SCOTT Ransom eRIDE 920 in review – More than a rowdy descender?

The SCOTT Ransom eRIDE 910 has already secured this year’s coveted Best Buy in our mega eMTB group test of 25 of the most exciting bikes of the year. In our budget group test, the Swiss brand enters the race with the cheaper SCOTT Ransom eRIDE 920, which retails at € 5,499. But it able to assert itself as the best all-rounder?

For an overview of the test fleet head to the group test: The best eMTB of 2021 for € 5,500 – 7 budget eMTBs go head to head

We’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time: the end of SCOTT’s TwinLoc system on their eMTB range has finally arrived! With its potent, downhill-oriented Ransom eRIDE, the Swiss brand ushers in a new era, finally dispensing with the fiddly lockout lever on the handlebars. As if that wasn’t enough, the new bike features a clean, updated look with a more svelte finish. The now gone TwinLoc lever avoids the usual cable clutter on the handlebars and ensures a tidy cockpit. That being said, SCOTT can’t match FOCUS’ and MERIDA’s super-clean solutions. The potent eMTB with 180 mm travel and 29″ wheels relies on a 625 Wh battery and integrates the Bosch Performance Line CX motor neatly into the frame. A rubber down tube protector guards the frame, motor and battery cover against stray rocks and forms a seamless transition to the frame. The speed sensor of the 24.95 kg eMTB (size L) is safely tucked away in the dropout – awesome! However, placing the Purion display right next to the brake lever wasn’t a great idea: this setup only allows you to adjust the position of the display to a certain extent, making it hard to reach the buttons to change the support level. On the other hand, the internal cable routing with solid cable clamps and the ribbed chainstay protector ensure a quiet ride, leaving just the distinctive clunking noise of the Bosch motor in the background. During our test, the pivot bolts came loose several times. If you don’t want to spend the day tightening up bolts, we recommend a generous helping of thread locker!

The spec of the SCOTT Ransom eRIDE 920 is its limiting factor

Like the flagship RANSOM eRIDE 910 model, the cheaper eRIDE 920 version in our test relies on a FOX X2 Performance shock, which controls 180 mm travel at the rear and contributes significantly to the suspensions’ excellent performance. However, the RockShox ZEB R fork with its Charger R damper and fixed compression setting struggles to keep up. A SRAM drivetrain with mixed SX/NX Eagle components delivers the power of the Bosch Performance CX motor to the 29” rear wheel. The wide shifter clamp interferes with the brake lever, which could cause some problems with the cockpit setup. You’ll also have to accept some compromises in terms of shifting performance, which isn’t as quick or smooth as the Shimano SLX drivetrain fitted to the other bikes in this test. In terms of both braking power and modulation, Shimano’s four-piston MT520 brakes with the budget SM-RT30 200 mm rotors are too weak for the Ransom eRIDE. Unfortunately, SCOTT’s own-brand 170 mm dropper post also left us scratching our heads. The remote is hard to reach and requires a strong thumb – dropping the saddle should be exciting, not frustrating! While both the wide 2.6 ” MAXXIS ASSEGAI tire at the front and 2.6″ DISSECTOR at the rear generate good traction, the flimsy EXO+ casing doesn’t offer adequate puncture protection, failing to do justice to the potential of the RANSOM eRIDE.

The SCOTT Ransom eRIDE 920 is held back by its spec. Unfortunately, this makes it hard to tap into the full potential of the bike.

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SCOTT Ransom eRIDE 920 – Touring capabilities and geometry

At 465 mm, the chainstays are relatively long, having a significant influence on the handling of the SCOTT. The 470 mm reach in size L, combined with the high 649 mm front and 170 mm Syncros Duncan dropper post, ensure good freedom of movement in all directions. The steep seat tube angle generates an upright and central pedalling position, which is very comfortable uphill but puts a lot of weight on the saddle on level terrain.

