Scott is no stranger to the DH World Cup scene, with 2 x World Cup winner Benoit Coulanges and up-and-coming Brit, Ethan Craik both on the Scott DH Factory Team this year. And with good riders, comes good tech – at least, that’s what Scott is aiming for with its new Gambler DH bike. Danny got the chance to ride the new Scott Gambler over in Chatel, and felt that although it could be overwhelming for your average Joe rider, for privateers or aspiring DH racers looking to get the most out of a bike, the Gambler should be considered.

In part, that’s because it’s so customisable. But also, because prices start at £5,699. Sure, you could get a half decent e-bike for that, but that’s not the point with a DH bike. It can’t really be compared to any other MTB discipline because it is so specialised. But I digress. Let’s take a look at what’s new.

The new Gambler uses six-bar linkage

Scott Gambler 2026 need to know:

• Two builds: Gambler RC (£8,849) and Gambler 10 (£5,699)
• Now features 6-pivot linkage
• 5 areas of adjustment, including BB height, reach etc.
• Integrates Suspension Technology means rear shock is hidden in frame
• 210mm rear travel (depending on chainstay size)
• 3 sizes: M, L, XL

There are two builds in the new Gambler lineup, with prices starting at £5,699

Scott Gambler 2026

The new Scott Gambler is the Swiss brand’s DH racing machine. It’s been developed alongside its factory DH race team, which includes Benoit Coulanges and Ethan Craik. Sadly, they haven’t had the best start to their seasons this year, but with a new bike, perhaps, comes new motivation to win.

The new Gambler follows a lot of other Scott bikes’ design choice, that is, the Integrated Suspension Technology. This is where the shock is positioned internally, but with a trap door so you can access it for maintenance and adjustment. The Scott frames have had varying degrees of success with this design, but the Gambler looks like it’s one of the more well-thought through iterations, with the oversized down tube opening for adjusting shock settings, and a seat tube hatch for mounting of hardware and tuning rebound.

With the shock positioned where it is, (read: lower and more central), it helps to optimise weight distribution and means the bike should feel more planted, and offer more stability at speed. The new frame is compatible with most shocks on the market – including coil or air options.

But perhaps the biggest selling point of the new Gambler is the abundance of adjustability. This is in part thanks to the new six-bar linkage design, which gives riders more control over anti-squat, anti-rise and leverage rate. And if you’re a bike nerd that wants to tune your setup to each track, like pro racers do, this is the platform on which to do so.

Everyone loves a flip switch! The bike comes setup with MX wheels, but you can run full 29in if you want to

The new Gambler has 5 areas of adjustment

But to make it a bit easier, Scott has somewhat fool proofed the setup, going for a decreasing anti-squat – which is ideally balanced at around 100% sag. From then it decreases to keep the suspension free from the effects of bigger impacts. When it comes to anti-rise, the Gambler comes pre-set with a 50-60% throughout the suspension travel, which Scott says is a “sweet spot that feels consistent.”

The Gambler comes with five individual adjustments to be made, including BB height adjustment by 16mm, reach adjustment by 6mm, chainstay length adjustment – whereby you can switch between 445mm and 460mm stays with the flip chip and swapping the dropouts. And, progression adjustment can be changed using the flip chip for BB height. Choose between 30% for more progressive and 25% for less progressive.

Then comes the wheels. The bike is developed around an MX setup, but can run a full 29in setup if required. But, with too much choice, it could be overwhelming to some. So, like Danny poses in his first ride review, is all this adjustability too much for the common rider? Or is the Gambler just designed for those who want to get the extra % out of themselves and their bikes?

One thing Scott has done to make it a bit easier is to include an integrated travel indicator – a ‘sagometer’ which helps you to dial in your suspension.

And if you do your own maintenance, the internal cable routing is fully guided so you shouldn’t have to sit there dragging a magnet around the frame and praying the cable comes with it.

The sagometer makes life easy and eliminates a lot of guesswork

Builds and specs

The new Gambler comes in two builds: the Gambler RC and the Gambler 10. The 10 is the more entry-level option, with a RockShox Boxxer Base fork, and Vivid Coil shock. SRAM’s GX DH 7-speed drivetrain and Shimano MT520 4-pot brakes are also used. It’s setup at an MX build, with Maxxis Assegai 2.5in on the front and Maxxis DHR II 2.5in at the rear. The Gambler 10 costs £5,699 and comes with a HMX Carbon front triangle and alloy rear end.

The Gambler RC is the race-ready machine, priced at £8,849. It uses a Fox 40 Factory Grip X2 Air fork and Fox DH X2 Factory shock, with SRAM’s X01 DH 7-speed drivetrain and SRAM Maven Silver brakes. It comes with the same tyre setup as the Gambler 10, but weighs significantly less – 16.84kg claimed versus 17.54kg for the Gambler 10.

Both bikes are available to order from Scott dealers.

scott-sports.com/gb/en