Scott Enduro with Bosch drive: Ransom eRide

It was somewhat surprising that Scott had nothing to offer in the long-travel segment until now. After all, the enduro segment has always been a guarantee of success in the Swiss multisport company's portfolio. The first Ransom came onto the market in 2006 and caused quite a stir in the bike scene: the 160 millimetres of travel were surprisingly easy to pedal. The characteristics continued over the following model generations - and over the years, the Ransom found its fan base in both the gravity and touring factions.

It is therefore only logical that the Swiss company now wants to continue this success story in the thriving e-segment. And the product developers have clearly given the eRide similar characteristics to its non-motorised predecessors. In our practical test (
EMTB 05/20
(in newsagents from 13 October), the Ransom not only scored as a downhill fun machine with ample travel reserves, but also as a talented climber.

The geometry

The Ransom rider can choose between two geometry settings. This is made possible by a flip chip on the shock suspension. We rode the bike in the low setting. In the high setting, the steering angle and seat angle are about half a degree steeper. However, at 77 degrees, this is also very steep in the slack setting - steeper than on Scott's All Mountain Genius eRide. The front of the Ransom is also quite high (stack: 650 mm). Together, this ensures that you sit centrally and upright on the bike.

At 464 millimetres, the Scott Enduro also has quite long chainstays. So it's no wonder that the bike climbed even the steepest climbs with ease in our practical test. A pleasant side effect of the flip chip: If you want, you can also ride the Ransom with 27.5 instead of the 29-inch rear wheel - in the steep version, the bottom bracket height, steering and seat angle are then equalised again.

The equipment

The Ransom weighed in at 24.3 kilos - a decent weight for a bike in this category. And the Swiss didn't cheat their way to this weight: With the massive stanchions of the 38 mm Fox (eRide 910), you don't have to fear any downhill terrain, and the powerful Bosch drive is powered by the 625 watt-hour Powertube battery for long tours. Only the choice of tyres was made with the gram counter in mind: the Exo+ casing on the Maxxis Assegai and Sektor is lighter than the Double Down casing - but also more puncture-prone.

Considering the price (Scott Ransom eRide 910: € 6999), the equipment is not glamorous, but it is adequate. The suspension is top-notch: the Grip2 cartridge damps the Fox fork, while the Fox Float X2 keeps the swallowing rear end quiet. There is also a Shimano XT brake system (unfortunately not with 220 discs), a Fox Transfer dropper post with 175 mm travel (frame size L) and a Sram X01 Eagle rear derailleur, albeit with an economy shifter from the NX series.

Conspicuous: Scott has dispensed with the TwinLock system on the Ransom. To say it up front: We didn't miss the feature, which allows you to set three suspension modes on other Scott full-suspension bikes using the handlebar remote, on the Ransom - the rear suspension is well balanced even without the platform switched on. A pleasant side effect: this alone keeps the cable clutter to a minimum. The engineers have neatly tucked what's left in and around the bike.

Conclusion

With the Ransom eRide, Scott is celebrating a successful premiere in the long-travel segment. The no-frills bike offers ample reserves for rough downhill trails, but its all-round talents should also delight demanding touring bikers. A real Ransom, after all. The detailed test report with riding impressions and lab data can be found in
EMTB 05/20
- available from 13 October!