Scor 2030 GX trail bike review – business at the front, party at the back

Scor developed the 2030 to be a fun-focussed trail bike where “shredability meets pedalability”. A short travel trail bike that could dust off climbs with ease yet still yank an ear-to-ear smile across your face on the way back down. 

A gravity-focused spin-off from Swiss brand BMC, Scor wasn’t interested in developing another XC-inspired downcountry bike like the BMC Fourstroke LT, instead, it took a far more radical approach when developing its short travel trail bike. On paper, the 2030’s numbers don’t quite add up with its enduro tough carbon frame, short 120mm of rear travel, slack head angle, but slammed rear end.  

Out on the trail though the combination of descending business up front, party at the back, and superb suspension delivery defines the 2030’s playful yet capable character, but where does the fun stop?

Design and geometry

Although the 2030 only has 120mm of rear wheel travel Scor wanted to build a bike that could be ridden hard, designing the carbon frame to meet ASTM 4 strength rating, the same as the longer travel Scor 4060. Scor has equipped the 2030 with its Lower-Link Driven Instant Center Linkage suspension delivering 120mm of travel and paired with a 140mm fork. If you want to squeeze a little more travel out of the 2030, there is the option to fit a 52.5mm stroke shock to bump the travel up to 130mm. There are no flip-chips although geometry can be adjusted using the 2030’s adjustable headset cups which alter the head angle by a degree.  

A small mudguard is tucked away between the linkages shielding the shock from the worst of the rear wheel spray. Rubberized downtube and chainstay protection guard high-risk areas and Scor has a 'Make It Yours' program for all its bikes allowing customers a choice of frame protector designs to protect the rest of the frame. You can even design your own bespoke designs using Slicy’s Mysublimistick.

The 2030 is the first Scor to be equipped with a Stash Hatch in-frame storage and includes a waterproof storage pouch to stow ride essentials within the downtube. I was able to fit a slim tool, a small pump, some little bits and bobs in the pouch plus a small tube and a snack into the downtube. The hatch entrance is quite small though so it's a bit tricky to slide longer items into the downtube storage. The bottle cage mounts to the hatch door and all sizes have space to fit a 500ml water bottle using a side loading cage, plus there's a storage accessory mount bosses under the top tube. 

Scor defines the 2030 as a trail bike although the geometry tells a different story, up front the geometry is very similar to its longer travel 4060 while the rear end is shorter and lower. The bike comes in five sizes and at 177cm tall I opted for the middle size M/L size. In the slacker headset setting the head angle is 64.5 degrees and is paired with a generous 477mm reach for a M/L frame size. While that wouldn’t look out of place on an enduro bike, it's a different story towards the rear. Scor has slammed the 29er rear wheel to give the short bike a 429mm chainstay for the S, M, and M/L, 432mm on the L, and 434 on the XL. The bottom bracket height only changes by a couple of millimeters between the steep and slack settings, measuring 38mm in the slack setting.

Components and build

The 2030 comes in three builds, the 2030 NX ($4,999 / €4,999), 2030 GX ($6,499 / €6,499), and 2030 X01 ($7,999 / €7,999), alongside a frame-only option for ($3,499 / €3,299). I got the mid-range 2030 GX in to test.

Scor has kitted out the 2030 GX with a 140mm RockShox Pike Ultimate RC2 and RockShox Deluxe Ultimate RCT. The fork has the option of high-speed compression, low-speed compression, and low-speed rebound while the rear shock is limited to low-speed rebound, three-position low-speed compression, and a lockout switch.

SRAM takes care of the 2030’s stop-and-go duties, featuring a reliable mechanical GX Eagle 12-speed groupset with a SRAM X1 Eagle Carbon crankset. Punchy SRAM Code RSC brakes offer plenty of power and modulation, even on the 180mm rotors front and rear. 

The Scor comes with alloy DT Swiss XM 1700 Spline wheels fitted with a Maxxis Dissector MaxxTerra  EXO tire in the front and a Maxxis Rekon MaxxTerra EXO tire in the back. I have ridden these wheels on several bikes and they have proven themselves as a bombproof setup, albeit on the heavy side. Tire choice is pretty use-case specific, it’s a ripping combo on smooth flow trails rolling fast and hooking up well on manicured surfaces. If you are looking for loam or have a need for soft natural trails, you will want to choose a tire with more tread, tougher side walls, and grippier compounds.

