Ibis

DV9 Deore Mountain Bike

Ibis understands that not all of us want or can afford multiple mountain bikes and that's why we love the Ibis DV9. Given the hardtail's lightweight, durable, and stiff carbon construction and geometry that's equally at home on hot laps after work, Saturday cross-country racing, and Sunday exploratory rides, we'd be hard-pressed to find another steed that's able to cover such a wide spectrum of riding. This build gets Shimano's reliable and value-packed Deore drivetrain, firing off precise shifts that are on par with the higher-end SLX and XT components, paired with a FOX Float Rhythm fork that soaks up trail chatter up front.

The impetus for the DV9 came from Ibis' CEO wanting to create a versatile bike that his high school daughter could race and train on yet be affordable enough that she could actually buy it. During development the DV9 won three varsity races, stood on five varsity XC podiums, and took first place overall in the competitive 2018 Northern California NICA league on a prototype frame—impressive results given these surprisingly competitive high school leagues. Carbon fiber construction was a given as we haven't seen a non-carbon frame from Ibis in almost a decade. This yields a frame weight that comes in at a remarkable 1,204g while somehow hitting a price point just a tick above aluminum. The other elements that give this bike more mileage over the average hardtail are its massive tire clearance, easily handling 29 x 2.6-inch rubber, slacker than usual XC geometry, especially with the 120mm length FOX fork that's spec'd here, and the ability to run an internally routed dropper post.

Other frame spec niceties on the DV9 include the now-standard Boost spaced rear end that improves frame and wheel stiffness, as well as strength, smart internal cable routing except for the rear disc brake housing, an in-house favorite creak-free, threaded bottom bracket, and a rear brake caliper, mount with massive 203mm rotor clearance. What we really dig about this ride is that you can pedal the DV9 in its stock form here with plush 2.6in tires and give your full suspension riding buddies a fit on technical trails, but if you lower the fork to 100mm and slap on some 2.25-inch meat, you're knocking on the door of some World Cup XC builds.

Compared to its previous hardtail, the Tranny, the reach on the DV9 grows by 20-24mm depending on the size. The headtube angle also slackens from 71-degrees to a trail-worthy 67.4-degrees with the included 120mm fork or a nice mix of agility and stability of a 68.5-degree angle with a 100mm fork. You can expect it to feel planted when railing turns, while the short chainstays enhance its responsiveness, and given its lack of rear suspension, you'll appreciate its vibration-damping with the rocket ship acceleration that can only come from a rigid rear end. The front triangle bears some obvious similarities to its full-suspension rigs, both in terms of aesthetics, and features with its versatile cable ports and stiffness-enhancing tapered headtube.

*Due to unprecedented demand in the global supply chain and the bike industry over the last 18 months, material weight and exact components are subject to change. We are working diligently to keep tech specs updated, and any adjustments will be minor. If you have any questions, reach out to a Gearhead by chatting online or calling 1-888-276-7130.