Scott’s new Ransom could be the sleekest enduro bike the world has ever seen, with its hidden shock and tool storage producing an incredibly cleanest frame design. But that’s not the only trick up its sleeve – there’s a new six-bar linkage suspension design, bigger sizing, and a remote geometry and travel adjust that acts solely on the rear shock. We were invited to the launch of the bike over in Spain, so if you want the full scoop on how the bike rides, head over and read our first ride review on the Scott Ransom 900 RC.

And if it inspires you to grab a new enduro bike, why not read our guide to the best enduro mountain bikes to see what else is out there.

Scott Ransom need to know:

• 170mm travel enduro bike with new slacker and longer geometry
• Comes with a hidden shock and 3 suspension modes
• Six bar linkage frame design for improved control over leverage rate, anti-squat, and anti-rise
• Stock with 29in wheels, but can convert to mullet without messing up geo
• Slot for internal tool storage
• Costs from £5,099 for the Ransom 930

The Scott Ransom 920 basking in the Spanish winter sun

Downhill geometry with trail bike climbing

One thing we’ve learned in recent years is that the lines between disciplines is definitely getting blurrier. By that, we mean bikes are getting more and more capable, and less specific to their traditional disciplines. The Scott Ransom is no different, with the bike now leaning more towards DH geometry.

Scott claims that this is not at the expense of climbing performance, and instead the brand has suggested the Ransom “climbs like a trail bike” thanks to the steeper seat tube angle on the newer model. The benefit of having longer and slacker geometry is that the bike is more stable when the rider descends, and this in turn inspires confidence in the bike to push it further and on more technical terrain.

X-ray image of the new Scott Ransom showing the shock placement, linkage, tool storage and cable routing.

The other way that Scott has achieved this is through the use of a new six-bar linkage frame design. Many full suspension mountain bikes come with four bar linkages, but the six-bar design means the bike can further utilise Scott’s Integrated Suspension Technology (IST). Besides looking swanky, it also means that the suspension can be easily tuned by controlling the angles of the top and bottom links, leading to better control of individual suspension characteristics.

Scott’s tool wrap slides out of the down tube.

Scott also retains the TracLoc technology, where a remote lever on the bars lets you close off a chamber in the shock to effectively reduce travel and make the bike sit higher. This gives you a better climbing position and helps efficiency, making it easier to pedal uphill on liaison stages. Previous Ransom models had this hooked up to the fork as well, which limited damper choice and reduced fork performance, but the latest version does away with this feature and gives maximum control up front for DH bombing.

The top-of-the-line Scott Ransom 900 RC is slacker and longer, but climbs better

What else is new?

The Ransom now also comes with an internal storage space, with a special tool tray that slides out and holds an inner tube, CO2 and tyre levers, while there’s a mini-tool in the down tube cover. And that’s not the only interesting aspect to this frame.

The rear shock now sits snugly in the rear of the triangle, giving the bike an almost e-bike aesthetic. However, the new design won’t prevent you from running your favourite shock, as it’s compatible with several from Fox, RockShox, Ohlins and Marzocchi including coil options.

There are four models on offer, with the prices listed below:

• Ransom 900 RC – £9,799 / €9,999 / $9,999
• Ransom 910/Contessa 910 – £7,799 / €7,999 / $7,999
• Ransom 920 – £5,899 / €5,999 / $5,999
• Ransom 930 – £5,099 / €5,199 / N/A