SCOTT Contessa Genius 720 Bike

Boost is a hub and drivetrain standard developed by SRAM. Boost is built around a wider rear and front hub and enables stiffer wheels due to a wider spoke bracing angle. Boost 148 rear hubs move each flange of the rear hub three millimeters wider.

Boost is designed as a complete system so drivetrain performance isn’t compromised. Even though Boost pushes the cogs three millimeters outboard, the crankarm Q-Factor remains the same as the Boost system’s crankset utilizes front chainrings that sit a corresponding 3mm outward to ensure the required chainline. Boost cranks can onlybe used when paired with a 148mm hub. On the front the hub spacing is increased by 10mm to 110mm. Increased wheel stiffness and greater clearance for bigger tires are the main advantages of Boost technology. On our bikes, we wanted to go beyond the basics and reap all the benefits of this innovation by optimizing frame design and geometry.The 3 mm outboard chain ring adds clearance in the chain stay area that allows a substantial increase of the chain stay tube cross-section. Correspondingly,the stiffness in this part of the frame improves. Also, with a wider range of positions for the rear wheel, the frame geometry can be adjusted. We can shorten the chainstays for more agile handling.

We have adopted the new Metric shock sizing standards with a Trunnion mount. Since the shock body now extends between the two lower mounting bolts, our suspension partners have more design space. This means the shock has more stroke for the same eye to eye length. Stroke on the 165mm eye to eye shock has increased from 38mm to 40/45mm.The Trunnion standard also offers structural gains. The shorter shock enables us to build a very compact frame and shock package, which integrates tightly to the seat tube. We managed to have a very tiny yet stiff linkage-lighter than ever. Thanks to the Trunnion mount construction, stand over height on the new Spark is very low. We are still able to realize a super compact full suspension frame and provide the ability to mount both a small and big water bottle.

The Spark family maintains the 165mm eye-to-eye shock length of the previous Spark 900 (our shortest shock), but realises up to 7mm more shock stroke. All Spark RC and most Spark and Spark Plus bikes utilize the FOX Nude shock, specially made for SCOTT:

-165mm Metric Trunnion shock

-40mm (100mm travel RC Spark line-up) vs. 38mm (old Spark)

-45mm (120mm travel Spark line-up)

By turning the Trunnion shock upside-down, we can fully integrate it into the frame which results in several benefits.Since the Trunnion mount is the same width as the down tube and mainpivot, we can have a very clean frame design in this critical area. The lack of tight transitions and small details allows for an efficient, continuous carbon structure. Carbon material added to reinforce the shock mount also stiffens the connection between the down tube, main pivot and bottom bracket, a key stiffness path.

The flipped shock also lowers the frame’s center of gravity helping to give a more planted feel when riding. Unsprung mass is reduced since it is the lighter part of the shock, connected to the linkage, not the heavier body which must move during an impact – the suspension system can react faster.Our TwinLoc remote cable can be routed cleanly into the down tube.

The Syncros Trail Fender is made from a high impact PP composite that balances stiffness and durability. Designed to work specifically with Fox 34 and 36 Boost forks, the Trail Fender features a 2-bolt direct mount and a patent pending, bottom out clearance design. This means a clean and reliable mount for a fully integrated fender. 

Our suspension kinematic brings perfect balance and control to the Genius platform. Using our Virtual Four Link design, we have honed our suspension feel, pedaling and braking response to work with maximum efficiency and in harmony with our TwinLoc Suspension System. Our kinematic suspension curve gives supple small bump sensitivity and therefore exceptional traction characteristics, perfect support in the mid-stroke and a controlled deep stroke for predictable and comfortable bottom outs. Specific pivot placements ensures efficient pedaling that drives the bike forwards like a startled greyhound and neutral braking that strikes a perfect balance between rider comfort and control, chassis stability and rear wheel traction. From the XC racer, to the downhill enthusiast, the new Genius kinematic brings improvements and advantages in all areas and gives a solid fundamental basis for a bike for all riders and all conditions. 

The Genius has always been a bike designed to go up as well as it went down, and vice a versa. For 2018, we wanted to re-emphasize this point. We designed the Genius specifically in search of balance. Compared to the previous iteration, this one is slacker, has longer reach, shorter chainstays and a steeper seat angle. We really wanted geometry figures that would balance out the long front end for more stable descending. What we've ended up with is a bike that climbs like a bat out of hell and gets you down the mountain faster than you can say "dropping!" After years of testing different options, these numbers are a result of taking everything we want out of a bike for the trails we ride, and building it. 

With the new Genius, we wanted to make sure that versatility was still achieved. Unlike much of the competition, the new Genius can switch from 27.5" to 29" wheels with nothing more than the flip of a chip. No need to change the fork, all you need to do is flip a shock mount chip, change your wheels and off you go. The flip chip allows us to maintain a similar BB height when switching from one wheel size to the other which is key to keeping handling similar for both wheel sizes. With 27.5" wheels, you can run either 2.5", 2.6" or 2.8" tires. For the 29er, anywhere from 2.4"-2.6" is good to go. The Genius has always been a bike for everyone. Now, more so than ever this rings true. One frame, a multitude of options. 

Learn more about TwinLoc here: https://www.scott-sports.com/page/twinloc

With TwinLoc, a rider can effectively control the complete frame, fork, and shock as a system. Why does this matter? A bike with 150mm of suspension travel, correctly set up, has more sag than a bike with 130mm. It's that extra travel that makes it more fun to ride and more capable on the descents, but the greater sag has an oversized effect on the bike's geometry and climbing performance. That's where TwinLoc matters.

TwinLoc helps manage the sag effect in several ways. Whereas most systems only increase low-speed compression in an effort to gain pedaling efficiency, TwinLoc allows us to not only change compression damping, but also to change the spring curve, dynamically altering the geometry of the bike. In Trail mode, the shock is not only firmer, but it has dynamically less travel. The bike sits higher, maintains a steep seat angle for those climbs, and becomes more agile. We also offer a third, full lockout mode for going up in the most efficient manner possible.

These unique settings optimize climbing geometry, even on longer travel bikes. We can eliminate the "long travel effect" that can rob your pedaling efficiency, but we're not robbing you of the full-fun, 150mm travel when you point it downhill. From a race setting, to a lunch ride, to an after work trail shred, being able to switch from mode to mode depending on a trails profile at the push of a lever is paramount to riding faster and having a damned good time. 

On the Scale, Spark and Genius, to provide a clean look and a functional solution for all the different control cable standards on the market, cable routing is fully internal and designed for full length cable housing. Routing the cables internally omits bulky external hardware and looks cleaner. The cables can endure a longer lifetime as they are protected within the frame. The entry points are machined alloy removable inserts that come along with the frame and can be chosen according to the setup of the bike. Assembling an electronic group or a dropper post will not be a problem and the look will always be clean-cut.