First ride review: Testing the new SCOR 2030 GX – A trail bike with a good-times guarantee

With the newly developed SCOR 2030, the Swiss brand are complementing their portfolio with a lightweight trail bike that focuses on fun instead of full-throttle. With 140 mm of travel up front, and 120 mm at the rear, it’s designed to put a big smile on the faces of all trail riders. Read on to find out whether it can deliver on this promise!

What do you do if you’re a trail shredder working in the development department of the Swiss bike brand BMC, but you’re only allowed to develop cross-country and road bikes? That’s right, you simply design your dream trail bike in your free time. Before you know it, the boss gets wind of it, likes the idea and tells you to pursue it further. And if you’ve read our review of the SCOR 4060, you already know that it resulted in something amazing.
A fun-oriented trail bike with a focus on the descents doesn’t suit BMC’s brand image, so they simply created the SCOR brand to release the bike in 2021. It’s aimed at a younger target group than BMC, focusing on longer travel, trail performance, and lots of fun.
With the introduction of the SCOR 2030, the brand are now adding the second bike to their portfolio. Look at the model name long enough, and you’ll notice it reflects travel numbers. The 29″ bike offers 120 mm travel at the rear, which can be increased to 130 mm with a longer stroke shock. However, it always comes standard with 120 mm travel, paired with 140 mm travel fork.
While the SCOR 4060 is available in a long- and a short-travel variant, which don’t just differ in the rear travel length, but also in the fork and spec, SCOR refrain from offering two different variants of the 2030.
Visually, SCOR remain true to their image, making the carbon frame of the 2030 hard to distinguish from that of the 4060. It also boasts the same rear suspension design.
There are three builds to choose from with the new bike, and the 2030 GX build on test is available for € 6,999, weighing in at 13.6 kg (manufacturer’s specs).
You’ve two ways to get your hands on a SCOR: Frame sets can be ordered directly from the SCOR website, or you can buy a complete bike from your local dealer. Since they’re a part of BMC, they have a large dealer network to rely on and you should be able to find one near you.

The SCOR 2030 GX 2024 in detail – Swiss elegance

The frame of the SCOR 2030 is largely based on the SCOR 4060 in terms of the shape and details, though with one striking new feature: the storage compartment in the down tube.
To integrate the storage compartment into the frame as smoothly as possible, it has been positioned in such a way that the cover of the compartment merges into the shock mount. That way it doesn’t look like they’ve simply cut a hole anywhere into the frame. Instead, the storage compartment looks seamlessly integrated instead.
The cover can be unlocked via a half-turn of the twist lock, to the left or right. You don’t need the grip strength of an ape to do so either – it all spins easily and smoothly.

Once the cover is unlocked, you can either grab and open it directly or by the bottle cage. However, the edge of the opening isn’t framed or rounded out, so you’ve got to be careful of cutting or scraping your fingers on the sharp carbon edge when stuffing goods into or retrieving them from the compartment.
SCOR include a nice purpose made bag for the storage compartment, so you don’t lose any small items inside the frame. It’s somewhat reminiscent of a pencil case and would be a hit on your first day of school.
Made of tarpaulin-like material, the bag is waterproof and closes with a zipper. Unfortunately, however, the waterproof material is somewhat sticky. As such, sliding the bag into the storage compartment requires a little practice and effort. Once you learn to place narrow things further up and larger items further down in the bag, you’ll soon get the hang of it.
The bag will easily accommodate a multi-tool, tubeless repair kit, and a few snacks, though you’ll quickly run out of space if you want to pack a spare tube or windbreaker. Cool detail: each bike comes with a spare SRAM UDH derailleur hanger in the down tube bag.

The main frame and rear end are both made of carbon, featuring straight lines and beautifully slender tubes, giving the bike an elegant look. When it comes to branding, SCOR refrain from plastering their logo all over the bike, restricting themselves to subtle decals on the seat tube. The rest of the frame serves as your personal canvas, since you can use an online tool to design your very own frame protectors for the top and down tubes. Your cat’s face, a greeting to your mom and dad, or the logo of your favourite brewery – anything’s possible! If you’re not feeling creative, you can choose from a wide range of ready-made designs. One set of frame protectors will cost you 35 euros.

The drive-side chainstay comes fitted with a generously sized protector shaped like a set of three jumps. There’s another protector on the bottom of the down tube by the BB, which should prevent the carbon frame from getting damaged by flying debris.
While a mud bath might have a healing effect on your skin, it tends to be the opposite for your shock. To prevent this from happening, SCOR have put a plastic fender over the shock, which is nice and long and works reliably.
If you can’t find enough space in the storage compartment, you’ll be happy about the tool mount on the bottom of the top tube, allowing you to carry even more tools and spares on the bike.

The cables on the SCOR 2030 are routed internally. SCOR refrain from routing the cables through the headset, and make them disappear through ports on the head tube instead. In doing so, the cables are clamped securely in place and guided through the frame via dedicated channels. The result of this high-quality solution: absolute silence on the trail – no rattling to be heard. The hose for the dropper post reappears briefly by the bottom bracket, forming a large arc from the down tube into the seat tube. The brake and shifter cables continue through the chainstays to their respective destinations.

