First Ride: Scott Ransom 900 Tuned

Oct 10, 2018
by Alex Evans  



Back in a time before the enduro moniker existed the Ransom used to be Scott’s do-it-all bike that had an impressive 160mm of travel for a low, even by today's standards, 30lbs weight. You’ll probably remember the old Ransom thanks to its rather funky looking system dubbed the Equalizer. Thankfully, the 2019 version doesn't mark the rebirth of the Equalizer system, the bike hasn’t put on much weight and the only thing it shares with the old model is its name. The new Ransom has modern geometry, a spattering of top-spec parts and a 'faster is better' ethos to riding.

With 170mm front and rear wheel travel and 29-inch wheels, the new Ransom blurs the boundaries between enduro, freeride, and downhill, and Scott are very keen to note that it's a range-topping enduro-winning race bike that can handle big hits, fast riding and wild trails. With all of that in mind, it firmly demotes their 150mm travel Genius platform to trail use, and until the Ransom was released, Scott was officially 'missing' a full-on enduro bike.

Scott reckons you should be able to ride the gnarliest of trails any mountain or enduro race track can throw at you, but you might want to consider moving up a model range to either the Voltage or Gambler if you’re going to be tackling massive jumps in the park all day long.

Scott Ransom 900 Tuned Details
• Intended use: Enduro
• Wheel size: 29" or 27.5" (700 Tuned bike)
• Rear wheel travel: 170mm (29" & 27.5")
• Boost 12x148
• Carbon frame (aluminium build options)
• Size: S - XL
• Weight: 30.53 lb / 13.85 kg
• Price: 900 (tested)/700 Tuned - £6,999 / 910 - £5,099 / 920/720 - £3,599 / 930 - £2,799
scott-sports.com

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Frame Details


The tune on the Fox Nude TR EVOL shock is bang on despite being plugged into the TwinLoc system.
The rocker link, pivots, and heart of the main frame are neatly packaged and the bearings are hidden behind the frame and dust caps.

The bike has internally routed cables that, unlike the old Genius LT bike, run next to the main pivot rather than under the bottom bracket which helps reduce cable pull. A ribbed chainstay protector does a really good job of deadening chain slap and other noises that are produced by the rear end of the bike when you're thrashing it. There's a built-in downtube protector, too, should any rocks head towards the underside of the carbon frame.

There’s enough tire clearance, even with the stock 29 x2.6" Maxxis fitted and plenty more if you fit narrower rubber. The fork runs a 44mm offset, which is claimed to help reduce handlebar or steering flop out on the trail compared to the 51mm of offset that used to be the norm.

The new Ransom’s frame is built around the premise of being flexy and stiff in the most appropriate areas. The lower half of the frame, from the headtube down the downtube and then to the rear axle along the chainstays is built for stiffness thanks to the chunky bottom bracket and main pivot area, while the top half of the bike that runs from the headtube to the seat tube along the top tube and then down the seat stays is lightweight and has an amount of inbuilt compliance. Scott claims this makes the bike less jarring and also lowers the center of gravity. Scott has opted to unify their range of trail, all mountain and enduro bikes’ suspension designs and the new Ransom features a Horst-link that uses a pivot on the chainstay located slightly below and in front of the rear axle.


That ribbed chain stay protector does a great job of silencing clatter and rattle from the rear end.
That ribbed chainstay protector does a great job of silencing clatter and rattle from the rear end.
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It's one neat looking bike.


Geometry


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With a 64.5° headtube angle in the slack setting and a 75° effective seat-tube angle on the size large, the Ransom's numbers are modern but not boundary-pushing for a bike with this amount of travel. It would have been nice to see a sub 64-degree HA and a steeper STA given how much travel and how light the bike is, but the stock figures certainly aren't deal breakers.

In the low setting, the chainstays sit at 437.9mm and 436 for the high position. Bikes are getting longer to make them more stable at speed, and the reach numbers on the Ransom are now pretty standard for a large bike. The large comes in at 466.5mm in low and 472mm in high and at 5ft 11inches (178cm) tall, the large was spot on for me.

The new Ransom’s wheelbase is 1249.2mm in low and 1247.8mm in the high setting which is refreshingly long, although not the longest for a bike of this nature. The 29er version we’re testing is available from sizes S to XL, but it would be great if they added an XXL size in the future for the really tall riders out there.


The TwinLoc lever sits beneath the bar and is connected to both the fork and shock. The dropper actuator is integrated with the grip s lock ring.
The TwinLoc lever sits beneath the bar and is connected to both the fork and shock. The dropper actuator is integrated with the grip's lock ring.
Scott s proprietary Nude TR shock comes with a neat dial that lets you adjust how much ramp it has on the fly.
Scott's proprietary Nude TR shock comes with a neat dial that lets you adjust how much ramp it has, on the fly and the tune is bang on, despite being plugged into the TwinLoc system.


Suspension

Scott prides themselves on their TwinLoc system that simultaneously adjusts both the fork and rear shock through three modes and this system makes an appearance on their new Ransom. The remote actuator is mounted beneath the bar on the left-hand side and they claim that this quick-to-activate adjustment makes the bike sit up in its travel (in climb mode), which is something a rider can use on short, sharp climbs commonly seen on enduro race tracks or helps it climb both on and off-road.

On the 900 Tuned model, Scott's Fox Nude TR proprietary shock has an additional lever to adjust the volume of the air can. This can be changed on the fly to make the shock behave in a more linear or more progressive way depending on how you’ve got the lever set. The shock is also compatible with tokens should you wish to further adjust its progression.

The Factory 36 fork is the FIT4 variant with low-speed compression adjustment that's linked to their TwinLoc lever, not a full-fat GRIP2 damper with both high- and low-speed compression adjustment.

The Fox Factory 36 fork doesn t get the almighty GRIP2 damper instead you re stuck with the FIT4 offering that in my opinion severely reduces the bike s potential.
The Fox Factory 36 fork doesn't get the almighty GRIP2 damper, instead, it uses the FIT4.


Frame Options / Build Kits

The new Ransom comes in 6 models, two of which are 650b bikes the rest 29ers. The top-of-the-range 900 Tuned comes with a 27.5 counterpart - the 700 Tuned. The middle of the of the range bike - the 920 - also has a 27.5 model, the 720. The bottom of the range bike only comes with 29-inch wheels. All bikes come in four sizes; from S to XL.

