Exactly what i'm looking for. I believe in making the bike light as possible. I've always been a fan of carbon over cheap alu. It does not make sense to me why there's not more hardtails that can be capable trail bikes that are light as possible. I also use a hardtail for bikepacking. The bikepacking world thinks you need a rugged steel or alu frame to handle the weight. A - they don't know how to pack light. B - unless your fat...carbon can handle you and the weight from your packs. This can be a great all around bike. Save weight on your bike, so you can afford to pack more stuff you need.
I have both alloy and carbon bikes. The carbon bike usually gives you a much stiffer ride quality and it can beat you up really well. For bikepacking the carbon might be a better choice, because a loaded up bike is always supple regardless of frame material. But an XC hardtail without luggage can be really harsh. I still think that alloy is the best choice. Or Ti if you can afford it.
@@nicks8026 RUclips won't let us edit videos once published. So, it is what it is. Thanks for the feedback and I'll hopefully get better mixing in future vids.
Great review man! I am still trying to decide between the L and XL frames... I am 183 cm - 6ft, but with short inseam and long torso... I am afraid that the L reach would be cramped for me, could you please share you thoughts ?
I hate when I'm between sizes. Such an agonizing process. I feel like the reach is pretty short. I have an XL and I'm 6'2". My only concern with going too big is you may need a different dropper if it's too tall. But that's a solvable problem. Just not a cheep solution.
Thanks for uploading. I just ordered one. How harsh is the ride? I’m also bummed about the lack of tire clearance with the step cast fork. Good news is I have an R7 pro to replace it with. The Manitou will eat a 2.7”.
I did the Tour Divide on my 2015 Giant XTC hardtail. I bought the DV9 to replace this bike. I wanted a bike that was super confident on singletrack for events like the Washington High-Lite but I think the bike would do great on the Divide as well. Though, if I were to do the Divide again, I'd probably choose my Cutthroat with a Lauf fork due to the endless miles of gravel roads.
I picked up a large MW DV9 end of April and I am 6ft. I went with 2.8 plus 29 tires and rims along with a 140 Performance fork and it is a joy to ride. I hit the pedals in plenty of tech moves so the BB is not to high but descends very well. Wouldn’t change a thing!
Have you heard of SQ Labs 30X handle bars? Amazing back-sweep, I ran them on my rigid SS mountain bike and they were great! I’ll be building up another rigid SS soon.
Thanks for the review. Is this a SoCal trail? Looking for a hardtail to pair with my Transition Smuggler for riding green and blue trails. Started my search with the Team Marin 2 but I’ve read lots of reports of cracked frames, which gives me concern because I’m a big guy - 250 lbs. With all the enduro style HTs out there, it’s nice to see bikes like the Ibis, with more moderate geo.
Yes it is. Most of the video was shot at the Laguna trails near Chrystal Cove State Park. Another great hardtail trail is the Palm Canyon Epic near Palm Springs. This video was me riding on the DV9 as well. ruclips.net/video/eSWeDqJ3WzA/видео.htmlsi=3-3No3-QBIiLdUY5
Great bike. I love mine. There’s a problem with this video though - there’s some weird elevator music bleeding over from something on your computer. Only got through 4 minutes of the review. Looking forward to a version with the issue fixed.
A few people have reported issues with the audio levels. Sadly, RUclips doesn't allow me to update the video. 🙁 All I can do is learn and do better in future videos.
I just purchased a MWs frame thanks to your review - building it up with GX AXS, Fox 34 G2-130MM and some carbon hoops. I'm going to use/try CC Ti cranks w/0deg chain ring.
