Staff Ride: Matt Beer's NZ MTB Rally-Spec Ibis HD6

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Course Breakdown


In order to give you an idea of the statistics and terrain the NZ MTB Rally covered, each day was broken into sections to exclude the shuttles but you can view those segments here. Don't forget that Matt Fairbrother put the "endur" back in enduro and remained self-sufficient over the entire race, and won! Yep, he didn't take one shuttle and even kayaked 30 km across the bay one evening. I'm still trying to wrap my head around what he's made of.


Day 1 - Wairoa Gorge Bike Park section a, section b, section c
This day ended with a banger, literally (you can read all about that further down). The organizers combined the last two stages into one huge final descent of the Wairoa Gorge Bike Park to total 745m descending over 7km.

Day 2 - Kaiteriteri section a, section b
A "proper Kiwi backcountry adventure" through the jungle with loads of 180-switchbacks and a scenic liaison. The last stage took us into the Kaiteriteri MTB Park and ended on the beach with a primo buffet dinner.

Day 3 - Cable Bay section a, section b, section c
This area seemed to separate riders and sharp skills were needed to navigate tight corners filled with rumbly rock. A healthy amount of high-speed, but narrow benches required sharp focus.

Day 4 - Coppermine/Nelson section a, section b, section c
Heli lift number one started with a fast, loose walking track, but as the day heated up, so did the difficulty of the tracks. Rough, steep, and natural trails would make this one of my favorite days.

Day 5 - Wakamarina Track
The second heli of the week took us to remote trails in beech forest with more switchbacks that were tough to spot behind the fern. A physical pedally first stage led into steeper, raw descents.

Day 6 - Nelson City section a, section b
Some of the best corners, liaisons, and laughs of the race were had here. Everyone was buckled after arduous sprints in stage 3, a track built for the 2021 EWS that never happened due to the pandemic.





Frame

When I began planning for the NZ MTB Rally, I knew there would be a focus on descending. There were hundreds of tight switchback turns - some on purpose-built bike trails and others on walking tracks - all littered with pointy rocks at the Wairoa Gorge Bike Park. The Ibis HD6 seemed like the perfect fit for the job. We put this one through its paces back in the fall of 2023 during our Whistler Enduro Bike Field Test and it stood out in many ways.

The HD6 has cushy suspension with a 180mm travel fork, corners on a dime, isn't heavy, and pedals impeccably well for an enduro bike. I slapped on a few more robust components that I knew would be worth the extra weight.

The lower link runs on bushings, which have been trouble-free with just one quick service since the Field Test.


Suspension

Both the fork and the shock were set to nearly 25 percent lower than the spring rate I chose, however, the progression was increased to accommodate the lower pressures. You will want to check out the upcoming video on how we arrived at this setup.

Next, the rebound and low-speed compression were set to nearly wide open, while the high-speed compression was almost fully closed. In fact, Ibis has an in-depth suspension setup guide for both Fox components, including a special tune on the rear damper. Using BYB's data acquisition kit, Henry dialed in the suspension to something close to Ibis' suggestions, albeit still much softer and more progressive.


Tires / Wheels

For dry, loose conditions, there are few other treads that match the grip and predictability of the Maxxis Assegai. Only the Continental Kryptotal Fr or Michelin DH22 come close. The classic Maxxis DHR II did well considering the huge amount of rear steering it saw through dust and rubble. Skidding your way around the tight, loose corners and 180-switchbacks is almost necessary in riding zones like Kaiteriteri and Cable Bay.

Carbon wheels for enduro racing aren't the hottest fad because they're generally stiffer, but they're also less prone to denting and subsequent air loss. Giant's new TRX Carbon wheels looked the business with their thick rim walls and got the nod of approval from one of their fellow enduro racers, so they came along for the trip. I'll also have a review coming on those later, but the short story is that they're basically bulletproof.

After suffering an instant sidewall slash from an unseen obstacle one quarter of the way down the final stage, the longest and rockiest of Day 1, I made the game time decision to ride it out and salvage what time I could. Worst case scenario, I knew I had a spare wheel and tire back at base camp if that all went up in flames.

Miraculously, the TRX rim didn't bat an eye, despite some wincing rim-on-rock strikes on the way down. I'd highly recommend at least a rear tire insert for this type of racing and any time spent riding the Wairoa Gorge or Cable Bay Bike Parks. And that's not to fault the tire either. Maxxis DH casing tires are some of the best, but even with an insert, I don't believe anything short of a solid rubber wheel would have staved off that slice.


Brakes

Packing heaps more power to tap into versus the Code RSCs, the Mavens served well for the long descents, especially once you've been clenching them for some time. In fact, I had issues adapting to other brakes on a test bike. I kept running past my braking zones after riding the Mavens for nearly two weeks straight.

After the race, I hung about in Queenstown and swapped to a larger 200mm rear rotor. I found there to be a larger window to brake consistently without totally locking up the wheel.


