£9,799Scott’s fully-integrated enduro bike delivers all-round performance
Scott’s long-travel enduro bike has had an overhaul, gaining a hidden shock and adjustable geometry, courtesy of a linkage flip-chips and an angle-adjust headset. We slung a leg over it at its launch to find out how it rides.
THE FRAME
Sitting at the top of the range, Scott use their super-light ‘HMX’ carbon fibre for the front and rear triangles of the Ransom 900 RC. Integration is the name of the game, with the bike featuring a hidden rear shock, frame storage and headset-routed cables.
It uses an all-new six-bar linkage, said to give Scott more control over the leverage rate and anti-squat and anti-rise figures. This design centres suspension and pedalling forces around the bottom bracket, to help increase the stiffness of the frame. Scott’s ‘TracLoc’ remote lets you switch the shock between three settings, including a climbing mode.
A flip-chip in the linkage allows the bike to be set up with either a 29in or 650b rear wheel. The head angle is adjustable between 63.8 and 65 degrees, while the effective seat tube angle gets slightly steeper as you go up the size range, increasing from 77 to 77.6 degrees. Chainstay length remains the same, at 440mm. Reach figures are up to date – 458mm on the medium size.
Hidden inside the down tube, and accessed by removing the shock cover, is a tool kit for trailside repairs, along with a spare tube.
THE KIT
The Ransom 900 RC has a parts spec to match its price tag, including a Kashima-coated Fox 38 Factory fork and Float X NUDE EVOL shock. SRAM’s wireless X0 Eagle AXS Transmission is paired with Code Ultimate Stealth brakes. Race Face Turbine R 30 wheels are shod with Maxxis rubber – an Assegai up front and a Dissector on the rear. The bike is finished with a one-piece Hixon iC carbon bar/stem, a Duncan dropper and a titanium-railed saddle from in-house brand Syncros.
THE RIDE
Scott’s latest Ransom offers incredible accuracy on the descents, with its direct handling helping you to pick out lines on even the jankiest of trails. The connection between the front and rear of the bike feels solid, although
