Ibis Mojo HD3 Enduro World Series team bikes check
Formerly a World Cup racer, Robin Wallner is set to contest the Enduro World Series this season (click to enlarge).
During a brief visit earlier this month to have our Ibis Mojo HD3 converted to a plus size, we ran into several members of the Ibis Enduro World Series race team, who were conducting testing near Ibis world HQ in Santa Cruz, California.
Last season, Robin Wallner was racing on the World Cup circuit, where he finished in the top 20 on three different occasions. This season Wallner’s making the leap from racing downhill contesting enduro.
At just under 5’9”, the Ibis size chart indicates he should be on a size large, but he still debating what size frame he’ll run over the course of the season. For the type of terrain he’ll be tackling, the XL frame offers a touch more stability, but the large is more playful and easier to handle in the tight stuff.
Wallner alternates between stem lengths depending upon bike size (click to enlarge).
On the size large frame he runs a 50mm stem, but opts for 35mm when testing the XL.
The quad piston Shimano Saint brakes may be heavier than their XTR counterparts, but Wallner claims they’re well worth the slight penalty (click to enlarge).
Holding true to his DH roots, Wallner is running Saint brakes.
Saint brakes and 203mm rotors offer impressive stopping power (click to enlarge).
Wallner runs 203mm rotors up front at all times. Depending on the track, he alternates between a 203mm or 180mm out back. He says he’d rather play it safe than risk cooking his brakes.
The Metric fork uses 36mm stanchions (click to enlarge).
While the female members of the team have opted for the X-Fusion Sweep, Wallner and teammate Gary Forrest have both chosen to run a 160mm travel X-Fusion Metric fork. Both forks have a similar feel, but X-Fusion claims the Metric is slightly stiffer and more progressive. He also tends to set his fork with minimal sag to help keep the front end up when cornering or slamming into rough sections.
Wallner’s shock of choice is the Vector HLR, which has a bottom out pressure adjustment (click to enlarge).
In another nod to his DH background, Wallner runs a coil shock for most applications. He finds that it’s more consistent over long tracks and doesn’t heat up. For shorter less demanding courses, or those that are flatter, he will swap in a air shock.
Top mount chainguides usually weigh around 50 grams, while a top guide and bashguard combo can weighs 100-160 grams (click to enlarge).
While many riders choose to run little or no device for chain retention, Wallner is running a guide with a top retention system and bashguard. In his experience, narrow/wide chainrings generally perform really well, but can be “sensitive” to impacts.
Continue to page 2 for more on the Ibis EWS team bikes »
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