Dangerholm's Scott Ransom Enduro Project

Dear Pinkbike, in the last few years you've put up with a lot of things from me. Chasing every single gram, polishing everything that can be polished and running stems longer than dropper travel. Even routing cables not just through the headset, but through the steerer tube and handlebars as well. A far cry from the sensible bikes and components you usually prefer and praise.

It has honestly always surprised me a bit that you've been so positive overall to my rather crazy ideas and work. I guess it comes down to you as passionate cyclists recognizing that there's been a lot of passion poured into these builds, coming from a small town garage in Sweden. And that they're built to actually ride well. Even if it's not your usual style or something you'd ever want to ride yourself, interesting and cool bikes are always a good thing. Or maybe it's just about the short shorts, but what do I know?

Either way I'm incredibly thankful for all of this, it truly means a lot. No matter if it's a funny comment or a good discussion.

The bike presented here takes a step away from the usual Dangerholm route though. Sure, you'll find plenty of fancy components and a quite special paint job. But there's no weightweenie-ism, no cables going through the headset, no Dr... almost no Dremel work and there's barely any carbon fiber either. Instead you'll find a heavy-duty, performance oriented aluminum bike. It's almost like a normal bike.

So in a way - this one's for you guys.


Frame, Flashbacks and General Enduro Thoughts

To be honest this is actually my first true enduro bike. At least in the sense that it's based on an enduro labeled frame with a good few enduro labeled components.

As a funny coincidence my first ever Scott bike was a 2006 Ransom 30, which was the very first generation of the Ransom. Back then I think it was labeled as "All Mountain," but it was quite something with its massive Equalizer shock and pretty cool looks. And with modern enduro bikes being used for a lot more than actual enduro stage racing, I guess you could say I've had a few bikes that could fall into this bracket. Most notably perhaps when I slapped a 1x12 Eagle cassette and derailleur along with a dropper on my "World's Lightest 29" DH" Gambler. At 14.60kg / 32.19lbs (including pedals and CushCore) it was a very cool setup to ride, and with a climb switch on the rear shock and a steeper seat angle it would've been an absolute beast.


But fast forward to 2022 and I get my hands on a very different Scott Ransom 30 compared to my old one. This 170mm frame chassis was introduced to the market in 2019, and received high praise in the Pinkbike Field Test for that model year.


So even a few years after its launch I think it's fair to say that it's a very good and well-rounded bike, and the aluminum Ransom 30 has probably been one of the most popular from the range.

While it was tempting to go for a raw aluminum look, I ended up painting the bike in a flip-paint called "Golden Night". It flips between a golden brown hue to blueish purple, and completely messes with your head in a good way when watching the bike in certain lights. A few small parts were painted to match, as well as white logos to add some contrast.

For once there were very few modifications to do, although I did have to Dremel out the cable opening hole a little in the shock cradle of the frame to create clearance for the Intend Hover Gamechanger rear shock.


Suspension

Speaking of suspension, it is of course a crucial part of what makes a good enduro bike. While I'm generally a big fan of rear shock remotes, for this build I decided to skip it and focus purely on downhill performance. This bike wasn't going to be a lightweight punchy climber also used for occasional trail riding, so a fire road friendly lock-out lever would be sufficient in that aspect.

After considering a coil shock for a while, I ended up going for the unique looking Intend Hover Gamechanger rear shock. I had simply been so blown away by its performance when using the non-lockout version on my Gambler downhill bike.

The mantra for air shocks has been "coil-like feel" for years and years now, but this thing really does deliver. It feels almost impossibly supple at the beginning of its stroke. There's a huge negative air chamber that you set to a slightly higher pressure than the positive chamber. You start by filling up both chambers, then you close the small silver dial to close the chambers off and add more to the negative one. The Hover is constructed to run very high pressures, and normally you set the negative chamber around 5 bar higher than the positive.


You also have low speed rebound and low speed compression dials, and while impossible to reach with your fingers on this bike they can be turned without removing the shock. The upside-down placement of the trunnion mount, due to the stock shock and its remote cable, means that it's a very tight fit and not recommended in general. As mentioned above the shock won't even fit without a little bit of warranty voiding. But on a one-off build like this, trying to push performance to the max, it works.