The lowest-specced 930 bike has an alloy front and rear triangle, costs £2,799 and is equipped with NX Eagle, a Yari fork and X-Fusion shock. The 920 and 720 bikes are identically specced and feature an NX Eagle drivetrain but come with Fox 36 forks and a Fox shock. The entire frameset is made from aluminum and costs £3,599 for both versions. The 910 bike is the first model to get a carbon front end, the drivetrain is upgraded to GX Eagle and the Fox forks now feature the FIT4 damper and will set you back £5,099. The range-topping 700/900 Tuned gets both a carbon front triangle and swingarm, X01 Eagle drivetrain and Kashima coated Factory suspension, but costs £6,999.





To get to grips with how this bike rides, I put in plenty of Whistler bike park laps on trails ranging from Dirt Merchant and A-Line’s senders all the way through to the techy and slower paced hole-filled gnarliness of BC’s Trail, Delayed Fuse and Ride Don’t Slide. It would be fair to say I’ve ridden this bike on the types of terrain I think a modern enduro race machine should be able to handle with competence.

During testing, the conditions had been exceptionally dry, hard and fast which pushed my body and the bike to the limits. With the amount of traffic the park gets, particularly after Whistler's round of the Crankworx World Tour, it suffers from impressive amounts of braking bumps, holes and bagged out conditions. Despite the gallant efforts of the trail crew, the insanely dry weather Canada experienced this summer meant that the park was pretty rough when I tested the bike. These conditions proved to be ideal to do some initial testing on new Ransom.

GT Fury 2019
Alex Evans
Location: Bath, United Kingdom
Age: 31
Height: 178 cm
Inseam: 82 cm
Weight: 77 kg
Industry affiliations / sponsors: None
The first thing you notice when you point the Ransom downhill is how well it eats up massive holes - whether they're braking bumps or naturally formed holes, the rear end of the bike has an uncanny ability to turn rough and wild into smooth and controlled. Couple this with bottomless-feeling rear suspension and it's possible to go fast and ride confidently from the get-go. That extra speed comes with more risk, though, and I found myself pushing out of my comfort zone quite quickly - luckily the bike's rear suspension is sorted enough to be forgiving when I inevitably started to make mistakes. Unlike on some bikes, I didn't feel like I was being punished when I got off-line or ended up making a dog's dinner out of the track.

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In lockout mode, the bikes climbs exceptionally well, but comfort is sacrificed and this mode is best suited to road or smooth gravel. In traction control mode, compliance and comfort are improved but you don’t get the benefits of the suspension sitting un-sagged into its stroke. the middle mode simply reduces the bike's usable travel to 120mm. Although it does firm up the suspension somewhat, I didn't see any obvious advantage over the fully open mode given how supportive the bike felt unless you were pedalling in a choppy way along flat ground.

The Ransom was smooth and forgiving on the roughest of trails, but the FIT4 equipped Fox 36 wasn't as capable as I would have liked. While it has enough end stroke support when fitted with the correct number of tokens and set to my preferred pressure, it lacks most of the meaningful adjustments normally found on forks spec'd on bikes at this price point. On top of that, there was a lack of beginning stroke suppleness that caused braking bumps to resonate through my hands, and in some instances resulted in the fork 'twanging' back and forth as it flexed rather than compressed to absorb the bumps.

The overall feel of the bike is one of compliance and forgiveness - most likely a combined product of the rims, bars, inherent frame flex and rear shock function. This translates to mountains of off-camber grip where the bike tracks and absorbs bumps like rocks and roots with a willing ease, really helping you to maintain your intended line without needing to be overly boisterous or lose speed helping you to conserve precious energy.


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Author Info:
alexcgevans avatar

Member since Jun 12, 2012
81 articles

211 Comments
  • 192 13
 Can't put my finger on why but I just have no feeling towards Scott bikes. I'm sure it's one of the best bikes in the world - there is just nothing about it that makes me think I could see myself riding it. The pathetic thing is if they rebadged it with say Santa Cruz stickers and gave it a new colour I'd probably be a lot more interested. Though it's shallow to admit, branding does seem to have an impact. It's not the decider by any means, but it plays its part.
  • 44 10
 Only Scott bikes that are cool are the Voltage and Gambler.

The Enduros/ Trailbikes are not that breathtaking
  • 52 6
 Agreed, Gamblers (before they became just another session) have that wow factor
  • 9 7
 Same here. When you look at geometry and specs of the Ransom, it is virtually perfect. But still don t want it. Hard to say why as they also have a bunch of talented and charismatic riders like Brendog, Vink, ... Tough challenge for Scott s marketing
  • 10 0
 @NotNamed:
Yup. Out of all the bikes Ive owned my 2014 gambler is the only bike I dont want to sell.

Great bike to ride and look at. Pain to clean linkages though
  • 36 1
 Great Scott, what a bunch of marketing whores.
  • 39 6
 Agreed, it's the name that doesn't appeal to me. I don't know who Scott is and I don't want his name on my bike.
  • 30 3
 I think it is just those upside down shocks without piggy backs that gives it a non burly look. You heard it here first.
  • 6 2
 Glad to know im not alone on this one. I have always tried to pinpoint why Scott as a brand is so unappealing but just cant.
  • 19 1
 I blame Austin powers. I can't take anything called Scott seriously after that
  • 2 1
 @dubod22 good point, if given the choice I’d probably take a SC Hightower LT over the Scott for a lot of the reasons you listed.
  • 4 0
 With their skis you may see less than 3 pairs a season despite some of their skis like the Black Magic being some of the best around since they don’t even try to market them towards a wider audience.
  • 3 1
 In my area the largest LBS sells primarily Specialized so that's the majority of what was rolling around, gross for a number of reasons. Scott was way more appealing because of that while also very good with certain benefits (like standard shock sizes/mounts, no brain).
  • 66 2
 For me, it's their focus on keeping TwinLoc over having suspension components that are more capable, comfortable, and tunable (e.g. GRIP2, DPX2/X2). I don't think I've ever ridden a bike and wished I had a remote lockout system, but I have ridden bikes and wished I had better suspension components. IMO speccing this bike with a FIT4 and inline shock solely to keep remote lockout is silly given the purpose of the bike.