The components of the new SCOR 2030 GX

Those looking for something exotic will be disappointed with the SCOR 2030 GX, as it relies on a mix of proven components.
The RockShox Pike Ultimate fork provides 140 mm travel up front, which, in addition to the pressure of the air spring, allows you to adjust the high and low speed compression as well as the rebound speed.
You’ve got a RockShox Deluxe Ultimate shock managing 120 mm travel at the rear. It can be locked out for the climbs, and allows you to adjust the low-speed compression and rebound.
SCOR don’t compromise on the brakes and equip the 2030 with a pair of powerful SRAM CODE RSC stoppers. We love the fact that SCOR have realised that even short-travel bikes benefit from lots of braking power! The lever reach and bite point are adjustable without tools, though SCOR have opted against the new CODE Stealth, choosing to rely on the predecessor model instead – apart from the angle of the brake lever and the look, however, the two models can hardly be distinguished.

The drivetrain is taken care of – who would have guessed? – by a mechanical SRAM GX groupset. It performs as reliably and inconspicuously as usual, offering crisp shifting.
All frame sizes are specced with a 185 mm BikeYoke DIVINE dropper post. If it’s too long, you can easily reduce the travel of the dropper post to the desired length in 5 mm increments using spacers. This gives you plenty of drop and freedom of movement on the smaller sizes, though particularly long-legged riders would benefit from a slightly longer version on the XL bike.

For the wheels, SCOR play it safe with the lightweight XM 1700 aluminium wheelset from DT Swiss.
The tires consist of a MAXXIS DISSECTOR on the front and a Rekon on the rear – both relying on the harder rubber compound and lightweight EXO casing. The fast rolling MAXXIS Rekon on the rear promises minimal rolling resistance and fast acceleration. However, the tires don’t deliver on the promise of fun on the trail, unless your idea of fun is constant two-wheel drifting.
We would advise putting the DISSECTOR on the rear and swapping out the Rekon for something more aggressive up front, like a MAXXIS Minion DHF or ASSEGAI, and with the softer MaxxGrip rubber compound.
For heavy riders and those who tend to ride on rocky terrain, it might also be worth upgrading to the EXO+ casing, which is just 45 g heavier, for more puncture protection.

The other build variants of the SCOR 2030

The SCOR 2030 is available in three different build specs, each named after their respective drivetrain: the 2030 X01, 2030 GX, and 2030 NX. Each variant is available in just one colour.

As the name suggests, the flagship 2030 X01 model relies on a mechanical SRAM X01 drivetrain. Along with that you get FOX Factory suspension, consisting of FOX 34 fork and a FLOAT shock boasting the golden Kashima coating. The SRAM G2 brakes are slightly lighter than the CODE RSC of the GX variant, but they’re less powerful too. For the wheels, SCOR rely on carbon DT Swiss XRC 1501 hoops. However, they live a dangerous life considering the thin casings of the tires fitted on the 2030 GX. The dark green paint job is beautiful with its slightly black shimmer, called “Sevruga Trip”. The SCOR 2030 X01 is available for 8,999 euros.

The SCOR 2030 NX for 4,999 euros is a lot more affordable. On this model, the suspension consists of a RockShox Pike Select fork and a RockShox Deluxe Select+ shock. Both have to make do with the basic adjustment options. However, you can adjust the lever reach on the powerful SRAM CODE R brakes without tools. The MAXXIS DISSECTOR and Rekon tires are fitted to an unbranded XDX 530 wheelset.

The geometry of the new SCOR 2030 GX

SCOR rely on the same geometry concept for the 2030 as they do for the 4060: A long front triangle combined with a very short rear end. While the 4060 is limited to four sizes, the 2030 gets a fifth size. The new M/L size was added for riders between the sizes M and L. Thus, the 2030 is available in S, M, M/L, L, and XL.
With a reach measurement ranging from 435 mm in S and 517 mm in XL, SCOR cover a decent range of sizes with the 2030. The jumps between sizes are not too large either at 20 mm.
While the chainstays on sizes S, M and M/L are equally short at 429 mm, they grow very slightly by 2 mm for sizes L and XL.
The head angle is quite slack for a 120 mm travel trail bike at 64.5°, but it can be adjusted to 65.5° by turning the headset cups. However, this doesn’t just change the head angle – it also makes the reach slightly shorter and lifts the bottom bracket.
The seat tube is kept nice and short across all sizes, which ensures ample freedom of movement on the trail.

