To read Pt. 1 in this series, click here.

When it comes to wrenching on bikes, it doesn’t get much better than this.

 

This isn’t the first Ibis I’ve built and it likely won’t be the last – for good reason. The attention to detail on any Ibis frame is second-to-none, and that comes across loud and proud the minute you get a frame or bike in the stand. This translates to an easy, clean build, and this latest creation was no exception.

I almost wish we built this Mojo up with cabled gearing, simply down to the simplicity of cabling the rear derailleur, dropper and brake. All Ibis frames feature internal tubing for the cabling to route through, resulting in rattle-free builds and tool-free assembly; you just route the cable through one end and out it pops at the other.

SRAM’s AXS take all the fun out of that process: it’s too easy. I know it sounds like a complaint – it isn’t! – but when a frame is so well crafted, you want to be able to enjoy the experience of assembling it, rather than just attach components via a thread and it be over.

There isn’t any commentary really, other than to say that with good ingredients and good prep, the results yield exactly what you hoped for, without issue.

A short travel 27.5” bike with aggressive geometry of this nature seems to be a dying breed, and the mullet build would have helped to increase the lifespan and versatility of the Mojo. It’s not to say that the recommended setup is bad, just that things could be done differently, for better or worse. It was something I’d pushed for, but brand constraints meant we’d need to keep things clean shaven.

I’m sure this won’t be the last time we work with the Mojo. The mullet seed has been sown, so let’s see what comes of that in future issues.

To read the full story, subscribe to NZ Mountain Biker Magazine here.

Words & Images: Cameron Mackenzie