Thought it would be fun to do a 20 year MTB showdown – my old 1991 Specialized Stumpjumper vs the circa 2011 Ibis Mojo HD. Over the next month or two the ‘plan’ is to take both bikes out on a few adventures — XC, AM, Downhill etc — and assuming the Stumpy doesn’t kill me, see what differences 20 years of MTB make out on the trail!
Road Bicycle vs MotoX
I loved riding the Stumpy for many years, but look at the bike and you get some idea of how different the MTB scene was back in the late 80’s/early 90’s. MTB’s were low and long with a stretched forward riding position, and overall were still closely related to road bikes but with burly rims, tires, flat bars and triple chain rings. It’s not surprising then that XC style riding was the main thing guys did for MTB fun.
A quick glance at the Ibis Mojo HD and it’s clear it’s a very different beast, from a different era. Squint your eyes and it’s a motoX bike without a motor, and that pretty much sums it up IMO. All Mountain bikes and what the best guys are doing on them these days has far more in common with motocross than anything else.
The pivotal difference between the two bikes for me though is the riding position which on the Mojo HD is far more upright. My back likey!
In Part II the plan is to check out the differences in frame and components before hitting the trail. Yeah you guessed it, I am putting off risking life and limb on the Stumpy for as long as I can! 😛