Did anyone expect a Scott bike to show up on this channel?
Neither did I, so let’s kick it off with a little bit of trivia.
Did you know that the Scott who made this bike is the very same Scott that makes motocross goggles… all of which are made in the great US of A? Now you know! The company has a bit of a confuddling history, and as we get into the details below, you’ll see that they’ve covered the map when it comes to the gear that they make… as well as where in the world they’re associated with.
Without further ado, here it is — the Scott Genius 910 ST — rolling into my garage like a child of military parents, speaking a handful of languages marinated with half a dozen accents.
It’s a bike that hides its shock inside the frame, routes its cables through the headset, and carries three levers underneath one brake. A bike that’s simultaneously sleek, over-engineered, and… unexpectedly fun.
I didn’t think I’d like this bike, but the Genius caught me by surprise. Here’s how that happened.
Editor’s Note:
These articles are adapted by Savannah from Jeff Kendall-Weed’s YouTube videos for riders who prefer reading over watching. They’re written in Jeff’s first-person voice to stay true to the style and storytelling of the original content.
As usual, a big thanks to JensonUSA for sponsoring this video review, and thanks to my friends at Scott Sports for lending me the Genius 910 ST! Any purchase you make through the links on this page (and others) help support my channel — at no additional cost to you — to continue bringing you (what I hope to be) entertaining and informational content about bikes!
Before we dive in, I will admit upfront that I did a significant number of upgrades to customize the Scott into a bike I genuinely loved riding. Here’s a snapshot of what that looked like.
Genius 910 ST – Quick Spec & Upgrade Chart
| Category | Stock Setup | Suggested Upgrade |
|---|---|---|
| Wheels | Flexy, easily bent under pressure | Industry Nine Trail or Enduro-level wheels |
| Tires | Single ply trail tires | Downhill casing or dual-ply |
| Cranks | 170mm | 165mm for fewer pedal strikes |
| Handlebar/Stem | One-piece, low-rise | 35mm stem + 35-40mm rise bars |
| Fork | Ohlins (positive feel, simple damping) | Dial air pressure to ride high in travel |
| Dropper Post | Tall even when dropped | Longer drop dropper |
Scott: A Brand with Identity Whiplash
Most folks know Scott as a European brand with a sleek aesthetic and a penchant for integration. But the story starts closer to home.
Let’s take a trip back in time for a moment.
Scott Sports was founded by Ed Scott in Sun Valley, Idaho, where he invented the world’s first tapered aluminum ski pole in 1958. They jumped into motocross gear in the 1970s, crafting goggles, grips, and boots — all proudly made in the USA. Then, in 1978, Scott set up shop in Fribourg, Switzerland, shifting the company’s center of gravity toward Europe.
Mountain bikes arrived in the lineup by 1989, though info about the original models is a little foggy. In a twist that still confuses people (myself included), Scott left the U.S. bicycle market entirely in 1998, only to return in 2005 under a new name: Scott Sports. That same year, they opened a U.S. headquarters in Ogden, Utah — reclaiming their stake in American dirt.
Today, Scott feels fully European, with Swiss operations and Korean ownership (Youngone holds a 50.1% stake), but it still carries a strange duality — equal parts Idaho roots and Alpine polish.
Scott Sports Timeline: From Ski Poles to Shock Levers
1958 – The Beginning
Ed Scott invents the world’s first tapered aluminum ski pole in Sun Valley, Idaho. This innovation marks the founding of Scott USA.
1970 – Enter Motocross
Scott expands into motocross products, creating goggles, grips, and boots — many of which are still made in the USA.
1978 – The Euro Pivot
Scott establishes a headquarters in Fribourg, Switzerland, shifting much of its operations to Europe.
1989 – Mountain Bikes Join the Lineup
Scott begins manufacturing mountain bikes. Little is publicly known about the specs of the earliest steel models.
1998 – Exits the U.S. Bicycle Market
Scott pulls out of the U.S. bike market and focuses primarily on European and global markets.
2005 – Rebrand & Return
The company rebrands from Scott USA to Scott Sports — and re-enters the U.S. bike market the same year. A U.S. HQ is established in Ogden, Utah.
Present Day – A Swiss-Korean Mashup
Scott is headquartered in Switzerland, but 50.1% of the company is owned by Korean firm Youngone. It’s a global brand with a dual identity — American roots, European design, and international manufacturing.
First Look: So What Is This Bike?