Luckily the lockout switch is quite easy to reach, and interestingly this shock truly locks out. Not just firming up the compression, but a better lockout than most cross-country bike shocks. You can also easily adjust the ramp up, by emptying the air chambers and installing o-rings that sit behind the flush looking bolt next to the air valve.

Another interesting thing is that the damper sits separately from the air spring, instead of a traditional setup with the damper in the center of the air spring. So if you worry about heat management, this along with the huge surface area means that this might just be the shock for you.


If the rear shock looks special the fork is even more attention grabbing. Also from Intend, the Ebonite Bandit is the brand's "regular side up" fork and the Bandit addition means it's a 1.5" crown fork.

While it's easy to think that the extra stanchion and crown is there for stiffness reasons, that is just a positive side effect since it's all about air spring performance. The extra stanchion threads on instead of the usual top cap, and it's super easy to install since you just use the crown to tighten it with. Inside sits a second positive air chamber, which is set to twice the pressure of the regular first air chamber. The latter you adjust from a valve at the bottom of the fork, and self-equalizes with the negative chamber just like on most other forks these days. But why two positive chambers?

As the fork compresses it will only use the first positive chamber, but as you go deeper you will activate the second positive air chamber, with them functioning as one huge single air spring. The benefit is that the beginning stroke of your travel will be super supple since it operates as a lower pressure, but for the bigger bumps you get more support thanks to the second air chamber. Looking at the spring curve it is almost linear like a coil spring.


So in the end you get absolutely great small bump sensitivity while maintaining support and control. You can also set the limit of the separating piston, which effectively gives you control over the progression of the last 20mm of travel.

And finally, let's not forget the beautiful looks of this fork. Everything is machined including the lowers, and the cable routing is super clean with the brake hose being fastened in place with a carbon fiber plate on the back of the fork bridge. If you can't get over the Bandit extension, just remember you can run it as a traditional single crown as well.


Brakes

Trickstuff Maxima.
I could probably just leave it at that, and have the comment section point out that the wait for them is long and that they're expensive. And while that is true, let's not forget that they're probably the best performing brakes on the market. Incredible braking power, super consistent and with great lever feel. So while the wait to get a set is unfortunate they're on the other hand an upgrade you probably take with you from bike to bike.

Compared to many other options it's also nice that you can get any spare part for them to keep them running for years and years. In fact, I'm quite sure that you still can get the spare parts for the first brakes Trickstuff ever released, so it's a great brand in that aspect.

As for the price, I find it both interesting and strange that brakes on mountain bikes for some reason almost always are supposed to be great value and that good enough is... well, good enough. You see every other bike with Kashima coating, expensive carbon bits and what not but if you buy a set of brakes for around €1000 you're suddenly a madman. We're seeking marginal gains in almost all areas of the bike but braking performance is often a low priority.


Personally I find it extremely important, especially for gravity focused bikes. It lets you ride with more confidence and keeps your arms and hands fresh longer, things that in the end most likely will allow you to go faster. And while Trickstuff Maxima with their Trickstuff Power brake pads and nice 200mm (or bigger) brake discs are the dream, I welcome this discussion on all levels. From how we're finally starting to get bigger discs on entry level bikes to the top level stuff.

But first, just look at these beauties!


Wheels

Next on the list of important things for a good enduro bike: bombproof wheels.

At the center you'll find some of the coolest hubs ever. Made in the U.S.A to extremely good tolerances, the Onyx Racing Products with their sprag clutch system is something quite unique. Instead of using pawls or ratchet rings like traditional hubs, their patented sprag clutch means instant engagement and completely silent coasting. The latter is a real eye opener (ear opener?) since it really transforms your riding experience. All you hear when coasting is the tires grabbing the dirt, your brakes working and the wind. Well, if you managed to silence your chain slap and other possible noises that is.

I'm the first to say that I enjoy a good freewheel sound coming from a quality hub, but this is just another dimension.

Used here you'll find their Classic rear hub and a Helix front hub, and just like all Onyx hubs they come stock with hybrid ceramic bearings. I opted for powder coat white but you can get them in most colors you can think of, including monthly limited editions.


They were then built up by German wheelset specialist Radsporttechnik Müller using their in-house brand MFX Carbon rims. While these guys can build you carbon spoke sub1000g 29" wheels I went in the opposite direction with the burliest rim they have to offer. In fact they do have an MDURO Carbon rim aimed specifically for the enduro crowd, but I chose the slightly heavier DH rim since bombproof was the goal.

