Inside Line: Scott unveils line of 27plus bikes

Photos courtesy of Scott Sports

The tidal wave is coming, and it’s rolling on big tires. Scott is one of the first major brands out of the gate with 27plus, in this case built on the Genius full-suspension platform and Scale hardtail. The brand touts the added traction offered from the 27.5×2.8 tires while sacrificing minimal rolling resistance and weight gain.

 

Scott Genius Plus

The Genius is Scott’s line of multi-purpose trail/enduro bikes, offered in both 27.5 and 29-inch, and now 27plus. The new models are built around the Boost hub spacing with 15×110 mm Fox forks and 12×148 mm rear axles. The front triangle is carbon fiber while the entire aluminum rear triangle of the bikes have been specifically developed to optimize stiffness with the bigger wheel and to increase clearance for up to a 3.0 tire.

Adding the bigger tires means sacrificing some suspension travel, in the case of the Genius. The Genius 700 Plus is 140/130 as opposed to the 150/150 of the standard 27.5 model and is closer to the 130/130 of the Genius 29er. If you want the best of both worlds, Scott says the new bikes are also compatible with 29-inch wheels built on Boost hubs. They also have the dual-position geometry adjustment chip that lets you make small changes to the feel of the bike.

The rear suspension is controlled through a new Fox Nude shock designed specifically for Scott’s TwinLoc system. It has three modes: “Descend” with 130mm of travel, “Traction Control” with 90mm of travel and increased damping, and a lockout. To go with it is a new TwinLoc remove lever can fit under the handlebar where a shifter used to be.

 

The remote also controls the new Fox 34 Float fork with the new FIT4 damper.

The three Genius Plus models are the 700 Tuned Plus with a SRAM X01 group and Shimano XTR brakes, the 710 Plus with a SRAM GX1 group and Shimano SLX brakes, and the 720 Plus with a Shimano 2×10 group with SLX brakes.

Scott Scale Plus

If you prefer to let the tires handle the squish, the two aluminum Scale hardtail models feature the same geometry as the World Championship winning Scale but with more clearance for a 3.0 tire. The Scale 710 Plus has a Fox 32 Float fork with Boost spacing and 120mm of travel and a SRAM GX1 drivetrain. The 720 Plus has a Suntour Raidon Air fork with Boost spacing and 120mm of travel and a Shimano 2×10 Deore drivetrain.

Pricing and availability has not yet been set for these new bikes, but we’ll be looking to get a leg over them as soon as possible.