Rider Review: SCOR 4060 LT GX

A Seriously Fun Long Travel Mountain Bike

From the minds of expert engineers who cut their teeth at BMC, comes a new brand of mountain bikes: enter SCOR. What started as a dream of bikes built just for the fun of biking is now a truly well-executed reality. Given the unseasonably warm weather I’ve already been able to get out on my SCOR 4060 LT GX and put it to the test. Other than the color, I was drawn to this bike because it was a factory build closest to what I would put together on my own in a frame-up build. Overall, I love this bike for my style of riding – playful and spec'd for the enduro dreamer. The fully carbon frame comes with some cool extras, too. There’s a stash box built into the downtube, large enough for a multitool and tire plugs. Plus, it comes with a spare SRAM Universal Derailleur Hanger (or SRAM UDH). 

FIRST IMPRESSION

SCOR hits the nail on the head with build specs for most people looking for a super fun enduro ride. For a long travel 29er, it is light, comes with cool, useful extras, and is easily one of the more well-rounded mountain bikes I’ve ever ridden.

HIGHS AND LOWS

+ Build options are great value for performance.

+ Progressive geometry offers a great ride feel.

+ 2 bikes for the price of 1 with flip chip and adjustable headset angle

- Press-fit bottom bracket

- Low clearance around rear shock limits aftermarket shock options.

• I did, however change out the rear shock - so there are some options. More on that later.

- Not many build options

• Brands like Santa Cruz and Orbea have spoiled us with the luxury of variety, giving as many as 8 or 10 build/frame options for a single model. That said, NX and GX both put money where I would want it, namely suspension and brakes.

FRAME HIGHLIGHTS

• Lower-link activated virtual pivot suspension
• Flip chip and adjustable headset angle
• SCOR offers custom frame protection specifically for the 4060 with your graphics, text and colors. 
• Internally routed cables
• Chainstay protector is molded to look like a jump-line.

RIDE

This is more of a first ride review rather than a full review as the snow is still melting here in Salt Lake City. What I can share are my first impressions from actually building the bike as well as taking it out on segments of the old Red Bull Rampage site.

One of the reasons I was drawn to the SCOR 4060 LT was the amount of adjustability. I like that the frame is designed to work just as well with different amounts of shock stroke, which changes rear suspension travel. I also like that there is space for an air shock or a coil shock with a piggyback (more on that later). It even comes with an adjustable-angle headset that lets me tune how that front wheel tracks at speed without having to take the bike completely apart. As a result, I think you won't see too many SCORs set up the same way as my bike, and they'll all be pretty different. You may not even seen may SCORs in the first place as they are only available from a few shops across the country.

Despite the longer travel and 29er wheels, the 4060 LT felt more playful than anything else I've been on, including a 29-inch-equipped Yeti SB150. That is even with the coil shock! It is really good at popping up and over trail features, but it also manages to offer a ton of grip in the corners. Just tuck it in and go. I don't have to think too hard about it, and I certainly don't have to coax it into corners.

As a brand, I really like that SCOR focused on trail and enduro riders looking to just ride rather than race. My previous bike was the as-mentioned Yeti, which just felt like it wanted to track straight all the time. Corners were more something that had to happen rather than something to be enjoyed. The SCOR is much more willing to move around, but not so much that I would lose confidence in it when I was going fast. It is obvious that the engineers weren't concerned with outright speed, just with making the bike fun.

I'm excited to take it out on more local trails as the mountain start to dry out, as I am sure to have more thoughts on how this bike rides as the temperatures start to rise.

BUILD

Even though the brand is relatively new, the folks at SCOR have been building (and riding) bikes for a long time. The builds are thoughtfully chosen with all the components desired in an enduro build, while remaining reasonably priced. The brakes and suspension are top of the line, but the mid-level (yet still beefy) drivetrain means the rider is not out $700 when they bash their derailleur against a rock. In fact, the build spec that was designed for riding rather than flash was a big reason why I chose a SCOR.

Based on my riding style and experience, I opted to swap out the factory rear shock (Fox Float X2 Factory Series) for a Fox DHX with a Cane Creek Valt Progressive Rate Spring. I also swapped to a 175mm Fox Factory Transfer dropper post and a tan-wall Maxxis Minion DHF/DHR combo. On top of that, I did a few other things, like swap grips and saddle. But the rest of the build is based on the SCOR 4060 LT GX build, which comes really well built out of the box.

I ended up swapping to a coil shock as it has less variability in response over varied terrain and I plan on hitting our local bike parks plenty this year. One thing I will say is that the tolerances around the frame and shock are tighter than I would prefer with a DHX. The new DHX shock has a massive piggyback reservoir, bigger than an X2 or DHX2, and this frame clears it. But there is maybe 5-7mm between the piggyback and seattube at full compression. While my shock clears enough, it would be good to confirm the controls of the shock will fit when planning on using a Cane Creek, DVO, or PUSH Industries setup.

While I haven't been able to get out on much more than a few rides, I can speak to how the bike is built, as I built the bike up myself. SCOR did well to include guided internal cable routing for the downtube, there is a frustrating one-inch exception between the frame and swingarm. To route the shift cable and brake hose into the rear triangle, there is a one-inch exposed area to get through. Rather than being able to fish the housing over I had to take out the linkage bolts to get through, otherwise I was poking and guessing. Get it wrong and might lead to a kink the hose or housing. Same is the case with internal dropper routing. I would not call this a deal breaker by any means, but just know that swapping the brakes might mean taking apart the bike a little more than expected.

With all that said, I think SCOR did a great job designing lots of little features into the frame. I like the SRAM Universal Derailleur Hanger option and the storage area and am impressed with the bike's overall feel. Build quality is really good, and while I prefer a threaded bottom bracket to a press fit system here, the tolerances are very good in my experience and thread together bottom brackets have mitigated most issues here. Again, it is clear that the engineers knew what they were doing making this bike.

Brook Hillsgrove has been a mechanic and service writer at Contender Bicycles for the last year and a half. Originally hailing from New Hampshire, Brook grew up in the east coast trail and XC mountain biking world. After moving to Utah, he found a love for enduro-style riding. In the summer months, he spends his time at the bike park and trail riding around the SLC valley. He also loves weekend trips to the desert for freeride and classic big mountain trails in Moab. 

“Overall, chunky, fast, fun and playful downhill trails are my jam” - Brook Hillsgrove.

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