Scott Sports has just announced the addition of plus-sized bikes to their 2016 range!
According to Scott:
We believe the excitement surrounding PLUS bikes is well founded. The increases in traction, control, and tire stability are dramatic, and thanks to the design of our new bikes, agility and handling are not compromised. On our 2016 Plus bikes, the Syncros rims have 40mm internal width and wear 2.8-inch Schwalbe tires. We worked closely with Schwalbe to determine the 2.8 size as an ideal balance of added traction (+21% contact patch) with minimal added rolling resistance ( +1%). Furthermore, weight gain is minimal, and frame geometry is subtly adjusted to take full profit of the added traction.
Other key features of the Genius range include: Boost hub spacing (110mm front, 148mm rear), 2016 FOX suspension with a new TwinLoc lever, standard crankarm Q-factor, and short chainstays for agile handling.
In the US, Scott will be offering the Scale 710 Plus and the Scale 720 Plus with 27.5+ wheels/tires, along with the Genius 700 Tuned Plus, Genius 710 Plus, and Genius 720 Plus.
The plus-sized Genius is the first full suspension trail bike that we’ve seen designed solely around the 27.5+ wheel size, and it’s the only full suspension plus-sized trail bike we’ve seen from a major manufacturer. A nod of the head goes to Rocky Mountain for their 27.5+ FS bikepacking rig and Durango Bike Company’s FS Blackjack. However, with 140mm of travel in front and 130mm of travel in back, the Genius offers more travel than either of those bikes, and it doesn’t try to strike a balance between 27.5+ and 29er wheels like the Blackjack.
Edit: I stand corrected: Scott comes in at a close second in the FS 27.5+ trail bike race. Specialized released the full suspension 6Fattie about a month ago. More details on that bike are available here.
Scott is also releasing a Genius LT 700 Tuned Plus which offers even more travel with a full 160mm, but unfortunately it won’t be available in the states with this release. Personally I think that’s a let down, as I’m most excited to see the plus-sized tires as applied to aggressive enduro bikes. In the end, I think that’s where we’re going to see the biggest adoption of plus-sized tires… if we don’t see them take over in every single discipline and sub-discipline. But that’s just my 2 cents. 🙂
The top-tier carbon-framed Genius 700 Tuned Plus (with alloy swingarm) will come spec’ed with a Fox 34 FIT4 Factory 140mm fork, SRAM X01 Optimized 1×11 Boost drivetrain, a RockShox Reverb Stealth seatpost, Shimano XTR brakes, Syncros tubeless ready carbon rims, and plenty of other carbon goodies. Claimed weight is 27.12lbs.
Pricing still hasn’t been determined and ETA in the US is still unknown, but expect this top-tier build to be spendy, with the 710 and 720 offering more affordable build kits. Also, the 720 offers a full-alloy frame.
The Scale 710 Plus is the top-tier hardtail 27.5+ offering from Scott. This rig features an alloy frame kitted with a SRAM GX1 Optimized 1×11 Boost drivetrain, Shimano M506 brakes, a Fox 32 Float fork, and Syncros tubeless ready rims. Claimed weight for the 710 is 26lbs.
The 720 offers an even more affordable build kit.
While I hope to experience Scott’s new 27.5+ rigs for myself during Scott Week in July, Global Mountain Bike Network was able to get a sneak preview of the new bikes. Check out their ride impressions, here:
