Words: Dangerholm
Bubbles and echo chambers. Before we fully focus on the bike presented here, let us first take another dive into one of the most heated topics of today as far as new trends go: cable routing. While I'm not here trying to convert anyone into believing this or that, it could probably be a good thing to have a nuanced perspective. That way it might be easier to understand some of the thinking behind this build, no matter what you chose to ride yourself.
I often use the phrase "to zoom out", both mentally to myself and in discussions with friends, as a reminder to try and look at things in a bigger perspective than what's right in front of me. These days, because of us choosing where we read the news and who we follow on various social media, it's so easy to get caught in a bubble of like-mindedness. We surround ourselves with voices that echo our opinions, giving us a sense of comfort and reassurance that we know best.
I came across what felt like one such example the other day when scrolling Pinkbike's Instagram feed. There was a post showing an internal cable routing system, followed by 150-something ways of saying that it sucks. And fair enough, I'm not saying that it's a wrong opinion to have. Not at all. But what's interesting is that this was such a stark contrast to my days working in the bike shop, or talking to people at bike shows. Sure I've met complaints, but the majority of people haven't made it into a big deal or simply liked the clean looks so much that they don't mind a bit of extra work.
In a way history is once again repeating itself, as we see the same discussions today about headset cable routing as we saw when we started to depart from fully external cable routing. These days that aspect is not much of a topic anymore, almost no one is making frames like that anymore and today's standards are quite accepted. A main reason being that with time things became better than those first iterations. Now there are internal cable channels, foam liners, easy access service doors, wireless components, good magnet tools and so on.
So, to keep things constructive, here are a few points I personally believe are often overlooked whenever cable tourism comes up. Because we are after all very much in the beginning of this trend, so there's plenty of hope for improvement and with time it doesn't have to be the end of the world.
• TimingWhether you're a fan of electronic wireless components or not, we're bound to see a lot more of them in the coming years. And as an effect of this, we'll have fewer cables to worry about regardless of the routing system.
• Which bikesA similar point is which bike models should feature headset cable routing, and it could be argued that it should be more reserved to higher-end models until wireless shifting etc is more common on lower price points. While I personally think it's unlikely to happen, it could be one way forward in the coming years.
• New component designsIn a way, it's been as if the frame manufacturers have been one step ahead of the component manufacturers. As in that the components haven't been available that really will make for clean looks and thereby making the overall design more worthwhile. One example of this is how SRAM now has their Stealth series of brakes, pointing the brake hose towards the headset, while most other brake brands still only offer traditional setups. Not to mention truly stealth brake designs, which are unlikely to appear anytime soon.
• More user friendly techIf anyone manages to implement a good quick-brake hose design, it would suddenly make things a lot easier. And there are already some technologies on the market making things a lot easier, such as more durable headset bearings or 3mm diameter Jagwire dropper remote cable housing that is so much easier to work with compared to stiff 4mm housing.
• With every movement comes a counter-movementDoes anyone remember how vinyl record sales actually increased once music streaming really took off? This new modern technology actually gave the traditional format a boost, as it strengthened that community as well that industry. And while the majority of bikes will go in this modern super clean looking direction, I'm sure that we'll see plenty of options pop up from smaller manufacturers or as alternative models from the big brands.
So, what's my point here? Simply that things will get better and that you probably won't have to be too upset about your future bike. And with that in mind, perhaps you can better enjoy this Scott Genius ST Concept as a somewhat complicated vision of a hopefully more user-friendly future.
The FrameThe Scott Genius ST, or Super Trail, is the brand’s more heavy-hitting trail bike option. With the 150mm of rear wheel travel taken care of by the very capable Fox Float X NUDE 3-position shock, with piggyback reservoir and a full range of adjustments, and they come stock with 160mm forks with no remote to instead focusing on having more adjustable dampers.
While Scott is calling the Genius a trail bike, that can definitely feel like a bit of an understatement as it borders on enduro capability. But either way it's a true all-rounder, especially when considering how well it climbs in Traction Mode.
It also has some clever features, such as easily adjustable head angle and a sag indicator letting you easily set up your suspension as well as keeping an eye on how much travel you use. The black service door in the down tube pops off with a simple push of a button, letting you do any adjustments to the shock or remove it pretty much just as easily as on a bike with an external shock. As a small extra, I'm also using a made in Italy METI titanium thru axle. Honestly for no other particular reason than that I love titanium and that the finish is superb.
As I wanted to have the cockpit on this bike as visually clean as possible, but also not just giving up on the 3-position function of the rear shock, I made a custom frame mounted remote instead of using the normal handlebar mounted version. It is actually based on an old 10-speed shifter, as 3 clicks on this is very close to the 7mm of cable pull that each suspension mode requires. It has extremely distinct clicks, so you just pull 3 clicks to go into Traction Mode and then pull another 3 clicks till it stops to put the rear shock in Climb Mode.
Ideally I would find a way to remove the in-between clicks so there's no risk of confusion out on the trail, I just didn't have time at this point to really look into it. Either way the system works surprisingly well, and as this is not exactly a race-focused build I don't mind having to let go of the handlebar to adjust the rear shock.
To complement the technically minimalistic appearance of the bike, I chose to go with a clean and simple look color wise with subtle logos. Having built many bikes in the past with white or raw carbon base and bright accent colors, I wanted to try something new for myself and ended up using a shade from the RAL palette called 1014 Ivory. These sand/beige paints can be a bit of a hit or miss, but one thing that sets this paint job apart a little is the semi-matte finish which almost gives it a retro vibe alongside the polished components. So far the reactions have been surprisingly positive, with way less "Looks like a German taxi" remarks than anticipated.
The ForkThe Intend Hero 160mm fork was an easy choice for this build. It's lightweight, super supple, has superb fore-aft stiffness and personally I really like the riding characteristics. I usually say that these forks are amazing but not for everyone, which of course has to do with the upside down design. If you're a heavier rider who loves nothing better than smashing berms in the bike park, you probably won't like the slightly more vague steering feedback. If you on the other hand focus on trail performance riding off-cambers and rough stuff, having the front wheel track the ground better instead of getting bounced off to the side from obstacles, they are great. So as with so many other things it comes down to personal preference in the end.
But another big reason for choosing this fork was the visual aspects, as the oversized crown and upper legs look good against modern bigger diameter head tubes and also it could be painted to nicely match. And it was of course about the cable routing too, as the upside down design allows for some new ways of thinking.
Essentially I've been having this idea at the back of my head, that it should be possible to route the front brake hose through the fork crown, down the backside of the fork leg and then have it flex without getting caught in the front wheel upon compression. The only problem was that I had never had the chance to actually try if it would work, so there was only one way to find out. Luckily Cornelius Kapfinger, the founder of Intend, is always open minded and curious to try new things. So he helped me prepare the two holes in the crown and in the steerer tube, as these were a lot easier to do ahead of these parts being assembled. Needless to say though, this is all very much a prototype, very much warranty-voiding and very much not recommended.
After painting I then added slightly modified self-adhesive cable guides from Jagwire, to secure the brake hose. And to what honestly was my big surprise, it all worked perfectly. The internal routing worked and so did the compression of the fork, without the brake hose getting tangled. I will show it on an Instagram video later on, but essentially the brake hose mimics the shape of a coil spring upon compression. It does not in any way go in towards the wheel, but slightly outwards and backwards. Sure this is not a setup likely to see mass production as it puts extra stress on the hose itself and has to be more carefully set up, but I'm very happy to say that on this bike it seems to be all good.
Here I'm also using a METI titanium thru axle, and the only thing missing now is to hopefully be able to get some black stanchions which would match the bikes paint job so much better. Hopefully this is something that the future will bring.
CockpitOn top sits a Syncros Hixon iC Rise one piece carbon handlebar, which also has been heavily modified to allow for the internal cable routing. Naturally it has been suitably reinforced, to compensate for the new holes and ensure that it’s safe for me to ride, but it is still very much a one-off prototype and not recommended to imitate in any way.
Everything is then routed through a modified Syncros headset to allow for the front end cable entry, and which spins on CeramicSpeed SLT bearings. SLT is short for Solid Lubrication Technology, meaning that instead of grease they are completely filled with a self-lubricating plastic polymer inside. So there's nothing to clean or lube, as grease can't be pressed out and dirt can't get in, making them essentially maintenance free. Despite the name, they are fully made from stainless steel as there's no real benefit of having ceramic bearings here.
The nice looking and super light, coming in at just 3,4g including the bolt, top cap is my own signature model called Oknytt, made in Germany by RadoxX Components.
The controllers for the rear derailleur and dropper seat post are almost invisible at a first glance, as they just look like lock-on grip collars. The super minimalistic controllers are made by Zirbel and called Twister WE03, actually providing great ergonomics and a tactile feel thanks to running on ball bearings and with strong small magnets providing the ”click” resistance. They have cables being routed under the grip, through the handlebar and into the frame where they connect to a SRAM BlipBox. The latter have been placed near the down tube service door, making it easy to access. So this setup is a bit more work than running the standard SRAM pods, but a small price to pay in this case for the super clean looks. If used as a shifter controller on for example a normal Genius or Spark, they're a lot easier to install since the cables can just be routed along the rear brake hose.
Having thin cables under the grips means that I’m using the traditional push-on version of the Syncros AM grips. But as long as you secure them well, the extra amount of rubber makes them really comfortable and that's not a bad thing.
Seat ComboUp top there’s a Syncros Tofino R SL, which is not only very light but also one of my favorites comfort-wise for MTB. What’s really special about it is that the rails and saddle shell is actually a single carbon construction, made in just one step. This gives it a great strength-to-weight ratio and is a small fascinating feat of engineering and manufacturing upon a closer look.
The seat post is a standard RockShox Reverb AXS in 170mm, aside from the custom polished collar, and the clean looking seat clamp is an Intend Corona.
BrakesThere were two main factors to consider with the brake choice on this bike: stopping power as it is a descending focused bike and also of course the integration possibilities. Trickstuff Piccola HD fit the bill perfectly, being very powerful with their 4-piston calipers and the levers are offered with a special banjo that lets you angle the brake hose directly towards the handlebar. I must say that having a rotatable banjo coupling in this place is actually pretty nice in general too, as it allows you to nicely fine tune your setup compared to having to bend hoses to your best ability or having the point in a less than ideal direction.
As a bonus, they also look great and have an incredibly light and smooth lever feel. And not to forget, they come equipped with the Trickstuff Power brake pads which is a good thing for any brake system.
The brake discs are Trickstuff Dächle UL (Ultra Light) in 180mm rear and 203mm front.
The brake disc bolts are worth a closer look, as they are as beautiful as a set of bolts can be. Also made by METI like the thru axles, they are machined from titanium in the most intricate way and in this version relies on a socket for installation. As opposed to shallow torx heads with questionable tool fit, these make the process rock solid and a joy for any mechanic. The brake calipers bolt feature a similar design and look, but with the addition of a hex key option for easy trail side adjustments.
DrivetrainUp front there’s a SRAM X0 carbon crankset that has been custom painted in matte black, with a prototype 34T chainring attached. The chainring is made after my own design idea by RadoxX Components, as part of my upcoming signature series, and is called Bergakungen. This means ”the Mountain King” in Swedish, and is a name based on old folklore as this entity was said to be the protector of the mountain and its ore. The final testing has just been finished and the first batch will be available in April.
The pedals are the Xpedo Baldwin which is a quite lightweight option with a SPD style mechanism.
This spins on a coated CeramicSpeed bottom bracket, for maximum performance as well as long life. Replacing the plastic preload adjuster on the cranks is a CeramicSpeed aluminium counterpart, which is both nicer to use and to look at.
The SRAM X0 Transmission chain then connects to a matching cassette, before we reach the rear derailleur which is a small piece of art on its own. The base is a SRAM Eagle AXS X0 Transmission derailleur, which has had the outer face of the b-knuckle polished to go with the rest of the bike. The parallelogram and skid plate is made of forged carbon by Hopp Carbon Parts in Germany. Not only do these small parts save a little bit of weight, but once again it is also about the visual appearance.
They go perfectly with the carbon cage of the CeramicSpeed OSPW X for Transmission rear derailleur cage. It looks quite amazing, and has some clever features to keep friction low and durability high. Few brands stir the pot as much as CeramicSpeed, but to me it's quite simple no matter how much people scream snake oil. It's expensive stuff and they're about marginal gains, so it's what you upgrade last on your bike when all other things are top level. But they truly do make amazing quality products, as I've literally never ever had any issues with one.
