As expected, the look of the new Genius is based on last year's Spark, the racing version of which Nino Schurter won the Olympics on. The frame design and suspension kinematics of the 2018 Genius are based on the Spark, but the suspension travel has been increased to 150 millimetres at the rear and front - as was already the case with the Genius line. In addition, the riding position is more upright, more downhill-oriented and more suitable for single trails than the sporty Spark.

The frame technology of the Spark has been adopted for the Genius - resulting in a weight saving of over 25 percent. A Genius frame now weighs 2200 grams including the shock, which is 760 grams less than the previous model, and the adopted kinematics also mean that the Genius no longer operates as a supported single-pivot but as a true four-pivot bike.

Free choice of wheel size

One of the key innovations of the Genius is the free choice of wheel size. The bike can be ridden with 27.5-inch or 29-inch wheels. The kinematics can be adjusted in no time at all using a spacer plate on the shock mount. The customer can decide for themselves which wheel size they want to ride and can also change their mind later - or purchase a second set of wheels to adapt the bike to the area of use. The weight difference between the two wheels is around 200 grams including tires.

With the free choice of wheel size, Scott wants to counteract the tendency for mountain bikes to become increasingly complicated. The countless models with different wheel sizes, Boost technologies, tire widths or single-speed drivetrains overwhelm some customers when buying a bike and the specialist dealer when determining the range. With the new Genius, there is now a frame that adapts to the customer's ideas. If you want a 29er bike, you buy a new wheelset and not a new bike straight away.

Despite all the variability, there are clear trends at Scott. On the one hand, towards 29-inch wheels, which are likely to become the standard for mountain bikes (from cross-country to downhill) in a few years' time. But also towards wider tires - Scott puts tires with a width of 2.5 to 2.8 inches on all of its Genius bikes. Scott is ditching the term "Plus" and making it the uniform standard in the product line.www.scott-sports.com