Scott Gambler 910 review

Setup

I initially set the Gambler’s Fox 40 fork to 65psi – roughly the recommended pressure for my 75kg weight – but increased this during the test period to 85psi, which I didn’t change again.

This 30 per cent change in pressure seems large. However, when searching for front-to-back balance and the right ride feel, as long as everything feels good, numbers should be taken with a pinch of salt.

Out back, I inflated the Fox Float X’s air spring to 185psi, but increased this to 195psi after a few runs. I then added plus four clicks from fully open of low-speed compression (LSC) damping to balance the front and rear ends.

After experimenting with the high/low shock flip chip and long/short chainstay settings, I settled on the low bottom bracket and long chainstay configuration.

Regardless of the bike’s geometry settings, I had to raise the front end to improve its balance. I did this by sliding the fork through the crowns.

Thanks to the downhill-casing tyres, I inflated the front to 24psi and the rear to 27psi without fear of carcass roll or punctures.

Scott Gambler 910 descending performance

With the front end set higher, leaning into the bar to drive grip in flatter sections or when the trails got steeper inspired confidence.

Riding aggressively on a bike with a low front can feel like a perilous balancing act of managing grip and not going over the bar. Fortunately, the Gambler’s head-tube length and fork allow for plenty of adjustment.

Your hand-to-feet relationship – dictated by the 460mm reach and 633.5mm stack (large, low) – feels spot-on; you feel neither cramped nor stretched-out.

As the bike pitches down steeps, controlling your weight’s distribution is intuitive because you’re not fighting to compensate for compromised geometry.

However, the distance between the front and rear wheels feels short, despite the long 1,282mm wheelbase and generous 450mm chainstay.

Getting incredibly close to a one-to-one ratio between the reach and chainstay figures – which is unusual on larger-sized bikes – contributes here.

This makes it feel as if you’re close to the bar because there’s more bike behind you and less in front of you than usual.

This shorter-than-usual feel means you can easily manoeuvre the bike around; picking up the back wheel in tight switchbacks or hopping from one side of the trail to the next requires minimal rider input and weight shifts.

Hanging off the back of the bike – when you roll off high, steep steps – doesn’t cause the rear wheel to kick you in the backside, thanks to that long back end.

This feels great in twisting, tree-dodging sections of trail, and its nimble handling certainly defies the more stable behaviour usually associated with dual 29in wheels and long chainstays.

The large-diameter hoops help with bump roll-over, especially compared to mixed-wheel bikes.

Successive bumps – that usually hook up and sap pace on smaller wheels – are glossed over with silky speed. The Gambler carries pace through chatter.

Despite the frame’s balanced feel and smooth-rolling wheels, it’s not quite as stable as other DH bikes when speed increases. The same traits that help it weave tight lines through trees influence how comfortable it feels when you’re hauling.

The head angle doesn’t feel as slack as Scott’s 62.9-degree claims and bigger hits aren’t absorbed as well as you’d expect; it’s certainly not as smooth and calm as Saracen’s Myst, feeling closer to the shorter-travel Giant Reign SX.

A large portion of that livelier feel is down to the rear suspension.

Compared to coil-sprung bikes, the Fox Float X air shock doesn’t feel as supple and sensitive on high-frequency chatter. There’s a rawness at the rear end, especially when you’re ploughing into high-speed stutter bumps.

This harshness was present despite running the shock quite soft for my preferences and weight. That harshness was present prior to adding LSC damping, indicating the air spring’s extra sealing and the Float X’s overall tune blunting the Gambler’s small-bump performance.

Dive deeper into the travel and all is redeemed. Masses of mid-stroke support – once I’d added some LSC – created a poppy and playful ride.

Pushing and working the bike into the terrain generates speed quickly and easily, and when you hammer around turns its dynamic geometry remains neutral. It doesn’t get upset or unbalanced when you’re pushing on.

This makes it one of the most engaging-to-ride DH bikes around; it doesn’t sap energy when ridden energetically.

On the brakes, the suspension doesn’t remain as supple as I was hoping it would. Given the Gambler’s low anti-rise figure – that should help keep the rear end moving freely when you’re stopping – this feels as though it’s down to the shock rather than the frame’s design.

Fox’s Performance 40 fork is incredibly supple and smooth, absorbing small bumps with ease.

The air spring’s curve and damper combine to give plenty of mid-stroke support and there’s loads of bottom-out resistance. Most importantly, high-speed hits are dispatched with no compression spike.