Inside Ibis Cycles: Artful Innovation

May 5, 2014
by Jordan Carr  

Ibis

Joe Breeze, Gary Fisher, Charlie Kelly, Tom Ritchey and Scot Nicol are all names synonymous with the early progression of mountain biking in Marin County, CA. Their love for exploration and tinkering is what led them all to continue the progression of that unique form of recreation they all had fallen in love with and what we all are now so influenced by. "We just started working to make the bikes we were riding more durable and functional for the riding we were doing," explained Ibis founder Scot Nicol. After more than 30 years since those early years of experimentation, Ibis continues to build products intended to help make our beloved sport even more enjoyable. We recently spent some time at the brand's Santa Cruz, California, facility to see what's new with Ibis and we were welcomed by smiling faces, passionate tales, and tons of eye candy.

Ibis Bicycles
Ibis
  Ibis' Santa Cruz, California, facility feels big, but considering what takes place here, it is relatively humble in size. Everything from design and development to sales/marketing and customer service is all done under one roof. If you own a current Ibis, it came through this facility on its way to you.

The Early Days

In mountain biking's early years, and we mean early, like 1981, Ibis was getting its humble beginning in founder Scot Nicol's garage in Mendocino, CA. "I was working as an apprentice with Joe Breeze and Charlie Cunningham learning to weld frames. A buddy eventually asked me if I could build him a frame and I said 'sure'," said Nicol. "It just continued like that for the first few frames and that's how Ibis began." In 1983, Crested Butte rider Wes Williams approached Nicol about working with Ibis and quickly became an integral part of Ibis for the next ten years as a welder and production manager. Williams eventually became one of the earliest evangelists of the 29er mountain bike after developing some early "Scorchers", a 700c fixed gear bike with 45c wide tires. Ibis continued to develop and innovate through the late 80's and early nineties connected tightly with the growing race scene. This tie to competition kept development a key focus, with the goal of creating products that worked even under the most demanding circumstances. In early 2000 Nicol sold the brand to an investment company with very little bike industry knowledge. After 20 months the new owners were bankrupt and Nicol found himself sitting on the brand once again. It wasn't until 2005 that Hans Heim, a longtime industry figure who previously worked with both Specialized and Santa Cruz, approached Nicol about reintroducing the Ibis brand around its original philosophy. This proved to be a wise move.

As Ibis slowly regenerated and continued their steady growth, their philosophy is the key component that made the brand so appealing to many of their loyal customers. "We see a lot of repeat customers, riders who have owned numerous Ibis' and they keep coming back. We think that's a good sign," said Hans Heim. "Our goal is to build bikes people love riding and will last them as long as they need them too." This devout following continues to help Ibis in the exceedingly competitive yet very tight knit bike community. With the idea that they are creating the best products to help improve the riding experience, it is no wonder we see so many Ibis bikes out on the trail.

Ibis
Ibis Bicycles
Ibis
   After developing bikes for almost 30 years, Ibis has quite the collection of bikes. An in-house museum pays homage to the brands diverse history with everything from trials bikes to tandems. Past bikes from left to right, BowTi, Szazbo and Trials Comp.

Innovating For the Sake of Innovation

Unlike larger, more corporate bike brands, Ibis isn't tied to model years or yearly updates to their bikes. This allows the brand to continually tweak and improve models year after year until a specific platform has been tapped out to the extent of its design. Ibis prides themselves on building bikes that are not only top notch, but designs that last. "Because we are small, we need to build bikes that last a long time," said Heim. "It would cost us a lot of money to invent and manufacture new bikes every year, so we would rather make adjustments to current bikes to make them the best." This mentality has worked for Ibis in the past and continues throughout their current models, for example the Mojo, which was introduced in 2006 and currently lives on as the Mojo HDR and SLR versions.

With the goal of creating bikes that will last, it is often difficult to judge what the next big improvements may be. But because Ibis focuses on smaller quantities of frame production, they are able to make adjustments early on in a technology's introduction. This strategy allows the brand to adapt with market changes quickly, without the risk of being stuck with obsolete frames. But Ibis also prides themselves in being the ones to push these technologies, from the groundbreaking aesthetics of their Mojo to their commitment to durable, long last lasting carbon with the HD version. "We can't do everything or make everyone happy. So we do what we do and do it well," Nicol explained. This philosophy has been the basis of Ibis' success and continues to help the boutique brand stay afloat in the exceedingly competitive high-end bike market.

Ibis
Ibis
  Ibis' Industrial designer spends countless hours designing each Ibis frame and seeing it through many stages. Above, a solid plastic mold shows the unique frame design of the first Mojo frame. This same piece was almost used as the display bike at Interbike due to early manufacturing issues, but luckily a carbon model showed up just in time.
bigquotesWe can't do everything or make everyone happy. So we focus on doing what we do and doing it well. Everything is great if we keep hitting home runs.
- Scot Nicol, Ibis Founder

Ibis Bicycles
Ibis Bicycles
   In the warehouse space frame components hang in a rainbow of color ready for quality control and assembly.


Continued Evolution

"We really strive to keep our bikes relevant, while continually trying to perfect them," explained engineer Colin Hughes. "Rather than coming out with new bikes every year, we strive to perfect each model to the point where they are perfected in our eyes. This creates a much longer life for our bikes and designs." Some examples of this can be seen in the brands groundbreaking Mojo, a bike that helped to create a new understanding of what a bike frame can be. Now on its fifth iteration, the Mojo has developed through various stages as riding has evolved, from the original Mojo to the SL then the HD, and now on to the 650b HDR. With a commitment to pursuing perfection, this strategy has allowed Ibis to adapt and grow without changing and updating expensive molds every season, thus also helping with the brand's bottom line.

As a smaller brand, it is also critical that their inventory is managed with diligence, since any excess inventory eats into profits. But it seems as though they run a tight ship. "We keep a small staff and and inventory which helps keep stress levels low," says Nicol. "We have more stress coming from customer demand than from cash flow problems." As we toured the warehouse, it was impressive how well setup everything was; frame components were organized strategically by size and color and ready for their final build. Perfecting each build stage in-house allows Ibis to focus on 100% quality control where each frame is tested for imperfections before its final build.

Ibis
Ibis Bicycles
  Engineer Colin Hughes shows us some of the quality control each Ibis' frame undergoes, and although standing on every frame would get tedious, some level of this test is performed on each and every Ibis'. Pretty amazing what a carbon frame can withstand.

Driving Design

As a brand driven by their commitment to innovation and improving the rider's experience, Ibis' niche in the ever growing market is based around quality and creativity. With a warehouse full of frames, the rainbow of unique colors speaks to the brand's design driven aesthetics. Utilizing Roxy Lo, Ibis has created a new level of design within bike frames. Many of today's current carbon frame designs stemmed from Ibis artsy Mojo frame. With its swoopy lines, stout tubing, and subtle graphics, the Mojo was a groundbreaking bike for the industry. Each iteration after the first has continued to improve not only in technology, but also in aesthetics and coloration. Ibis' bikes not only ride well, they are also some of the most eye catching bikes out there.

Ibis Bicycles
Ibis
  The original Mojo was an artistically intricate frame design that helped push carbon frame design to a new level. Ibis continues to impress with their sleek designs, catchy coloration and graphics, like the 29" Ripley above.

Ibis
  Many design and development discussions have occurred around this table at Ibis' Santa Cruz based office.


New Territory

As mountain bikes have continued their evolution, Ibis has found themselves in a well defined niche with a distinctive following. "Since we have been around, for so many years, people know the Ibis name," Nicol said. "But we always have to keep a level of freshness in the brand and keep developing and evolving our bikes as riding progresses." This mentality has led Ibis to not only kept updating and perfecting their bikes, it has also driven them to other realms of improvement. During our visit we were lucky enough to get a sneak peek at their latest project - super wide carbon rims. "Everyone knows how important wheels are to a bikes ride characteristics, but for some reason the bike industry has been stuck on the idea that narrow is sufficient," said Tom Morgan, Ibis' president. "We found that a wider rim can significantly change traction characteristics and thus began our rim project."

Ibis Bicycles
   Ibis' founder, Scot Nicol, has continued to help push the brand forward while helping to keep his original philosophy at the heart of the brand.

With the continued goal of improving the ride, Ibis found that with their extensive carbon manufacturing knowledge and engineering ability pushing the wheel envelope was a natural progression for the brand. "We began talking about other wheel tire combos in other applications, most are 1:1 -1.3:1 ratio, mountain bikes are 2:1," said engineer Colin Hughes. "With new carbon technology we knew we could make wider stronger rims that were still light." The end result is a hookless 41mm wide rim with an internal channel measuring at 35mm. These massive hoops have the ability to be laced to traditional spokes and nipples making for easy truing or spoke repair. After extensive testing and development, Ibis' claims the rims are 50-200% stronger than other carbon rims they tested during the period while improving traction immensely. According to Colin Hughes, "Tires are currently designed around the narrower rims available on the market, so we found certain tires that really worked well with the rims and others that did not. Over the next few years we will see a huge shift in tire development to accommodate wider rims, it is amazing how much they improve traction with the right tires."

Posted In:
Industry News


Author Info:
JordanCarr avatar

Member since Aug 7, 2013
42 articles
Report
Must Read This Week

94 Comments
  • 39 2
 Never rode one, but would love too. They are everything that a mountain bike should be to me I believe, awesome to ride, light, aesthetically pleasing and not built by some massive corporate company who puts the customer behind profits
  • 41 69
flag iamamodel (May 5, 2014 at 2:29) (Below Threshold)
 Customer behind profits? Ibis are charging Santa Cruz prices for Astro manufacturing costs = maximum profits with minimum sales.

I was once working for a very exclusive shop putting together high-end bikes where I had to be supremely meticulous. I had been given the task of building up a Mojo. After pointing out problem after problem with the frame to my boss because I couldn't do certain things a certain way (aluminium inserts not straight, not pushed home, terrible cable routing, and other things I thankfully don't remember), I got angry with the bike and cursed whomever designed it and my boss yells "Just put that plastic piece of garbage together quickly and move on to the next bike!"

My LBS in California saw every swingarm crack. They stopped selling them and pushed Santa Cruz instead. Same price, better quality.

Roxy Lo owned an Ibis carbon road bike that fell onto a street sign under it's own weight. You could see it was a light blow as the paint barely had a mark where it hit the pole (then scraped along it as it fell to the ground), yet the frame split lengthwise two inches. The guys in the shop had never seen anything like it. I've hit other brands' carbon top-tubes hard with a hammer and barely chipped the paint.
  • 51 3
 "...I had to be supremely meticulous."
"I've hit other brands' carbon top-tubes hard with a hammer..."


Hehe.
  • 15 0
 Exactly what I was thinking. Careful......careful........careful.......oooops hammer blow. Looks around, looks at frame. Close no marks at all. Lucky that wasnt an Ibis.
  • 16 23
flag iamamodel (May 5, 2014 at 3:16) (Below Threshold)
 Ha ha. Let me clarify. I hit frames that had been destroyed in a wreck with a hammer.
  • 24 1
 I've never seen a Ibis article that iamamodel hasn't spouted ridiculous stories about the strength of ibis's haha, talk about dedicated haters...
  • 10 1
 Iamamodel, if that's the case then fair enough, I've not heard any stories of that ilk over here and I still really like them. Currently ride a five and love it as it's hand built over here from the best filing cabinets available. However when I do decide to move on ibis will be high on my list (as every f*ckers on a Bronson or Specialized)
  • 12 7
 @ sewer-rat...you realize that these "massive corporate companies" have all the money in the world to spend on R&D, right? and you realize that R&D is what makes awesome bikes possible, right?
  • 6 3
 I am going to stick up for iamamodel a little bit and say that I do partially agree. I have seen some fantastic Ibis frames and some lackluster ones as well. I think that a few years back they had a few inconsistencies with their manufacturing. You could have two frames off the same production run that could be completely different. On some there was too much epoxy and or paint and it would make the frame too thick in parts. The thickness could be so bad that the rider was not able to ride in certain gear combinations with out the chain hitting the frame. I think that they have gotten a lot of issues worked out on the current generations of bikes. I just personally do not like their shock hardware.
  • 5 1
 incorporate the handjob somewhere, ibis!
  • 7 1
 @ A-Smalls yes I realize they have bigger budgets that can invest high in R&D, does that appeal to me? No not if that money and resource is spent unwisely or reproducing a bike that looks like every other. That's where the boutique brands appeal to me - as stated just personal preference

As for making awesome bikes possible don't be so naive into thinking it's just R&D mate, production and Quality are key processes to any build - just look at the evil revolt for case and point to that issue buddy
  • 8 6
 +1 @iamamodel...there are just too many reports of these ibis issues that can't be ignored
  • 1 3
 suspension is guuuuuuuuuud
  • 15 2
 I find it odd how people with actual personal negative experience of a product are neg propped. However those who think something looks sexy but have never even touched it are propped loads. Although the 'haters' opinions should be taken with a pinch of salt, they could actually be providing info that could save you massive headaches.
  • 7 0
 Google Santa Cruz Trc swingarm cracking. TouchĂ©...
  • 3 1
 @ A-smalls. big apology. I just neg propped you and meant to prop you. Wireless mouse died right as I was rolling over/clicking.
  • 3 0
 My mate has had an original mojo for 6 years, never skipped a beat. 3 years ago I made the jump, I must admit at first I was nervous about it. But after three years riding the harshest trails New Zealand has to offer I have no doubt in them. Pretty good considering even my local dh trails made easy work of my old meta 6 which was a great bike. Not saying they are perfect(what small company can claim that), but I'll believe people in my area's word of mouth and personal experience before anyone online. But as zmc888 said, these are all just opinions lol
  • 3 36
flag CarolinaJMcCollum (May 5, 2014 at 12:23) (Below Threshold)
 m­­y room­­ate's st­­ep-moth­­er mak­­es $8­­1 ho­­url­­y o­­n th­­e­­ lap­­top . S­­he ha­­s be­­en witho­­ut w­­ork f­­or 10 m­­onths ­­bu­­t las­­t mo­­nth h­­er pa­­y wa­­s $201­­61 jus­­t work­­ing o­­n th­­e lap­­top fo­­r a f­­ew ho­­urs.