That's the main reason they don't appeal to me and I'd never own one.
  • 11 1
 i think its a few things and scott has a hardtime shaking their XC proweress. even this bike, the non piggy back shock on a 170mm bike? Also just being a weight weenie type bike.
  • 3 4
 @NotNamed: you must not have rode or demoed any Scott bikes. The gambler is a fun bike but the newer voltage is absolutely garbage. The standover is horrible and the spec is shitty even on the highest model. I had the first gen and absolutely loved it but the new one isn’t as playful, nimble or fun. I usually don’t mind single pivot bikes but the voltage was super hard to get to feel composed in rough stuff even with a dhx2 that I use on all my bigger bikes.
I have rode both the spark and genius and really like the ride characteristics but they are over priced and I absolutely don’t want the silly TwinLoc. I have tried to get use to it but hate it more every time I use it. Also with the shock upside down, it holds a lot of mud and water if you ride in wet conditions and it makes it a lot harder to clean.
  • 26 0
 Feel the same way about santa cruz...everyone has one and they all look the same. Good bikes, good resale, solid company, reliable purchase...just not sexy/botique.
  • 1 4
 @shinook: My thoughts exactly! It sounds like an amazing ripper on paper but I'd just switch out the fork and shock immediately... and that would be way too expensive. (Although, if I got the cheapest one and swapped parts for a dual crown fork and coil shock... hmmmm) :-)
  • 5 1
 @shinook: I can’t agree more, to me it looks like the perfect bike for the region I live in but that twin loc Nonsense completely puts me off of buying one. As well as parts like the grips having the dropper lever integrated into it, what if I want to run my nice chromag grips now I gotta go get a new dropper lever aswel.
  • 7 2
 @jrocksdh: Once I jumped on the Transition Scout I sold both my SC bikes. They feel flat/dull compared to the Scout. And I can't see them as good looking bikes or of any interest anymore
  • 10 0
 I think it has something to do with the fact that they make products across a range of sporting activities, whereas the majority of other bike brands do not. Maybe in the back of our heads we are thinking that if they have their fingers in many pies how do we know we are getting the best pie when we buy a Scott...
  • 3 0
 Ya people hate marketing but often works.
  • 15 0
 At least you're self-aware enough to admit it. That puts you ahead of most on PB. I've always been surprised at how people will nitpick tiny price comparisons ("I could get a carbon bar and a dropper on x bike for the same price!") but then they will pay an extra $1,000-2,000 to ride a "cool" brand.
  • 4 0
 Yo @alexcgevans - it sounds like you had enough burly laps to provide some input on how that rear shock handles on long dh runs. Would you say the lack of a piggyback can cause overheating/stiffening/loss of damping by the bottom of a long run? I think that's a big question a lot of prospective customers have. Thanks!
  • 4 0
 Hmm, besides the huge logo I don't mind this bike. Sure could use a refresh in the paint department though, seems a bit dated. Other than that I actually really like Scotts
  • 4 0
 Exactly how i feel about Santa Cruz bikes. Different strokes.....
  • 8 0
 Scott bikes are headquartered in Switzerland, and despite being founded in Idaho, have a distinctly European flavor. Lots of focus on spandex, XC, road and lightweight gadgetry to help you climb. Gravity and trail bikes always seemed like an afterthought, so maybe the typical Pinkbike user doesn't jive well with that? That being said, their bikes like the Genius are super high quality, and absolutely rip in lots of varied conditions.
  • 2 0
 @Alpsasbackyard: me neither.. Opted for a yeti sb130 instead..
  • 3 4
 @MTB-Colada: yep I've never been able to stand the upside down shock.. Just looks sloppy!
  • 1 4
 @zephxiii: ya but that upside down shock completely ruins it.
  • 2 1
 @GlassGuy: sold my transition to step into an sb130... Had to do it
  • 1 1
 @bohns1:

took a lap on the sb130 over the weekend. damn. i think yeti's gonna have a ripmo situation on their hands and sell out and be backordered for months. that bike is almost too good. and the sprawling wheelbase on the XL didn't feel unmanageable at all. sick bike.
  • 4 0
 I would love the shit out of this bike if it were mine, whether it were called Scott, John or Betty, although I don't know if I can ride a 29er.
  • 11 0
 I went just the opposite. Demo'd a Scott Spark at the beginning of the season in 2017. Spent the entire season demoing everything I could demo - Yeti, Pivot, Ibis, Devinci, you name it. Even spent $$ attending demo events like Outerbike. Ended up buying a pair of Scott Sparks at the end of the season. I would agree that the brand is not sexy and boutique. But the bikes are wonderfully fun pieces of engineering. And yes (**ducks for cover**) I really enjoy using the Twinloc system.
  • 2 5
 @bohns1: easy decision for me to stick with Transition...I don't want to deal with that extra shock in the Yeti, and I'm wanting to keep my "small" wheels Smile
  • 1 3
 I can't shake the old pull shock Ransom split seat tube models from my brain.

The SCOTT bikes always look pretty clean kit but don't inspire myself to empty my bank account on one.

LOL @ the rear shock and FIT4 on a 170mm Enduro bike.
  • 2 0
 @OzMike: I agree with you, looking at my gambler with dorados from front/side makes me feel like this is the most awesome bike ever...
  • 2 1
 @GlassGuy: it's not an extra shock and its easier than replacing or messing with bearings. 2 years on mine, ZERO issues.
  • 2 3
 @WasatchEnduro: yeah, However, SB130 looks way better than RipMo. And RipMo wasnt sold out, they had production problems with the rear triangle... hence the lack of inventory. Hope the SB is a good bike for you! Need to try one!
  • 2 1
 @rzicc:

