RAAW Introduces the Jibb 2

Morgins, Switzerland - A hidden gem nestled close to the French border and one of the stars of the Portes du Soleil area. A place still dominated by downhill bikes that offers four tracks, built to absolute perfection and with an intimidating character. Not the place you’d expect to show up with a 135mm bike. But somehow, I was sitting next to my full-face helmet on the chairlift up to the top of the bikepark.

It was one of those brilliant summer days with friends and frankly, I was a little nervous of what I’d got myself into. Two pedal strokes later and I realized that the track we were about to drop into started with an optional gap into the first berm that I now had to hit. Then, like a switch, it happened. The bike didn’t shy away from the ensuing madness one bit and the party was on!

It was so direct, every ounce of input translated straight away into action and the feedback from the chassis simply screamed for more. It wasn’t long before I’d bitten off more than I could chew and the Jibb’s short travel needed a bit of help from my side. But even those close calls were handled as a team and with some steadfast reassurance, leaving me to ride them out with a grin plastered on my face like a kid who’d just gotten away with murder.

The Jibb wasn’t designed to replace downhill bikes, and it won’t. But it is made to ride up, down and chase its tail all over the mountains. It brings the Madonna’s DNA to an all-around more playful package and entices you to be an active part of the ride. The Jibb does demand more involvement from the rider when things get rough but doesn’t shy away from the big stuff one bit. The chassis gives you all the feedback and confidence you need and makes it an ideal companion for long rides in the hills all the way through to wild bike park days.

Pricing & Availability

Frame Kits

Jibb frame-kits are available right now, worldwide and start at 2.290 Euro in the EU and include 19% VAT. Pricing in the rest of the world starts at 1.924,37 Euro.

Formula shock options are in stock and Fox shock options are ready to order with an expected delivery date in April.

Bikes

A limited run of full bikes is ready to order and will be available in May. Pricing starts at 5.490 Euro and is only available in Europe due to restrictions on worldwide shipments of large boxes.

For more information, head on over to raawmtb.com.

Technical Specifications

Tech Specs

Geometry

The Jibb comes in four different sizes from S to XL all with 29” wheels front and rear.

135mm in the back and 150mm up front give the bike a very defined feel. There’s no chance of losing yourself somewhere in the travel while also not slamming into the end of it all day long. The bike will also accept a 160mm travel fork like a dream, although the geometry will change slightly.

WEIGHT BALANCE

We believe it’s very important to have balance between the front and rear of the bike. That’s why the chain stays grow in proportion with the front of the bike. The different sizes come with growing chain stay lengths following what we think fits best. But we appreciate that riders have their own preferences. So we also offer additional inserts in our shop to change and experiment with different chain stay lengths. At the front, the 65.5° head tube angle gives the rider plenty of traction at the front wheel, resulting in confidence and control. The feedback you get from the Jibb in corners invites you to let go of the brakes completely.

SEATED POSITION

The seated position on the Jibb is very centred without feeling cramped. Compared to the Madonna, the saddle position is a touch further back to make up for the 10mm shorter reach. The result is a similar riding position between the same sized Jibb and Madonna V2.

BB HEIGHT

The static BB drop is 35mm just like the Madonna. But the dynamic height is a little higher due to the shorter travel. This makes the Jibb feel more active, easier to pull up and be played with on the trail.

The ‘four bar linkage’ suspension layout delivers a consistently and smoothly growing leverage ratio that ends at just over 15% of progression. This progression leads to great support and makes the 135mm of travel feel very defined while not bottoming out all day long. The high main pivot is designed around a one-by drivetrain delivering superb pedalling efficiency. A high starting leverage ratio combined with ball bearings on the shock pivots makes the suspension supple in all situations.

The influence of braking on the suspension is designed to be active at the beginning of the travel, allowing impacts to be absorbed while braking. Deeper in the travel the influence of braking ramps up and gives the rider more support when things get rowdy.

SUSPENSION DESIGN

Shock Choice

We work closely with FOX and have custom tunes. We offer two air and one coil options. Generally speaking, we see a big advantage in air shocks as they offer more and finer adjustability. It’s easier to change a little in air pressure than it is to change spring. Volume spacers in air shocks are also a very nice way to change the shock to the way you want it to feel.

The coil shock offers small bump sensitivity that is second to none. But honestly, we get pretty close with the ball bearings on the shock pivots with air shocks as well.

MATERIAL & DESIGN

Aluminium

For us aluminium is the best material for a mountain bike. It’s light, strong, impact resistant and allows for a very durable design. We use complex and modern production techniques such as hydroforming, forging and CNC machining to create a product that performs and lasts to today’s real-life standards.

Carbon fibre might be lighter and could potentially save around 500g but doesn’t offer the same durability and impact resistance. Weight is important when climbing, but the seated position and pedalling efficiency play a much bigger role in making the Jibb an excellent climber.

Design

The straight lines of the Jibb underline our functional approach to bike design. Every tube, forged part and piece of hardware has been designed to, first and foremost, fulfill its purpose in the most effective way. The downtube points straight to the BB for maximum ground clearance and to be out of the way of all the loose rocks flying around.

Hardware & Pivots

Durability and performance meet on the suspension’s pivot design. Ten 28mm bearings and two 52mm bearings are fully sealed with a ‘hub-cap-style’ pivot design. Every single pivot is sealed from water, dust and mud and guarantees long term performance. The shock bushings have been replaced with ball bearings and add to the sensitivity of the suspension. The frame’s hardware is designed to work with a single 5mm Allen key and guarantees a simple and easy working environment for maintenance. You won’t need three hands and a degree in science to take care of your bike. The Jibb avoids beating around the bush and comes standard with a 203mm brake mount on all sizes. 180mm brake mounts are also available, if that’s what you prefer.

FEATURES AND GEAR INTEGRATION

FRAME PROTECTION

The chain stay protector from the Madonna also fits the Jibb and can also simply be stuck to the frame. It’s made from the same soft rubber and features a ribbed pattern to silence chain-slap. The ribs are exaggerated towards the front of the protector and cover every single bit of chain stay that would otherwise be exposed to the chain. The inside of the right seat stay is also protected with a pre-cut silicon piece.

The down tube protector is made from soft 5mm thick rubber, can simply be stuck to the frame and it covers the full width of the down tube.

GEAR STORAGE

The Jibb features an external solution for gear integration. Two bottle cage bosses under the top tube accept mounts from accessory brands, like Wolf Tooth, offering straps and bags for personalized storage. A bottle cage mount on the downtube is also standard on the Jibb.

More information is available at raawmtb.com.

View key specs, compare products, and rate the RAAW Jibb in the Vital MTB Product Guide.