brow­­se arou­­nd t­­his we­­bsite>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> WWW.YELLWORK.COM
  • 3 0
 I have to say i love the Ibis, my mate has an SL mojo, his riding skills are very limited he does not jump just plane single track stuff, he went away for work my bike was off the road so he lent me his, I said i would service it for him so started to look over the bike then found some play I thought rear bearings Nope, frame bearings started checking them one by one I get to the bottom linkage thought that don't feel right? took it apart the frame had snapped I hadn't even ridden it i felt awful how am i going to explain this? luckily he is my very close friend and trusts me. I contacted the shop and have to say no problems at all they changed it for him/me while he was away.
this frame was 6months old had probably been ridden I would say about 6 weekends as my mate works abroad, for that kind of money you would expect better i'd never buy one now. even though their customer service was brilliant.
  • 5 4
 @ A-Smalls, great in theory, non-existent in practice. The concraptions built these days are nothing more than continuous reinventions & I certainly do dare to say, abominations of the "wheel". A lot of the stupidest shit comes out of the biggest companies. It's the smaller ones that are trying to get us onto things like gearboxes & it's the biggest corporate crooks that resist because they can't make millions off shit that don't break. Every single Marz' fork I've bought since my Z1 QR20 has shown a steady decline in quality & performance, from dampers that don't hold their adjustment to the one-piece casted lowers cracking & snapping from a fraction of the abuse the old Z1 handled with ease. So no, in this world (the MTB world) huge R&D capacity does no longer necessarily a better bike build. Just look how dumb something like a f*cking Demo is. Treks are pretty decent lately though.

All the Ibis hate is probably just 'cuz they sponsored Cryin' Brian for so many years. How can you blame anyone for hating a company that sponsored the Lance Armstrong of MTB for 7 whole f*cking years?

Still, without a doubt Ibis may be guilty of some of the most artificially inflated prices in the industry, you know, to sell to the "premium" idiot that also buys an i3 & an iPhone to go with his Ibis, but that pic of brah up on the frame mounted by the BB is just totally titillating titties to me. Shouldn't he be wearing his helmet for that though?
  • 2 0
 I know this for a fact. On a small Mojo HD, Bos fork's adjustment knobs on the crown will actually hit the first cable routing bracket on the downtube, if the handlebars are spun around to the back say, in a crash. Also, a CTD fox shock will have to be fitted with the air can on the rear eyelet instead of the usual position where the swingarm activates the shock's piston. All not cool on a frame that costs that much.
  • 20 0
 Couple of things here:

A) I really love my HD.
B) the external cable routing is one of the reasons that I bought the bike.
C) Santa Cruz carbon has had debonding issues.

And finally, Ibis' customer service is top rate.

Keep up the good work!
  • 11 0
 Absolutely love my HDR. Fun, fun, fun bike to ride. Everything a great mountain bike should be. Fantastic company too. Any time I've called them their techs have been THE best to deal with.
  • 9 0
 I worked at a very small shop (at one point the number one dealer in the world For IBIS) that has sold more than 300 IBIS bikes ( yes 300 no joke). In all the time i worked there I saw 3-4 failures, mostly early Mojo's and one Mojo SL.
  • 12 1
 Amazing bikes, amazing company, amazing customer relationship. And it goes on.
  • 10 3
 Ibises look cool and three of my.friends have them and love them. As a non-owner, I have seen two things wrong.

1] Broken rear triangle (weak carbon).
2] Really bad cable routing.

