Monster truck traction, fatbike stability, all mountain travel, and climbing prowess are all rolled into one with the Scott Genius L 700 Plus HMX. Basically, Scott adapted their long-travel enduro bike with the new Plus dimensions to provide a ride that gives you more room to go farther, harder, and faster.

If you already know the Genius LT, you have a decent idea of what the Plus version can do. The Plus is a big deal. The wheels will make you a better mountainbiker. Your confidence will increase thanks to the better grip on the trail, and your fatigue will decrease thanks to the greater comfort. Average riders might even go from good to very good, and very good riders will go to great. You can take the bike farther, for more fun, more speed, a better experience.

To understand why, you need to understand the new Plus (+) standard. Wide rims and tires do lots of good for every rider. Even when you put a standard tire on a wide rim, the contact patch increases for better traction, the increased air volume minimizes pinch flats and increases comfort, and the changed relationship of the tire sidewall to the rim wall means that the tire is less likely to fold under hard cornering, making it easier to hold the line. All in all, a plus. The Plus standard here means 2.8” tires supported (3” max) by rims with a 40mm interior width and 45mm exterior width. This is an increase in contact patch of 21% over a 2.35” tire on narrower rims. Think of it as combining the float and traction of a fatbike with the speed of an XC racer. Tests indicate that rolling resistance increases by about 1%, but when you consider the benefits, this cost looks to be overcome by the benefits the greater width brings.

It also means an embrace of the Boost standard. This means a 110x15mm front hub and 148x12mm rear hub. Thru-axles both. The distance between flanges has been increased by 10mm in front and 6mm in back. This additional width means greater triangulation for spokes, making the wheels more laterally stiff and durable. It also means more widely-set fork legs and a wider rear triangle, both of which also help with torsional rigidity. The chainline also moves to the right by 3mm to keep alignment perfect. And the chainstays are lengthened by 12mm to account for the bigger tires. Scott also slightly reduced the head angle to keep the bike feeling like a Genius LT with “normal” wheels.

And if you want to change the riding experience up a bit, 29er wheels with 2.3” or narrower tires, provided they are set up on Boost hubs, can also fit in the bike.

All of this has been added to the rest of the standard Genius LT features. The stays are as short as they could make them for better climbing. The head angle is slack for more relaxed descending. Scott allows you to further tune the geometry thanks to a reversible chip that is built into the top of the suspension linkage. There’s a “low” and “high position,” which changes the bottom bracket height, the effective chainstay length, and the seat and head angles. Those who like more of a cross-country ride will probably prefer the low, and those who like more aggro riding will probably like the high, but you can change the setting in about a minute to decide for yourself, even when just stopping for a moment on the trail.

In terms of suspension, Scott has collaborated with Fox to provide custom 160mm travel shocks and fork to the bike. They’ve been designed to work as a system, not an off-the-shelf solution. Likewise, they can be adapted on the fly thanks to the TwinLoc lever on the handlebars. It’s a three-position remote, which allows you to open it up for descending, control it for active pedaling, and firm it up for efficient climbing.

Riding is supposed to be fun. If anything, the Scott Genius LT 700 Plus HMX makes it funner.