You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
I'm after my first full sus and have seen a used Scott Genius for sale locally and was hoping for some advice! My riding will be split between SW London (Surrey Hills/Swinley) and the Peaks.
My main concern is that a large 150mm travel may be too much, while I like the idea of blasting down a rocky track, I'm not into jumps and doubt I ever will be. I also do enjoy pedalling/climbing/long distance riding, however, I do also own a gravel bike.
Ideally I would also consider the Scott Spark (120mm) - sold out of course! The used Genius is full carbon and with the twinloc system I wonder if its not worth worrying about the downsides of a bigger bike - this would be lighter than a new Spark for the same price and I can always run the bike in traction mode if I don't always need all of that travel.
I'm also a bit of a timid rider (on my 100mm HT b'twin at least) so I am happy to be overbiked and have the extra travel as a crutch. Also a bigger travel bike might pair better with a gravel bike?
Thoughts anyone? 🙂
The twinloc limits travel for climbing and is pretty effective. I wouldn't worry too much about having too much travel, being over-biked. You'll get accustomed to engaging the twinloc as you would for a dropper and soon becomes second nature. I picked up an new/unused Genius last year and it is a very capable and useable bike.
I’ve not ridden a Genius but they have quite a reputation as pedalling very well for how much travel they have.
Sounds like the perfect combo to me as I have a gravel bike and a 150/140mm 29er FS. I use the GB for everything up to reasonably rough off road then the FS for everything else. I have considered a shorter travel HT but not sure I'd really use it due to the other bikes.
I'm no hardcore rider either, probably similar to you.
Echo what folk have said above. I’ve got a Genius and pedals very well and can easily ride like a much shorter travel bike, due to light weight and the twinloc system.
That said I’m thinking of selling it. So possible stealth ad for a 2019 top of range Genius 900 tuned.
My genius feels better uphill then my old hardtail. I thought the twinloc was a bit gimmicky and was prepared to unhook it until after the first ride. You soon get used to it and it’s second nature now. Awesome bike.
That said I’m thinking of selling it. So possible stealth ad for a 2019 top of range Genius 900 tuned.
I wish literally just in a shop drooling over one of those. As a Spark owner I live the twin lock.
I have a genius the twin lock is superb, i removed it from the fork as that makes more sense to me for climbing, look at it as a 150 trail bike a 110 XC bike and a Hard tail...quite why the genius is the only one like this is beyond me its errr Genius the three bikes at your thumb, in the one 110 mode its not just restricted it works like an actual 110 shock would, buy one
+1 to all the Genius love, you soon get used to the twinlocc system, I have mine in mid position most of the time.
My only word of advice is if you swap out the grips, it can get a bit crowded I've got my dropper leaver positioned just so, otherwise the brake and twinlocc lever can interfere with the dropper post lever.
I've got my eye on one of these
https://www.wolftoothcomponents.com/products/remote-bar-centric
but I've been running fine for the last year so I am in no rush.
I've got a Genius 920 and love it. I pretty much echo all the comments above, it really is a great bike and with the twinloc it pedals uphill way better than a bike like that should.
Regarding the grips. The ones it came with were horrible so I changed them for some deathgrips. The left grip is clamped in place by the twinloc/dropper which will fit with a bit of tinkering.
for grip swappers, in your bag of bits is a little plastic piece that allows you to mount the twinloc to the bars, not the syncros grip.
@kalamonkey. That wolftooth looks to function just like the combined twinloc dropper
[img] 
[/img]
Gent I ride with has one. I think it would be fair to say he’s not the most technical-riding inclined (albeit triathlete fit) and the extra travel compared to his old xc bike seems to have helped him a lot on the downs. IIRC he reckons it’s a great bike for pedalling around all day, so it could well suit you.
bri-72, don’t go hawking temptation like that around. I’ve wanted a genius since that stupidly expensive 22lb one back in about 2008. All the special shocks and integration goes against the ‘buy stuff that can easily swapped for other stuff when it breaks’ approach I prefer but there’s definitely some lust involved…
I shall continue the temptation hawking to delay actually making a decision on whether to sell or not!
Decision made and my Genius now on classifieds.