It's the little things that keep me away from ibis and towards Santa Cruz bikes.
  • 10 1
 bad cable routing? I have a mojo HD, can't see the problem. Please explain.
  • 2 0
 @ chmod - I can understand the comment about bad cable routing. I have a 2012 Mojo SL and the paint is definitely being rubbed along the top tube where the cables are routed. Its an easy fix, though, all you need is some frame tape in a few places and the issue is solved. I think Ibis has dealt with that issue on their newer bikes, i had the opportunity to ride a 650b HDR recently and I noticed they moved the cables to the down tube and used a piece of plastic to prevent the paint from being rubbed.
  • 2 0
 yup, got some frame tape delivered with it.
  • 9 1
 My biggest issue with my Mojo HD is learning how to ride it, after years and years of XC racing on lightweight bikes picking lines and floating things this bike demands I just hit whatever and go faster. Time to "nut up" !
  • 1 0
 That's my "problem," too. If I hadn't picked up an HD, I'd have built up a strong Ti hardtail. The HD is so stable doing the drops that I used to walk while out on a short travel, XC frame. I don't mind walking more while going uphills now because I'm walking less on the way down. Not a "quiver killer" for me, though. As good as the HD is at climbing, I'll always want a lightweight hardtail around as well.

Nice to read the comments about wide rims. A wider rim will tend to cause the tire to have a flatter profile. So, ya, the contact patch will be bigger, but it'll steer slower. For some rider, bike, tire, and terrain combinations, it'll be great. For others, their favourite tires won't behave like it any more. I think it'll be most viable with wider, large volume tires until or unless tire manufacturers get on board. .
  • 12 5
 Pinkbike to do list:

Find a mountain bike brand who have an office/showroom/test facility in USA or Canada, but actually manufacture in Taiwan, China or Korea. Take loads of dusky photos to make the American/Canadian head office seem like a bespoke manufacturing facility where a few frames are made much like an independent coffee producer or small time frame maker. Make loads of cash from advertising revenue creating brand loyalty for the 'good 'ol boys' that make this stuff.

Most likely your frame was made by welding robot in a factory where 10s of other brands are made (yes even ones you don't like), probably supervised by someone with the name Wang, Zhang, Liu, or Li.

I'm not saying there is anything wrong with frames or components being made in Taiwan, most shocks and forks and a whole other host of components are made there. Just that these articles are so misleading.
  • 2 0
 Just curious what is misleading about this article? This is a brand that was built from the ground up as mountain biking has progressed. Sure, they don't currently manufacture their bikes in the US, but what we are showing is the culture and personalities behind the brand. Every Taiwanese frame needs to come from a design and idea, it is these people and places we hope to show in these articles that make those products possible. Appreciate your opinion though.
  • 2 0
 Even Welding Robots would have a hard time creating a carbon frame...
  • 4 3
 What's misleading is they never talk about Taiwan or manufacture in the articles when probably large amounts of their time are spent flying to/phoning/emailing the factory sorting out problems and taking over the thoughts of the designers and engineers day and night. Never mentioned.

Also these articles don't outright lie and tell you frames are made in the USA when they aren't, but every other trick is employed to convince you that somehow they were.

The prices that some of these companies charge is enough that they could have made these frames in the USA or Canada, when let's be honest they are probably made by them by Giant or Specialized in Taiwan. What's worse is that some bikes aren't even designed in the USA they are just from a catalog. So they have it easy, someone else does all the work and they just sit and count the dollars. Stop being brainwashed by Pinkbike.

Support manufacturers that actually manufacture in North America, not 'boutique' brands that have their frames manufactured by someone else for $50. I doubt some of these companies could even make a prototype themselves without the factory spoon-feeding them.
  • 2 0
 @ZMC888

you make some valid points, except for "welding robots"

humans are still much better at welding bicycle frames than robots, so its very likely most aluminium alloy, titanium alloy and cromoly steel frames are hand-made by skilled workers who actually earn a decent wage

these are also workers with skills that are decline in the Western world as manufacturing has been outsourced off-shore to remove the risk of employing a domestic manufacturing workforce, and increase profits by using a more competitive manufacturing region

some of the best welders and composite technicians now reside in China and Taiwan. If you pay good money and control things tight using your own people on the ground (in the factory) you can get A1 quality production at affordable prices

"design and marketing" companies is nothing new in the bike biz...its been going on years, but you make valid points about the way its dressed up or obscured to camoflage the country of origin. I do like the way some of the big brands are proud of their manufacturing plants and have stickers like "Proudly made in Taiwan" in a prominent place on the frame

as an example outside of the bike industry, about a year back a new bridge was installed in the UK. There was an issue with the bridge and there was no one with the skills to undertake this work in the UK; a highly trained team was flown in from China to do the job
  • 6 0
 Love my Mojo HD. I live only about an hour away from Santa Cruz so I was able to actually go down to their warehouse to pick up the frame. That lateral stress test is pretty crazy to witness in person and they do the same thing with the swing arm.
  • 5 0
 I would love to try the wide rims but I guess I'll have to wait till I wear out my 4 twenty-six inch bikes. Heckler, Nomad, BlurLTII.Pivot Mach 5.7. I think a lot of mountain bike innovation has been getting lost in the wheel wars. Kudos to Ibis for going for the wide rims. Cutting edge stuff. Derby is making an extra wide twenty-six inch carbon rim. I'll try some of those. Ibis really could do a better job on their cable routing. I was looking for the DW link and went for the Carbon Pivot because I didn't care for the Ibis cable routing.
  • 6 1
 I guide, race masters Enduro, ride trail build black diamond trails.
3 seasons on my HD absolutely one of the most teliable bikes Ive had over the last 25years of mtb.

