Review: Scott Ransom eRIDE 910 – A Versatile Long-Travel Machine

Contents

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Construction and Features / Motor Details

The Ransom eRIDE is only available with an aluminum frame, featuring a four-bar linkage suspension with Horst Link near the dropout.

The Ransom eRIDE is equipped with 29" wheels front and rear but designed to also hold a 27.5" rear wheel if you prefer to run mullet-style. A small flip chip at the upper mount of the rear shock gives you the option to somewhat negate a change in geometry due to the smaller wheel size, or to generally steepen the geometry with 29" wheels front and rear.



A custom chainstay protector keeps the noise from chain slap down. The motor is protected by a cover, connecting with the plastic cover of the battery and therefore basically covering almost the entire lower side of the down tube. A narrower extra layer of softer rubber bash guard runs down the lower half of the down tube to reduce noise and limit damage further. A custom upper chain guide is connected to the rear end, and moves with the suspension movement.

Even though it always makes me cringe on a bike of this status, there's a kickstand mount near the bottom bracket area for those having different ideas of what to use this bike for. At least the two mounting holes are rather inconspicuous and it's easy to forget that they're even there.




All the cables are routed through the frame internally, with inserts clamping them into place at the exits on the down tube. Bottle mounts are sitting in the main triangle. The 910 is wrapped in a camo-style grey and black paint job, even covering the linkage.

An oversize head tube holds an Acros headset with internal knock-block style system, with extra pads on the down tube delivering just-in-case protection.

Bosch's Performance CX Gen 4 motor is responsible for your pedal assist on the Ransom eRIDE. The 625Wh Bosch PowerTube battery is removable, with a lock securing the battery against theft. Scott picked the handlebar-mounted Purion display, as they say it is a small unit that still delivers a good amount of information on the fly.

You can find all the details of the German motor system in our motor comparison story and Bosch's software update story.

Even though you can see the cable routing from the hub sensor from the outside near the dropout, its routing is clean and won't create kinks in the cable in the long run. At the exit of the cables from the inside of the chainstay, there's an extra cable situated that's connected to the motor and ready to hook up to lighting systems.

The frame has been tested to category 5 riding standards, but the bike is officially listed to category 4 standards because of Bosch's Performacne CX Gen 4 motor being limited to that lower category. Maximum system weight comes to 128kg, so you have about 104kg for rider weight including gear to play with.Frame weight is 4.54kg without shock. Total weight came to 23.94kg without pedals and running a tubeless setup for a size M frame, which, considering that it's an aluminum big-hit bike, isn't bad.

Geometry & Sizing


A flip chip at the shock mount can change the head angle between 64 and 64.6 degrees, and seat angle by 0.7 degrees. Numbers on the seat angles change slightly from size to size, ranging from 75.9 to 76.5 degrees in the slack setting. The bottom bracket height changes by five millimeters, with the low setting sitting at 348.5mm. The flip chip also helps to offset the numbers if you choose to run the bike with a smaller 27.5" rear wheel, in case you don't want the geometry to go even slacker from stock.

Even though the Ransom eRIDE is obviously intended for performing when the going gets rough, its engineers didn't want to hamper its all-round capabilities too much. In terms of reach, the bike isn't jumping on the much longer is much better bandwagon and is stuck to rather moderate numbers.

Again, depending on the setting of the flip chip, reach for a size M is measuring 440mm in the low or 447.3mm in the high setting, although I think it's rather safe to assume that most people will set this sort of bike up in the slacker version.

However, since this bike is intended to go fast, they are bringing stability to the table by equipping the bike with deliberately long 465mm chainstays. Scott said it was fair to say that the frame was designed around sizes M and L, which equate to most sales, but found through testing and riding the different frame sizes that their choice offered the best mix of handling versus stability. So even on size S, the stability will increase, which can match some riding styles and be a benefit in certain situations.

The seat tube lengths are on the longer side of things, which means it might be difficult to go up a frame size if a smaller rider wants to go with a longer bike. It's possible to sink a 150mm Fox dropper post was all the way down to its collar on the size M frame.

Suspension Design

The Horst Link suspension design uses a 205 x 65mm stroke trunnion shock, delivering an average leverage ratio of 2.77 : 1.