The wall thickness on these 30mm inner width rims is ridiculous, and judging from how they've handled all the serious hits and sharp rocks up until this point I've never had more monstertrucking-friendly wheels. They're definitely on the stiffer end of the spectrum, so if that's your thing these rims could be a really good option.

Built up with Sapim spokes they weigh 2181g and look absolutely massive.


For tires my go to option is Maxxis Assegai in DD or DH version. There's just something about the predictability in any lean angle that makes me able to go faster on them. But it's easy to get comfortable just riding your favorites year after year and possibly miss out on great alternatives, so to try something new I went for the 2,4" Krypotal Front and Rear from Continental's new line-up. I won't turn this into a personal tire review, but they've definitely stepped it up with these new tires and seem to be getting good reviews in general.

It's all set up tubeless with Syncros Eco Sealant and so far I haven't been running any inserts.


Drivetrain

Up front there is an Intend Rocksteady crankset in silver finish. While I'm not the one to shy away from carbon fiber cranksets, it's nice to never have to worry about rock strike damage or any other problems. Except for good looks they feature a 30mm spindle and a Cinch chainring interface, leaving you with plenty of options.

I went with what's perhaps one of the nicest chainrings on the market at the moment, the Actofive Signature chainring. Probably better known for their amazing CNC machined frames made in Germany, they offer a few select drivetrain components separately too.


The bottom bracket comes from CeramicSpeed and your first thought upon reading this might be "Why on earth would you run ceramic bearings on an enduro bike?" But there actually is some sound reasoning for it. Yes they are expensive and most people get them to save a bit of drivetrain friction, but the overall quality really is great and they're super easy to service as well. The Rocky Mountain EWS team running them with Jesse Melamed doing the full season on the same bottom bracket, can be taken as some real world proof of that.


Shifting is done with a SRAM GX AXS derailleur matched to a SRAM XX1 AXS shifter, the latter simply because it better matches the color of the AXS dropper remote. The derailleur has also been upgraded with CeramicSpeed pulley wheels that have been custom polished to go nicely with the silver Garbaruk 12-speed cassette. Silver cassettes keep on being my favorites since they stay looking fresh longer.

For pedals I'm running a set of Crankbrothers Mallet E in a custom silver finish.


Cockpit

There are plenty of Intend bits to match the machined looks of the suspension, and first out is the Stiffmaster upper headset. As the name suggests this unique headset is meant to improve stiffness, perhaps making it a little bit overkill together with the Ebonite Bandit fork. But it's perfect if ever running the fork as a regular single crown, and either way the well sealed huge bearing inside should mean trouble free ownership. Because compared to traditional headsets with their rather small bearings with angled interface, this heavy duty bearing looks more like it belongs in your bottom bracket.


The stem is a rather beautiful Intend Grace EN in 50mm which is held in place with their Smarty top cap system. As one of the few really lightweight parts on this build it's a perfect match to the Schmolke Carbon Lowriser DH handlebar which is about as light as things get considering the 780mm width. Having pulled this from my old Scott Gambler "British Racing Green" it weighed in at a mere 178g before paint. At 6 degrees it features a little less back sweep than most handlebars, but I've always felt surprisingly comfortable on it.

The grips are Syncros AM Lock-On and they're available in two diameters, with me going for the bigger. It's a welcome sight to see more grips offered in different diameters, since it can make such a dramatic difference in comfort and control.


The seat post is a regular RockShox Reverb AXS in 170mm drop held in place by an Intend Corona seat clamp, and on top there's a Syncros Tofino 1.0 R saddle with carbon fiber rails.

To round things up there's a Syncros iS Cache bottle cage with a neat little multitool, chain breaker and missing link holder built in.

Scott Ransom 30 - Weight: 15.91kg / 35.08lbs including pedals







PS. Unfortunately I didn't have a short shorts photo with the Ransom, but here's one with the brand new Genius which you can take as a hint of things to come. Because with two "World's lightest" projects and cables to be routed where no cable has ever been routed before, there's a lot in the pipeline.

But maybe I should build a Genius "PB Edition" with external cables first?