Ibis Mojo HD Special Blend Complete Mountain Bike - 2013

2005 marked the return of a mountain bike legend–Ibis. The return was celebrated with Ibis' new all-carbon masterpiece–the Mojo. The Mojo (now called the Mojo SL) is a stiff, lightweight XC marvel with 140mm of travel, front and rear. With the signing of gravity king Brian Lopes, it was apparent that the Mojo was going to have to share the stable with a beefier, longer-travel little brother. Thus, the Mojo HD was born. The HD uses the same all-carbon reecipe and similar swoopy curves as its older brother, but it's a complete re-design. Built for greater stability on the descent, the HD has a slack (67º) head tube and short chainstays. the result is a lightweight downhill scream-machine that can handle big hits and drops but still has the legs for the climb.

The Mojo HD shares more than just good looks with the Mojo SL. It also relies on the dw-link to soak up the bumps. The position of the linkages creates resistance in the suspension to the rearward transfer of mass and subsequent compression (squat) of the rear end as you stomp the pedals and accelerate. This anti-squat trait means that the dw-link rear suspension allows the use of a more lightly damped shock. Instead of heavy compression damping and a reliance on the ProPedal lever, the linkage creates the pedaling platform. So even on a long travel bike like the Mojo HD, dw-link makes it pedal like it's a race bike. The more lightly damped shock means you'll experience the best bump sensitivity, traction, and control in all trail situations whether stomping out of a berm, coasting across off-camber roots, or churning through braking bumps.

The Mojo HD is built entirely from carbon fiber save for alloy inserts at the headtube, bottom bracket, and pivot locations. The monocoque construction assures that smooth transitions in the material occur at the tube junctions so that it is as strong, as stiff, and as light as possible. The stiff and light theme is carried through to the front of the frame where it has a 1-1/8"-1.5" tapered head tube. The forged and CNC machined aluminum links are beefier than those found on the Mojo. The lower link received most of the attention and has new, bigger and wider bearings to handle the expected torture of the HD. The 160mm travel rear suspension (20mm more travel than the Mojo SL) relies on low leverage rates and an X-Fusion 02 RCX-AV shock for reliable and plush squish over a variety of terrain. The Mojo HD has a 67 degree head angle that is optimized for a 160mm travel front fork, but if you find yourself on nasty trails more often than not, or prefer airtime over lunchtime, then a switch to a 180mm fork would be a good idea to give the obvious increase in travel and a resulting slackening of the head angle to an even more stable 66 degrees.

The Mojo HD uses a 12x142mm Maxle thru-axle. While it is not ISCG compatible, Ibis partnered with MRP to create a clever custom bottom bracket mounted backing plate that also attaches to the fixed front pivot bolt for the lower link. Not to worry, it offers all the security and strength that you would expect to need for a single ring setup and aggressive riding. All of the cable and hose guides are removable for a cleaner look should your forego a front derailleur, including the guide for remote adjustable seatposts.

The Special Blend Build Kit is tough, reliable, and set up with budget in mind. The fork, an X-Fusion Vengeance RC, is a high-performance 170mm fork with a ride that, although not extremely plush, is stiff, and equally at home smoothing out big hits and small studder bumps with zero lateral flex. The X-Fusion 02 RCX-AV Shock has a similar feel for a well-matched suspension setup. Shimano's durable, middle-of the road SLX drivetrain keeps things moving forward, and Formula RX Hydraulic Disc keep things in control. The wheels are a budget-minded Alex/Novatec combination that, while not the lightest in the world, are tough enough to stand up to serious abuse.

The Ibis Mojo HD Special Blend Complete Mountain Bike comes in Small, Medium, Large, and X-Large and is available in Black.