Scott have launched their new Contessa Genius Range for of three bikes for 2018. Contessa bikes are women-specific, with no differences in frame geometry from a non-Contessa (Nontessa?), but different specs, shock tune and contact points. They write:
“What makes it different to the regular Genius, are the different touchpoints, which have been adapted to match female riders’ needs:
Grips : smaller diameter and different foam (softer, nicer feeling for the hands)
Women’s saddle : special shape, curvature and padding for added support and comfort
Shorter stem : 40mm on Contessa Genius S/M, 50mm for L
Narrower handlebar : 740mm
FOX Contessa Custom Tune (Shock) : Light compression Tune
Smaller chainring on 1-by : 30T”
UK pricing is as follows:
Contessa Genius 710 – £4,899.00 Bike Contessa Genius 720 – £3,899.00 Bike Contessa Genius 730 – £2,499.00
Below, you can see many pictures below along with some spec details.
The 2018 Scott Contessa Genius. The geometry is the same as the non-Contessa version, but the finishing kit is selected for smaller, lighter riders.More manufacturers seem to be moving to molded, integrated mud guards, though this one isn’t by Fox – it’s by Syncros.The 710 spec (£4,899) gets an X01 Eagle drivetrain.A Fox NUDE EVOL with custom tune handles bounce duties.Dropper remote, plus remote fork lockout for the Fox 34 fork.The 720 spec (£3,899) comes with Sram GX Eagle, and the frameset in black with pink accents. And skinwalls.The 730 spec (£2,499) is the entry level spec, with a double up front plus a mixture of ten speed SLX and Deore components.(click here to enlarge) Frame Geometry is the same as a non-Contessa Scott bike.The frames are the same at the non-Contessa Genius, but have different build kit.The handlebars are narrower, at 740mm.The shock has a custom tune for lighter riders.The stems are slightly shorter too, with 40mm or 50mm depending on bike size.Contessa versions have women specific saddles too.30t chainrings instead of 32t.Finally, slightly narrower diameter grips.“Hail [insert deity of your choice]!”“About Contessa Bikes: For over 25 years, SCOTT has been designing and developing bikes specifically for women, so that any rider can get a bike which is ready to rumble from the get-go. Most of SCOTT’s Contessa bikes share the same geometries and technologies than the other SCOTT models, except that every detail has been carefully tested and thoughtfully chosen to fit women best, from suspension tuning to optimized touchpoints.
“About Contessa Team: SCOTT Contessa is a lifestyle focused women’s team which has a long tradition that dates back to 2004. We are a community of mountain bike enthusiasts who share the same passion: cycling in all its forms, being in the outdoors as much as we can plus having good times on our bikes. Some of us love to race, but the majority just lives the dream exploring new trails and new mountains. For over 10 years, we want to share our experiences with the growing number of ladies on bikes, in bike festivals, women’s camps or just out in the woods.”
David started mountain biking in the 90’s, by which he means “Ineptly jumping a Saracen Kili Racer off anything available in a nearby industrial estate”. After growing up and living in some extremely flat places, David moved to Yorkshire specifically for the mountain biking. This felt like a horrible mistake at first, because the hills are so steep, but you get used to them pretty quickly.
Previously, David trifled with road and BMX, but mountain bikes always won. He’s most at peace battering down a rough trail, quietly fixing everything that does to a bike, or trying to figure out if that one click of compression damping has made things marginally better or worse. The inept jumping continues to this day.
I want a black and pink Genius.
What about your contact points? 🙂
Are you pro- or anti-skinwalls Jason? They sent the wrong pic at first, and got in touch with the updated one above.
I’d have to say that when it comes to skinwalls, I’m not arsed.