Spotted at the EWS: New Ibis HD4 Enduro Bike
It’s no secret that athletes are instrumental for brands when it comes to product testing and development. However, while walking the pits of the Enduro World Series round in Ireland, it was quite a surprise to spot an unreleased bike from Ibis hiding in plain sight. But this time there was no cloak and dagger secrecy, this was the new Ibis HD4, and amazingly the Ibis racers were happy to talk about it. We grabbed team rider, Robin Walner to find out more.
First look at the new Ibis HD4
While we do not have exact geometry figures, Robin was happy to share some of the numbers from his personal size Large race bike. Running 2.5 Maxxis WT Minions we measured the head angle at 64.9 degrees, a big change from the 66.6 degrees of the HD3. It’s not just the head angle that has grown more aggressive, the entire bike is longer and the size Large now measures 465 mm in reach. This big step up in length and wheelbase has allowed Robin to downsize from a size Extra Large in the HD3 to a size Large in the HD4, a change that will delight taller riders.
In line with this aggressive new persona, the bottom bracket has also dropped a couple of millimetres, and due to the revised position of the shock, the linkage is a little more progressive, boasting improved initial sensitivity with a firmer ramp up in the leverage curve. Robin has been testing this bike since December, and even though the suspension looks very much the same, Robin claims that compared to the old bike there is a lot more grip. The standover of the bike is now lower to allow a longer dropper to be fitted, Robin will soon fit a 170 mm dropper, whereas before he only had space for a 150 mm. The chainstays have remained the same at 430 mm and Robin says that anyone who likes the ride of the old bike will feel straight at home on the HD4, only faster.
We will bring you full details of this bike, including build specs and prices very soon.
Robin’s EWS Setup
To find out more about how Robin prepares his bike for the EWS we delved a little deeper into his setup, that is before the rain made us run for cover. Robin is a big fan of the new 2.5 Maxxis ‘Wide Trail’ (WT) tires, especially on the Ibis 742 rim with a wide 35 mm internal width. Robin runs 19 psi up front and normally 23 in the back, but Robin has pushed this up a little higher due to the jagged Irish rocks. When it comes to suspension, Robin likes a setup with a stiffer fork and more SAG in the rear. At 73kg, Robin runs 74 Psi in the FOX 36 Factory fork with one token, and 163 Psi in the rear FOX X2. With the increased ramp up of the frame, Robin likes to run the compression open. Robin will run a 36 chainring with the 11-46 cassette in the back, Robin runs a 34 in practice, but often switches to a 36 for racing “to be sure that I have enough”.
So, there we have it, there’s a new Ibis HD4 about to hit the market, longer, lower and meaner than the HD3. We think it looks amazing.
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