With its three-setting shock, the Genius LT is three bikes in one: fully rigid mountain goat, four-inch trail tamer, and 7.3-inch gravity hog. That's like Andy Schleck, Todd Wells, and the Incredible Hulk sharing
a body. Setup is a snap courtesy of the simple instructions and air pressure gauges on the shock. (Why don't more companies do this?) Riding is even easier, as the bike mutates with the flip of the handlebar-mounted TwinLoc lever, which firms up both the rear end and the custom Rock Shox Lyrik RLR fork. In fully open, long-travel mode, the bike's slack (66.3-degree) head angle and low bottom-bracket height made
negotiating ten-foot drops feel more like bunny-hopping. In four-inch traction mode, the Genius devoured techy climbs. "I couldn't believe how well it went up until I realized that it weighs ten pounds less than most big-hit bikes," said one tester. With a solid SRAM parts pick and burly DT Swiss wheels, the Genius LT is that almost unheard-of bike—a master of all trails. 30.9 lbs
Climbing: 4 (out of 5)
Descending: 5
Photo: Inga Hendrickson
