2022 eMTB SHOOTOUT
SCOTT RANSOM eRIDE 920 REVIEW
Video by Brian Niles / Treeline Cinematic
Photos by Dusten Ryen
The Scott Ransom eRIDE 920 is the electrified version of their Ransom enduro brawler. With 180mm travel on both ends and a pair of 29” wheels, the Ransom eRIDE is built to tackle the gnarliest descents whilst offering the assistance of a Bosch CX G4 motor to climb back up with ease. As a huge fan of the acoustic Scott Ransom, which we crowned our bike of the year a few years back, we were stoked to get on board its eBike brother and test it head-to-head against the seven other Enduro eBikes in our 2022 eMTB shootout. Without spoiling too much, we’ll just say that “Scott” and “Ransom” would appear to be a winning formula. Let’s jump into the Scott Ransom eRIDE 920 review and share our thoughts!
The Ransom eRIDE is the longest travel eBike in the Scott lineup. It was designed to maximize the fun when racing enduro stages shredding bike park runs. Packing 180mm of travel on both ends the Scott Ransom eRide comes with 29” wheels but can be easily converted to a 27.5” bike with the flip of a geometry chip. Retailing at a price point that’s nearly half of many other contenders, the Ransom eRIDE 920 is an eBike that really shakes things up amongst a crowd of bikes with some eye watering price tags.
QUICK HITS
• 180mm Horst Link Suspension
• 625Wh Battery
• HTA 64.6
• STA 77 (effective)
• REACH 447 (Medium)
Price: $6,499 (920 US tested)
Website: Scott-sports.com
THE LAB
The Ransom eRIDE is offered exclusively with an aluminum frame, features a Horst Link suspension system with Scott’s Virtual 4 Link kinematic and is stout as can be. Bosch provides the electronics, with their Performance Line CX G4 motor delivering 85Nm of torque, powered by a 625Wh Bosch Powertube battery that is integrated into the downtube and can be removed easily. The display is Bosch’s simple Purion controller and display, with large buttons to toggle between the various power modes on offer and a black and white display to show the vital stats. Scott has designed the Ransom eRIDE 920 with their “eRIDE Advanced Design”, which means they have worked heavily to optimize the integration of the motor and battery into the frame to obtain the cleanest design. To give the most integrated package, Scott has pre-routed cabling from the battery to the head tube and seat tube, which can power lights to increase visibility on the roads.
To keep the Ransom eRIDE protected through a lifetime of abuse, Scott fitted a generous plastic battery and motor guard to the downtube and a ridged rubber protector to the chainstay. There’s an integrated upper chainguide bolted to the frame for the cleanest chain management solution, and there are provisions to mount a central kickstand for those so inclined. The upper shock mount features a flip chip to adjust the geometry between two settings, and the internal cable routing has bolted ports to clamp the cables and prevent them from rattling. The headset is provided by Scott’s in-house brand Syncros and features a “fork stop” to prevent the fork crown from damaging the down tube in a crash.
The Scott Ransom eRIDE is only offered in a single 920 spec for the North American market, but a higher tier spec is available for riders in Europe. The Ransom eRide 920 US spec retailed for $5,499 up until just a few days before publishing, and currently goes for $6.499. The 180mm suspension is provided by a RockShox ZEB R air fork paired with a Trunnion mount Fox Float X2 Performance 2-position air shock. SRAM handles the gearing duties with their NX Eagle 12-speed derailleur and SX single click shifter, which changes through the 11-50t cassette. FSA provides the CK-745 cranks in 165mm length, and Shimano’s non-series BR-MT520 4-piston brakes stop on 203mm Centerlock rotors. The wheelset is built with Formula CL hubs, which are laced to Syncros MD30 29” rims. Syncros also provides the finishing kit, with their Hixon 2.0 Alloy bar and XM1.5 stem; Tofino 2.0 saddle and Duncan dropper post with size-specific drop.
The tires on the stock build are a Maxxis Assegai and Dissector EXO+ combination, which we would consider to have insufficient sidewall strength to handle the punishment the Ransom eRIDE is likely to see. Thankfully we had Schwalbe on board as an official sponsor for the 2022 eMTB Shootout and were able to fit the Scott with the same Magic Mary and Big Betty Super Gravity combination as the rest of the bikes in the enduro category. This allowed us to eliminate a significant variable in the performance and feel of the bikes on test, so we could determine the individual ride characteristics of each bike more easily by retaining a consistent tire feel and performance.
Scott’s Ransom eRIDE 920 frame features a flip chip in the upper shock mount to offer two positions for the geometry, giving a 0.6-degree head angle and 0.7-degree seat angle change, and a 9mm BB height difference. In the high BB setting, constant between the sizes is the 64.6° head angle, long 463mm chainstays and 13mm BB drop. The seat angle measurement slackens by 0.2° as sizes increase due to the higher position it is measured at, with the medium running at 77°. The reach on the medium is 447mm, the seat tube is 440mm and the stack height is 640mm. This all tots up to a 1254mm wheelbase, placing it in the middle of the Enduro category.