I jump the shit out if it, just finished a month road trip guiding, racing, every day, clean oil chain every few days, covered over 9000m of vertical drop in that time rode up nearly everything, single ring no adj fork or crutch ctd shit @160mm.

Bike and Truck totally reliable over some if the harshest terrain NZ dishes up check out Cardrona G2W Enduro report on enduro-mag.com.

Any bike frame hrand has issues no excuses but it happens, difference is how its managed.

When I first ordered mine frames were hard to get in my color choice combo, LBS wanted me to buy SantaCruz I contacted Ibis direct they removed any doubts others gave me and have always answered my emails and questions put up with my quirks.Thats a great company who can achieve that.

Many people in the industry fail in this one thing everyday.
Ive trusted my life with my HD.

Ibis you rock, great article keep rubber side down team!
  • 7 0
 Great, now i need a ibis, the mrs will be happy
  • 9 1
 please make a dh!
  • 8 1
 Yes, a DH bike would be sweet!
  • 4 1
 I would have a stable of Ibis bikes except for one thing. Their geo specifies short Top Tubes. Longer TT with short stems allows short folks to go down a size and big guys to be properly positioned w/o long stems which screw up modern slacker HA dimensions.
Go copy the new Mondraker Foxy geo and you will be the king!
  • 4 0
 This is a really common thing I read on forums, yet tons of people shred and love these bikes, so I'm wondering how much of this comes from a focus on analyzing numbers rather than riding the bikes. Application matters too. If you're riding incredibly steep, burly race runs, the new Nomad geo is probably more appropriate, but for regular bike park and trails, there's a lot of good riders who shred them.
  • 1 0
 chasejj - No question the HD/HDR seemed to be sized one full size smaller than they should be.
Really what Ibis needs to do is drop the small -- make the current medium the sized small, the large the medium, and the extra large the large. That of course leaves them without a proper XL but it may just be the case if you're over a certain height (maybe 6' 1"/6' 2") you just can't fit one.
I'm 5' 8" and run a short stem. When I got my HDR a few months ago I sized up and got a large. The standover was virtually identical to a medium and all the other measurements put it in the same category as the current crop of many mediums -- the Bronson, the Mach 6, the T27.5
  • 1 0
 jon123rjk-....and you win the prize. Ibis seems to have made a business decision to exclude all us XL and borderline XXL riders.
Long TT dimensions across the line , provided you have generous standover allows much better fitment across the model line. Once you ride down a sketchy downhill with a 50mm stem on a long TT with 66/67 deg geo you will not go back.
I have a XL Yeti SB66c and run a 65mm stem on that 26" TT and it is AWESOME! But sometimes I wish I had the DW in the back.
  • 2 0
 My mojo, steel is real, moron tubing, still gets "nice bike" when it hits the trail several times a season. It is decked out in xtr from a '93 khs Montana pro, a purple Hayes front disc attached to an early fox fork. It now sports a bob rear skewer, as it pulls a trailer in it's role as a grocery getter. The squishy bike becomes the loaner for visitors and I hop on the mojo, the bike that taught me to flow the single track. Thanks Scott for the years quality, learning and the classic ride hanging in my shop.
  • 2 0
 I picked up a used HD frame for $800 a while back. I had to hide it in my shed from my wife until I got around to selling my current frame at that time. about three month's down the road I received a text from my wife asking "Why is there an Ibis in the back of the shed" Boy was she mad Smile I have a habit of buying and selling many a used frame. But to this day almost two years later I still tell her weekly how much I love riding my HD. What she hasn't realized is that I have gone through about three different rear shocks on it. I currently have the bike converted to155 travel 650B. It made an amazing bike even better. My one complaint is that the XL is one size too small for me. I use a 150 dropper and it is set at the max insertion line. I was hopping this article was going to address the next generation long travel 6500B HD well as introducing a new XXL size asand not the new carbon wheels. Oh well. I will still love my Ibis.
  • 1 0
 To f'in hilarious! Dude. I did that with a new KTM moto bike!
I told my wife that she was on a need to know basis with my toy purchases. After the argument died down , I won when I said......."Look honey, in what context would me coming to you to ask to spend $8500 on a new MC ever get a yes answer?" She had to admit.....none.
  • 5 0
 And thats why i saved up for a mojo Big Grin
  • 5 0
 Santa Cruz vs mojo stress test please
  • 4 0
 Ibis is a good bike company, not perfect, but still very good. I like small company like ibis.
  • 4 0
 Dear Ibis, please make sure my new Mojo frame isn't the one that dude is stomping on. Thanks.
  • 1 0
 Wrong reply button
  • 1 0
 I have a 2012 Mojo HD that I have been flogging hard for awhile now. I'm running a 34t 1x setup with a X-Fusion Vector HLR Coil, and this thing absolutely the most bomber bike I have ever ridden (I'm 6'4" and weigh 230lbs). ibis' attention to detail and the truly flexible design of the bike (the ability for it to do many things well, NOT an indication of deflection), make it a keeper for me. It may not be for everyone, but if you like to push yourself hard on your rides, the Mojo will not be the thing holding you back. If I ever kill this bike, I will surely go with another ibis.
  • 1 0
 Ibis customer service is second to none, which is why I never doubted buying used ones. I was using DW link before (IronHorse) and wanted to stay on that suspension as I wasn't as happy on Santa Cruz single pivot design back then - mind you I live close to both and most of my friends are were on SC or Specialized, though I've converted a few to Ibis... I'm on my second Ibis and absolutely love my HD. Best bike ever and even used it as a mini DH bike for Whistler/N* though I now have a dedicated Glory DH bike - what they recommended when asked what DH bike with active suspension to get since they don't make a DH bike. Love my mojo and I'm on it 99% of the time...
  • 1 0
 I am a great fan of the brand and my HD has satisfied all my expectations. I bought it after 6 months of research and can say it is the perfect fit for my aggressive AM and DH style of riding (I use my HD for both disciplines through a coil and 180 fork set up). Still, if I was buying the same bike today, i would not go for the HDR given the reduced travel. If the Ibis guys are following this blog, i would recommend you work on a new platform for the 160-170mm travel range that most Enduro type riders are looking for on 650B wheels. And I sincerely hope the new bike does not take as long as the Ripley or you'll miss me and many others on the transition.
  • 1 0
 Ibis dropped the ball with the HDR. They rushed getting into the 650b market and didn't do their math right. I can't run the following gyres with out having rub. Maxis Ardent, Maxis Highroller, Schwalbe Hans Dampf. Kind of defeats the purpose of the bike. Ibis sales rep blames SRAM. Weak!
  • 1 0
 I rode one for the first time as a demo at Dirt Fest in Raystown Lake, PA. It blew my mind! I have never ridden a more fun bike. I have immediately put my trail bike and my freeride bike up for sale and have purchased the Mojo HD3. It's a beautiful machine that is incomparably fun to ride. As a 5'1 female they weren't a brand that I had even considered. I was completely caught off guard by how easily it climbs and how stable it felt in the descents. I can't believe I now own one of these amazing machines; looking forward to a great season!

