Scott's 'TwinLoc' system makes their dual suspension bikes exceptionally versatile and distinctly more practical than most. Many suspension units have a descended and climbing setting, your bike may already have one! But, like many riders out there you may hardly use it due to the lack of gain when activated and the hassle of reaching around finding the desired lever. The ease of use of the Scott 'Twinloc' system and it's heightened effectiveness gives their bikes pedalling efficiency that put them head and shoulders above the competition. Check out the video below for the basics.
Air Volume and Damper Adjustment
On a standard shock the climb setting will stiffen the shock's damping for a better pedal platform while on the Scott Nude shock both damping and air volume / travel is adjusted when activated. What's the big deal? By adjusting the air volume of the shock the bike will ride higher in it's travel with geometry that is more favourable to climbing; steeper seat tube angle, steeper head tube angle, greater pedal clearance, etc. Combined with the increase in compression damping and riders have a bike that now not only descends rapidly but climbs with an eagerness normally reserved for shorter travel bikes.
Remote Actuation
The Scott Twinloc remote has been refined to a neat, ergonomic under bar design which allows riders to easily switch between modes while riding. Gone are the days of dropping into your favourite trail for a rough ride before pulling over when you remember you forgot to unlock your shock. The modes are so easy to use you can even toggle between them on your run. Fly through that first rock garden in 'descend' mode before flick over to 'traction control' as you pedal across the traverse and flick back to 'descend' for that big rutted right hand turn! It's so easy and effective that Nino Schurter used his 'Twinloc' lever 160 times in one world cup XC lap to get the most out of his bike and over power his competitors.
Real Life Test
Alex was keen to put the 170mm Scott Ransom to the test and found the bike to be smooth as expected on the descent but was blown away with the it's climbing ability. Seeking out the steepest fire road climb at his local Brisbane MTB trails he utilised the 'TwinLoc' for maximum power transfer and was well rewarded. So much so that he felt the 170mm Scott Ransom pedalled better than his 146mm trail bike when using 'TwinLoc' technology on the trails. The 'traction control' mode was the go to for all off road climbs, smooth or technical. The Lockout does have it's worth but more so on paved climbs as there was a comfort sacrifice when off road having the shock so firm.
Bike Travel Adjustments
The rear suspension travel amount for each bike when in 'descend' (D) mode, Traction Control (TC). Lockout mode is as rigid as possible but will still allow for a minimal amount of movement if hit hard enough.
Ransom: D = 170mm TC = 120mm
Genius: D = 150mm TC = 100mm
Spark: D = 120mm TC = 85mm
Spark RC: D = 100mm TC = 70mm
Verdict
The Scott TwinLoc system has real upside when utilised correctly making the bikes super versatile in their application. With such a range of mountain bike trails in and around Brisbane we see this as a huge benefit to riders looking to get the most out of their riding on one bike. Check out the Scott range of dual suspension mountain bikes here or better yet, come in to our Brisbane MTB store.