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Submitted by
tim
a Cross Country Rider
from Bay Area
Date Reviewed: March 2, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | any | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$1650.00 | | Purchased At: | ibis warehouse | | Strengths: | this is the best frame I have ever seen. I can't imagine anything better for all around moutain biking. It has a wonderful neutral stance, ready to take on hill and dale. The frame just looks impecable. Welds are flawless. The chainstays garner comments wherever I go. The bike floats over the trail, leaving me smiling and riding further than before. | | Weaknesses: | They are not building it anymore. Well, not yet...(go castellano go!)
| | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bike Setup: | Zokes fork complements the ride nicely | | Bottom Line: | I bought the bike at the warehouse liquidation. Lucky that I did. They gave me a hell of a deal on the frame and I built it up with a nice mix of parts over the next six months. I can't imagine a better bike. It can do everything! In big ring combos, I can get a small amount of rub on my front derailer, but that may be due to a 9 speed derailer on an 8 speed chain. Otherwise, it just flies. If you can find it, you won't be dissapointed. I recommend it to anyone who wants a little more comfort and a little less zing from their ride. I haven't riden a moots, but the ibis design seems fundamentally better and you get a smidgen more travel. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kourtney Gheen
a Downhiller
from Anchorage, Alaska
Date Reviewed: June 19, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Suicide peaks | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$2450.00 | | Purchased At: | RTR | | Strengths: | This bike is the one!!!!!!!! If I could only have one bike, this would be it. It handles nasty terrain with like it's nobody's buisiness. At the same time it is fast, nimble, and light. | | Weaknesses: | What | | Similar Products Used: | Lightspeed Tsali and Unicoi | | Bike Setup: | Marzochi Atom 80, XTR shifters, deraileurs, and Cassette, RF north shor DH cranks and 36 tooth bash guard, RF DH stem with Azonic Double wall h.bars (28" wide and 2.5" rise. | | Bottom Line: | The silk ti is by far the best soft tail on the plannet. It does not have all the lateral flex that the competition has. It also feels much more snappier and plush than the others. When I die I think I might have mine burried with me. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ted
a Cross Country Rider
from Salt Lake City
Date Reviewed: August 16, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Wasatch Crest, Virgin River Rim | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$2000.00 | | Purchased At: | MTBR Classifieds | | Strengths: | Lightweight
Climbing ability
Shock
Looks
Stiff | | Weaknesses: | Huh? | | Similar Products Used: | Litespeed Pisgah, Santa Cruz Superlight, | | Bike Setup: | All XTR, RF Next LP Cranks, XFly-80 Fork, Thomson stem and post, Monkeylite bars. | | Bottom Line: | I love this bike. It's light, responsive, climbs hills like a mountain goat, and tracks extremely well. I'm very pleased with its climbing ability. Originally, I thought the travel would be lacking at 1.75, but I don't notice the lack of travel at all. It makes a big difference from my Pisgah.
I love this bike. It's like riding a work of art. I don't know what it is about it. Like another reviewer said, this bike has soul.
Castellano really got it right with this bike. Glad to hear he's returning to the bike industry.
