The Bavarian mountains might still be under a layer of deep snow and bitterly cold but long term tester Vinzenz has still been eagerly awaiting this years ‘work bike’: the Ibis Mojo HD3. Not a big surprise really, the Mojo HD series is as good as legendary. We took a close look at this classy machine and pinned Vincent down on his plans for the season.

Das IBIS Mojo HD 3 und sein neuer Besitzer im verschneiten Bayern
The new Ibis Mojo HD3 has 27.5″ wheels, 150-mm rear-wheel travel
Herzstück des Rads ist das DW-Link genannte Hinterbausystem
Heart of the bike: the DW-link suspension system
Der Cane Creek DB Inline-Dämpfer ermöglicht es, den Hinterbau exakt auf die persönlichen Bedürfnisse abzustimmen.
The Cane Creek DB Inline shock allows the rear suspension to be exactly set-up to personal preferences.
Auch die FOX 36 lässt sich dank High- und Lowspeed-Druckstufe, Zugstufe und Spacer in der Luftkammer komplett an die Bedürfnisse des Fahrers anpassen.
The Fox 36 can also be tuned to the pilots needs thanks to adjustable high- and low-speed-compression, rebound and air chamber volume (via spacers).

Plans and goals

Vinzenz asked us for a bike with “Race qualities“ but one without extreme geometry. The Ibis HD3 looked to be a perfect choice: slack enough for Vinzenz’ steep local trails in Garmisch, playful enough for the more moderate trails along the Isar river in Freising where he is studying. At the moment though you are more likely to bump into him in the ice hockey stadium or on the cross-country skiing course. But in May he’ll be travelling to Punta Ala with ENDURO Editor Christoph. The huge trail network there offers perfect conditions to gather meaningful test impressions and round off the semester break in style. Then he’ll be hitting the forest trails around Freising hard. A further highlight in this years calendar will certainly be a planned Transalp-trip in mid July. The final route isn’t quite fixed but he knows most of the best crossing already having worked as a bike guide last year. The decision will be a tricky one.

Die Thomson Sattelstütze erwies sich letztes Jahr als zuverlässig - wird sich der gute Eindruck wiederholen?
In last years test, the Thomson dropper post proved as reliable – will it do so again this year?
Shimanos XT Bremse ist mittlerweile ein Klassiker mit überagender Performance
Shimano’s XT brakes are already a classic with outstanding performance

Exactly which races he will compete in is also not decided but if his form is good then Vinzenz will be sure to take part in all of the races in the Alpine regions. The focus will be on the Specialized-SRAM Enduro Series and the European Enduro Series.

Innenverlegte Züge sorgen für einen aufgeräumten Hauptrahmen
Clean looks with internally routed cables
Vinzenz verpasste dem IBIS ein neuen, breiteren Lenker von Raceface und einen kürzeren Vorbau.
Vinzenz mounted a wider handlebar and a shorter stem, both made by Raceface

Planned Upgrades and Changes

Until now the only upgrades made have been in replacing the over long/narrow cockpit for a super sexy Race Face SIXC set-up. In addition Vinzenz has also fitted ESI grips which you’ll find on each of his bikes – the low weight and pleasant grip characteristics are unbeatable according to him.

Vinzenz ist großer Fan der Griffe von ESI Grips
Good grip and super light = ESI Grip
Vinzenz schwört auf Tubeless
Vinzenz will run the wheels tubeless

Lastly he has ditched the inner tubes in favour of a tubeless-latex set up straight away “I like a worry-free package and this way I don’t have to stress about annoying flats” he sums up. Thanks to the Stans wheels the upgrade is quickly sorted “It also saves a bit of weight in the perfect place.”

Der Ritchey WCS hat zwar schon ein paar Saisons ist dafür aber „Eingesessen“
The Ritchey WCS saddle already has a few seasons behind it so it’s really “ridden in”

Further modifications are not planned as apart from a chain guide the bike doesn’t need any. And that’s a good thing as at Euro 7000 the Ibis HD3 certainly isn’t cheap.

Pedal der Wahl: Crankbrothers Mallet
Pedal of choice: the Crankbrothers Mallet

Vinzenz is looking forward to great rides aboard the new bike and will post regular updates on our long-term test timeline.


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About the author

Aaron Steinke

Aaron was our first employee and actively helped make our company what it is today, significantly shaping the look and direction of our various magazines. Aaron has been pursuing his own projects since mid-2020 but he continues to advise and support us on issues of marketing and technology. For many years, you would usually have found Aaron at casual enduro races, but increasingly you'll find him riding his road bike – long live freedom on two wheels!