Description

2016 Ibis Tranny 29 Mountain Bike Frame

The freedom to swap between full cassettes and singlespeed setups is a non-guaranteed XC right that the activists at Ibis Cycles certainly aren’t prepared to let go undefended. If you overlook its questionable naming convention, the Tranny Mountain Bike Frame lets you swap between one cog and many cogs, empowering those who appreciate testing themselves on a singlespeed without sacrificing the option of a full cassette for more grueling terrain.

The Tranny is molded as a carbon fiber monocoque in two separate sections. At the seatstay junction, the wishbone is effectively bolted into a double shear bracket on the back of the seat tube and is shaped to allow a small degree of radial movement. This allows for the chain-tensioning effect of the Slot Machine tensioning unit found just aft of the bottom bracket. As the name implies, there is a slot that allows the clamping hardware in the chainstays to have 15mm of fore and aft movement, and it’s protected by a molded rubber sheath that blocks out dirt, keeping the unit creak-free.

This range of adjustment permits tensioning of the chain when paired with a singlespeed drivetrain, which negates the need for an eccentric bottom bracket. And if you’ve ever pulled your hair out trying to silence a creaky EBB, you’ll appreciate just how much of a benefit that really is. Pull the Slot Machine all the way forward and you can run the Tranny geared with short chainstays for razor-sharp handling in tight trails. But perhaps the Slot Machine’s most unique benefit is that it allows the Tranny frame to be split into two units, making it much more compact when packing for travel.

For all its utility, the Ibis Tranny remains true to its race-proven roots. The low bottom bracket keeps it planted when railing turns, while the short chainstays enhance its responsiveness. With its unified carbon construction, this frame is optimized for stiffness and vibration damping. The front triangle bears some obvious similarities to the Ripley, both in terms of aesthetics and the supremely balanced steering geometry.

The seatstays are noticeably thin, which imparts a comfortable flex into the rear end, while the burly chainstays and oversized pressfit BB92 bottom bracket shell ensure crisp response under power. The internal cable routing is exceptionally well thought-out, and should you run a more stripped-down setup, you can replace the port covers with closed covers to clean up the look. The internal routing is extended to stealth dropper posts as well, which should highlight that the Tranny 29 is a decidedly new-school machine.

The Ibis Tranny Mountain Bike frame is designed for 29-inch wheels only. A size Medium frame weighs approximately 3.08 pounds, without hardware. The frame is available in two colors — Matte Black/blue and Marine Layer — and in four sizes, from Small to X-Large.

XC geometry with 29-inch wheels for pure speed

Monocoque carbon fiber frame for unrivaled weight and stiffness

Allows for single speed conversion with no eccentric bottom bracket

Low bottom bracket for confident stability on corners and terrain

Compliant seatstays absorb trail chatter without compromising efficiency