One note: This isn't a freeride bike. It's isn't a downiller. If you like to race or ride XC and want a bike that will take you up and down hills and leave you smiling, this is your ride. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Scot
a Racer
from Westchester, New York
Date Reviewed: February 28, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Canaan, West Virginia | | Duration Product Used: | Tested or demo'ed only | | Purchased At: | Unable to Produce Product | | Strengths: | Execellent softtail Frameset that probably would have revolutionized XC racing. | | Weaknesses: | THE COMPANY IBIS IS BANKRUPT AND OUT OF BUSINESS! | | Bottom Line: | Ordered this bicycle through a reputable shop designated by IBIS. After placing a deposit and confering with IBIS direct for custom work and promised the world I was in dismay to find out through my own research that the company was not producing any frames because they beat there vendors for mucho deneros. I hope that one of the several subcontractors who manufactured there products picks up there Silk Ti line so the rest of us can either purchase one or get the parts neccesary to service the ones previously purchased. What I can rest assure is that after conversing with the IBIS Subs I found out why you have gotten such an elite product through the years...these Ti specialists are the best of the best and are truely concerned about you....not like corporate America! | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Grant
a Weekend Warrior
from Mill Valley, CA
Date Reviewed: January 26, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | DeerPark out of Muir Woods | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$2400.00 | | Purchased At: | Sausalito Cyclery | | Strengths: | This is a very fast, very light and no maintenance bike. I have 2,500 miles on it now with no maintenance other than chain replacement. The bike has exceptional climbing power, people who try it say it feels like it has an engine. Extremely good looking, very responsive, explosive climbing and no maintenance. I have take more than a few crashes with no damage to the bike. It's an Ibis, little more to be said. | | Weaknesses: | am 185 and rear end can get away because it is so light. All my life I have ridden a non suspended Ibis SS so this took some getting use to on single track and technical downhill | | Similar Products Used: | I don’t think there is anything close to it. | | Bike Setup: | XTR, Chris King, Time, Thompson, SID Air. | | Bottom Line: | The bottom line is I don’t like to lose out on the trail. I am totally into racing steep hills over cross country rides of 18-40 miles non stop at max power. With the SilkTi I don’t tire out, I don’t get beat up and most important I don’t lose. This is the most explosive climbing machine I have ever ridden. In 15 months I have lost maybe five times. The SilkTi has amazing uphill traction and as others are hitting fatigue and leg burn I am shifting into a higher gear and kicking ass. I would sell my car before I sold my SilkTi. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Scott Randles
a Cross Country Rider
from Baltimore, Maryland USA
Date Reviewed: August 14, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Fair Hill | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$2450.00 | | Purchased At: | Dreamride | | Strengths: | Strong and light
Shock and chainstay design
Attention to detail | | Weaknesses: | Can be a bit flexy under a large rider (I'm 6'2", 180, no way to avoid that with titanium without adding weight) | | Similar Products Used: | Trek SP400, Moots YBB, Litespeed Unicoi | | Bike Setup: | Manitou Elite Fork (added lockout aftermarket), Thomson stem
& seatpost, Chris King Headset (all of these items I received free with frame purchase), XT/XTR, Raceface cranks, Bontrager rims and tires, Time pedals | | Bottom Line: | Every time I go to Fair Hill I ride the same loop, as fast as I can, to begin my ride. I designed this loop to take about one half hour to complete. I then try to ride smoothly during the middle of my ride (1- 1 1/2 hours) and then go hard again for the last half hour. This is the same tactic I use when I race. My last, and first, mountain bike was a GT Avalanche. The best time I had ever ridden on my GT for the first half hour was 31:15. The first time I rode this loop on my Ibis my time was 28:05 (It has never taken me more then 29:00 since). On top of that, my average heart rate was 8 beats per minute less. I have never believed that the bike can make you a better rider, but I do believe some bikes can hold you back, keeping you from becoming your best. An Ibis Silk Ti will never hold you back! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ross
a Cross Country Rider
from Hawaii, USA
Date Reviewed: July 7, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$2200.00 | | Purchased At: | Gary's Bike World | | Strengths: | Titanium
Low maintenance
Quiet | | Weaknesses: | None | | Similar Products Used: | Merlin Fat Beat
Dekerf ST | | Bike Setup: | Next LP's, CK/517 wheelset, Panaracer Fire pro, XTR brakes/derailleurs, Syncros Ti Seatpost, Sid SL | | Bottom Line: | The extra travel over other softtails is amazing. Also you can actually feel the damping work and it works quite well.
Compared to my Fat Beat which is similarly equipped, the extra travel and damping provide a lot better traction on climbs and fast fire roads. Actually feels like a 3" travel rear set at a soft setting (I have the medium elastomers).