I'm not in the market yet, but always keeping an eye open and doing the occasional demo. Yeah I heard about the production problems, but I also heard that they're flying off the shelves. And I rode my buddy's ripmo and liked it. Alot of good bikes out there. Also considering the Scott Genius, just a parking lot test so far, but really like that bike too.
  • 8 0
 What impresses me about Scott is I've literally never heard a bad thing about them. Every person I know who's owned one, and every review I've ever read, has had nothing but good things to say about their bikes. They may not be the sexiest bikes out there, but it seems like you can't go wrong buying one. That says a lot about the company IMO. Although they do seem a bit infatuated with the bar-mounted lockouts for my taste....
  • 1 0
 @jamieSaunders: You can run any grip with the twin lock. The bike comes with a shim so you can use any type of grip you want, or move the twin lock farther inboard away from the grip. I have deathgrips on mine and with a tiny mod (cutting a small pice of the grip) Im using the twin lock clamp instead of the dmr clamp.
  • 2 0
 @WasatchEnduro: Ya pumped to get her in and built!
  • 4 1
 @GlassGuy: To each their own.. The extra shock is a non issue.. Keep it greased and you should be good for some time according to many on the forums.. Tear down when it does come time looks super simple in videos.. That and the fact they've stepped up to a no bullshit lifetime warranty is a huge win.
  • 8 0
 I'm going to go ahead and disagree. I was attracted to the frame of the Genius so I bought a 2018 Genius 940 and I fucking love it. On the contrary, Santa Cruz does absolutely nothing for me.
  • 2 1
 @Howedy: Nail on the head. I don't think of them as a bike company. Just a company.
  • 5 0
 @SnowshoeRider4Life: your comment sound to me like you have a preconceived idea about how the ransom rides. I've never ridden a Scott but have read a lot of good things about their bikes. Twinloc sounds also great ! But It seems to be fitting people who dont care much about getting into fine tuning their suspensions, the types of guys who are just happy going for a rip and actionning their twinloc whenever they feel they are wasting energy going uphill.
Finally, and here is my biggest question:
What types of rides do you guys usually go for ? I mean how long and how much elevation change ?
On this side of the pond, at least in the french Alps, we climb. Quite a lot. So yes, it makes sense to think about the weight if you want to do more than 3000ft of vertical drop.
  • 9 0
 Yeah I don’t share this sentiment at all. The last 3 years Scott has released a new bike. The last 3 years I’ve bought a new bike(counting my pending purchase of the Ransom as year 3). I’ve read the reviews and then drooled and pissed myself while I waited until I could get my hands on one. Absolutely loved my ‘17 Spark 710, followed up by an ‘18 Genius 900 Tuned. Can’t wait to now add a ‘19 Ransom 900 Tuned to the list. With the Spark and the Genius I upgraded things here and there like wider bars, bigger rotors, upgraded brakes from Guides to Codes, longer air spring assemblies in forks, etc and I think with the Ransom I’m finally happy to buy it and just ride it the way it sits (with a potential tire swap to a Shorty up front and a High Roller or DHF with DD casing out back). I love the twinloc and absolutely use it way more often than my dropper post. IMO twinloc definitely belongs on an Enduro bike and makes it so much more versatile than otherwise. I still prefer my dropper lever in the under bar position, but I don’t piss and moan about it, I just swap the parts out and keep smiling Big Grin Just my $0.02 for anyone who cares, or doesn’t ????‍♂️
  • 1 0
 @sledshed: The problem for me has less to do with TwinLoc, but instead the compromise you make for it.

If they could do TwinLoc on a GRIP2 damper with a DPX2 or X2, then it wouldn't bother me at all. It may not be my cup of tea, but I can deal with it. What I can't deal with is use of suspension components that don't really suit the purpose of the bike.

The GRIP2 damper is a lot better than the FIT4, plus there is a lot more adjustment for more aggressive riding. The DPS shock is not really suited for enduro racing, either, and it should be a piggyback. I don't mind TwinLoc, but sacrificing those things in order to keep TwinLoc is, IMO, a poor decision. I can spend the 2 seconds to swap the shock and fork to a climb mode over needing a bar on the levers to have better performing suspension components. The TwinLoc system requires sacrifices that just aren't worth it.
  • 1 0
 @shinook: Well you can always change it over to those components if you really like the frame setup overall. I do think Scott should offer a version like what you describe so that the extra effort and $$$ isn't needed. Twin-loc also has it's place as well as people tend to use the crap out of it and it has its place.
  • 2 0
 @shinook: i think you're wrongly focusing on the twinloc and overlooking the function of the nudeshock. While a piggyback would be nice, the shocks ability to change length and impact the bikes geometry on the fly is what sets Scott Bikes apart from the competition - a big bike that pedals like a trail bike.That being said, i wish Scott would decouple controlling the the fork and shock simultaneously in favor a fox 3 position lever to only control the fork....
  • 3 0
 First world problems
  • 5 0
 @Lasse2000: Technically everything on this site is a first world problem
  • 1 0
 @TerrapinBen: For some bikes, I'd agree. I think if you are looking at an endurance or XC oriented bike, that logic makes sense.

The problem is that this is a bike meant to pedal you to the top of the hill and just get you there so you can rip the downhills. Using an inline shock with less performance going downhill in favor of a geometry shift to climb better puts you in the "jack of all trades, master of none" category IMO.

This is a 170mm enduro bike, let's face it, it's not a bike meant for climbing performance. Why sacrifice downhill performance in favor of better climbing on a bike that will always climb poorly and isn't meant for efficient climbing in the first place?
  • 3 0
 @shinook: Maybe it works a lot better than you think it does?
  • 1 1
 @mpcremata: I had a genuis come in with broken pivot bolts and scott refused the warranty made us buy a 170$ partrs kit for 1 bolt we needed.
The first bolt snapped at 7 nm when it needs to be 11nm lucky we had a second bolt in that pack.
I don't sell scott anymore we replaced them with Gt. I have a new 2019 force elite here in 4 days.
  • 2 0
 @Tvaneijk: I've broken pivot bolt on my voltage FR, wasn't using torque wrench but I'm 100% sure it was bellow required 20Nm. Saw how thin they were and just asked a friend who works in machine shop if he can make me new one from steel, cost me waaay less than new kit would and I never had to worry again!
  • 3 0
 Interesting how branding is so important to a lot of people. More common than I expected. Personally I couldn't care less what name is on the frame of my bike. I'll ride anything as long as it meets the specs I'm looking for.
  • 47 7
 Scott's obsession with their twin-loc controls and the compromise of the grip mounted dropper release is a deal-breaker for me. My ideal suspension would be designed to not rely on a lock-out or travel reducer. Until a time when Scott changes its priorities I would never buy one.
  • 15 1
 Remember that Scott is a Swiss company, and their home market is SUPER focused on XC- everything needs to have a lock out or it is deemed to be inefficient for climbing. If their XC bikes have twin-loc, then "of course" their long travel enduro bikes should.

