2026 Scott Gambler RC Review

In the chaotic and brutal world of downhill mountain biking, the new 2026 Scott Gambler RC stands out as a true gravity weapon - it features innovative 6 bar suspension and offers riders almost endless adjustability for race days and park laps alike. As keen downhillers here at Westbrook Cycles, we have been keen to get stuck into this redesigned bike from Scott. Retailing at £8849, this bike is clearly cemented in the premium downhill section, offering a mix of speed, adjustability and tough build quality that keeps it at the front of the pack.

In this post, we look at the Gambler RC in greater detail, alongside looking at it’s features and some of the bikes it’s up in competition against.

Scott Gambler RC Features

At the heart of the bike, the Gambler features a full HMX carbon fibre frame, which boasts Scott’s integrated suspension technology, which hides the shock within the bike to protect it (alongside to keep a clean looking profile) There’s 210mm of rear travel, which is delivered via a 6 bar linkage, and there’s also 200mm of suspension travel up at the front.

It’s a relatively lightweight bike, weighing in at around 16.84kg in the mullet setup. It’s also an incredibly adjustable bike, with adjustments allowing you to alter reach, chainstay length, bottom bracket height, leverage ratio, and even wheel sizes - this allows the bike to be fully customised to the rider or altered depending on riding conditions and requirements.

On this model, riders benefit from the SRAM X01 DH 7-speed drivetrain, which delivers excellent, reliable shifting no matter the task. There’s also the Fox 40 Factory Fork and DHX2 Factory shock, which offer world-class levels of damping. Brakes are the Maven Silver brakes from SRAM, running on 200mm rotors, and the Race Face Atlas wheels, fitted with Maxxis rubber, provide incredible levels of grip and traction.

VS Rivals

Of course, at this price point - the Scott Gambler has plenty of competition - one worthy contender is the Giant Glory Advanced. This bike features a full-composite frame and a reengineered Maestro suspension with 200mm of rear travel and 203mm of front travel. Again, there are multiple geometry adjustments available, including linkage tweaks, headset tweaks and also mullet compatibility. This bike comes with a DHX1 factory coil shock. This bike however, cannot match Scott’s 6 bar linkage and the mass of available adjustability on the Scott - although the Glory does offer excellent value in the carbon downhill mountain bike. The Scott is also lighter, which helps on sections where pedalling is required.

Riding the Gambler RC

Again, we have been lucky enough to get our hands on the Gambler RC and test it out on some trails and runs near our store in the North Yorkshire Moors. It’s an impressive bike which feels planted on almost any trails. We prefer this bike in its mullet setup, which we all agreed makes berms a dream.

The six bar suspension also feels great, it can take big hits without any harshness or bottoming out, whilst still retaining control to allow you to pedal hard out of corners. There’s a great deal of adjustability, which we didn't get to use much. Like any downhill bike, it’s not great when heading back up the trails, but it’s lighter than many of its competitors - and any climb is rewarded with a confidence-inspiring return back down. It’s a bike which leaves you smiling, and it handled anything that we could throw at it. The groupset works really well, gearing perfect as its stopping power.

Scott Bikes Online

At Westbrook Cycles, we have always sourced and supplied the very best range of Downhill Mountain Bikes, including the complete Scott Range. This continued today with the addition of the Scott Gambler RC. If you have any questions about the best Scott Bike or Downhill Bike for your needs - please get in touch and we will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have.