Contact Points

The Specialized Power with 3D-printed Mirror technology might be that ceiling. $450 USD is a staggering number for a saddle but what does an ergonomic desk chair cost? A saddle is where I do a fair bit of my work, plus it gives me a good reason not to crash; I might cry if this ripped.

Race Face's Chester grips have been growing on me. They've replaced the ODI Elite Pro as my new favorite due to their soft, rubbery compound and uniform, tapered design. The 31mm diameter version doesn't make them the most padded under the palm, but they fit my medium-sized hands nicely. If you're looking for more padding, there's a 34mm version too, however, I've found oversizing can lead to faster hand cramping.

The four-sided Eggbeater clip mechanism rotates completely independently of the outer platform. Essentially, you can place the cleat anywhere within the proximity of the Eggbeater and wiggle your foot forwards or backwards to clip in. That means you'll never have to sit or stand heavily on one foot to clip in.


Drivetrain

SRAM's XX Transmission-series drivetrain eliminates the derailleur hanger. Granted, you don't destroy the pulley cage, the derailleur parallelogram can withstand some seriously heavy smacks. Due to the synced shift timing and cassette chain ramps, you can shift under full power and mash through gears when approaching sudden uphills or while sprinting.

I pinched the alloy SRAM X0 crank arms from another test bike for some peace of mind. The carbon XX set that came on the top-end HD6 build kit are plenty strong, but aluminum can take unsuspecting smacks when racing blindly.

A chain guide and skid plate double down on drivetrain protection for what is an insignificant weight savings. Pedal catchers and chainring munchers were lurking everywhere in the spotty jungle light.


Cockpit and Controls

You'll want narrow bars for the tight trails, off cambers and bench cuts with trees hanging overhead. I cut mine to 765mm wide, and like the OG 35mm length stem, they've been around the garage for a few years now. The 35mm rise bar has 20mm of spacer underneath for a moderately high and energy-saving riding position.

Hand guards might look funny at first, but they protect your levers in two ways; from surprise branches which can turn the brakes on unsuspectedly and against bending in the event of a crash, to a degree. They're not ideal for throwing tricks, although they are useful for traipsing through backcountry trails, whether that's against the clock or just the amount of daylight left in a big day out.

Rockshox's Reverb AXS electronic dropper post is such a slick piece of equipment. No cable means less chance of damaging a critical component and the remote requires much less accuracy or effort to hit when you're mouth breathing heavily through multiple 60 second in-stage climbs (I thought the race director was joking). I never needed to charge the main battery over the six days, however, I did save some juice by removing it while shuttling since it "wakes" during motion.

On long ascents or commutes, I may raise the post 15cm out of the frame, but I can get away with the maximum 170mm length drop for most on-trail scenarios. I know a few others that are praying for a longer version though.


What's Onboard?

I love techy gear and prefer to be over-prepared. The essentials for each day were lots of snacks, electrolytes, sunscreen, and at least 1.75L of water. USWE packs are so convenient and secure by connecting just one buckle. You can run that open on climbs for looser fitting shoulder straps too. Forget overloaded bib pockets or running vests that bounce around.

The majority of the riding locations were very remote so I thought it would be wise to bring along a Garmin InReach Mini and EpiPen, just in case of a medical emergency, not limited to myself - mind you, medics were stationed at the bottom of each stage. Other handy items included a light windbreaker and sporty hat, gorilla tape, zip-ties, some shop towel, a small bottle of chain lube, an extra 2032 and AXS battery, plus a multi-tool with pliers with a small knife.

Kiwis run a loose safety program at times. Open-face helmets and no knee pads might be acceptable for mellow trail riding in my books, but blind gravity racing in steep, rocky conditions meant a lightweight full-face and burly knee pads since we were primarily shuttling after all.


How Does it Ride?

Compared to the stock components of the HD6, which we reviewed at the Fall Field Test, the nature of the bike has been beefed up for extra security to handle blind racing, but the geo and travel has remained the same.

That added heft did take a little wind out of the sails when climbing the HD6, but that’s to be expected. I’m glad I chose those bulletproof Giant TRX carbon wheels, DH casing tires, and honestly, a rear tire insert would have made sense.

The largest change was the suspension setup. Lowering the pressures, increasing the progression and turning the damper adjusters to Henry’s recommendations made a world of difference for a long week of racing. More comfort and grip were welcomed on the dry and loose conditions.

The geometry and mixed wheels allow it to whip around tight corners without compromising the high speed stability too much either. That 180mm travel fork eases the fatigue on our hands exceptionally well too.

After spending months on the HD6, I stand by my original thoughts; it’s an exceptional enduro race bike, ideal for epic adventure events like the NZ MTB Rally.

All riding photos credit of Cameron MacKenzie/NZ MTB Rally.

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Reviews and Tech Bike Checks Enduro Bikes Ibis Ibis Hd6 Nz Mtb Rally