But I totally agree. Specing the bike with twin-loc caused them to use a Fox 36 that isn't what most people want in their 36.
  • 8 2
 If you've read any of the recent reviews, it pedals great wide open. The twin-loc is a further enhancement.
  • 15 2
 May be an enhancement, but for most people looking at enduro bikes it’s just more silly unnecessary cables in the cockpit. And more parts to break in the event of a crash.@zephxiii:
  • 5 0
 @ka-brap: yep, Swiss Alpine fire road grinds are no joke. but totally worth it for the downs!

Mixed feelings about the twin-lock...

losing adjustments on the fork sucks

but for fire road grinds and enduro stages with sprinty pedally bits, it does seem handy.
  • 3 2
 Ya, I'm also no fan of the twin-loc. I'm sure it works fine when it's new - but maintaining it for years looks like a nightmare, all those custom and proprietary parts, all those cables. No thanks.
  • 1 0
 You can modify it to remove the twin-loc to simplify the cockpit. The bigger deal-breaker for me is the price and availability of the Scott bikes. Very few retailers sell Scott bikes.
  • 9 1
 99% of people that hate on TwinLoc have never tried TwinLoc
  • 2 1
 Never tried it, but where I live I don’t even bother locking out my fork unless I’m going up a logging road. So for me and other people that want a cleaner less cluttered cockpit the bar mounted lock out control is completely unnecessary @mkul7r4:
  • 1 0
 @ka-brap: Isn't SCOTT an American company?
  • 2 0
 @gonecoastal: originally from Sun Valley, Id; but they've been headquartered in switzerland and focused on the euro market for a couple decades as far as i know
  • 1 0
 @mkul7r4: Twinloc makes you move the dropper lever which is a deal-breaker for most riders. Most riders use dropper ten times more than they would the dual lockouts.
  • 1 0
 @gonecoastal: yes and no. The bike part of Scott is Swiss. The brandname Scott is devided in a view single companies like Scott wintersports,bike,motosports and running. The main Scott brand is still USA. I know a little complicated.
  • 37 1
 "It would have been nice to see a sub 64-degree HA..." and then goes on complaining about the fork flexing instead of eating up the bumps?! HA!
  • 1 6
flag wannabeabiker (Oct 10, 2018 at 15:27) (Below Threshold)
 Wouldn’t it soak up bumps better if it were slacker? The hits would be more in line with the fork rather than hitting at an angle, right?
  • 8 0
 @wannabeabiker: With a 64.5 HA already that's not the case. That was the wackiest thing in this review, asking for a sub 64 HA like 64.5 isn't crazy slack enough already.
  • 38 0
 Mr cotton ass. Anagram.
  • 8 1
 " hits blunt"...
  • 25 6
 This was a pretty sub-par review. Great to hear that it gobbles up the rough and the fork wasn't to your liking, but where is the feedback on cornering, jumping, the Hixon handlebar, how other components matched up, thoughts on value, etc. Why was there no feedback on how the ramp control performed. Also, why do you wish there was an XXL? The XL has a longer reach that a XXL Hightower LT, as well as a lot of other brands. @alexcgevans how about a final thoughts summary? Just feeling lot there is still a lot left to be said about this bike to actually provide public with valuable insight.
  • 22 4
 Keywords: First Ride.
  • 2 0
 An XXL would be a better fit for 6'4"+ riders. I've noticed a lot of XL sentinel (500mm reach) riders at that height still feel a bit cramped...which led Transition to bring on a XXL size.
  • 3 0
 Pinkbike seem pretty decent at doing good long term reviews, they just by nature take time. Too many sites pass off a 1 day demo ride as a proper review. "First Rides" should be largely ignored in my opinion.
  • 1 0
 But Ransom also has a 20mm shorter ETT than the XXL HTLT, with difference being even greater at pedaling seat height due HTLT's too slack (E)STA (73.7°vs Ransom's 75°/75.5°), especially for a tall person opting for a XL/XXL frame.
Reach should be put into context of ESTA/ETT. Pole Machine has a 535mm reach but the ETT is shorter than Ransom's.
  • 17 3
 They clearly lost it somewhere, why f*ck up the adjustability of a great fork on a bike that it's job is to shred on the downs is beyond me,
  • 6 1
 Yeah if they would have the travel adjustment only on the rear it would be more appealing and reduce costs.
  • 2 1
 Agreed as I've never been a fan of fork remotes, rear yes. I've always swapped the damper out for non-remote, I suppose you can do that here as well.
  • 6 0
 Indeed.... one of the Bike editors has this as his dream build, but swapped out the Fit4 for Grip 2 and only runs the twinlok on the rear... This is on my shortlist!
  • 17 2
 It needs a kickstand.
  • 11 1
 I always thought my bike was slightly out of tune, is there a bike tuner app? Sometimes my tires are a bit flat and my pedals are a bit sharp.
  • 9 1
 nope, sorry. You need to buy a Scott to get a Tuned bike.
  • 2 1
 @spaceofades: Snarky comment.
  • 2 0
 I believe the Scott Scale requires that it is tuned. Must be a well tempered frame.
  • 1 0
 @Boardlife69: my specialty
  • 9 1
 To go along with the metric/imperial debate (meaning include both for all readers), how about including all relevant currencies? When a bike is launched, they are given to media outlets. To only include one currency (whichever one) is really not helpful. And simple Google conversions don't take into account whatever markups/taxes/etc. a country has to consider in their pricing.
  • 9 1
 All you girls whining about the twinlock. If your new yt came with a fox remote you would be pulling on your pecker harder than a 14 year old with a penthouse. Stfu and go ride one.
  • 13 2
 Did some at Scott refuse to pay the Ransom to Fox for the remote res?
  • 11 3
 Yeah the guy doing the deal was quite the Gambler
  • 9 3
 @sewer-rat: The guy is a genius if it works.
  • 6 2
 Who was the bright Spark who came up with that?
  • 5 2
 @Ktron: Someone who is quickly falling down the Scale in the company
  • 2 2
 Somone's been sipping that left over bottle of Octane.
  • 6 1
 I became Addicted to these puns.

