Almost ten years ago, a comparatively light, extremely robust enduro-capable mountain bike shook up the market for all-mountain bikes. The carbon mountain bike "Ransom", designed for Scott by the then chief developer Peter Denk.
At a good 14.5 kilograms, the Ransom bike was and is certainly no lightweight despite its carbon frame. But in its day, the bike was a pretty unique all-rounder: robust enough to survive a day or two in the bike park if necessary. Extremely stable and torsionally stiff thanks to thru-axles. Well equipped and with the Equlizer shock developed by Scott, the rear suspension travel can be conveniently adjusted from the handlebars. These are all features that almost every bike in this class offers today. But Scott showed the way back then and many other manufacturers have followed suit.
I have remained loyal to the Ransom bike line across various models and still ride my Ransom 10 from the last series before the model range was discontinued in favor of a longtravel version of the so-called "Genius" model. I still think that's a shame today.
The Ransom bike has been with me for many years now, during numerous bike days in the Black Forest at home, in the Alps or the Pyrenees. Of course, today's latest bikes look different: Twenty-niner or twenty-seven-something bikes are all the rage or almost a must-have. However, the Ransom still circles reliably around every bend on its 26 mm tires. Due to its rather long frame, the bike is not necessarily the most versatile, but it is still one for almost everything: it can reliably plane over rough terrain if necessary. The great suspension (Fox Tallas 160 at the front, Scott Equalizer 165 at the rear) ensures a lot of riding fun and the high-quality equipment still works wonderfully even after a few years. Brakes and co. are top-notch on this expensive bike anyway, so a few years of use are hardly noticeable.
Well, one or two repairs have become necessary in recent years, but that's just the way it is when you get older ...
The bike season is just around the corner. And once again, I have decided not to get a new bike. Because the old one is still so good...!
