Scott leaked a few images of the new Gambler DH bike back in March and they had it on hand to tackle Sea Otter’s “downhill” course, too.
Upon closer inspection, we found what’s either going to be one of the most adjustable DH bikes on the market or a true test mule that can’t figure out what it wants to be. Adjustable and swappable linkages and parts abound, letting the riders and mechanics change shock rate, wheelbase, chainstay length and more. Crack through the gate to see more…
Up front, they’re using the Cane Creek AngleSet to test different head angles. Scott Sports USA’s PR manager Adrian Montgomery wouldn’t say which if any of these bits would make it through to production, only that they’re testing a lot of variables on this rig.
The lower shock mount had a flip-flop chip that would likely change both travel and shock rate.
The multi-linkage design belies the fact that this is a single pivot bike. All that fanciness is merely to tune the shock rate. Notice the backside of the lower shock mount on the right.
As the rear wheel hits a bump, it both pulls the top of the shock down. Sitting on the bike (I weigh about 180-185), the suspension felt pretty firm for a DH bike. Perhaps it was just set up that way for this particular course, which isn’t all that gnarly compared to a World Cup event.
A flippable threaded driveside chip and two separate thru-axle holes on the braking side give two options for wheel position.
