Scale 29er in Mountain Bike Magazine (Mountain Bike Magazine)

If a performance-oriented 29er is what you’re seeking, you won’t be disappointed by the Scale 29, SCOTT’s least expensive 29er. The bike showcases just how well larger wheels can perform, and its price won’t break the bank. The Scale29’s flashy graphics give it a need-for-speed look, and with the hydroformed 7000-series aluminum frame draped in solid components from Shimano, Avid and RockShox, there’s no reason to take it slow. By using house-brand bits to round out the cockpit, SCOTT offers a rig that’s good value—and a great frame that’s worthy of upgrades later.

What’s remarkable is how the frame makes this affordable bike a top-level performer on the trail. An integrated headset keeps things low in the front—good on a 29er—while a curved seat tube and short stays make for a bike that loves to carve turns. The Scale felt snappy on tight, twisty singletrack and accelerated quickly out of corners. The well-balanced bike ascended steep technical East Coast climbs without wavering or complaining, and it felt equally stable on wide-open descents of anytime speeds increased. Other nice touches include a Shimano XT rear derailleur, a remote lockout for the RockShox Reba fork and the 185mm front rotor on the Avid Elixir 3 brakes.

Pivot's Phoenix DH (Decline)

From the questions they were asking us, we knew Pivot Cycles was working on something new for 2011 awhile back and we just came back from Moab after riding their new Phoenix DH bike. The craftsmanship, design and geometry of the new downhill bike is outstanding, making the Phoenix DH one of the most exciting new bike releases we've seen this year. We can already tell you that it's going to be good. Heck, their Aussie rider Mitch Delfs just scored a 15th place at the Maribor World Cup after only a few days of riding the new bike. Here's the full scoop and then some more.

There are three main aspects to a suspension design and Pivot did a great job balancing them on the Phoenix DH. First, the suspension offers a superb balance between bump compliance and big hit ability. It is also very proficient at absorbing impacts, making it ride high in the travel, which makes the BB height not seem so low, except that it gives you great stability. The Fox DHX RC4 also provides great tuning ability that caters to this design. The rear brake seems to have minimal effect on the suspension and this bike pedals extremely well for a 207mm-travel downhiller. It has zero detectable feedback and accelerates upon will. Yes, this bike is going to be dialed from the get-go.

If you're wondering why the test bike has an adjustable ride height post on it, it's because some of the trails we rode in Moab had some pedaling zones between good rough sections. So that's why, which makes me realize that I kind of never used it. Here's some data and look for the link below for Pivot's full Phoenix DH presentation.

Suspension Data: dw-link suspension design with position sensitive anti-squat and 8.15” (207mm) rear travel

Geometry and Handling: The Phoenix DH features a 64 degree head tube angle, 13.6” BB height, and 17.25 Chainstay length.
Dropouts are changeable and will allow for both a change in chainstay length and BB height. As Pivot develops the bike with their World Cup Downhill team, they expect that some riders may opt for even a slightly lower BB height on some courses where as riders wanting to use the bike in a bike park type setting might choose to raise the BB to about 13.8” with a slightly shorter chainstay length. The removable dropout option offers a lot of flexibility to tune the bike to the rider and the course.

Adjustable Head Angle: The Phoenix DH headtube is indexed and head angle is easily adjustable at 0, and +/- ½, 1, or 1.375 degree settings via a new adjustable head angle design.

2011 Triathlon Gear Revealed

Media and manufacturers gathered at the second annual PressCamp, an expo of 2011 gear, in Deer Valley, Utah for a first look at next year’s products before this season is even over. This first gallery of images from PressCamp features the stunning Scott Plasma 3.

Stadler Debuts Plasma3 at Challenge Roth

It could to be the strongest field ever assembled at Challenge Roth as two time Kona Ironman World Champion and Commerzbank athlete Normann Stadler is set to challenge titleholder Michael Göhner and Eneko Llanos from Spain, the winner of Ironman Lanzarote and Abu Dhabi Triathlon 2010. Also scheduled to race are Rutger Beke and Rasmus Henning, two experienced triathletes with top 10 Hawaii finishes under their belts, and  26-year-old Sebastian Kienle who has already duelled Stadler numerous times over shorter distances.

The 37-year-old athlete from Mannheim noted, "It will be a fight between the young and the experienced triathlon generation. I’m looking forward to that and I’ve done my homework.” Stadler is setting his sights on a new bike split record aboard his new SCOTT Plasma3. Last year he already went extremely fast on the bike course in 4:14:42 hours – only 26 seconds shy of the world record. On Sunday it will be the very first time that Stadler rides the most aerodynamic triathlon bike in the world over the Ironman distance: “The SCOTT Plasma3 is a phenomenal racer. All tests were excellent. But finally it’s still me where the power comes from”, laughs Normann Stadler.

1. Aerodynamic shape combined with structural performance
- Drag optimized profile on all tube sections
- All tubes meet UCI-legal 3:1 ratios

2. Fully integrated frame and stem system
- Toptube and stem continuity
- 40mm rise stem
- Stem available in 75mm or 90mm lengths, additional rise can be attained with aero bar/pad spacing. Integrated cable routing

3. Twin Turbo oversized chainstays
- Integrated rear brake
- Integrated bottom bracket

4. Adjustable Seatpost - adjustable seat clamp allows for adjustment between 73-80º of seat tube angle.

One Word—Versatility (Dirt Rag magazine)

Scott's all-new-for-2011 Genius LT is designed to provide more travel (up to 185mm) at a lighter weight (6.2 lbs frame/shock) than conventional all-mountain bikes. The main frame of the carbon Genius LT is molded as a single piece using Scott’s IMP technology.

Scott engineers honed the frame design and eliminated much of the aluminum used in the Ransom, in places such as the full-carbon BB92 press-fit bottom bracket and the 180mm post-style caliper mounts (203mm adapter available). The Genuis LT comes with 142×12mm through-axle; and a clever replaceable rear dropout design allows quick/easy conversion to either a 135×12mm through-axle or a 135mm QR rear end.

Functionally speaking, the Scott Genius LT conjures up one word: versatility. A handlebar remote offers 185, 110, or 0mm travel modes at the push of a thumb-lever. In addition to controlling the travel of the Equalizer3 rear shock (that Scott developed with DT-Swiss), the handlebar remote also simultaneously controls the travel of the RockShox Lyrik up front. That’s slick. Compared to prior versions, the Equallizer3 has longer stroke and reduced air pressure.

With the Genius LT, Scott was looking to redefine the “all-mountain” category by increasing the amount of travel available in a lightweight, pedalable package. From day-long test session, I’d have to give them kudos for delivering a bike that performs as advertised.