Review: Scott Genius Plus 720

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

275+ is heavy and needs a lot more power. The only advantage to long distance riding on 275+ is you will come back with new muscles in your legs you never knew you had.

At 800g for a tire, I'd hardly call it heavy. My existing tyres weigh that much, and my previous ones weighed 300g more than that. Each. 

 

Rims - not that much heavier. 

[Iwan Kemp]

I've ridden the Specialized Stumpy one.

 

There's loads of "suspension" in the tires which is ****. You can literally hear the tires clawing at the ground. So rolling resistance sucks balls. The fat tires make it feel ...

 

Fair enough

[Iwan Kemp]

would wide tyres be any advantage to long distance riding ? or do you go skinny and narrow ?

 

I'd also say that it depends on what "long distance riding" will be. We know a 29er is a mile eater.

[LazyTrailRider]

275+ is heavy and needs a lot more power. The only advantage to long distance riding on 275+ is you will come back with new muscles in your legs you never knew you had.

 

Exactly this.

 

Plus bikes are great for park riding with uplift facilities (and a little bit of climbing thrown in between that), but they're not going to beat a properly set up "normal" wheel width for the kind of riding most people do on a daily basis.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

I'd also say that it depends on what "long distance riding" will be. We know a 29er is a mile eater.

*on district road

[Nick]

I've ridden the Specialized Stumpy one.

 

There's loads of "suspension" in the tires which is ****. You can literally hear the tires clawing at the ground. So rolling resistance sucks balls. The fat tires make it feel like a boat in terms of handling.

 

I will concede that the clearance allows you to run a 29er wheelset as well as the fat wheels which is good.

 

Sorry to sound like a grouch but really. This just fills a spot in the market that shouldn't be there in the first place.

 

Purely personal preference then, I had a blast with the Stumpy 6Fattie at Eden and GSpot.

[Mr X]

I think that a 140mm dual suspension 275+ is more of a niche bike since most riders wont have the skill needed to get anywhere near the limits of this bike. This bike should be used for extremely technical trails, and then doing fast on it. Most riders will be better suited to a 275+ hardtail. I have tried a 275+ hardtail and it is a lot of fun but does need a lot more muscle to pedal compared to my normal 29er. If I wanted a trail bike as an average technical rider I would consider a 275+ hardtail.

[Iwan Kemp]

...

 

but does need a lot more muscle to pedal compared to my normal 29er. If I wanted a trail bike as an average technical rider I would consider a 275+ hardtail.

 

Could be down to the extra tread and grip? Waiting for some lab tests from Schwalbe on this - till then I can only theorize. 

[Iwan Kemp]

*on district road

 

29er for sure

[Duane_Bosch]

Purely personal preference then, I had a blast with the Stumpy 6Fattie at Eden and GSpot.

Totally.

 

I think of these bikes and fatbikes as a bit like the BMW X6. Personally I'd never ever even consider one and think it's completely pointless in light of the X5. But some people obviously love them.

Edited December 8, 2015 by Duane_Bosch

[Mr X]

Could be down to the extra tread and grip? Waiting for some lab tests from Schwalbe on this - till then I can only theorize. 

 

Weight and rolling resistance is a lot more on 275+. Even with these lighter tyres like on the reviewed bike, it will be a lot heavier. Also did these light tyres have snakeskin protection, since the weight is so low? Fixing 275+ punctures out on the trail seem a bit scary to me.

[Slowbee]

275+ is heavy and needs a lot more power. The only advantage to long distance riding on 275+ is you will come back with new muscles in your legs you never knew you had.

, so what you saying is compromise between skinny and getting a few flats vs a bit fatter and heavier but no worries about tyre issues?

[Duane_Bosch]

Weight and rolling resistance is a lot more on 275+. Even with these lighter tyres like on the reviewed bike, it will be a lot heavier. Also did these light tyres have snakeskin protection, since the weight is so low? Fixing 275+ punctures out on the trail seem a bit scary to me.

I think if you were to buy one of these the logical thing to do would be to run 2 wheelsets. 

 

The 275+ and a 29er wheelset. It's my understanding the clearances allow for this. 275+ for those days when you want the extra "suspension" of the tires and 29er when you want to cover distance.

[NicoBoshoff]

Rode the S-Works Stumpjumper 6Fattie on Saturday at Helderberg trails.  Now, a disclaimer, I only spent maybe 4km on it.  Some climbing, some descending and a lap or three on the pump track, so really, take it for what it's worth.

 

The bike set-up wasn't ideal either since the stem length was a bit longer than I'm used to so the bike felt a bit small under me (I felt too far forward).

 

I must say, the bike climbed way better than I thought it would and wasn't as sluggish as expected.  I aimed it at roots whenever I saw them and predictably it felt really smooth over that.  Which is why I would never buy the bike.  It really felt like it numbed the whole experience for me.  I ride the technical and rough trails not so that I can say I did it, I want to FEEL it!  I love the feeling of almost being blown off the bike by massive rockes and roots at speed and making it through nonetheless.

 

Anyways, back to the bike.  The tyres do grip like snot.  Even on the dry loose dirt on the clay pumptrack at Helderberg I tried to put a foot out and throw the rear, but it just refused to lose traction.

 

I also hit a jump or three on it and for some reason it felt terribly dodgy.  I'm no Lacondeguy, but I can at least keep a line in a jump.  This felt like it wanted to dip on every jump I hit.  However, this could (and is probably) be more to do with the longer than usual stem (it was 60mm, so not crazy long...except for Myles ;-p   ).

 

After I gave the bike back I got back on my niner and the first thing I told my riding mates was that a) my riding position on the Stumpy felt much higher (I haven't looked at the numbers so maybe it just physically is a taller bike) and b) once accellerated my Stumpy felt like it held its speed longer and with more eagerness.  It just felt faster, although my friend assured me the 6Fattie would produce better times and my experience was more to do with the numbing effect of the big wide wheels.

 

Long story short, the bike was better at the things I thought it would suck at, but was less fun to ride for me.  In the massive sample of 4km I tested it on

[raptor-22]

Nice review, Iwan.

 

I still remain intrigued by the 27.5+ bikes. Whether I'll ever actually buy one is a different story.

 

Must say, the TwinLoc system makes for a very, very messy cockpit.

 

 

 

Yie how many flies do you think one would catch with that birds nest?

 

 

Still I think i may go 27.5+ for my trail bike. This or the Bad Habit is tickling my fancy

[Mr X]

I think if you were to buy one of these the logical thing to do would be to run 2 wheelsets. 

 

The 275+ and a 29er wheelset. It's my understanding the clearances allow for this. 275+ for those days when you want the extra "suspension" of the tires and 29er when you want to cover distance.

 

I think I would rather have a normal lightweight 29er race bike and another 275+ hardtail.