Transcript
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GIVEN THE FICKLE NATURE OF AMERICAN ENDURO racing, the Mojo chassis just might be the best bike out there for the privateer racer looking to explore this new breed of racing. While our test bike came with the 140mm “Disco Chips” and the 7.875x2-inch stroke shock, it can easily be made into a 160mm bike with the shorter chips and a 8.5x2.5-inch stroke shock. Our test bike made a more than adequate trail slayer for the kind of enduro tracks that we’ve seen so far in this country, but as more challenging courses become more popular, a more modular race rig would be optimal. Simply swap shocks, shuttles, fork, and maybe even wheels/tires, and you’ve got multiple bike set-ups in one light, stiff frame. With the addition of Cane Creek’s Angleset in the 49mm lower headset cup and 44mm upper cup, Ibis’ Mojo HD becomes that much more adjustable for different riders attacking different trails. For example, our test rig came with a single ring up front, and ran a negative-one-degree cup in our angleset, for a headtube angle of just over 66 degrees, and bottom bracket right under 13.5 inches. Now that is our kind of 140mmtravel bike! Because the HD is the heavier of Ibis’ two Mojo models, setting the HD in the shorter travel does yield a heavier-thannormal 140mm carbon trail bike. But the weight difference is all but forgotten when you let off the brakes into boulder-strewn chutes, sit back and let the bike go to work. In other words, the bike is not optimized for the transfer stages, but for the timed stages. Long live enduro!
THETECH
Ibis’ execution of the DW-Link melds elegance with aggression. Ibis frames are easy to spot, with their soft angles,
integrated ovals and curved lines; they not only introduced a new look to the mountain bike, but their success as a relative boutique brand forced larger companies to re-think their industrial designs. The looks come from the manipulations of molds for their carbon layups, but the motivation for the mold shape goes far beyond looks. Beyond the shape, the Mojo houses large pivot bearings and oversized aluminum pivot axles since Dave Weagle’s math is only as good as the materials that bring it to life. The combination of frame stiffness, pivot axle stiffness, and oversized bearings, along with the ubiquitous Fox Float shock means that the Mojo HD gets the most of Weagle’s design. Add the 12x142 axle in the rear, and this is one incredibly stiff ride. As with most DW-Link bikes, the Mojo HD employs a low-compression tuned rear shock in order to give the rear wheel the
ability to track the ground. Fox’s CTD Float gives riders the option to add more lowspeed compression damping, but the Mojo still pedals very efficiently in the shock’s descend mode. We found ourselves using the descend mode almost exclusively, although we did try the trail mode on some flatter descents to allow the bike to stay higher in its travel through some of the tighter turns.
THERIDE
Our test bike was set up ideally for some of the typical enduro races you’ll find in the U.S. With a single-ring up front, the MRP guide kept the chain in place even when we pushed the bike beyond its 140mm-travel comfort zone. In these instances, the frame felt stable and confident even when the shock ran out of travel. In fact the rear end outmatched the front, even though our test bike came with
a Fox’s 34mm-stanchion Float. Of course, we were also running fairly lightweight aluminum wheels, and Cane Creek’s Angleset will certainly let you hear its presence, especially with a carbon echochamber for a frame. We never were able to quiet the Angleset up, but appreciated its adjustability. At higher speeds, this bike doesn’t feel as stable as some of the other biggerwheeled options out there, but it is much more enjoyable to lay over in quick, successive corners. Riders who have made the move to larger wheels might feel sketchy on a smaller-travel 26-inch bike, but 26-inch die hards will love how this bike handles in corners. With enduro racing, bike set up is key, and it is up to the rider to
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determine what they are willing to sacrifice in order to go fast. If a rider feels more confident with a heavier, more stable set-up, they may just be able to carry speed through some of the gnarlier sections of trail. But a lot of riders may choose the lightest set up possible, preferring a sketchier-is-faster approach to racing. Either way, this frame can accommodate seemingly endless permutations.
OVERALL
For 26-inch-wheel enthusiasts looking for a versatile bike that can adapt to a variety of riding and racing conditions, the Mojo HD platform is pretty ideal. Carbon comes
SPECIFICATIONS
CHASSIS
Frame: Carbon Fork: Fox 34 CTD; 150mm Shock: Fox Float CTD; 140mm
at a premium, but Ibis still offers competitve pricing, especially considering the size of the company. Since this bike can morph from heavy-duty 140mm allmountain to lightweight 160mm freeride with the swapping of a few parts, the Mojo is a versatile, well-built, high-quality option that will provide confidence to even the most capable riders. Price: $5,393.10 (for standard XT Build); Weight: 28.5lbs (w/o pedals); Sizes: S, M, L (tested), XL; Colors: White, Black, Vitamin P Green; Contact: ibiscycles.com
COCKPIT
Brakes: Shimano XT; 180mm f., 160mm r. Handlebar: Easton Haven Carbon; 740mm Headset: Cane Creek Angleset; -1 degree Saddle: WTB Seatpost: KS Lev; 125mm
Stem: Ibis; 70mm WHEELS
Hubs: Ibis; 15x100mm f., 12x142 r. Rims: Stan’s Flow Tires: Kenda Honey Badger (Tested)
DRIVETRAIN
Bottom Bracket: Shimano Cassette: Shimano XT; 11x36 Cranks: Shimano XT; 34t; 175mm Chainguide: MRP G2 Mini Derailleur: Shimano XT Shadow Plus
