This week MtnBikeRiders received a new carbon hardtail from Ibex Bikes, their Maroc 26, for testing and review. The frame is a stealth black/grey with the carbon weaving visibly bleeding through in a few places for a nice visual affect. Here is the build spec and geometry from Ibex.
2011 – Maroc 26 Specifications
Frame: Carbon Fiber 3K Internal Cabling for Shifters
Fork: Rock Shox Reba RLT Tapered 100mm Travel
Shifters: SRAM X-9
Front Derailleur: SRAM X-9
Rear Derailleur: SRAM X-9 Carbon
Crankset: SRAM X-9 2spd (28/42T) BB30 175mm
Cassette: SRAM 10-Speed (12-36T)
Chain: SRAM PC1051
Brakes: Avid Elixer CR Rotors F185/R160
Rims: WTB Speed Disc Cross Country
Hubs: WTB Laser Disc Lite
Tires: WTB Wolverine 2.1 Team, XC 120tpi
Headset: FSA #42/ACB
Cockpit Set: RaceFace
Saddle: WTB Rocket V
Pedals: None
2011 – Maroc 26 Geometry
Frame Size: 20.9″
Head Angle:69.5°
Seat-Tube Angle: 73°
Effective Top-Tube Length: 24.2″
Chain-Stay Length: 16.7″
BB Height: 11.73″
Offset (mm): 40mm
Wheelbase: 43.6″
Stand over: 30.9″
Crankarm Length: 175mm
Stem Size: 6°x110mm
I want to start by pointing out the things that Ibex does not list in their spec. It also include Raceface carbon bars (appox 670-680mm – a little narrow by my tastes, but still effective), Raceface carbon seatpost, and internal derailleur routing, which you can see in the first pic. Out of the box the bike weighted in at 23lb 5oz. I put on pedals, bottle cage, and Ergon grips which are in the photos.
The Maroc came with the Elixir brakes with dual mount for the brake levers and shifters. Also on the bars is a remote for the fork lock-out. This will be my first time with the shifter/brake lever dual mount system. It didn’t lend itself to my more esoteric positioning I normally run in my cockpit, but I don’t foresee it being a big problem either.
With SRAM X-9 drivetrain the Maroc won’t be a slacker with it comes to shifting on the trail. The all around component build is absolutely solid.
A fork with a lockout is a must for me, and the Maroc also includes a fork remote on the bars.
There are a couple geometry things that caught my attention right away before looking at the specs. First the head angle is a bit slack for a hardtail at 69.5°. I’ll definitely make use of that on the downhill. And the second was that the top tube was on the shorter end from what I’m used to (ETT 24.2″). This just seems to tell me that this is a more all-a-round geometry rather than race oriented. The frame looks solid with a down-tube that is a nice thick, almost octagonal shape. I look forward to putting the it through its paces in the upcoming weeks.
If anyone has any questions about the Maroc, just leave a comment.