BTW are even we allowed to use road bike puns in here??
  • 13 21
flag WAKIdesigns (Oct 10, 2018 at 2:48) (Below Threshold)
 Hello Scott, I'm your father... Dr Evil
  • 5 3
 I heard his plan was Foiled and he's now awaiting Transfer to a cold, remote location.
  • 5 1
 @lp130i: Road bike puns on PB??? Get the high Voltage torture chair ready.
  • 2 1
 @lp130i: Silence, pun speedster! your attempts to bring the roadie into the axis of endurobross will be foiled! You're a gambler playing with high voltage sparks with such impure thoughts! What aspect of this audience don't you get?
  • 7 0
 I'm glad to see that you called out their choice on fork spec at this price, but what I really want is for the reviewers to say something like "I didn't think this was a 7000 dollar bike. In fact, if I were to spend my own money on this bike right now I would purchase *insert lower end model here* as I think it provides the best bang for your buck". Or, if they really feel that the only correct purchase is the highest spec'd bike then say that and tell me that it really is the components that make the bike instead of the frame. But from what it sounded like here, the frame is what Scott have done well and perhaps the build isn't worthy of the 7k price tag.
  • 6 0
 You either get it when it comes to TwinLoc or you don’t, but how many people slating it have actually ridden a TwinLoc equipped bike? Similar to Spec and their BRAIN tech in how many slate that yet have never ridden an Epic.
  • 5 0
 What cracks me up is all the complaints of extra cables or extra levers to use... I guess if your young or a newb its a fair complaint. But I'd think most mountain bike riders were around with a 2x9 or 2x10 and a dropper lever on the left was the norm. So having a twin lock and a dropper lever isn't any different...
  • 5 0
 @stiingya: 3x9, and what the hell is a dropper? Next thing you know you'll be talking about bikes without bar ends.
  • 6 0
 I rode the bike park a week after Crankworx as well, and can tell you my Fox 36 GRIP equipped Sentinel was also suffering from the "twanging", as was my friends Rocky Mountain Instinct BC with a Lyrik. Those breaking bumps are just too much for a trail fork to handle.
  • 6 0
 No iscg mounts seems like a bit of an oversight on a bike designed to be an Enduro race rig. I have a Slash and though I don't feel it has a High Bottom Bracket it does have whats considered a High Bottom Bracket. With saying that I smoke My Bash guard every once in a while when riding steep Jank. Being in a race and having a freak chainring smash and potentially ruining your race day would suck... Having to spend the money on new expensive as shit eagle chainring after no your race ending early would be the cherry on the top of your bullshit pie. I know a lot of people spend their lives not smoking a chainring but in certain places its a common occurrence and so why not just have a frame design that allows for either instead of just non at all. Just my Two Cents...
  • 2 0
 I won't build a bike without a bash guard. I've detonated a couple of them too and my chain ring would have definitely been destroyed without it.
  • 5 0
 "Scott reckons you should be able to ride the gnarliest of trails any mountain or enduro race track can throw at you, but you might want to consider moving up a model range to either the Voltage or Gambler if you’re going to be tackling massive jumps in the park all day long."

I don't think Scott wants you to ride the Voltage anymore since they quit making it... ha
  • 10 1
 ribbed chainstay protector-for your pleasure.
  • 4 0
 ribbed protection is the best protection
  • 3 0
 @underhawk: it really is
  • 6 1
 don't scoff at scott, i've found ribbed protectors help a lot with slapping noises when you are thrashing the rear end
  • 5 0
 It says it's to reduce the noise, but the last time I put on a ribbed protector, things got louder, not quieter.
  • 5 0
 @imho4ep: if you're thrashing the rear end and you don't hear a lot of slapping noises, you're not doing it right.
  • 6 2
 I'd say getting one of Scott bikes is like having the best accountant to your company - not the type of guy you want to make jokes with on corporate parties, you won't see him drunk, but it's the type of guy you want to have around all the time and the one that makes your business getting better and better.

I personally own one Genius 29er and getting another Scott roadie and while there are not that spectacular choices as with Intense or Cannondale in the past, I feel like I'm betting my money right. If one word would describe Scott brand, it's "Confidence".
  • 4 0
 Ok I was harsh on the looks being generic. Tuning flex or directing stresses to certain parts of the frame is good engineering. Moto GP race bike frames are tuned to flex I certain directions. Too stiff and the frame breaks apart . Not quite the same loads on a mountain bike. But tuning the frame to absorb frequencies is what carbon frames need to address.
  • 8 2
 The Fox 36 flexed rather then compressed? It sounds like you didn’t have the fork set up correctly.
  • 2 10
flag i-am-lp (Oct 10, 2018 at 6:40) (Below Threshold)
 Nah, seems like every FOX 36 I have erver owned... Try rebuilding it, it helps... For a week.
  • 4 2
 @lp130i: zero issues with my 36 and it's ridden hard.
  • 2 12
flag LOLWTF (Oct 10, 2018 at 8:30) (Below Threshold)
 @bman33: says who? Get real we know you ain't riding hard at all
  • 4 1
 @LOLWTF: Come out to Denver and lets go for a ride. Bike parks are closing up and no more enduro races this season. However, I will be happy to show you around and see if you can keep up. Maybe you are some big pro hiding behind your troll account and can crush me. Who knows.
  • 4 0
 That comment had me wondering if it's time for 40mm stanchions on 170 or 180mm 29er forks.
  • 1 7
flag LOLWTF (Oct 10, 2018 at 12:20) (Below Threshold)
 Lol the difference between you and is the knowledge of the relativity of such a claim. Unfortunately I'm too broke to take your offer
  • 3 0
 @LOLWTF: lol wtf
  • 7 0
 What a beauty, we are living in good times, Great work Scott.
  • 9 2
 170 rear travel and no piggyback?
  • 3 0
 I'm actually pretty intrigued by this bike. Not a fan of the paint and I hate it when brands won't let me buy a frame only, but I'd sure like to ride one. Already checked with all the so-called Scott dealers in Seattle area and none are planning on even ordering one in. I even contacted Scott-USA about a demo schedule (I'd be willing to fly to one) but they never got back to me. Hard to sell bikes you can't ride.
  • 3 0
 The Scott demo van should be back in the Seattle are late May or early June. We already did our NW round of demos this year.
  • 2 0
 @Verg: Any idea when you may be rolling through SoCal?
  • 1 0
 @DirtGuru2: Should be in SoCal in early Nov. I"m not sure on dates or locations yet still working on those. It will probably be a LA, Orange County and San Diego area demo. Keep checking your local Scott dealers Facebook and IG accounts thats where they're usually advertised.
  • 1 0
 @preston67 If you're willing to fly in 19 so far we'll be at Sedona Mountain Bike Festival, Hurricane MTB Festival Fruita Fat Tire Festival and a lot of the other festival in the western and eastern US.
  • 1 0
 @Verg: Is there a published schedule of where you'll be ?

