SCOTT E-GENIUS 10
impressive motor and geometry but a few niggles
Scott’s 2018 Genius
bikes are state-of-the-art bombers with some really neat, unique features, but ground clearance and fork issues undermine the obvious potential of this, their electric version.
THE FRAME
This model comes with a 500Wh battery, which is encased in the down tube of the alloy frame. Switching to Shimano’s compact STEPS motor (the E-Genius previously used a Bosch drive unit) has allowed Scott to make the rear end 30mm shorter than last year’s version, but it’s still pretty long at 460mm.
The kinked top tube, short rocker link and unique Fox Nude shock with remote control lockout, 100mm-travel ‘Traction Control’ and 150mm ‘Descend’ modes are the same as you’ll find on the standard Genius. The same goes for the slack 65-degree head angle, steep 75-degree seat angle and generous 465mm reach (large). We measured the bottom bracket (BB) height as being 330mm (high/650b+ setting), which is 10mm lower than stated on Scott’s website and very low for an e-bike.
THE KIT
Shimano XT gears and brakes match the STEPS motor and E8050 cranks. The e-bike version of Fox’s 34 fork has a solid crown and thicker tube walls to toughen it up for the faster potential speeds of power-assisted riding. While our test bike had low-profile Maxxis Rekon+ tyres with midweight ‘EXO Protection’ casings, production models will have grippier Minions with reinforced ‘Double Down’ carcasses. The 30mm rims are slightly narrow for the 2.8in tyre width, though, and dent easily. Compared to the conventional Genius, the e-bike gets a 10mm longer stem matched to a 760mm bar with internal routing for the STEPS control cables.
THE RIDE
We’re big fans of the Shimano motor in terms of cadence/ torque. It’s quiet and there’s no drag if you pedal past the 26kph limit. The slack, long front end, super-low BB and 22kg weight make the E-Genius very stable and it remains planted through turns and rock gardens, while the rear suspension is supple and controlled, creating a proper steamroller affect. Power assist meant we rarely switched out of ‘Descend’ mode.
Unfortunately, we found the fork flex (it really needs a Fox 36) unnerving when pushing the bike hard through rougher terrain, and it deserves a wider bar and shorter stem to aim with authority. The low BB and long 175mm cranks meant we repeatedly smashed our pedals, which is irritating on what’s an otherwise promising chassis.