Really happy to see this bike reviewed here. I’ve had my DV9 for about two months now and have had opportunities for long gravel/doubletrack rides, green, blue and black designer trails at Brown County State Park here in south central Indiana, also quite a bit of old fashioned hand cut singletrack in Hoosier National Forest. So, lots of terrain varieties and levels of difficulty. The bike is really extraordinarily in that it does so many things so well, and that which it doesn’t do well is pretty much the same limitation of any hardtail. It doesn’t have any special or noteworthy weaknesses unique to this bike. It makes me smile every time I go out, even if it’s just for an hour of fooling around in local parks running up and down the amphitheater hills. It’s a complete delight to ride whether for an hour of play or 60 miles at race pace. As Steve from Hardtail Party noted, this bike is as happy - and competent - at intensity 2 as it at intensity 9. It behaves perfectly well through a really wide range. It is light (more on my build in a moment), which is overwhelmingly positive, but has the one drawback that it’s very easy to get yourself in trouble. It starts feeling so competent that you’re compelled to try things that maybe you just shouldn’t on a very light hardtail. It’s very comfortable, quiet, and precise. I got the XT build with a carbon bar upgrade. Although the Ibis 933 heels are not to be sneezed at, they’re very nice wheels indeed, I wanted just a little more firmness, higher engagement in the rear hub, and just a bit narrower id rim. So I now have Stan’s Arch Mk4 rims on the new DT Swiss 240 DEG hubs (90 POE) with Schwalbe Racing Ray and Racing Ralph rubber. Ergon grips replace the stock Lizard Skins and an Ergon saddle replaces the stock WTB. It’s about 24 lbs., which is 7-8 lbs less than I’m accustomed to with my steel Esker Japhy, which I also love, but for very different reasons. I can’t say enough positive about the Ibis DV9. There’s not one thing about it where I can say ‘I wish they’d done this differently’. I’m 67 and I don’t race but ride hard for my age, but this bike would also be perfectly suitable for a high schooler wanting to race, an experienced racer who wants a bit of utility and comfort in a training bike. It’s happy and comfortable as an all day rider, too. Troy-By the way, I really enjoyed your video on pace groups in gravel races. That idea can be tweaked so many ways to make beginning riders and racers feel like their first experience is a good one, something they actually want to do again, rather than walking away feeling like they’ve just been hazed.
I switched from a japhy as well and saw a similar weight reduction. Hope to upgrade to we are one/ berd wheel set and step down to 2.4 rekons. Such a fast fun bike.
Does the HTA preclude longer stems for those at the upper end of the sizes? I'm hoping to run a longer stem for the long gravel/xc/marathon style riding I like. You said it came with a 35mm stem on the XL but I wasn't sure if that was stem length or clamp diameter.
It comes with a 35mm long stem with a 31.8mm diameter bar. There is no reason you can't put a longer stem on it. Short stems are all the rage but long will work. Three longest ride I've done in it thus far is 70 miles. I haven't felt the need for a longer stem yet.
Thanks. I think there may be a quirk with the STA being more slack than the the on paper numbers suggest too because it starts forward of the BB which means my pretty tall seatpost will give me a more slack effective STA , which gives me a little room too.
Thanks for the review! I'm ashamed to say that I've had this frame (in purple) for months & still haven't built it up...I really need to ge it on the trails.
It's an incredible frame. I just finished building mine up a couple weeks ago and other than struggling to get the bottom bracket spacing just right, it was a real treat to build and ride. I actually came back to this video so I could see how many headset spacers the XL came with stock since that's my frame size. P.S. I learned the hard way to install the included chain guide, as my first ride out I didn't have it and a stick got lodged in between the chainring and the chain, causing it to briefly rub against the chainstay, which chipped the paint and damaged the chainstay protector. Oh also, it's totally worth the time it will take to install frame protection first. I did the Ridewrap tailored kit, which took many hours but really came out nicely in the end. I feel like the paint would have been beaten up pretty badly on the first ride if I didn't.
They are very different bikes. The Roscoe is a more aggressive aluminum hardtail. More travel and a slacker head angle. It's more of a pure trail hardtail while the DV9 blends XC and trail.
Exactly what i'm looking for. I believe in making the bike light as possible. I've always been a fan of carbon over cheap alu. It does not make sense to me why there's not more hardtails that can be capable trail bikes that are light as possible. I also use a hardtail for bikepacking. The bikepacking world thinks you need a rugged steel or alu frame to handle the weight. A - they don't know how to pack light. B - unless your fat...carbon can handle you and the weight from your packs. This can be a great all around bike. Save weight on your bike, so you can afford to pack more stuff you need.
I have both alloy and carbon bikes. The carbon bike usually gives you a much stiffer ride quality and it can beat you up really well. For bikepacking the carbon might be a better choice, because a loaded up bike is always supple regardless of frame material. But an XC hardtail without luggage can be really harsh. I still think that alloy is the best choice. Or Ti if you can afford it.
Carbon frames can be built to be compliant where needed and stuff where needed. The DV9 definitely does this.
The music in the backround is really distracting tbh couldnt finish the video
Sorry. The music isn’t for everyone for sure.
Agreed. The music is too far forward in the mix. I’d cut it entirely.
@@nicks8026 RUclips won't let us edit videos once published. So, it is what it is. Thanks for the feedback and I'll hopefully get better mixing in future vids.
I like the music a lot....and the mix is ok to my ears....!