The Genius 910 ST is what happens when a trail bike drinks a little espresso and starts thinking like an engineer. It’s got 29” wheels, 160mm front travel, 150mm rear travel, and enough internal routing to make a mechanic cry into their torque wrench.
But the headline feature? That internally concealed rear shock. Tucked neatly into the seat tube, it operates via two handlebar levers — one to limit travel to 100mm for climbing, another to release full squish mode. On top of that, you get a one-piece integrated handlebar and stem combo, and yes… headset cable routing.
Is it beautiful? Very much so. Is it practical? Sometimes. Is it different? Absolutely.
Down in the workshop, I dove into the innards of the Genius, on a mission to add more air to the rear shock — integrated and hidden in the downtube. A pain in the a$$ — or so I thought. But in reality, it wasn’t as bad as I expected. You simply hit a button (pretty secure, I might add) to release the cover, immediately granting access to your shock pressure.
The only question I was left hanging with: why do we need the valve cap on the shock, when we have the entire cover? I chose to hack the system and “forget” about said valve cap… So far, nothing outrageous has transpired as a result.
Scott Genius 910 ST – Pros & Cons
| Pros ✅ | Cons ❌ |
|---|---|
| Fast and efficient climber | Pedal strikes are frequent (low BB) |
| Sleek integration and frame design | Stock bar/stem combo is too low |
| Torsionally stiff rear triangle inspires confidence | Headset cable routing = mechanic nightmare |
| Internally housed rear shock is innovative | Dual remote levers feel overcomplicated |
| Ohlins fork rides high in travel and feels great | Stock tires are flimsy, fold easily |
| Surprisingly playful with upgrades | Flexy stock Syncros wheels bend under pressure |
| Unique aesthetic & Euro flavor | Dropper travel and crank length could be better |
| Climbs like an XC bike, descends like a trail bike | Requires upgrades to shine |
Setting Sag in the Pacific Northwest
My home trails in the PNW are no joke. They’re steep, purpose-built, and peppered with berms, gaps, and the kind of loam that makes you feel like you’re surfing brown powder. It’s the kind of terrain that tests even the most modern trail bikes, even if our descents don’t often exceed three thousand feet of vert.
So much so that brands will tell me that these trails are beyond their average trail bike usage.
But the Genius didn’t shy away. Even bone stock, it handled our terrain better than expected. I ran 190–200 psi in the rear shock and found that it stayed reasonably composed, though pedal strikes were frequent — a recurring complaint I’ll come back to. Tire drifting was not uncommon, but manageable. For June’s Patreon, I covered How to Drift (Safely) — inspired to feature the Scott Genius because of how well it maintains composure when sliding around.
First Impressions: Composure Meets Complexity
The Genius climbs well. In fact, I had some of my best climbs of 2025 aboard this bike. It’s fast, efficient, and makes use of that clever shock system to stiffen things up on the fly. But those twin levers? For me, they felt like too much tech between me and the trail — especially because I rarely lock out my shock on climbs.
Maybe it’s my American sensibilities, but I like riding bikes as an escape, not as an engineering exercise. I’ll grind the hill — just like I grind my coffee beans — if it means I can focus on the descent — and a more delightful cup o’ joe. That said, I respect the vision behind it — even if I’m not the target audience.
On the Descent: Not Enduro, Not XC — Something Else
Descending is where the Genius reveals its unique character.
It’s got a torsional rigidity that is just lovely! It doesn’t beat me up, but at the same time inspires some bigger trail commitment. Part of that inspiration likely comes from the more unique Ohlins fork. The fork inspires a feeling that I enjoy — especially in dry riding conditions, where I can run a higher pressure in the lower chamber to keep the fork riding higher up in its travel. More details on my experience with the Ohlins fork below!
It’s not an enduro brute, and it’s not a twitchy XC machine. It sits comfortably in the “big trail bike” category — something like a longer-legged Santa Cruz Hightower V3. All of that being said, I didn’t feel as confident to make bigger moves aboard the Genius as I do feel on my most recent daily rides — lately, that includes the Ibis Ripmo, GT Sensor, and Pivot Firebird. With stiffer wheels and bigger tires, I began to feel more like my poppy self.
It’s torsionally stiff, especially in the rear triangle. That stiffness inspires confidence. I wasn’t bottoming out or bouncing around. I was holding lines and keeping momentum — even when the stock tires were folding like lawn chairs in berms.
