LAURA'S SCOTT CONTESSA RANSOM 910

MONTH 5: Laura feels overbiked on her lockdown loop but takes the chance to put the Scott’s travel modes to the test

- LAURA BAILEY

With lockdown still underway as I write this and racing calendars cancelled, I’ve not had a chance to use the Contessa Ransom in earnest. And with decidedly flat riding from my door, I’ve been focusing on experimentation. No, not the psychedelic type, just riding the same trail back to back – which can get a little disorienting – to see if the TwinLoc remote on the Ransom really makes it more efficient.

The test went like this. I rode the same loop three days in a row, once in 170mm Descend mode the whole way, once in the 120mm Traction-Control setting and the final day in a mix of Lockout and the two travel settings to make full use of the TwinLoc remote.

So first things first. On the 5km uphill road ride to get to the woods, the Ransom felt like a seriously bouncy sofa in the fully open setting. Still, I was shocked to discover that it was 10 per cent faster up the same climb in the Lockout setting on the final day of testing, despite my tired legs.