Stay weird! Just got my Purple Crush frame and did an xt build fox 34 sc w/ Bontrager Kovee wheels right at 22 lbs.
Sounds perfect. And I'll always be weird. :)
I just ordered the purple Crush XT trim with some NOX Carbon wheels. It’s suppose to ship out on Monday. I’m super stoked for this bike.
Congratulations. You're going to love it.
I built one up it is something very special under 22 lbs
Fox factory step cast 120mm
dt swiss 1700
sram 11 speed 10-42 xx1
Sounds perfect. Enjoy!
Great review man! I am still trying to decide between the L and XL frames... I am 183 cm - 6ft, but with short inseam and long torso... I am afraid that the L reach would be cramped for me, could you please share you thoughts ?
I hate when I'm between sizes. Such an agonizing process. I feel like the reach is pretty short. I have an XL and I'm 6'2". My only concern with going too big is you may need a different dropper if it's too tall. But that's a solvable problem. Just not a cheep solution.
Thanks for uploading. I just ordered one. How harsh is the ride?
I’m also bummed about the lack of tire clearance with the step cast fork. Good news is I have an R7 pro to replace it with. The Manitou will eat a 2.7”.
The ride is quite compliant for a hardtail. It's still a hardtail, but surprisingly comfortable.
How do you think this bike would do on the Tour Divide route?
I did the Tour Divide on my 2015 Giant XTC hardtail. I bought the DV9 to replace this bike. I wanted a bike that was super confident on singletrack for events like the Washington High-Lite but I think the bike would do great on the Divide as well. Though, if I were to do the Divide again, I'd probably choose my Cutthroat with a Lauf fork due to the endless miles of gravel roads.
I picked up a large MW DV9 end of April and I am 6ft. I went with 2.8 plus 29 tires and rims along with a 140 Performance fork and it is a joy to ride. I hit the pedals in plenty of tech moves so the BB is not to high but descends very well. Wouldn’t change a thing!
Awesome. With 2.8s that thing must be unstoppable!
Have you heard of SQ Labs 30X handle bars? Amazing back-sweep, I ran them on my rigid SS mountain bike and they were great! I’ll be building up another rigid SS soon.
I want aware they made a bar. Very interesting. I was looking for that exact design a few years ago. I may need to check it out.
@@TroyOnTrails yes, they’re more know for their saddles but I really like the handlebars.
I’ll be putting them on a new rigid hardtail later this year
Thanks for the review. Is this a SoCal trail? Looking for a hardtail to pair with my Transition Smuggler for riding green and blue trails. Started my search with the Team Marin 2 but I’ve read lots of reports of cracked frames, which gives me concern because I’m a big guy - 250 lbs. With all the enduro style HTs out there, it’s nice to see bikes like the Ibis, with more moderate geo.
Yes it is. Most of the video was shot at the Laguna trails near Chrystal Cove State Park. Another great hardtail trail is the Palm Canyon Epic near Palm Springs. This video was me riding on the DV9 as well. ruclips.net/video/eSWeDqJ3WzA/видео.htmlsi=3-3No3-QBIiLdUY5
Great bike. I love mine. There’s a problem with this video though - there’s some weird elevator music bleeding over from something on your computer. Only got through 4 minutes of the review. Looking forward to a version with the issue fixed.
A few people have reported issues with the audio levels. Sadly, RUclips doesn't allow me to update the video. 🙁 All I can do is learn and do better in future videos.
I just purchased a MWs frame thanks to your review - building it up with GX AXS, Fox 34 G2-130MM and some carbon hoops. I'm going to use/try CC Ti cranks w/0deg chain ring.
Sounds like a stellar build. I'm super curious to see how a 130 fork changes the ride. I have some experiments to try for sure.
Really happy to see this bike reviewed here.
I’ve had my DV9 for about two months now and have had opportunities for long gravel/doubletrack rides, green, blue and black designer trails at Brown County State Park here in south central Indiana, also quite a bit of old fashioned hand cut singletrack in Hoosier National Forest. So, lots of terrain varieties and levels of difficulty. The bike is really extraordinarily in that it does so many things so well, and that which it doesn’t do well is pretty much the same limitation of any hardtail. It doesn’t have any special or noteworthy weaknesses unique to this bike. It makes me smile every time I go out, even if it’s just for an hour of fooling around in local parks running up and down the amphitheater hills. It’s a complete delight to ride whether for an hour of play or 60 miles at race pace. As Steve from Hardtail Party noted, this bike is as happy - and competent - at intensity 2 as it at intensity 9. It behaves perfectly well through a really wide range.
