Ibis Mojo HD3 Plus version released
The capable and versatile Ibis Mojo HD3 will become even more capable. With the addition of an all-new swingarm design, the HD3 is now both Boost and Plus tire compatible, accommodating the delightfully grippy Plus tires up to 2.8”.
The new HD3 is in stock and available for immediate shipping in all three colors. The bike can now be purchased in with either 2.3 tires or 2.8 Plus tires.
With the creation of this new Boost rear swingarm, the frame can now fit up to 2.8 tires. There will be gobs of tire clearance with standard 2.3 tires and a sufficient but not ample amount of clearance with 2.8 tires. The bike was fully tested with Schwalbe Nobby Nic 2.8 tires and it clears seat stays and the seat tube with no problems.
The new rear triangle is Boost compatible and both this and the non-Boost rear frames will be available until the non-Boost frames are out of stock.
Ibis tested a lot of tires and they like the handling and responsiveness of the 2.8 tire, specially for this caliber of all mountain bikes. The bike achieves a good balance of playfulness and steering while gaining the gobs of traction offered up by 2.8 tires at about 15psi.
They also wanted to work within the constraints of their existing 35mm carbon wheels and they said 2.8 tires are the max of what these width rims can handle with little handling compromise.
Here’s where it gets tricky. The heights of 2.3 tire and 2.8 tire are different with the 2.8 tire taller by 6mm or .25 inches. The unsagged bb height of the original HD3 is 13.4 inches with 2.3 tires. So unsagged, the bb height of the HD3 Plus with 2.8 tires rises to about 13.65 inches.
But the beauty of it according to Ibis is 2.8 tires are ridden with much lower tire pressure. Maybe 14-16 psi for 150 lb riders. At these pressures, the tires sag several millimeters more than a 2.3 tire at 22 psi. So the net effect on the bb height is not that high, perhaps 2-4 mm.
The good news is your existing HD3 frame can be upgraded fairly easily. With a rear swingarm replacement, the frame will become Boost and 2.8 tire compatible. The old wheels can be converted to Boost with a hub conversion kit from Lindareets.
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