Which brings me to…
Tires and Wheels: A Weak Link
Scott ships this bike with single-ply tires and ho-hum Syncros wheels that would rather live out their lives personifying trail tacos. At 28 psi front and 30 psi rear, I was still folding tires on jumps and fast corners. During a Patreon filming session, the wheels literally bent. It was comical — until it wasn’t.
Afterward, I swapped in a set of Industry Nine wheels and downhill casing tires. Total transformation. Suddenly, the bike cornered well, responded to pumping, and felt like it wanted to play.
Pro tip: If you get this bike, budget for a wheel upgrade.
Dialing In the Stack for Playfulness
The integrated handlebar-stem combo is clean and light, but way too low for my preferences — for my personal riding style, it makes it harder to pull up on features. On steep PNW descents, I want a little more stack to stay aggressive, in control, and have more leverage for pulls. This cockpit position is ideal for our local loamy descents, supporting an active riding style.
Does the lightweight perk of the Syncros bar stem outweigh my normal handlebar set-up? Numbers are hard to argue against, so I brought out my food scale.
The future? (Syncros) — 317.5 grams
The past? — 359.7 grams
With that, I officially swapped over to a traditional stem and handlebar — giving me more height and more familiarity.
Eventually, I swapped in a 35mm Spank stem and 50mm rise bars — maybe a little too much, in hindsight. A 35 – 40mm rise would’ve hit the sweet spot. Still, it made the Genius feel more capable and playful, especially in steep terrain where leverage matters.
Ohlins Fork Review: Riding High
The Ohlins fork is a highlight. I liked running it firm so it stayed high in the travel. It’s not quite as tunable as Fox’s GripX, but it delivered great small-bump sensitivity and reliable performance in dry conditions.
You only get one lever to handle damping, which limits precision, but the spring feels dialed.
For me, springs > dampers anyway.
Pedal Strikes: The Achilles Heel
Let’s not sugar-coat it — the bottom bracket is low, and pedal strikes are frequent. Even at high rear shock pressures (200 psi), I found myself clipping terrain too often.
Shorter cranks (165mm instead of stock 170s) would be a smart upgrade for aggressive riders.
Closing Thoughts: Surprisingly Genius
The Genius 910 ST isn’t for everyone. It’s a little weird, a little fussy, and unapologetically Euro. But for long, energetic trail rides where you’re earning your turns, it’s a surprisingly strong contender.
No, I wouldn’t take it on a massive backcountry trip without swapping the drivetrain and fixing the headset cable rattle. But for daily trail rides, especially with a few upgrades? It’s a joy.
It climbs like it means it, descends with poise, and offers something many bikes don’t: a unique riding experience. It’s not just another clone of a Santa Cruz or a Transition. It has its own voice — even if that voice speaks with a Swiss accent.
Final Verdict: Should You Buy It?
I’ll say it again: the Genius is not a small enduro bike — it’s a bigger trail bike, similar to the prior generation Santa Cruz Hightower: the Burgundy V3.
While the Scott Genius has more travel, it climbs similarly well. There are some subtle geo differences here and there, and in moments when I felt I’d need to hop and jump around on the Hightower, the Genius was able to do that or apply the old school, wheels on the ground style with its longer travel.
And here in the USA, the Scott is a much more unique bike to own than yet another Santa Cruz — because we all know the importance of getting that street cred.
All the engineering and product details are incredibly well done. Within the context of it being a very European experience, this bike was a great choice for many of my typical, daily trail rides.
If you love integration, clever engineering, and a bike that stands out in the sea of same-same trail rigs — yes.
If you want simplicity, a plush ride, and zero setup headaches — maybe not.
But as someone who didn’t expect to enjoy it, I can say this:
The Genius earned its name. Just not in the way I thought it would.
As usual, thanks for being here! Your support makes my channel and these articles possible. Have you played around on a Scott Genius? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below, or join the conversation over on YouTube.
Special thanks also to LMNT, who help power my rides with electrolytes — especially helpful to stay hydrated in these toasty summer months! Head over here to get a free sample pack of LMNT’s 8 most popular flavors when you make a purchase. (Pssst… lemonade salt is now in season, and boy is it a refreshing treat!)
In most shots, I’m wearing a fuall Endura kit, which you can snag here.
And lastly… I’ve recently been testing out Formula 100 — a great hack fir simple bike washing. Check it out here.
Thanks for being here!
Peace & wheelies,
Jeff 🚲