The Scor and Burgtec finishing kit is all well-appointed and pleasingly premium feeling featuring an 800mm Scor carbon handlebar, Burgtec Enduro MK3 alloy stem, and Burgtec Bartender Pro grips. The 185mm Bikeyoke Divine dropper post felt a little sticky during testing but was otherwise a solid performer and adorned with a WTB Silverado Medium Cromoly SL saddle. 

Ride and performance

Scor recommends setting the 2030 up with around 28 to 30 percent sag, this gives it a very poppy character with plenty of support for launching off jumps and railing deep supportive berms. However, I found this setup struggled with rear wheel traction and became unsettled on rough terrain or sections chopped up with braking bumps, even when set in the shock's lower compression setting. Dropping the pressure down to 168psi set the shock at 35 percent sag giving the bike a far more settled and predictable character. The 2030 sits comfortably into its travel as well, the progressive suspension curve meant I wasn’t blasting through the travel too frequently on big hits and when I did reach full compression there wasn’t the feeling that I was abruptly hitting the bump stops.

Once I nailed the suspension the bike came alive with grip levels far more akin to a bike with considerably more travel. Running a softer suspension setup didn't take away from the 2030’s playful nature either, I was still able to boost jumps and flick the bike around the trail. The 2030 is extremely lively, willing you to pop the wheels into the air, pump downslopes, and utilize the bike's agility with creative line choices. It adds another dimension to easy trails with its lively nature and ability to generate speed through corners and rollers but still able to properly send more technical trails.

While the Scor is far more capable of riding technical trails than you would expect from a 120mm bike but it demands some careful body positioning to get the most out of the bike and keep it on the trail when in the thick of it. A roomy cockpit gave plenty of space to let the bike move underneath me and throw the body around to dive into corners or flick the bike around in the air. The stout enduro-rated frame, slack front end, low bottom bracket, and generous reach make it feel very direct and give enough confidence to open up the brakes on rough terrain too. However, the combination of the head angle pushing the front wheel forward and short chainstays tucking the rear wheel means particular attention needs to be paid to keep weight on the front wheel to maintain grip on corners. With the low-rise bar encouraging an aggressive elbow-out attitude the 2030 does a decent impression of an enduro bike on demanding trails, but if there was any complacency with my body position in the corners, the 2030 will start losing front wheel traction and threatening to push through corners.

As you would expect from a reasonably light 120mm travel trail bike with fast-rolling tires, the 2030 pedals very well. I didn’t feel XC levels of urgency on the ups but it dispatches climbs effortlessly. Even with my preferred softer setup, the suspension is well controlled with the lock-out switch acting more as a placebo than actually being a necessity. Traction when scrambling up challenging climbs is impressive too and would be even better with a slightly meatier rear tire.    

Verdict

The long and short of it? Scor is a lot of fun on a wide range of trails, ripping enduro runs, playing around on jumps, and an efficient return to the top to do it all again. Once dialed in the suspension is fantastic, maintaining grip and control far beyond the expectations you would have for a 120mm bike and allowing me to fully utilize the 2030’s lively nature. The short rear end does limit flat-out descending where a more centralized weight distribution and longer travel promote tire-to-ground management on high-speed loose corners. If your riding style sees you banking frequent flyer miles or you're looking for a fast climber and playful tech descender, the 2030 should be on the top of your list.

It's worth noting the Scor doesn't present great value as the 2030 GX build lacks many of the fine trinkets that you would expect from a bike costing $6,499 / €6,499. That said, the frame is finished to a high standard and the spec is all well-considered reliable kit except for the tires.

Test conditions

• Temperature: 32 to 59 degrees F / 0 to 15 degrees C
• Conditions: Everything from rivers down the trails to dry
• Trails: Natural tech trails with roots and rocks, bike park

Tech specs: Scor 2030 GX

• Frame: 2030 full carbon frame
• Fork: RockShox Pike Ultimate RC2, 140mm
• Shock: RockShox Deluxe Ultimate RCT, 120mm
• Drivetrain: SRAM GX Eagle
• Brakes: RockShox Deluxe Ultimate RCT, 180mm
• Wheelset: DT Swiss XM 1700 Spline
• Tires: Maxxis Dissector 29 x 2.4" 3C MaxxTerra EXO TR (F) | Maxxis Rekon 29 x 2.4" 3C MaxxTerra EXO TR (R)
• Bar and stem: SCOR Carbon Bar, Burgtec Enduro MK3
• Seatpost: Bikeyoke Divine | S 125mm | M 160mm | M/L, L, XL 185mm travel | Triggy Alpha lever
• Saddle: WTB Silverado Medium Cromoly SL
• Sizes available: XS-L
• Price: $6,499 / €6,499
• Weight: 13.4kg (size M/L)