With the new OSPW X system they level up quite a bit compared to their old off-road offerings. The solid pulley wheels means that nothing can get stuck and they now feature composite teeth for less noise. But the most interesting thing is probably the grooves around the specially shaped bearing covers that work together to mechanically keep the dirt away from the bearings.
WheelsDuke Racing Wheels makes the hubs and rims, which are both rather interesting. Starting with the hubs, they’re called BadBoy and are the J-flange version to the slightly lighter and higher POE MadMax straight-pull model. They feature a titanium freehub body and a ratchet mechanism with a special type of spring for perfect load distribution, and as expected of a good modern hub they are super easy to service. Normally available in black only, this set has been custom anodized to match the theme of this bike.
Laced up with Sapim CX-Ray spokes we then find the Duke Fury Star 6ters rims. I opted for aluminum rims on this bike as I simply like the ride quality when it comes to downhill riding, and of course they’re plenty strong too. 6ters is the name for their concept with front and rear specific rim profiles, to further improve both durability and riding performance. I polished the rims for this build, and while it wasn't an easy choice since I know it would look great with black wheels I just felt that the silver style would just
lighten the appearance and give it a bit of personality. After all, looking at bikes today it's a sea of black wheels.
For tires I went for my all-time favorite gravity thread pattern, the Maxxis Assegai. Here in EXO+ casing with MaxxGrip rubber compound in the front and better rolling MaxxTerra at the rear. Coming in at around 1200g each they’re not the quickest up the hill, but definitely makes the way back down fast and a ton of fun. They’re sealed with Syncros Eco Sealant and the tubeless valves come from Damoff.
Scott Genius ST Concept - 13,60kg / 29.98lbs incl. pedalsSummaryFirst and foremost, I'm certain that this will be one fun bike to ride. With capable tires, aluminum wheels, great brakes and 150mm/160mm of great performing suspension there are no weak spots really. So I can't wait to hit the trails on it.
When it comes to the integration and looks, I think it turned out quite well. As mentioned above it would be nice with black stanchions for the fork, and I'm also curious to at some point test how the bike looks with black wheels compared to this polished set. The bike is not overly complicated to work on, and you have to remember that the only one who has is myself. So maybe this build can serve as a glimpse of what aesthetics some bikes will have in the future, and hopefully they'll be easy enough to work on by then too.
Speaking of which, come Eurobike in July I'll try and take it to the next level once again by showing a new design for a way more user friendly stealth cockpit system. And there will of course be quite the build to go with it. But before that it's time for a Ransom enduro build next, so keep your eyes open for the in-depth Pinkbike features for those bikes.
Trash;
-Those carbon cranks
-God awful shock integrated frame design--ride something original for once, f*ck whatever sponsorship
-1-piece bar/stem, how dare you
-Wireless dropper (additional mass where you really don't want it for descending)
-12sp (trash) carbon system over the lighter weight/less rotational mass/less unsprung mass 11sp
-Saddle choice is garbage--Selle SMP F30c proper anatomical fit
-To strip the black off that rim didn't it require chemical stripping + machine polishing of every mm on those rims? aka you made it weaker.
-Lock collar grips is BIG trash, my brotha
-Maxxis tires (double gut punch on the EXO+ pussywillow casing when things like how much you weigh+how hard you rip come into reality.)
Bro quit foolin, if your tires aren't 1,200g+ then lets be real....you aint rippin, aka this is a showroom bike (and we still somehow love you for it because the thought of your TRT thigh meat is enough for me to crum myself to sleep.)
The hubs look cool, though. Spokes dont sit directly on top of the hub bearings. Not trash.
Canfield on clock, baby!
While I sort of get this position, I also don't agree that things necessarily are as bad as they're constantly portrayed. And also it's interesting in general how differently people draw the line of what's bad/unnecessary and what isn't. It's like as if it's impossible to understand that a lot of people will find the benefits worth more than the annoyances, like with CushCore for example (just get some good tire mounting gel btw and things will slip on like no big deal).
Luckily, as mentioned in the text above, I think that it'll all be fine in the end as modern bike features will become more user friendly and also that we'll see more traditional options for those who are holding on to those ideas.
To each their own! Personally, I'm gonna stick with function over form.
I guess that I sometimes just wish there was more of a "oh, cool" or "live and let live" mentality between the two camps haha.