Additionally, I had the pleasure of meeting Scot in the demo tent, setting up the bikes. I had no idea. An incredibly patient, kind and humble guy. I hope everyone buys one of these bikes!
  • 2 0
 The new wheels are surprisingly awesome, even before you consider the fairly reasonable asking price. Pretty crazy how much support you can get out of a tire at ~20 psi with those things, and they track incredibly well.
  • 1 0
 I just don't understand what's so great about Ibis's. I've test ridden a few of them and, no matter how much travel they have, they all felt too XC-ish. Blast through chunk and you get thrown all over the place. At best, they're as good as any other manufacturer. Maybe it's all the rich wannabe enduro XC riders that support them...
  • 4 1
 Ibis is unique, who cares about mass market, let's just do better bikes. Keep it on!
  • 4 0
 I love these industry insider articles, keep them coming!
  • 1 0
 Bow Ti? Yeah! Zsazsbo? Yeah! John Castellano's sweet spot design... On Ibis, Breezer twister, RMB speed, Klein mantra, and the coolest bike ever - WTB Bon Tempe... Aaahh, good ol' days, awake memories
  • 1 0
 This is my favorite bike company of all time. I am buying one of their bikes this summer and I can already tell you that I will never go back! I feel that everyone should ride one before they make their decision!
  • 1 0
 I had that same idea... Bought my HDR last August, and with in two rides I had tyre rub on the seat tube. Ibis says you can run a 2.35" tyre. Wrong!!! Don't believe all the hype... Ibis is blaming SRAM. Weak!
  • 1 0
 My buddy has two ibis and is running a 2.4 on it and it is fine. Im not worried about tire size. I want the bike because of customer service and also because they work better than any other bike I have ridden!
  • 1 0
 I have a mojo sl i bought used the first bunch of rocks that hit the down tube scared the living crap out of me ,their is barely a scratch on it! its been a great bike switched it to 650b and it keeps on going!
  • 3 0
 I gotta have some Mojo now !!!!
  • 3 0
 he can stand on it but can he jump....
  • 2 0
 Do a flip!
  • 1 0
 By the looks of It, seems like they make awesome bikes with no bull shit and drames that last. Keep doing what your doing Ibis
  • 1 0
 frames
  • 3 2
 I Love the look of the Mojo, But the lack of an accessible bottle cage mount seems like a huge oversight. I don't want to have to wear a camelbak on every ride!
  • 4 4
 I've never understood this complaint. I assume you take tools of some ilk on every ride...is that right? Where do you put those? Stash them on the frame? In a seat bag? If your willing to do that, why not a handlebar or seat mounted bottle cage? Or wear a jersey with a bottle pocket?
  • 1 0
 Do you have stubs for arms? I can reach mine no problem.
  • 1 1
 Why get a light frame/components just to weigh them down with water? I never ride with water bottles for that reason. Besides, the ability to carry my rain jacket, extra layer(s) water, tools, food, goggles, sun glasses, dry socks, TP, pump, first aid kit, cell phone (off during the ride!!!), small furry woodland creature, is enhanced with a pack.

