2013 Scott Genius 700 : 650b All Mountain Bike

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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 tradional **suspension design with 150 mm of travel both front and rear for the Genius 700, sporting 650b sized wheels. **They also have a 29er version which has 130 mm 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.

150 mm 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, big tires and 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 short chain 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

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