Gambler tested in UK
If you need a bike that will pin it on the downs and send it with equal commitment, then the jack-of-two-trades, master-of-both Scott Gambler might be your best bet...
Although their bikes are as common a sight across Europe as Swiss army knives at a Scout camp, Scott's penchant for producing ultra-light, carbon framed machines has meant that the brand is often more closely associated with the lycra of XC than the jeans-and-skate shoe attire of dirt sessions.
Since producing their first mountain bike in 1986, Scott's bikes have been jangling with innovation; including the recent carbon-framed 6inches (152mm) travel Ransom, its chunkier, trail- munching predecessor the Nitrous and the ultra adjustable High Octane long travel machine. All have proved to be credible and capable steeds.
But times change and so do riding styles. Manuals, slopestyle and North Shore have replaced the art of lust pointing your bike downwards, and the fields of freeride and downhill have become more and more blurred.
With this in mind, Scott's chief designer Benoit Grelier came up with the Gambler - a truly versatile big bike. One bike, two disciplines. Like the High Octane that it replaces, the Gambler is built up around an aluminium frame, this time double- butted 7005. But aside. from materials and some ingenious built-in adjustability, this is where any overlap ends. Benoit - a guy who obviously has little social life - has rethought bike geometry itself, having tinkered with design for six months before building a thing.
After enlisting Ben Walker, an American ex-pat living, building trails and riding Scott bikes in the Swiss Alps, Scott developed the idea of a single do-it-all huckable machine whose set-up could be tweaked in-situ to adapt to individuals riding styles.
Radical Thinking
The result of two years of development, the Gambler's frame is essentially the same in both its off-the- peg DH and freeride manifestations (apart from including carbon seatstays on the DH 10 model), and come in just two sizes - short and long. They share the same standover height but are separated by 35mm in top tube length. Somewhat radically, the seat tube has been shunted forwards to shorten the cockpit and allow the arc of 230mm (9inches) rear wheel travel on what is essentially a single pivot bike.
The design rethink also reflects the idea that in downhill and freeride, the seat is used more to brace against with the leg than for sitting on. The head tube steals the rotating insert concept from the. High Octane to allow geometry changes between 66 and 64 degrees and the whole insert can be swapped for 11/2in or 11/2in headsets. The dropouts can be changed at the turn of a hex key to lengthen or shorten chainstays by lcm, and the rear shock has four different mounting positions to adjust travel between 190mm and 230mmtn (7.4-9in).
Benoit worked hard to lower the Gambler's centre of gravity, dropping the BB height by 15mm below that on the High Octane (25mm above wheel axle height). The top and down tubes are lightweight, while the lower tube sections are forged to retain strength and keep the weight nearer the ground. The end result is an 18.7kg (42.2Ibs) bike that rides lighter than it is. Front-end frame strength has been improved by ditching the head tube- down tube weld in favour of a single piece of metal that effectively forms the head tube and extends into both the down and top tubes. The idea of welding itself was readdressed in an effort to make all the welds straight and easy to access. Rigidity has also been addressed by, filling in the spaces between chainstays and seatstays close to the main pivots with hollow box-section aluminium sheeting.
The phrase “rebuilt from the ground up” is a cliche, but that's exactly what Scott has done with the Gambler. When it comes to hitting up the mountain on your weapon of choice, it seems you can take a (Swiss army) knife to a gunfight after all.
1 Designed from the ground up
Scott have addressed riders' modern needs with some major geometry tweaks. An ultra short top tube and a low centre of gravity make for a stable bike that's fun to blast down any trail..
2 Incredible Versatility
Is it a DH bike? Is it a freeride bike? Simple M8 bolt and hex-key adjustments mean you can switch between the two or mix and match the geometry to suit your style all for just five minutes' tool time.
3 Complex Tube Profiling
Unique tube designs keep it chunky, and light, uniquely shaped monocoque aluminium tubing keeps strength where it's needed, as well as eliminating weak points and improving the ride. The massive 'big stick' monocoque top tube makes a stable and comfy platform that you can brace against when you're tweaking the bike. The top tube is pinched at the front, which allows a tighter turning circle with triple crown forks.
4 Manipulated Suspension
The suspension is a single pivot design with a virtual pivot feel. The high main pivot helps alleviate brake jack, and three more pivots give the suspension a more progressive response.
5 Accessible and Universal
The shock set-up and bearings are easily accessible without having to take the bike apart. Maintenance is made easier by the use of standard sized and widely available sealed bearings in the pivots. The frame has welded- on tabs for ISCG and ISCGO5 chainguides.
6 What's in a Name?
Taking chances or stacking the odds in your favour? With a bike like The Gambler, it's entirely your call.
7 Long Shock Stroke
With up to 230mm (9inches) of rear travel, you'll want to hammer this bike. A long shock stroke stops the internal oil heating up excessively on long rides.
