Bike Test: Scott Voltage FR 710

HOW DOES IT PERFORM?

Setting sag: Scott’s Voltage is designed with nearly 8 inches of travel, and the amount of sag you choose to run will greatly impact the overall feel of the bike. Our size large came equipped with a 350-pound spring that put our 175-pound test rider at roughly 30-percent sag. For all-around gravity riding, this felt like a well-rounded setup. Riders looking for a plusher, more race-inspired feel could run more sag to keep the wheels better glued to the ground. Riders looking to push the Voltage on jump lines, and more general “hucking” could benefit from a stiffer spring setup. The air-sprung Fox fork makes matching the sag, front and rear, a breeze via an easily adjusted air spring. From there, we set the compression and rebound adjustments in the middle of their ranges and hit the trails.

Moving out: The Voltage has an extremely short seat tube that’s curved, meaning there’s very little room for adjustment before the post bottoms out. Our Syncros post needed a trim with a hacksaw right out of the gate, but since this bike is built for gravity junkies, there won’t be much need to readjust it later anyway. Find your ideal saddle height and trim the post so that 4 inches inserts into the seat tube.

The Voltage is a slack bike to begin with. While it may be tempting to reach straight for the “slackset” headset cups right out of the gate, we recommend trying the stock 65-degree head angle first and then going to the big hitters if you need them.

Simple but effective: Scott’s component choices show that they tried to put the money where it matters. The X9 derailleur is mated to an X7 shifter, which proved more than adequate to get the job done.

Climbing: You had better have a lift pass or a seat in a shuttle van, because this bike doesn’t like to be pedaled uphill. Riders looking for a bike that’s not pigeon-holed into park and gravity riding should look to the much more efficient Genius LT enduro bike, which still sports enough travel for an occasional day riding the lifts but isn’t afraid to climb.

Better than a rental bike: With models available for as little as $2000, the Voltage would be an excellent choice for beginner and expert gravity riders alike.

Cornering: With the bike set in the low, slack and long-travel settings, the Voltage nearly mimics the feel of a gravity race bike that’s not afraid of high-speed corners and laying roost in its wake. In the other settings, the bike feels like a bruiser that’s not afraid to pick its way down the steepest chutes and technical steeps. The single-crown fork improves the turning radius slightly, meaning tight switchback corners are easier on this bike than with a full-on downhill sled. The Schwalbe Magic Mary tires held the ground well throughout our testing, although they wore down relatively quickly as a penalty.

Adjustability built in: The Voltage is capable of running 26- or 27.5-inch wheels with this nifty adjustable-wheelbase dropout system dubbed IDS-X.

Descending: This is where the Voltage truly shines. And with nearly 8 inches of travel, that doesn’t shock us. The single-pivot suspension design boasts a slightly progressive feel, meaning the top end of the travel feels light and fluttery and has a relatively active feel that offers good small-bump compliance. Toward the end of the travel, the bike has a natural ramp-up that resists bottoming nicely for the most aggressive riders looking to hit big jumps and drops. In fact, many of our test riders could not find the limits of the suspension; it was only our most talented riders who could push the bike to its limits and bottom it out.