I bought the frame and components from Gary's Bike World and he gave me super deal on the package as usual. This is an ideal do everything bike (except the gravity runs) and I highly recommend this bike for anyone doing trail-riding and/or XC. It's light, climbing traction is high, geometry is right on with a 80 mm front fork; i.e., not too twitchy but still nimble, and it's low maintenance. You never have to worry about rear shock settings. Just ride and enjoy. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Christopher
a Racer
from Evergreen Colorado
Date Reviewed: March 27, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Colorado Trail | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$2200.00 | | Purchased At: | Green Mountain Cycles | | Strengths: | Incredible traction, very responsive, simple design, great customer service, oh did I say excellent traction! | | Weaknesses: | I felt like the welds could be have been smoother for the amount of money I spent, yet the frame is still well built. | | Similar Products Used: | AMP B-3, AMP B-5, Airborne Corsair | | Bike Setup: | XTR but of course. Bontrager Race lite/Chris King parts with a Rock Shox SID SL 2001 fork, Time pedals (22.5lbs) | | Bottom Line: | Have you ever wished your mountain bike could climb like your road bike, be able to sprint out of the saddle without any loss of traction? If so then this frame is for you too. I sold several bikes and among other stuff to afford this frame, with no regrets. I find the ride quality to be excellent with 1.75' dampen suspension, furthermore the shock is very simply designed. The best feature of the frame is the chainstays which are .25' plates of Ti that flex like a leaf-spring vertically without any lateral flex. If you want the benifits of a full suspension ride without the monkey motion then think about the Silk Ti. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matt Long
a Racer
from Springfield, MO
Date Reviewed: March 20, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Womble Trail-Mt. Ida, AR | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | A & B Cycles | | Strengths: | responsive handling, beautiful craftsmanship, serious traction and control, easy to maintain, and the ride...oh, the ride | | Weaknesses: | These things aren't cheap | | Similar Products Used: | I've ridden nearly everything out there (4-bar bikes, softtails, high-pivots, parallelogram bikes, etc.)--I've owned a Moots YBB, an S-Works FSR-XC, a Santa Cruz Superlight, and tons of hardtails. | | Bike Setup: | 2001 SID SL fork, XTR kit, Crossmax UST wheels/Python tubeless, Thomson stem / post, Speedplay pedals--22.5 lbs. | | Bottom Line: | I have ridden and bought a lot of bikes in the last 4 or 5 years trying to find the fastest way around a cross country race course. I believe this is it. With most full suspension bikes you lose too much power and have no snap when you need to accelerate. I found that my Moots just didn't have enough travel and that the rear shock often developed a stiction problem, also some unwanted rear triangle flex. I liked the bike but wished for a little less lateral flex and a little more travel. Then this Silk Ti came along, problem solved...
The flat, plate-chainstays virtually eliminated torsional flex and they allow for more travel (1 3/4" vs. 1"), they also provide better quality travel. This bike feels like a dual-suspension rig. The CDE shock eats up small trail vibrations and never seems to bottom out, I can just stay in the saddle over roots and rocks. The shock is well damped (it is a very simple system) and it just glues your rear tire to the trail. The climbing traction is unreal. The comfort is near that of coil sprung duallies--however, this bike weighs 22.5 lbs. and will really accelerate. If you have ever ridden an Ibis Mojo, you'll already know how well these bikes handle (nice and responsive steering, a little on the quick side).
I love this bike. It fits great, it handles great, it's so pretty, and it finally has the right combination of comfort and efficiency. It just floats over the trail and allows the rider to concentrate on pedaling fast. Get one...sell your car, sell your dog, sell your mom...get one. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ted
a Cross Country Rider
from Oakland, Calif., USA
Date Reviewed: January 1, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Redwood and Joaquín Miller parks (Oakland) | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$4650.00 | | Purchased At: | Missing Link Bicycle Cooperative, Berkeley, Calif., USA; phone (510) 843-7471 | | Strengths: | An amazing piece of machinery that has done more to improve my descending and technical skills than the advanced training camps I've attended (though they were good too). The SilkTi climbs as well as my old hardtail, yet on descents is extraordinarily plush compared to it. I've fitted the bike with Bontrager Jones tires, and so equipped the handling is just remarkable. I waited a year for this bike to be produced, and it was worth it. Highly recommended -- a delight on California's Mt. Tam and East Bay trails. One caveat: I only weigh 150 pounds, and have no clue how this or any bike would handle for someone much heavier. (I don't know why mtbr.com doesn't have a place for the SilkTi under complete bikes; it should.) | | Weaknesses: | None whatever. | | Similar Products Used: | Nothing comparable -- it's unique. | | Bike Setup: | XTR gruppo but with SRAM 9.0 derailleur and 7.0 shifters; Bontrager Jones tires; Mavic rims; Cane Creek headset; Race Face stem; riser bars with bar ends (don't let fashion dissuade you -- even if you've got riser bars, bar ends are essential for steep climbing). | | Bottom Line: | Without a peer as far as I'm concerned. Undeniably expensive, but worth it. Ibis let me visit the factory (in Santa Rosa, Calif., USA) to test-ride it before buying. Also, if you live in the Bay Area, Missing Link is an excellent bike shop and a good place to buy it. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
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