Size	S	M	L	XL
Seat tube	420 mm	440 mm	470 mm	500 mm
Top tube	568 mm	569,5 mm	595,5 mm	597,0 mm
Head tube	120 mm	120 mm	125 mm	125 mm
Head angle	64.0°	64.0°	64.0°	64.0°
Seat angle	76.5°	76.3°	76.1°	75.9°
Chainstays	465 mm	465 mm	465 mm	465 mm
BB Drop	22 mm	22 mm	22 mm	22 mm
Wheelbase	1,230 mm	1,255 mm	1,288 mm	1,318 mm
Reach	415 mm	440 mm	470 mm	500 mm
Stack	644,4 mm	644,4 mm	649 mm	649 mm

Building on the success of its bigger brother? The SCOTT Ransom eRIDE 920 on test

Against all expectations, the SCOTT is in its element on the climbs, single-handedly shattering all preconceptions about long travel bikes. The steep seat tube angle positions the rider centrally on the bike, even on steep climbs. This position, together with the long chainstays and the efficient kinematics which keep the suspension high in its travel, glues the front wheel to the trail, allowing the Ransom to wind its way uphill while negotiating corners playfully and with plenty of flow. The sensitive suspension transfers the power of the motor to the trail efficiently and takes the edge off steep, technical trail sections on loose terrain, despite the low-profile tread of the DISSECTOR rear tire. If you’re looking for a bike that encourages you to take on new technical challenges, the SCOTT might be what you’re looking for. Here only the Propain Ekano is a smidge better. On the other hand, if you want to pull manuals out of berms and switchbacks, you be better served taking a closer look at the MERIDA eONE-SIXTY.

Mit dem Ransom eRIDE 920 gelingen Schlüsselstellen im Uphill super. Im Downhill kann es daran leider nicht an die klasse Uphill-Performance anknüpfen.

Tuning tips: tires with more robust casing (e.g. MAXXIS DoubleDown) | thread lock all suspension pivot bolts

Downhill, the riding position is nicely central and integrates the rider between the big wheels. In combination with the high front, this conveys huge amounts of confidence on steep terrain. The front wheel sticks to the ground even in open corners and on loose terrain, making the Ransom eRIDE easy to control at slow to medium speeds. Rolling over medium-sized obstacles is child’s play! On very steep terrain, the fork offers too little support and sinks into its travel, pulling your weight over the handlebars. Given the limited adjustment options of the fork, you’ll have to experiment with different air pressures in order to find the optimal balance between responsiveness and support. In reality, the SCOTT loves to get rowdy downhill and to go fast. However, the spec stops it from doing so: the brakes aren’t powerful enough and the tire casings are too flimsy for high-speed laps. On top of that, the suspension ends up feeling unbalanced, with the RockShox ZEB R struggling to keep up with the rear suspension in terms of support, control and precision. As a result, the SCOTT falls behind some of its competitors, exactly where it should perform best – downhill. If you’re looking for a bike for technical singletracks and fast-paced trail sessions, you should take a closer look at the Propain Ekano or MERIDA eONE-SIXTY. Alternatively, you could just dig a bit deeper and go for the Ransom eRIDE 910 flagship model, which retails for € 6,999.

Conclusion

The SCOTT Ransom eRIDE 920 was originally designed for rowdy trail sessions, technical terrain and fast bike park tracks, yet that’s exactly where its spec spoils the party, heavily limiting its trail performance. The affordable Ransom eRIDE 920 is only an option for beginners or for advanced riders who are looking for huge reserves, good climbing qualities and intuitive handling but don’t care too much about pushing their limits downhill.

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You can find out more about at scott-sports.com

The test field

For an overview of the test fleet head to the group test: The best eMTB of 2021 for € 5,500 – 7 budget eMTBs go head to head

All bikes in test: Canyon Spectral:ON CF 7 (Click for review) | FOCUS JAM² 6.9 NINE (Click for review) | Haibike AllMtn 4 (Click for review) | INFRONT IF-2.1 Fully (Click for review) | MERIDA eONE-SIXTY 700 (Click for review) | Propain Ekano AL 29 (Click for review) | SCOTT Ransom eRIDE 920

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Words: Photos: Felix Stix & Peter Walker