Scott is using a Fox X2 Performance rear shock, which is different in terms of damping from its Factory sibling. It only allows for low speed compression and low speed rebound to be adjusted, with 18 clicks on the low-speed rebound and 22 clicks for the low-speed compression setting.

Specifications

The Ransom eRIDE 910 is the top-of-the-line model costing €6,999 (not available in North America), with a second version, the Ransom eRIDE 920 coming to €5,499 ($5,499). The 920 comes with a RockShox ZEB fork (only with rebound adjust) with the same Fox X2 rear shock from its bigger brother, Shimano BR-MT520 4-piston brakes, a SRAM NX Eagle/SX drivetrain mix and a Syncros Duncan dropper post.

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Test Bike Setup


Recommended sag for the bike is 25%, but I ended up running the rear shock at about 30% sag for a more planted feel and was playing around with anything from 25 to 35% to get a better idea of how the suspension reacted to different rider preferences. LSR: 11 LSC: 22

Testing took place around Vienna, Austria, with winter conditions ranging from frozen hardpack to gooey mud with patches of snow with days in between offering rather dry and tacky hardpack ground.

Climbing

Considering that the Ransom eRide is a long-travel bike with 180mm of travel, its weight isn't too bad at all. As a matter of fact, it's within the same range or even somewhat lighter than a lot of 2021's e-bikes with less travel intended for less demanding riding conditions. With many manufacturers equipping their bikes with burlier tires and components, as well as bigger (and therefore heavier) batteries these days, that development is not overly surprising.

Scott gave the Ransom eRIDE a rather steep seat angle for an efficient pedaling position. The longer chainstays can deliver that extra bit of traction, helping to keep the front end down on really steep technical climbs. In combination, it makes the Ransom a very proficient climber that doesn't let you down on long, tedious climbs for many hours on end. The same can't be said about the Syncros Tofino saddle, depending on your rear end. It sure didn't work for me.

Scott slapped Maxxis tires with EXO+ casing on the Ransom, which are to be considered some of the lighter tires on the market these days, especially since Schwalbe has introduced their Super labeling with a hefty weight addition to all of their options. Scott uses a Dissector at the rear due to the fact that tire profiles can have a significant impact on the battery range, especially on the rear. I was honestly surprised by the decent all-round capabilities of the tire. Even in the muddy conditions of winter riding, the tire provided ample grip on the uphills, although there are better options out there in that regard as well. However, I am pretty certain that dry conditions, and especially rocky surfaces, are going to decimate the smaller blocks of the tread pattern at a much faster rate than on tires with bigger, sturdier blocks.

The Ransom eRide is the only bike in Scott's full-suspension lineup that doesn't utilize TwinLoc technology to change travel on the fly, cleaning up the cockpit with less cables to deal with. I doubt that I would have ever used that feature anyway, as it seems to really not matter too much how much travel your rear end provides. It's not like the rear end is bobbing much to begin with, and it efficiently tracks the ground without impeding your pedaling motion, which is emphasized if you're setting the bike up with the recommended sag of 25%. If you really feel like having to stiffen up the rear end, you can flip the 2-position lever on the X2 rear shock, which actually still filters out small hits nicely before you can feel the suspension stiffen up. Smart. It's not anywhere near what a full lock-out would feel like, but for a bike of this character I think that is a good thing.

Since the shock is flipped upside down, you'll have to bend a bit lower to reach the 2-position-lever.

Motor Performance

Just like all the other Bosch Gen 4 motors I've ridden, the power and modulation on the Ransom eRIDE is top-notch. Unfortunately, the motor rattles when not under load and rolling over obstacles. At least Scott's aluminum frame doesn't seem to amplify the noise as some carbon frames out there do, and I even started to forget about it entirely on most rides. You can get used to it and there's nothing wrong from a technological side of things, but it always annoys the hell out of me that we have to deal with rattling motors at all in 2021.

Again, to get the full details of how Bosch's motor system performs, read up in our motor comparison story and Bosch's software update story.