It is light (more on my build in a moment), which is overwhelmingly positive, but has the one drawback that it’s very easy to get yourself in trouble. It starts feeling so competent that you’re compelled to try things that maybe you just shouldn’t on a very light hardtail.
It’s very comfortable, quiet, and precise.
I got the XT build with a carbon bar upgrade. Although the Ibis 933 heels are not to be sneezed at, they’re very nice wheels indeed, I wanted just a little more firmness, higher engagement in the rear hub, and just a bit narrower id rim. So I now have Stan’s Arch Mk4 rims on the new DT Swiss 240 DEG hubs (90 POE) with Schwalbe Racing Ray and Racing Ralph rubber. Ergon grips replace the stock Lizard Skins and an Ergon saddle replaces the stock WTB.
It’s about 24 lbs., which is 7-8 lbs less than I’m accustomed to with my steel Esker Japhy, which I also love, but for very different reasons.
I can’t say enough positive about the Ibis DV9. There’s not one thing about it where I can say ‘I wish they’d done this differently’.
I’m 67 and I don’t race but ride hard for my age, but this bike would also be perfectly suitable for a high schooler wanting to race, an experienced racer who wants a bit of utility and comfort in a training bike. It’s happy and comfortable as an all day rider, too.
Troy-By the way, I really enjoyed your video on pace groups in gravel races. That idea can be tweaked so many ways to make beginning riders and racers feel like their first experience is a good one, something they actually want to do again, rather than walking away feeling like they’ve just been hazed.
Like you, I'm impressed every time I ride the bike. It is so well done. Thanks for watching.
I switched from a japhy as well and saw a similar weight reduction. Hope to upgrade to we are one/ berd wheel set and step down to 2.4 rekons. Such a fast fun bike.
Does the HTA preclude longer stems for those at the upper end of the sizes? I'm hoping to run a longer stem for the long gravel/xc/marathon style riding I like. You said it came with a 35mm stem on the XL but I wasn't sure if that was stem length or clamp diameter.
It comes with a 35mm long stem with a 31.8mm diameter bar. There is no reason you can't put a longer stem on it. Short stems are all the rage but long will work. Three longest ride I've done in it thus far is 70 miles. I haven't felt the need for a longer stem yet.
Thanks. I think there may be a quirk with the STA being more slack than the the on paper numbers suggest too because it starts forward of the BB which means my pretty tall seatpost will give me a more slack effective STA , which gives me a little room too.
How tall are you? I'm 6-1 and trying to decide between the L or XL. I'm leaning more towards the XL.
I'm 6'2" and find the size great. My inseam is 36 inches if that helps. At 6'1" I would go with the XL for what that's worth.
Yes keep the music out please, watch other videos, do a review on Trek Roscoe 9 and 7 please..I'm looking into a roscoe 7,,
Thanks for the review! I'm ashamed to say that I've had this frame (in purple) for months & still haven't built it up...I really need to ge it on the trails.
Nothing sadder than a frame unrealized. I hope you get it rolling soon. It's an amazing ride.
It's an incredible frame. I just finished building mine up a couple weeks ago and other than struggling to get the bottom bracket spacing just right, it was a real treat to build and ride. I actually came back to this video so I could see how many headset spacers the XL came with stock since that's my frame size.
P.S. I learned the hard way to install the included chain guide, as my first ride out I didn't have it and a stick got lodged in between the chainring and the chain, causing it to briefly rub against the chainstay, which chipped the paint and damaged the chainstay protector. Oh also, it's totally worth the time it will take to install frame protection first. I did the Ridewrap tailored kit, which took many hours but really came out nicely in the end. I feel like the paint would have been beaten up pretty badly on the first ride if I didn't.
Please don't use background music. It doesn't work well with speakers.
Thank you. I've heard that feedback from a few folks. The video I'm working on now has zero background music for what it's worth. :)
@@TroyOnTrails Or make it a little bit less loud. Non native English folks will appreciate it. :D
Cool video. Thanks for the commentary. Keep it up. How tall are you? Im trying to figure out sizing for myself.
Thank you. I'm 6'2". The XL fit me perfectly.
@@TroyOnTrails Thanks. What crank length came with your XL?
@@LTBlightthebeam it came with 175mm cranks.
How does it compare to Roscoe 9 ?
They are very different bikes. The Roscoe is a more aggressive aluminum hardtail. More travel and a slacker head angle. It's more of a pure trail hardtail while the DV9 blends XC and trail.