Jibb "The Tourer" - RAAW of the Month October

From the moment you look at Bastian's Jibb, you can tell that the owner is an enthusiastic mechanic. Yet when he decided to buy it, he wasn't even sure if the Jibb was the right bike for him - after all, most of his riding buddies use much lighter carbon bikes, and long rides are not uncommon. In this latest installment of the RAAW of the Month series, we introduce you to his build. We also find out whether the Jibb eventually convinced him in his bikepacking use.

A lot of people can relate to Bastian's story: After a brief mountain biking intermezzo with a few bike park visits in his youth, he shifted his interests and the hobby of biking became history - at least for a decade. As a way to balance the often exhausting job he has in his own bakery, he got back into it about three years ago. He has enjoyed it ever since. At first, he rode a hardtail around the woods around Erding (Germany), but soon decided he preferred a full suspension bike, so he bought a lightweight 120mm trail bike. Bastian says he experimented a lot with the bike. " I wanted more travel quickly and tried many different tire and suspension settings. At some point, however, the bottom bracket broke off my frame and since the manufacturer didn't want to give me a new frame, I had to get something new. I came across the Jibb when searching for a sturdy aluminum frame. It was immediately available, so I bought it right away. " So love at first sight? Not quite: " As soon as I ordered, the first doubts arose: Does the Jibb really fit my needs or does it seem a bit too much? In the end, however, I thought, "Let's just try it out! "

Bastian has ordered the Jibb in size L and matt black with FOX DPX2 air shock. " I did not want to overdo it at the beginning and chose the "small" rear shock - after all, I was coming from a 120mm chassis. It has been about three months since I switched to the FOX DHX2 Coil and I can say that the rear is now even smoother and much more sensitive. ", he explains his choice of shock. " The color black was chosen because in my opinion it looks better with the tires that have brown Classic Skin sidewalls, which I really wanted to ride. " As a true FOX fan, the question of which suspension fork to ride was also answered quickly: Bastian's Jibb has a Fox 36 fork front, which he modified to fit the overall orange color scheme.

As for the remaining components, he could largely use those from his previous bike: The wheels are Newmen Evolution SL A 30 rims with Tune KillHill / ClimbHill hubs. Mounted on them are Schwalbe Magic Mary / Hans Dampf Super Gravity with the aforementioned brown sidewalls. For the drivetrain, Bastian relies on a mix of SRAM XX1 and SRAM X01 components - but here he already plans to switch to an electronic shifting system in the future to reduce the cable clutter and achieve a cleaner look.

A visual treat are certainly also the installed Formula Cura 2 brakes in orange, which were upgraded with large TrickStuff Dächle discs with 223 / 203mm diameter.

Full Spec List

"I really enjoy tinkering with my bike, as you can probably see from the part list. I am able to switch off and just enjoy the time. Working on the meticulously designed Jibb frame is particularly easy.", Bastian says." In addition to upgrading to electronic shifting, I plan to switch to carbon wheels in the near future."

Speaking of optimizing: Both the shock and fork have been given a tune-up by Anyrace. " It now feels like a fluffy cloud even on the roughest trails after the suspension tuning " Bastian says enthusiastically.

And what about the uphill performance, which he was initially worried about? In this regard, the biggest test so far was a 4-day backpacking tour near Lake Garda with a total of just under 200 km and over 8000 hm: Not only were the rest of the group on significantly lighter carbon trail bikes, it was also Bastian's first multi-day-backpacking tour ever. " Exactly such tours were the reason for my initial worries that the Jibb might be "too much bike" for me. But far from it: not only did I have more fun and speed on the descents, I also rode many uphill sections that others had to push up, " he reports happily. " The rear is absolutely neutral even with the shock open, and the geometry ensures the front wheel sticks to the ground even on steep climbs! ".

By the way, Bastian does a bit of "bikepacking" on every ride: mounted in the frame triangle, you'll find a derailleur hanger, multitool, spare shift cable, tubeless milk, tire levers, a CO2 cartridge and - COVID-19 says hello - a face mask. The bottle cage is equipped with a pump. An emergency blanket is also always carried in a compact saddle bag. " It weighs nothing, but if something happens, I can help myself or others with it. " Even on days out, Bastian usually doesn't need to carry more than a small hip bag with this "everything with you" setup.

As RAAW, we believe bikes should not be classified purely by individual - often overused - key figures, but should be viewed as a whole. A lightweight carbon frame does not automatically translate into a good touring bicycle, nor does a few grams more equate to a bike that cannot go uphill. When making a purchase, this can feel unintuitive. Bastians Jibb, the RAAW of the Month for October, is a shining example of the courage to simply give it a try paying off.

Does your bike have what it takes to be "RAAW of the Month"?

Since we founded RAAW, one thing has given us a lot of pleasure: seeing where, how and by whom our bikes are ridden all over the world and how you use our frame kits to create different, individually optimized works of bike art. That's why from now on, every month we'll choose a particularly successful and exciting bike build from the community as "RAAW of the Month" and present the bike and its rider in detail on our website. In addition to glory and Insta-fame, a 100 € voucher for our online store awaits the lucky winner. Does your bike have what it takes to be "RAAW of the Month"? Check out this page to find out how to apply.