I just don't want to own / maintain it. And more broadly, I don't really want to own Scott bikes in general because of the direction they've gone with regard to form over function. But that's certainly just my personal preference.
Or remember the Eminent Cycles (most of those who rode them(including reviewers) said they where good but the comments decided they are shit because they did not like the looks). Its just easy upvotes to write something about headset cable rounting, cry about pressfit BBs, count the suspension bearings(ignoring the other bearings) and conclude the amount of effort needed for maintanance, comment of efficency if some idler occurs or a gearbox is used or declare everythig they dont understand as Hype, useless or an cospiricy by the indusrty.
The issue with headset routed cables is that you need to bleed a brake if you have to change a headset bearing or change stem or change stack heights. But usually once those are done, they’re done and majority of people never change a stem anyways. The bearing choice negates the bearing replacement.
I’d love to see people maintain their bikes as much as they claim to, when the chat of integrated cables is brought up.
Tube in tube internal is faster, doesn't take single use zip ties, and makes for a smooth frame surface that protects the cables, doesn't trap mud, and makes the bike way easier to clean. To me this outweighs any convenience gained in the highly unlikely scenario where I would install/remove brakes on a bike without hose trim/bleed.
Even without tube in tube, there are very few bikes I can't route in a few minutes with a good internal routing tool.
...they give them to the local mechanic to do (also they normally wait till everything is fubarred and then wonder why it costs so much).
Changing headset bearings on a bike with regular routing - 15-30 minutes labour. By adding routing through the headset you've added an hour labour onto that, and 2 brake bleeds. So you're tripling workshop time and costs, which then gets passed on.
You might do yours once per year, but a mechanic will be doing an increasing number each week.
Of course that's not everyone, and cable tourism isn't yet for everyone either, including me.
Regarding the cable tourism, it's clearly here to stay as so many brands are doing it. What I wanted to say above (except for showing the bike of course) is that even so, there's still hope no matter if you want to stay with the big brands going in this direction or if you want your bikes to have a traditional approach.
Either way, as a bike nerd it's always more fun with discussion like this than just one-liners saying things suck.
Scott are a bit ‘niche’ and go all in for this ‘clean looks’ thing at the expense of the ability to repair and maintain something intended to be ridden in the mud.
I realise it's probably not the main purpose of these builds but have you ever thought about letting one of the Tech Editors here do a mini ride review? I'd be very interested to hear how it feels to ride compared to, say, the new Epic.
Congratulations anyway!
I guess we'll see what the future brings!
"...His bikes are not for showrooms, they are for the trails.
'I’ve seen some light bike building projects that border on pure idiocy. They aren’t actually built to last, which has given this whole weight saving thing a bit of a bad rep over the years. My bikes are made for me to ride and should therefore be able to take abuse out on the trails. Even if my name is not Emil Johansson, I think that after 20 years of riding bikes I’m not completely useless on two wheels', he says and explains that he never compromises on the vital components such as tyres, brakes and wheels."
Sourced from www.redbull.com/se-en/dangerholm-the-story-bike
As I said below, say the bar is damaged on a riding trip or at a race, what are you going to do? Say a custom painted part is damaged will you replace it with something that doesn't match at all or custom paint some more parts? What about all of the other custom parts difficult to replace when required, not to mention the ridiculous cost involved in doing so if you aren't getting parts for free as part of sponsorship for doing this as a job which he is?
Its a show bike, a concept, something nice to look at, the rear shock remote and silly front brake hose routing testament to the fact its not been built to ride.
Who mentioned anything about 'hangers'?
As I say, its a show bike for taking to Eurobike and earning from sponsors and social media views.
Either way it's not like you always can expect to easily fix a bike when traveling, and if that is a big priority (which it is not with this bike) I would've built the bike with that in mind.
Complaining about it being a bit more difficult or expensive to replace parts on a custom painted/built bike, is a bit like complaining about the same topics for a race/bespoke/hyper car or motorcycle. It's just part of the calculation, and it's not a big problem stopping you from actually using the stuff
Wouldn't you also need new brake hoses as they would be too short to deal with new routing - maybe even fittings as even they are custom? - what about routing the electrical stuff? - No I haven't outright broken a bar, but I have damaged one to the point I wouldn't want to use it further and endanger myself, this can happen even on the uplift truck.
