2014 Scott Contessa Genius 700 - Layman’s Review

The Contessa Genius is very easy on the eyes. Photo by Stephanie Nitsch.

When it comes to women’s mountain bikes, the choices have been slim and somber. For years, women’s bikes succumbed to the “shrink it and pink it” mentality, forcing the fairer gender to seek refuge in men’s bikes for anything above an entry-level price point. As more aggressive female riders are rearing their prowess on the trails, bike manufacturers are starting to tune into the demand for women’s performance rigs.

The  2014 Scott Contessa Genius 700 is one such bike that has emerged in this new era, flaunting a carbon frame and a personality with far more depth than I could possibly uncover in the span of a weeklong demo. This all-mountain, 27.5-inch ripper begs to embark on a free-flowing tour of ups, downs, and in-betweens. And with plenty of adjustable features that cater to both 29er and 26er fans, the Contessa Genius 700 is like having two bikes in one.

2014 Scott Contessa Genius 700 Specs

• Purpose: All-mountain
• Fork: Fox 32 Float Factory CTD FIT Air with 150mm of travel
• Rear Shock: Fox Nude with 150mm of travel
• Wheel size: 27.5“
• Complete bike weight: 27.72 lb.
• Sizes: S, M, L
• MSRP: $5,250 as tested

Scott sizes its women’s bikes the same as its men’s, so at 5’7”, I opted for my normal men’s medium frame. In fact, if Scott didn’t group this bike into the women’s Contessa lineup, I’d be willing to bet that a rider of either gender wouldn’t know the difference. Save for a women’s-specific saddle and few minor build details, the Contessa Genius is near identical to the men’s equivalent, the Genius 710—a perk for women who lament the oft dumbed-down accessories that come stock on most ladies’ bikes.

Fox's CTD with remote control. Photo by Stephanie Nitsch.

A cushy, 150mm Fox 32 Float Factory CTD FIT fork is joined by a custom-built Fox Nude shock of equal travel, both of which speak to the booming popularity of Enduro-capable trail bikes for the ladies. It’s further decorated with a complete line of powerful and smooth Shimano XT accessories (cranks, brakes, shifters, and a 2x10 drivetrain), tubeless-ready Syncros rims, and the sweet purr of DT Swiss hubs.

In the cockpit, the 700mm-wide handlebars are loaded with a cumbersome control panel of levers and triggers. Scott’s proprietary TwinLoc lever competes for space on the crowded bars, giving riders trigger-activated access to three modes of suspension: full, 150mm use of the rear shock and front fork (descend mode); reduced, 130mm use of the shock and fork (trail mode); or dual shock and fork lockout (climb mode).

 . It’s one of the seemingly infinite points of adjustability built into this intuitive women’s bike. Fortunately, all the cables that spew from the bars—including the Rock Shox Reverb Stealth dropper post—are routed internally, keeping the bike’s aesthetics relatively clean.

. . . and not shown, the checklist of what the hell to do before you start a climb or descent. Photo by Stephanie Nitsch.

THE GOOD & THE BAD

No worries about a "shrink it and pink it" package with the Contessa Genius. Scott Sports photo.

With a carbon frame as the foundation of this women’s rig, riders are treated to a stiff and responsive pedaling platform that results in snappy handling through soft, swooping singletrack as impressively as tight, twisty trails. Put the 150mm of travel to work through jumpy and bermy features, and the Contessa Genius has all the markings of a do-it-all trail machine.

For the mechanically minded, the Contessa Genius is an incredibly fun bike to wrench on. Most of the bike’s joints are labeled with torque specifications, taking the guesswork out of tightening any bolts. But whether or not you’re handy with a wrench, it’s a disservice to the bike if you don’t play around with the adjustable bottom bracket chip.

Overall, if you’re confident in your skills, the Scott Contessa Genius 700 handles with ferocity and precision. Commit to solid footwork or steering techniques and you’ll execute turns flawlessly. That’s not to say you have to be a card-carrying member of a race team to reap the rewards of this whip, but at slow speeds, it did feel sluggish and skittish around tight corners, making it less than ideal for burgeoning riders. 

Invert the chip at the base of the rear shock and the Contessa Genius becomes a completely different bike in practically every geometrical way. In high mode, a 68.4-degree head tube angle and 13.8-inch bottom bracket height give it the traits of a 29er, powering through any climbs, rocks, or XC features in its way. Flip it to low mode, however, and the head tube geometry mellows out to 67.9-degrees. The half-degree difference results in playful trail time for riders who value the nimble handling of a 26er and the occasional lap through a bike park. Versatility is its M.O. The adjustable bottom bracket isn’t the quickest trailside swap to make and requires two T25 Torx wrenches, so it’s best to pick one mode per ride.

Here the torque settings can be seen, along with the reversible high/low chip. Photo Stephanie Nitsch.

In either setting, however, I struggled to find a happy balance over the front wheel. While the 27.5-inch wheels rolled effortlessly up steep, loose grades, traction was harder to come by. I grunted to get low enough in the cockpit in order to shift more weight over the front tire, chanting “Boobs to bars!” as a motivator to stay crouched. Conversely, on the descents, I felt too far forward, losing some confidence down steep, fast lines. If I were to add this bike to my quiver, my first order of business would be to swap out the stock 70mm stem with a shorter 50mm stem, helping to reduce my reach and balance out my weight.

The BOTTOM LINE

Shredding up the Contessa Genius. Photo by Chad S.

Overall, if you’re confident in your skills, the Scott Contessa Genius 700 handles with ferocity and precision. Commit to solid footwork or steering techniques and you’ll execute turns flawlessly. That’s not to say you have to be a card-carrying member of a race team to reap the rewards of this whip, but at slow speeds, it did feel sluggish and skittish around tight corners, making it less than ideal for burgeoning riders. 

But, at $5,250, that’s not who this bike is built for. Its pretty price tag (yes I said "pretty," but hear me out!) fills the massive void of high-end mountain bikes for intermediate and expert women who are often coerced into riding a men’s whip, yet it sits on the more affordable end of the carbon frame spectrum without compromising any bit of performance or fun.

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About The Author

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stash member Stephanie Nitsch

Freelance writer. Currently roaming Canada in search of new adventures.