2013 Scott Genius 700 – 650b All Mountain Bike

By aquadog July 10, 2012 http://www.mtbr.com/

While most had their attention on Tour de France, Scott quietly introduced their new 650b bike in France. What they came up with is a more traditional suspension design with 150mm of travel both front and rear for the Genius 700, sporting 650b sized wheels. They also have a 29er version which has 130mm of front and rear travel. They have done away with the 26er version.

While the old Genius had a complex pull shock design, this 2013 one has a more traditional push shock layout. It is nicely integrated into a sculpted carbon frame. The linkage is very slick as it lays over the seat tube when fully extended. This saves space and gives the bike a very clean look.

150mm of travel is a lot, but that is really the promise of 650b bikes. 29ers can handle the shorter travel bikes but they hit a wall as they creep into long travel as their chainstays and wheelbases get longer. That’s where 650b takes the baton and allows bikes with long travel and big tires to still maintain the fun and agility that riders expect.

The Genius 700 series (650b), in its low setting, sports a 67.7-degree head angle, a 73.8-degree seat angle (effective), a 13.6-inch-high bottom bracket and 17.3-inch chainstays. These numbers tell the story of a slack bike with still fairly shortchain stays and the BB height is just perfect for a bike designed for 650b as opposed to a 26er conversion.

Frame weight is another interesting story. Scott saved 200 grams and still managed to make the frame stiffer. Weight is claimed at 5.07 lbs. Interestingly enough, the 29er version also weighs in at the identical weight.

Other details:
•Press-fit BB92
•Internal cable routing
•Rear axle that can work with 142x12mm, 135x12mm and 135x10mm quick-releases
•Comes with 135x12mm DT Swiss RWS
•Front fork is a shortened custom Fox 34 with a QR15 bolt-through axle and a full 150mm of travel