The Purion display might be cleaner to integrate than the newer Kiox display, it just can't hide the fact that it's somewhat outdated. My biggest gripes: You can only see the percentage of remaining battery load in five steps, so you have no idea if you're sitting at a rest charge of 21% or 40% for example, unless you happened to see it jump from one to the other at the exact moment. Plus if you want to switch to other secondary info than ride modes, you have to hold the minus button for a while each time, which isn't exactly quick in order to shift through the few options.

Also, in my case with brake levers angled pretty low, I can't put the Purion display at the correct angle to easily reach the buttons with my thumb, since the hinge from the Shimano brake levers doesn't allow for the display to be rotated to a more rearward-facing angle, there's just not enough space between the display and the clamp to allow for that. In situations where I have to swap ride modes quickly, for example when I'm facing a steep uphill section after a tight corner hiding the view, I have to open up my hand and even rotate my left hand more than I would like. It's a detail, but other systems, or the Kiox thumb control, are more ergonomic that way. Pushing the Purion display to the inside of the Shimano hinge is not an option either, due to its shape. Depending on your preferred angle of your brake levers, it might not be an issue for some.

The position for the charging port on the side of the upper down tube is fine, but the cover is somewhat flimsy. It sometimes takes a few seconds messing around until the soft hook on the inside connects with the port to effectively cover the port when not in use for charging.

Descending

Before jumping into the section that probably most are interested in for a bike with 180mm of travel, I have to touch on the subject of intended use for the bike. While it's good to know that the Ransom eRIDE's frame has been tested to category 5 riding conditions, it's kind of a problem that Bosch's motor is only supposed to be ridden up to category 4 conditions (all-mountain and enduro). Keep in mind that since their entire bike needed to be categorized as category 4, according to Scott's documentation, you are therefore limited under which conditions this bike is supposed to be ridden. Things like "tricks, stair riding, for the extreme jumps/riding, such as hardest mountain biking, freeriding, downhill, on North Shore trails, dirt jumping, hucking, training and competitive use of the categories freeride, dirt, downhill" are technically not recommended uses for this bike. When questioning Scott about it, they agreed that it's somewhat of a conflict, but can't do anything about it since it's another manufacturer's part creating that limitation.

To be honest, I never even thought about motors being limited to certain riding conditions under the DIN EN 17406 certification before, but what it comes down to is that basically Bosch Gen4 motors (or other manufacturer's big-hit models using that motor) out there are not intended to be ridden under bike park conditions or similar, which is a real drag. In terms of warranty, I guess that's opening a whole other can of worms. Having seen those motors being put to the test even by sponsored riders, it makes me question Bosch's approach (although at this point I haven't heard back from Shimano or Brose if they are limiting the category usage in similar ways) of not officially delivering a system that can be specced on any kind of bike.

Not being the tallest rider at 168cm, I have been riding small bikes for most of my riding days, only to realize with the more modern approaches in geometry what I have been missing out on all of those years. Mostly, the feeling of balance, added grip and confidence a more stable bike can deliver on your psyche. To come back to the eRide's rather long chainstays, I know of some people that absolutely hate bikes with a chainstay length beyond a certain number, but I have real trouble understanding their reservations. If I personally had to choose at the end of a day between a bike with really short chainstays and a bike with really long ones, I'd always go for the model with the longer option. If I really had to put my impressions to the test, it could be that the rear end feels like it takes a bit longer to come around a tighter corner at lower speeds than a bike with shorter chainstays, but in the big picture it was nothing to write home about.

So, to sum up my excursion into the world of geometry, the bike is nicely stable at speed, tracks through corners nicely and feels quite balanced, although I'm pretty certain that people with other preferences might not fully agree on that last point.

Since I'm a big fan of mullet setups, I also gave a 27.5" rear wheel a try and wasn't surprised that I'd personally pick that version, making it slightly easier to flick the rear end into corners and tip the bike over, with more clearance when heading down stupid steep chutes for smaller riders. I purposely left the bike in the slack geometry setting, lowering the head angle to 63.6 degrees and slightly dropping the bottom bracket for an even more planted feel. To each his own, and I'm glad that you can officially go that route on the Ransom if you feel like it. In the end, though, I got to say that the Ransom eRIDE also works really well with the bigger wheel in the rear overall.