(TBH flying into a festival sounds like more hassle that I'm looking for, I should really just identify a dealer who stocks and fly in, ride, and fly out, although I guess if I want to do a proper demo on dirt I guess that means chasing the demo truck as no dealers willl probably have dirt demo's available).
  • 1 0
 @preston67: We don't have a published schedule. We rely on our local dealers and the festivals to promote the events. I'll definitely be a Evergreen MTB Festival June 8th-9th and a demo at St Edwards Park in Bothell the 15th of June.
  • 1 0
 @Verg: Thanks - that's good news. I doubt I will be able to wait that long though !
  • 2 0
 I've had my 2020 Ransom 900 tuned for almost a year now. Wile it is not a "sexy" bike, it is more than adequately handles everything that I throw at it from downhill, to big jumps, and enduro. I'm not gonna lie, I really like the twinloc system when it comes to climbing fire roads and smoother inclines around where I live. I haven't made any upgrades... yet.
  • 4 0
 170mm 29er Enduro!!! - SHITZ GETTING CRAZY. It wont be long before we have 200mm 29er enduro bikes and 180mm trail bikes.
  • 5 1
 If it light and pedals well why not!
  • 2 0
 @SintraFreeride: Agreed. I was being sarcastic. I would have no problems with a 180mm trail bike if there were no weight or pedalling penalties.
  • 2 0
 @fartymarty: Yeah, if it could only still pump well, that would be sweet.
  • 2 0
 The '06 Ransom was not using a pullshock. It had a 190mm equalizer shock. Some ppl switchedcthem to dhx airs with a terrible result as the frame has some funky leverage shenanigens.
  • 2 0
 I don't know if the first gen Ransom used a pull shock or not, but I've just had a chuckle that if it did and people were putting DHXs on, the funky shenanigans would be frickin hilarious!
  • 1 0
 Iirc equalizer used to run some crazy high pressure
  • 2 1
 Scott reckons this bike will handle the gnarliest of enduro trails, yeah yeah, if you decide to step it up you might be worth considering a voltage or gambler, sure Scotts website has with it the gambler.... ah what's up! Voltage where?
  • 7 2
 Offer a frame only with no rear shock and you have my attention.
  • 4 3
 What’s up with these bikes that are sent in for “first ride reviews”, but are not considered for full reviews? I feel like this is the manufacturers playing it safe and wanting to put advertise their bike without any journalists going too deep into its ride qualities and faults. Very little substance is in these “reviews” at all.
  • 2 0
 correct, it then sets the tone for the way community views the bike... PB hivemind etc..
  • 3 1
 @bridgermurray Are you the kind of person who hates movie previews because they don't tell the whole story and leave things open?
  • 3 1
 @ka-brap: no. But 80% of these “first ride reviews” don’t even get proper reviews later on. What’s the point of a trailer without the movie?
  • 3 0
 As soon as a bike is launched the race is on to get a "review" up to grab those clicks. Proper reviews take months, Pinkbike has to do a "First Ride" to quiet all the shouts of "where is the review of x, xxxxyyzzz.com reviewed it weeks ago!"
  • 2 0
 @bridgermurray: In the case of the Machete trailer which didn't have a movie until years later, it was still awesome and worthwhile.
  • 2 0
 @kiksy: No. Pinkbike doesn’t get to decide if they want to review the bike or not. A manufacturer has to send it in for review. My point is becuase Pinkbike might be more impartial and thorough than other sites, it seems like some manufacturers are afraid of criticism and just send them in for these “first rides” with minimal content to just make it appear as though their bike has been reviewed.
  • 2 0
 @bridgermurray: Totally agree. But they are labelled as first rides and not proper reviews. Unlike on many other sites.
  • 2 2
 Ahh... another intro / sketch, a month after the intro.

And to think I set this article aside this morning looking forward to reading it after a long day, figuring it was going to be a full fledged in-depth thrash session from Levy or Kazimer... but they gave the assignment to the cub reporter.

This bike is at the very top of a very short list.

I find the design super sexy, but the paint too loud / dated (just give me some version of black).

Now that you mention it, Scott name is a kinda weird brand to have plastered along the entire downtube... might as well be Dave or Steve. But I can be ok with it (or repaint it) if the bike shreds.

Love the concept and execution (and weight) of the Hixon, but I run my bars with the... end sweep(?) exactly horizontal, i.e. "rolled back" for most people. Will I be able to adjust to the feel, though it's biomechanicaly incorrect?

