7-14-08 // Tested: Scott Ransom 30

Text: Vernon Felton
Photos: Morgan Meredith

SCOTT RANSOM 30 $3,680

With the Ransom, Scott set out to build a long-travel bike that could take on the biggest, gnarliest descents without requiring a shuttle, chairlift or support yak to reach the top of the mountain.

Scott engineers started from scratch, designing the Ransom’s multiple linkage frame around a one-of-a-kind rear shock. That funky thing that looks like a miniature set of SCUBA tanks is Scott’s Equalizer TC shock.

In a nutshell, the Equalizer TC enables you to radically change the Ransom’s personality on the fly. Simply flick the handlebar-mounted shifter and the bike goes from a super plush 6.5 inches of travel (“All Travel” mode) to a firm 3.5 inches (“Traction Control”). Push the lever one more time and the rear suspension locks out completely.

Every flick also changes the bike’s geometry, which starts with a 66-degree headtube angle and steepens a full degree for each of its two additional settings. It’s truly like having three bikes available at the flick of a switch. There’s also a handy-dandy Power Stabilizer knob (basically a lowspeed compression damper) that firms up the ride in both the “all-travel” and “traction” modes.

The Ransom 30 features a hydroformed monocoque and custom-butted 6061 frameset that’s been draped with components deserving of the all-mountain billing. Highlights include Avid Juicy 5 disc brakes (the 203-millimeter front rotor is a nice touch), a Marzocchi 55 ATA 2 fork (adjustable travel and lock-out) and Sun SOS P1 rims laced to a Scott front and a swank DT Swiss rear hub.

I must admit, I got a little freaked out when I first saw the Equalizer shock. Compared to an average air-sprung shock, the Equalizer is a Pandora’s box of delicate parts. I bolted on the shock’s carbon fiber mud shield, however, and promptly forgot about the myriad moving parts. I subjected the bike to lots of mud and rode it hard—working the Equalizer’s thumb shifter like a rented mule. I put the bike away wet and grimy more times than I can count—and the thing just kept working. Mind you, as with all things cable-actuated, you do have to adjust the tension on the Equalizer’s thumb shifter from time to time to keep the party going.

In its “all-travel” mode, the Ransom is fearless. The slack 66-degree headtube angle, bottomless travel, stout chassis and low center of gravity add up to a bike that’s perfectly suited to bike parks. In the 3.5-inch “traction” mode, the bike handles tight singletrack as well or better than most XC bikes. Simply wind down the travel to 120 millimeters on the excellent Marzocchi 55 and you’ve got yourself a trailbike on steroids.

I made ample use of the locked-out mode on climbs, because at 33.5 pounds without pedals, the bike needs it. I also found myself using the Power Stabilizer knob in conjunction with the shorter-travel, “traction” mode. It does a good job canceling out pedal-induced bobbing, but it’s hard to reach when pedaling. With practice, I learned to activate it without dismembering myself.

All in all, I’m impressed by the Ransom 30. There are far too many bikes on the market today that have been lumped into the all-mountain category without really earning it. The Ransom, however, truly deserves that designation. —VERNON FELTON

HIGHS: Double-sealed bearings at all pivots; replaceable rear dropouts; true versatility

LOWS: Forget shouldering it; hard-to-reach Power Stabilizer knob

MORE INFO: 208-622-1000; SCOTTUSA.COM