May 2021
Daniel got a new bike, sooo…yup, I needed one too. This was a more complicated decision than Daniel’s because Li’l Ripper was quickly outgrowing his bike and there was a tossup as to who got a new one first, Mom or Li’l Ripper? He’s not much shorter than I am and loved riding my bike around the neighborhood and to school.
We decided to go ahead and look for something that could fit us both. After a ton of research, Daniel came to me with the idea of getting a small Ibis. The frame was already designed smaller than other brands and there were lots of great reviews.
We tossed around getting the Mojo 4 or the Ripmo. My Specialized Rhyme had been set up as a 29er and I loved the responsiveness, rolling power, and lightweight of the Rocket Ron’s, but I didn’t need as much travel as the slacked-out Ripmo had to offer. The Mojo was an all-around great idea, except I was a little worried about the 27.5×2.6 monster tires.
We went with the Mojo. It had everything I needed in a bike: climbing power, a smaller frame, and smooth downhill control.
The bike showed up at the beginning of the week (a Monday!), so I had to wait to take it on any sort of trail ride.
Instead of waiting for UPS to drop it off, we drove down to their yard and picked it up. We put it together that day and I took it for a quick spin around the neighborhood.
The bike pedaled like butter! With the 35mm rims, there’s lots of tire to pull with each stroke. I did change out the seat to my old, trusted Ergon, along with the grips. Switched out the wide handlebars too, with my Nukeproof metallic purple ones that we already cut to size.
We did end up changing out the tires from the extra chunky Nobby Nics on the rear and Hans Dampf on the front to the right-size Rocket Rons. I lost a little bit of pull, but also a lot of weight. I can pedal longer, not crank so hard, and lean the bike without the front cutting. It ended up being a good compromise.
For any XC or trail-focused rider, this bike is perfect.
Now we just need to find one for Lil Ripper.
What bike are you riding? What were the choices that went into picking it?