Look forward to seeing the ride report in 2 years time and a few thousand miles of riding.
I'm also not arguing about it being a good or bad final result, so I am not 'ragging' on the project like some have here, I am just suggesting that this has entered the area of show bike.
Same with the chainring, inspo came from really old standard/road bike steel chainrings and also of course oldschool BMX style. Happy to see you making the connection.
@whitebirdfeathers Jokes aside, I knew from the start that this color choice wouldn't be for everyone. I mean, there are times when even I think that maybe I should have went with another color. But in the end it was what I felt like (as it was something new for me) and one should build bikes for yourself.
I think it could look pretty cool to more people though in a dusty environment and black wheels etc. compared to how it's presented here.
But with that said, there are of course many benefits with gearboxes, and for enduro/dh I can definitely see it make a lot of sense on a larger scale.
I just think the conspiracy against derailleurs is hilarious, especially coming from people that don’t ride all that much. Never really heard a shredder that rides 3-4K miles of descent oriented trails a year whine about gearboxes.
www.pinkbike.com/photo/26335586
I own two Intend Edges, and they use hose guides, so the hose can move upward in the travel.
How the frickinging h.... should that work here?
The hose being fixed on the upper fork leg?
The hose must flex/bend, a lot, being fixed.
Sorry, don't get it, how it will really work using the travel.
I'll make some video for Instagram later on!
@BenPea: if she catches you, make sure it's on tape
‘Ah look, a dangerholm topcap’
Its strange that the rim sellers with anodising capabilities like hope for instance don’t get them shipped over in a raw condition and add colour at their factory. Some stunning wheelsets could then be built up.
Its metal colours that do it for me though. Raw aluminium, stainless & brass. Droool!
I bet they’re twice the price of similar black ones
But of course, this bike's owner is its target audience so it all works out very neatly
You mention that people don't complain about internal cable routing in the frame, and that's because we're not swapping frames in and out to tune the bike setup. Once they're in there, they can stay in there. Speaking for my myself though, I very much want to be able to change my bars and stem. I want them to be two separate pieces and I want to tear apart my brake lines to do such a simple thing.
That for any model, you could choose yay or nay? This is assuming the manufacturer even offers it. (Not what I'd want to work on, anyway.)
That being said, I'd ride this bike, or any other of Dangerholm's creations.
So far so good, although I'm sure there are better ways to do it to ensure that there are no cosmetic issues down the road as there is some flex in the area etc.
...and who picked the color? Yikes.
I open the bidding at $1K!
Either way, the production Genius ST is made for the consumer and is not that close to this build. The wining on about internal cable rub and why would I hide the shock is kind of dumb if you want everything external you have lots of options. I would not get a bike with external cables anymore as I think they look ugly and it is now unnecessary.
To the form-over-function point, it functions amazingly, so while there is no gain really for an internal shock or cables there certainly is no loss of function. I don't think at any point Scott thought that putting cables through the stem would increase function. It was just to clean up the front end, development, and evolution. I love the clean look.
It comes with all the cables routed in the frame so what is all this about added maintenance? Is everyone out there changing their headset bearings that often? Doubtful. And if you are you may want to look at your cleaning methods, powerwash?
After a year on the 2023 ST I have washed it and changed brake pads. Stunningly my headset is still in great condition.
The one downside for me is I prefer a lower position in the cockpit. By removing spacers and lowering the stack height I expose the steerer tube and have that popping out of the one-piece stem bar combo. For e-sale I am not willing to trim it so i have to live with it.
easy to go off line..I am using a stick to shift my front triple on my gravel bike to lazy to put a sifter n derailer on.its easy to push chain on
But wouldn't recommend for trail.just saying
youtu.be/UZEFNHod_DU?si=RNd-TnZGL6qmdSq0
As they have been 180 and under forever
Amazing work as always though!
Realistically un rideable bikes made for no other purpose than to create content.
It’s like the ‘low rider’ / show car of mountain bikes.
Imagine damaging the bar at a race or on a riding holiday, you may as well go home and outside of huge budget riders and the sponsored who could afford to build and then ride this kind of bike as intended? - the paint alone at a custom shop would cost as much as a YT jeffsy.
If that’s negative then so be it.
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