Potential deal breakers (and trying to discern how much they matter):

Fit4 instead of Grip 2

No ISCG05 mounts

Should I be OK with "this" PressFit? This (BB92?) does seem to be the best / least worst / most well engineered press fit design. Anybody have experience with it?
  • 2 1
 And also, no frameset only option
  • 1 0
 The enduro moniker existed before the Ransom, even for MTB. I may not have been part of your vocabulary but full national series were set up a few uears before the Ransom came on the market.
  • 1 0
 Sounds like an awesome bike, minus the fork. It’s a shame it doesn’t come with the Grip2 cartridge. It would be an easy swap and you can eliminate the fork lock out. I only see rear suspension lockouts beneficial
  • 1 2
 Whoa, a few comments have complained about the dropper lever being integrated into the Tone Loc, but look where that lever actually is--way above the actual handlebar. Press it with your chin while you're milking the Tone Loc with your fingers?
  • 4 2
 The bottom end of the shock and its bushings are going to sit in their own little pond
  • 3 0
 Seems to work alright on the millions of forks sold
  • 5 0
 Theres a hole on the non-drive side below the shock mount to let water and mud out. Im the US demo guy and have had no problems with similar arrangements on the Sparks in the Demo fleet even though they don't have the side drain hole. I live the the NW so a lot of rain and mud in the winter and no dirt build up.
  • 4 2
 Sick bike, I would ride one, it ticks all the boxes except maybe a coil rear shock
  • 3 2
 or at least a resivour shock.... I simply can't understand why they didn't put a resivour shock on it, I don't care what anyone has to say about how advanced fox's dampening technology is at this point... Its still a 170mm travel bike and I am sure if you take it down a long enough descent this shock will fade.... Over gun me scott... give me too much shock.... We spent the first 15 years of cycling being under shocked on bikes, please don't go back to this
  • 4 0
 It does have ramp control which reviewers say works sweet. It is also metric and an after market coil can be installed
  • 2 0
 @The-mnt-life365: I think the reason why is because of the twinloc. It works differently from the gemini system you see on cannondale. Because its adjusting volume and compression simultaneously, they all have to be in the same place. I believe that's the reason anyways. I agree with you though. It's probably a good shock, but for piece of mind it would be nice to see them resolve this.
  • 2 0
 @BEEner: Yeah definitely, and credit is due where credit is earned. When you look at the diagrams of the internals of these twin lock shocks.... it is absolutely mind boggling to see the technology that is packed into these 8 inch long pieces of art at this point. It blows my mind what is going on inside of these f*ckers. Super rad, but as you said... a reservoir shock would be nice even if it is just for the piece of mind
  • 2 0
 Throw the dual lock thingie away and put normal suspension on it. A proper bike hardly even needs a lockout switch anymore!
  • 1 2
 If they did it without that stupid twin lock crap I'd probably like it more. Few rides in some British slop that thing would no longer work. Plus fox make it ridiculously expensive to change the dampers to the normal on fork/shock levers that everyone is happy using...stop clogging up the bar with levers it looks crap!
  • 6 4
 lower shock mount looks like a great mud trap
  • 1 0
 Total agreed, no space either for the hardcore crap you don't want near moving parts.
  • 2 0
 not much different than what the slash has going on but yeah... they made the drain hole only on one side and about a 1/4 of the size of the slashes. not the smartest decision on Scotts part
  • 2 0
 but what about an “Ultra Ribbed” Chainstay protector?
  • 1 3
 Can this bike even run a 38 tooth chainring up front?
With all the nonsense that is supposed to make it easier to get over a mountain i dont see how this ransom could ever be pedaled to 40 mph on any race course.
The average joe who buys into marketing has ruined the industry for those who killtrail.
  • 1 0
 My homie just picked one up.Thing is sweet. I want to test ride it to see if I like it over a Reign
  • 2 0
 The old Ransom didn't have a pull shock. The genius line did.
  • 2 3
 The ransom had the DT Swiss made Equalizer PULL shock !
  • 3 0
 @MysticMCyclist: No, the equalizer wasn’t a pull shock.
  • 1 0
 @MysticMCyclist: Google it. The genius line used an equalizer shock as well, but the ransom had an ordinary push shock
Many people even threw out the garbage the it was and put a monarch on it to get the bike working.
  • 1 0
 Top half of the frame is lightweight? What's their warranty/crash replacement like?
  • 5 0
 They send you half a new frame (in a different colour) a hack saw and some glue
  • 2 0
 Yesss to lower offset forks!!
  • 2 1
 Can a more trail oriented shock really Handle all the endruo needs and dh needs without being an issue
  • 2 0
 Never really liked Scott bikes bit this bike looks DEADLY!
  • 3 0
 agreed. Bike mag editors chose this as their top bike. Guessing it will be someone's bike of the year. I'd love to throw a leg over one.
  • 3 1
 xxl size? this bike has the same geo specs as a hightower xxl
  • 3 0
 Because the hightower's geo sucks...?
  • 3 0
 XXL Hightower has a significantly longer top tube for the same reach as the XL ransom. Puts the saddle in a different zip code than the handlebars.
  • 4 0
 @Aesthethica: because of the ungodly swat tube angle (actual, not effective). On the xxl the seat might be behind the rear axle...
  • 2 2
 Interesting bike, but proprietary rear shock with no reservoir (seriously, no piggyback on a 170mm enduro bike?), FIT4 damper and Twinloc cables... no.
  • 3 2
 Is a tuned bike same as a dialed bike?
  • 2 1
 Sometimes
  • 3 3
 For some reason I like it. If you want you can throw some 27.5+ wheels and tires on it. I just cant get by the Scott name.
  • 1 0
 I could never buy this bike, its got my damn name on it.
  • 1 2
 Why go through all the effort to design a bike with a Trunion shock, then mount it upside down, where you don't get the advantage of a Trunion.
  • 5 0
 Having the wider trunion mount at the bb allows for better layup of the carbon. There is almost one continuous plane from the down tube though the bb, lower shock mount and into the seat tube. Using longer fibers with less drastic profile changes results in a stronger more durable frame.
  • 2 1
 A bit laughable that it doesn't feature a bash guard. Strange.
  • 1 2
 The first thing I said when I looked at it after release... How can designers decide this is a good idea??
  • 1 0
 Is it a stem? Or is it a handlebar? You choose!
  • 1 0
 Pretty sexy bike, although it looks very XCish
  • 3 2
 That stem tho.
  • 2 0
 Stem integrated to handlebars? www.pinkbike.com/photo/16425911
  • 4 4
 How can a bike be sold as an enduro bike when it has no piggyback shock ?
  • 1 2
 Are all plastic bikes designed by the same guy and made in same factory?
  • 1 4
 Weirdest looking Bronson i've seen.
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