The geometry figures on the Scott Ransom eRIDE are average in the Enduro eMTB category, however the reach and therefore the wheelbase on our medium test bike is quite compact. The long chainstays helped to retain some stability on this undersized test rig, which proved to be surprisingly capable although very cramped when seated. We’d love to test a size large to see how capable the Ransom eRIDE could be with a better fit, unfortunately with all the supply shortages, we’re not sure when that may be.
THE DIRT
It’s been quite some time since we’ve ridden a Scott bike, which is a shame because every time we get on one, we love it. As soon as we hopped aboard the Ransom eRide we knew it was going to be a beast of a machine. Like many other bikes in our eMTB Shootout, we rode this bike around Bend, ID, for a couple months with two testers getting quite a few miles on it before arriving in Tennessee. Our Oregon testers kept their mouths shut and let the rest of the crew enjoy the bike and the smiles and feedback were the same across the board. This bike somehow balances big-hit capabilities with a playful and lively feel that very few other bikes can match, eBike or otherwise.
Unfortunately, due to availability issues we could only secure a size medium for our crew, which meant the bike felt a bit small, but it still gave us the opportunity to see how the bike would perform, and once again reminds us that bikes with shorter reaches are so much more fun than super long bikes. Only our tallest riders (6’1”-6’2”) had difficulties overcoming the shortness to really feel at home on the bike. The rest of our 5’10’-6’0” riders overlooked the shorter reach and could easily envision how that extra length of a large would feel beneath them.
Climbing with the Scott Ransom eRide 920 is equally enjoyable as the supple suspension feel gives you a comfortable platform to sit and spin, no matter how long the ride is. Combine that with the impressive power of the Bosch drive unit and even the largest of mountains is no match. The geometry of the Ransom eRide sits pretty comfortably in the middle of the pack, with the outlier being the long chainstays. This length could be an issue for some riders who climb very tight, slow speed trails but the benefit is super steep climb traction and stability. Conversely on the downhills, the longer rear end gives the bike some nice stability as well.
Speaking of descending, the Scott Ransom eRide absolutely shreds! Whether we were charging the gnarliest downhill trails Windrock Bike Park had to offer or charging mellower flow trails with smaller features and quick corners, our testers felt alive and energized aboard the Scott Ransom 920. Even on some of the smoother trails with flatter grades, we felt fast and playful vibes coming off the Ransom 920. It does a great job of floating over rough terrain, pumping smaller features and makes light work of big compressions. The suspension tune is dialed for most situations we encountered on this bike.
When reflecting back on our time aboard the Scott Ransom eRide 920, we bounce between several of our test tracks that all featured very different terrain and challenges for the bikes. It seemed like each trail had one bike that would shine and perform very well. However, that bike would also suffer some more notable hangups when moving to the next type of track for back-to-back lap testing. When it came time to review the Scott Ransom eRIDE 920, it was consistently feeling awesome and at or near the top of the list at every trail. This bike was most consistent in how well it performed over the widest variety of terrain and that’s something that really stands out.
The Wolf’s Last Word
Without a doubt the Scott Ransom eRide 920 is one of the best eBikes we’ve ridden. The ability to climb anything, destroy the gnarliest downhill trails with ease while also being able to pump, pop and jib on mellower trails make it an easy bike to recommend. This was a bike our testers did not want to hand back after the eMTB Shootout and one we’re hoping Scott doesn’t come looking for too soon. If you’re a rider who is looking for a well-rounded and extremely capable long travel eMTB, the Scott Ransom eRide 920 should be at the top of your list. It seamlessly blends climbing prowess with a buttery suspension platform and lively ride with decent value compared to other bikes on the market. 
Price: $6,499
Weight: 54.5 lbs
Website: Scott-sports.com
SCOTT RANSOM eRIDE 920 SPEC:
CHASSIS
Frame: Alloy | 180mm
Fork: RockShox ZEB R | 180mm
Shock: Fox Float X2 Performance | 2-pos | 205x65mm
ELECTRONICS
Motor: Bosch Performance Line CX G4 | 85 Nm
Battery: Bosch PowerTube | Removable | 625Wh
Display: Bosch Purion
COCKPIT
Brakes: Shimano BR-MT520 | 200F/R Centerlock rotors
Bar: Syncros Hixon 2.0 | rise: 20mm | width: 800mm | clamp: 31.8mm
Stem: Syncros XM1.5 | length: 50mm
Seatpost: Syncros Duncan Dropper | S:125mm | M: 150mm | L/XL:170mm
Saddle: Syncros Tofino 2.0
WHEELS
Hubs: Formula CL-811/CL-148S | Centerlock
Front Tire: Maxxis Assegai 29×2.6″WT | MaxxTerra | EXO+ Casing
Rear Tire: Maxxis Dissector 29×2.6″WT | MaxxTerra | EXO+ Casing
DRIVETRAIN
Cassette: SRAM PG1210 | 11-50T | 12spd
Cranks: FSA CK-475 | 165mm
Shifter: SRAM SX Eagle Single Click | 12spd
Derailleur: SRAM NX Eagle | 12spd
We Dig
Value to Ride performance
Does it all
Smooth and supple
Playful and lively
Eats chunk
We Don’t
Scott Sports doesn’t seem to care about North American market
OUR 2022 eMTB SHOOTOUT WAS MADE POSSIBLE
THANKS TO THESE GREAT SPONSORS:
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