Now, you can't forget that the Ransom eRIDE is a big bike. It's not light enough to call it snappy and if you set it up around 30% of sag, it just wants to hug the ground, rather gobbling up obstacles than being able to pop off them and jump from one side of the trail to the next. But that's okay, and if you enjoy bombing down any trail without worrying what the ground is littered with, you'll come down the hill with a smile on your face. That's not to say that the bike is a mushy and undefined. You can easily plant the wheels where you want them to and can even drive the bike into tighter corners when needed, even if the weight does push a bit from behind when you're coming in too hot.

How Does It Compare

The Scott Ransom eRIDE and Specialized Kenevo both use a Horst Link dropout in their suspension design with aluminum frames and 180mm of rear wheel travel.

The Kenevo Expert I had on review is equipped with a 180mm dual crown suspension fork, incidentally marking the biggest optical difference to the Ransom. That, and of course the fact that the Kenevo has 27.5" wheels front and rear and the Ransom has 29" wheels.

While the angles are pretty similar, it's the reach that mostly differentiates if you compare frame sizes. With Specialized having switched to naming their frame sizes S2 to S5, their shortest S2 measurement is coming close to the size M Scott frame, but with much shorter seat tubes on all sizes to make longer dropper posts fit or give smaller people the chance to step up to a larger frame if they feel like it. Chainstays are 11mm shorter on the Kenevo as well, and I'd give the Kenevo the heads-up if you're looking for a highly modern, progressive geometry-approach that creates an incredible cornering balance.

With weight measuring almost exactly the same, it's the single crown fork that gives the Ransom a more all-round-oriented feel, although the Kenevo is also available as a single-crown version on the Comp model.

Suspension-wise, I have to give Scott the heads-up out of the box. I had to deduct points from the Kenevo's too linear coil shock setup (something that can be fixed with progressive springs or air shocks), whereas the Ransom eRIDE's rear end is nicely progressive with the extra option to make it even more progressive by adding some additional volume spacers.

Spec-wise, and with Specialized having been hit by the worldwide pandemic as everyone else raising their prices slightly to €7,599 ($9,000), the Ransom eRide's drivetrain, suspension and brakes trump the Kenevo's, even at a slightly lower total price.

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Technical Report

The Scott Ransom eRIDE 910 is equipped with SRAM X01 and NX Eagle mix, Shimano XT 4-piston brakes, various Syncros parts and rims. The Fox Transfer Dropper post has different drops for different frame sizes; 125mm for size S, 150mm for M and 175mm for L and XL.

Custom Cockpit: Syncros' custom stem, spacer, top cap and headset cap combo with square spacer form creates a clean look, but it makes it more difficult to just swap to a different stem of another manufacturer. You'll most likely have to swap all these components at the same time to make it fit, and just deal with the extra nose on the headset's top cap.

Rear axle lever The Syncros lever on the rear axle is removable if you shouldn't like it. However, since the lever was designed for other bike models to begin with, on the first two turns it scratches against the seat stay and linkage bolt from the Horst Link. You could avoid that by pulling it out and repeatedly set it at an angle to not come in contact with the frame when turning, but that kind of defeats the idea of a quick release. If you don't care about scratches in your paint, Scott says it's okay to just do that.

The smartest knock-block there is: The Acros Blocklock headset is creating a mechanical stop through end stops on the lower headset cup and fork race. Thereby, it is not bound to the frame or specific stems like some other solutions on the market. Plus, I never felt that steering was limited by the given degree of movement.

Neat extra: A Fox fork fender is already installed on the bike. Even in sloppy mud it did a good job of keeping the worst spray out of your eyes, not even sporting an extension to the front.

Dissect This: The Maxxis Minion Dissector might be a fast-rolling all-rounder with surprisingly capable climbing traits but to call it an aggressive tire would be a bit of a reach. Without an insert you might take the EXO+ casing to its puncture-proof limits at lower air pressures and there are tires that dig into the ground harder with a bigger and more aggressive tread-patterns.

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Pinkbike's Take

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Posted In:
eMTB Reviews Enduro Bikes Trail Bikes Scott Scott Ransom