P.S. 3rd season on my HD, weekly rides in Western Washington rain, 2 trips to Montana, 2 to Colorado/UT, and only things I've changed are brake pads, drivetrain and tires. Sweetest bike I've ever owned or ridden.
  • 3 0
 Most of the people I ride with don't even own hydration packs. I am the one who looks out of place with my heavy Camelback. They tape a tube, levers, CO2 cartridge, and Allen key set onto the seat post or frame. Cell phone goes in the jersey pocket in case of emergencies.

Lightweight components + bare essentials is still lighter than lightweight components + 2L of water + the kitchen sink.
  • 1 0
 Different approaches, I guess. Unless it is planned to be a 'hotlap' from the house and a 1.5hr.+/- ride and I know that my mate's bikes are bomber, I always carry more than I 'need' as it has saved me many a long walk over the years. For longer rides I even carry cables, derailleur, length of chain, sam splint, etc. just in case... We each ride with what we deem necessary. I just hate the idea of having a lightweight rig and then adding weight to it, rather than carrying the weight on me and keeping the bike as nimble as possible.
  • 1 0
 Yep, never missed it till I got a bike With no cage. It's like your big toe I guess.
  • 1 0
 I don't actually have a usable bottle cage since my shock's reservoir gets in the way. I'm just saying that there's a totally practical need for one if you aren't afraid of walking the bike out in an emergency.
  • 3 0
 Can we expect a pb review of these wheels soon??
  • 3 0
 boflo17: Pinkbike has a set of the 741 wheels that they are testing now. So I'm pretty sure the answer to your question is yes.
  • 4 0
 And this is another reason Ibis is such a great company, the fact the founder is spending his time to reply to questions personally. I'm into my 3rd season on my 2nd Mojo with no complaints from either. I never got 3 seasons out of my Santa Cruz or other brands, just sayin. Which IS my only complaint about Ibis, hard to Justify buying a new HDR when my SLR is running sooo sweet still!
  • 1 0
 Mojo HDR 650b has pretty dated geometry if you ask me! 418mmm reach on an xl frame, my medium spitfire has 427mm. Don't even get me started on head angles.
  • 4 3
 That fadigue test with a person in the top of the frame looks like a clown in the circus... sooo strange to do something like that to prove that the frame is strong...
  • 1 0
 Wide rims - welcome mtbers, to what any bmx grom can tell you. If your nice they may help you with pumping backside and how to manual (even if you'll never understand why).
  • 1 0
 They keep mentioning tires that "work" with their new wide rims, which ones are these? And which don't "work?
  • 1 0
 I treat my Ripley like a bitch!
  • 2 2
 meh bikes haven't changed in 6 years. let me guess the newest one will be a split pivot
  • 1 0
 The article font looks like Industry Nine font. Just sayin'
  • 3 3
 Anyone else read the title "awful innovation"?
  • 3 6
 MojoHD was a great bike 5 years ago. The HDR and the Ripley missed the mark by a mile with the HDR being a warmed over HD and the Ripley being in development so long it was old on day 1.
  • 1 0
 Sssssssshred!!!







Copyright © 2000 - 2024. Pinkbike.com. All rights reserved.
dv56 0.047622
Mobile Version of Website