Size	S	M	M/L	L	XL
Seat tube	400 mm	420 mm	430 mm	440 mm	480 mm
Top tube	578 mm	606 mm	627 mm	650 mm	672 mm
Head tube	89 mm	100 mm	108 mm	118 mm	130 mm
Head angle	64.5°	64.5°	64.5°	64.5°	64.5°
Seat angle	77.7°	77.6°	77.7°	77.8°	77.9°
Chain stays	429 mm	429 mm	429 mm	432 mm	434 mm
Wheelbase	1,187 mm	1,207 mm	1,227 mm	1,247 mm	1,267 mm
Reach	435 mm	457 mm	477 mm	497 mm	517 mm
Stack	600 mm	610 mm	617 mm	626 mm	637 mm

The new SCOR 2030 GX on the trail – Did we hear you say playful?

We had the opportunity to test the brand new SCOR 2030 GX at a press camp in the Vosges. From hiking trails turned into singletracks, to the finest loamers, and bombed-out bikepark corners, we rode it all, and we didn’t shy away from the climbs either.
The riding position on the uphills was comfortable from the get go. While it feels a bit like you’re pedalling from behind, you’re not overly stretched out, which lessens the strain on your back and neck on long climbs. If you crank the pedals, the bike accelerates efficiently, and bobbing is a foreign concept to the rear end. Therefore, you can spare yourself the effort of reaching for the lockout lever on the shock.
Should you decide to sprint, you’ll notice the fast-rolling tires, easily allowing you to hold the pace. In this case, however, it is worth reaching for the lockout lever.
You’ll have to watch yourself on technical climbs, shifting your weight forward when things get steep, otherwise, the front wheel has a tendency to lift. This is also where the fast-rolling tire on the rear reaches its limits: if the ground is uneven or slightly damp, you’ll quickly find yourself losing traction and spinning out.

Once at the trailhead and making your way back down, you’ll immediately notice how fast the bike wants to roll. Thanks to the tire combination, you can accelerate at an unprecedented rate, especially on dry and hard surfaces.
Pump the bike through rollers and it will just surge forwards as the firm suspension also lets you generate plenty of speed. If you prefer keeping your tires airborne rather than on the ground, the SCOR 2030 will encourage you to pop off everything that looks even remotely like a jump. With the SCOR 2030, (almost) everything can serve as a potential launch pad.
If you land a little deeper than expected, you’ll be surprised at the level of reserves offered by the rear end despite having just 120 mm travel to work with. The progressive suspension is capable of dealing with harsh landings without your ankles and wrists having to pay for it.
In technical terrain, the suspension responds well off the top, keeping the rear wheel stuck to the ground. On steep descents, the slack head angle prevents you from going over the bars and the short seat tube ensures that you’ve got plenty of freedom of movement.
Ornithologists will also find a good companion in the SCOR 2030, because it offers complete and utter peace and quiet on the trail, so you can listen to the birdsong undisturbed.

Going by SCOR’s recommendations, our 189 cm test rider went with a size L frame. Thanks to the long front triangle, the cockpit is very roomy and the bike feels composed and confidence-inspiring on high-speed straights. However, the combination of a long front end and stubby chainstays makes it somewhat unbalanced.
You have to shift your centre of gravity far forward to generate enough traction on the front wheel through the corners, especially in combination with the hard rubber compound of the front tire. Once you’ve got the bike’s long front centre around the corner, the short rear end follows hot on its heels, which makes the front wheel feel like it wants to tip in, especially through tight corners.
In an attempt to remedy unbalanced behaviour, we switched to the smaller M/L after a few test runs. We found that balancing our weight between front and rear ends was more intuitive on this size and the bike felt much more at one with itself rather than like two separate parts.
The smaller frame allowed the bike to play to its strengths a whole lot better, begging to be chucked through the corners and underlining its firm, poppy character. It comes at the cost of some composure on high-speed sections, but it’s nothing we couldn’t live with – straight-line ploughing isn’t what the SCOR 2030 is intended for anyway.
The level of fun you can have on the trail remains somewhat limited by the tires. The Rekon tire on the rear offers minimal grip. When braking hard, you’re more likely to just keep sliding than actually slowing down. On wet surfaces, you can say goodbye to grip on the rear wheel.

Who is the new SCOR 2030 GX for?

The all-new SCOR 2030 is an ideal bike for riders with moderate home trails who want an agile and fun bike. It lets you explore new transfers and gaps, especially on flowing trails that you might otherwise find boring. As such, it’s best reserved for riders with an active riding style. If you’re looking for a cross-country bike or a bike for white-knuckle, high-speed ploughing, you’re better off looking elsewhere. Particularly tall riders should be careful when choosing the size since the handling of the bigger frames can be vastly different due to the mostly static chainstay length.

Our conclusion on the new SCOR 2030 GX

SCOR have remained true to themselves with the 2030 GX, presenting a beautiful and high-quality bike that focuses on fun. Riders with a playful style will get their money’s worth with the 2030, and the capable rear suspension offers more reserves than the 120 mm travel suggests. However, tall riders should be aware of the potentially unbalanced handling of the bigger frame sizes. Thanks to the convenient storage compartment in the down tube, SCOR now allow you to store your trail essentials in the bike, too.

Tuning tips: The softer MaxxGrip rubber compound up front and a more aggressive tire at the rear.

For more information, visit scor-mtb.com