Mountain Bike Action October 2009

The Genius is intended for the trail rider who may fancy himself somewhat of a racer. This bike would have no problem competing in a marathon-type mountain bike event of even a Super D race.

The Genius 40 is made from 6061 aluminum, custom-butted, hydroformed, monocoque tubes. The word “tube” doesn’t do justice to the design and engineering that went into this frame. Think of the widely manipulated tubes as structures. You would be forgiven for mistaking the 40 for a carbon fiber bike. We can’t remember aluminum being taken to such design extremes.



The Scott Equalizer 2 shock is exclusive to the Genius line and floats on ball joints between its mounting to the swingarm and rocker link. The shock allows the bike’s single-pivot rear suspension to be run in six-inch travel mode, 3.7-inch traction mode of locked out. Two top-of-the-bar triggers allow the rider to switch between modes.

The massive, seven-inch rotors (front and back) mean business. The rocker link and swingarm bearing get neat little Torx-headed caps to keep dirt out and give a classy look to the bike. Full-length cable housing shows that Scott expects you no to use nasty conditions as an excuse to skip your ride.



Scott finishes off the Genius 40 with their own saddle, seatpost, handlebar, stem and grips that all look good enough to find their way onto any brand of mountain bike as an aftermarket upgrade.

Leave the 40 in traction mode and power away. The bike’s steering geometry, which Scott says is a slack 68.5 degrees but our measurement came up with a more real-world 70 degrees, that works perfectly on the climbs by remaining agile while still preventing unwanted wandering. If traction permits, climbing out of the saddle will accelerate you to a comfortable cadence. The Schwalbe tires hooked up nicely, making a noticeable gripping sound on hardpack surfaces. We took advantage of the fork’s TALAS feature by reducing travel to 5.1 inches on climbs to give the bike a more balanced feel.



The Genius 40 is a well-mannered trailbike. Not too quick, not too slow. It didn’t matter if you entered the corner in the traction or six-inch mode. The bike didn’t push or understeer. It just stuck. We have grown very fond of trailbikes with 15-millimeter front axles but honestly didn’t miss the option for this application. The front end followed the lines we asked it to take.

The full-travel mode gave us very firm travel that never felt like we were getting the full 5.9 inches—until we reduced the positive air chamber of the shock. The rear wheel does stay glued to the ground.

The Equailizer 2 shock is tricky to set up, requires its own pump and can’t be replaced by any aftermarket shock, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth the hassle. The three travel settings are so simple to operate that you will find clicking between settings a subconscious effort by your second ride. Just realize you will have to experiment longer than most riders to find the sweet spot.