90 millimetres of travel on the shock. The second generation of the Genius then arrived in 2009, for the first time with a voluminous Equaliser 2 shock and 150 millimetres of travel. In 2013, the Genius heralded another new era: As the first all-mountain fully with 27.5-inch wheels. The shock also moved under the top tube. In 2016, Scott finally launched the Genius as a Plus version for the first time. The latest evolutionary stage of the Genius also remains (despite the Fox 36 in the tuned model) a classic all-mountain, i.e. a touring bike for beginners and pros. But not an enduro bike.
Convertible bike: Flipchip and Twinloc on the Genius
The geometry can be adjusted in an instant using a flip chip on the upper shock mount. If you have the right wheels to hand, the pit stop takes less than five minutes. Whether you choose the Genius 700 or 900 in the shop is basically irrelevant. The chip ensures that a bottom bracket height of 346 millimetres is achieved with the large round wheels (340 mm with 27.5 inches in the "High" setting) and the head angle is flattened by 0.6 degrees to 65.0 degrees. Although the seat angle is half a degree slacker in the 29er setup, at 74.8 degrees it is still very climbing-friendly.
The Twinloc remote control was and remains a constant on the Genius, allowing the suspension fork and shock of the All Mountain to be adjusted to the riding situation with a single click. The "Traction" mode, the middle stage, in which a valve reduces the air chamber in the shock, tightens it to 110 mm and at the same time raises the geometry in a climbing-friendly manner, is made for the Genius. The linkage of the shock is hidden inside the frame. We were particularly happy to use this mode on technical climbs and short counter-climbs on the trail.
The tuned version of the Genius was equipped with Maxxis Recon tyres at the presentation in the Aosta Valley, in 27.5 inch in 2.8 inch width and on the 29er wheels in 2.6 inch width. On the 30 millimetre wide DT Swiss wheels with Boost hubs, the tyres are 63 (27.5) or 62 mm wide. The maximum width of the new Genius 27.5 tyres is 65 mm.
The frame of the new Scott Genius in detail
In the frame design, the Swiss rely on many details that have proven themselves on the Spark since last year. The shock sits upside down low above the bottom bracket, supported by the wide trunnion mount. As a result, most of the forces are transferred to the bottom bracket area, which is designed for high stiffness anyway. Scott uses 15 layers in different orientations on the lower shock mount. On the old Genius, the shock sat under the top tube, which is why the area around it had to be wrapped in a thick carbon fibre dress in order to achieve the desired stiffness values. This is no longer necessary on the new Genius and is noticeable in the weight. The shorter shock also has a positive effect in terms of stiffness.
In the Comparison with the old Genius the spring characteristic of the virtual four-bar linkage has changed radically. Instead, it resembles the Spark, which is not surprising given the similarity of the bike. The Fox Nude EVOL shock responds sensitively and offers a lot of progression towards the end of the travel. If you prefer a more linear characteristic, you can remove the one spacer that is included in the standard setup of the Fox shock. It is pleasing how little movement the shock makes when pedalling. Even when pedalling out of the saddle, the Fox shock remains extremely smooth. You don't feel any influence from the drive. For the production of the carbon frame, Scott uses the same elaborate manufacturing method and the most expensive carbon fibres as on the Spark. The Genius frame consists of 900 individual parts and mats! The result is a super-lightweight do-it-all bike with a carbon frame weighing just 2249 grams including the shock. A real benchmark in the all-mountain league!
Geometry
Compared to the old Genius, the geometry has changed quite a bit, with Scott following the usual market trend. A slacker head angle, shorter chainstays (436 mm) and a longer reach should equip the bike for increasingly technical trails without taking away its playfulness and agility. A super-steep seat angle shows the range of use for which Scott is building the Genius. You should be able to conquer even the steepest ramps and trails with the lightweight all-mountain under your own steam without the front end rising too early.
