The Ibis Tranny was previously available with 26in wheels only. That version of the Tranny has now been retired, and replaced with one one of the worst kept secrets in the mountain bike industry – the Ibis Tranny 29.
The original Tranny was a versatile carbon hardtail frame, and featured a unique removable rear triangle, which enabled it to be packed smaller for transporting and, in addition, gave an adjustable chainstay length that made it perfect for singlespeed setup too.
This new carbon 29er frame carries over many of the unique features that made the original Tranny stand out from the crowd, and borrows further design inspiration from the Ripley 29.
The slot machine provides an adjustable chainstay length
Key to the Tranny is the 'slot machine' is a large sliding box junction behind the bottom bracket that enables the chainstay length to be adjusted, or the rear triangle completely removed for transport. We've used the Tranny in the past, and found the slot machine to be a very clean way to set up the tension of a singlespeed without the need for a sliding dropout or eccentric bottom bracket. The Tranny 29 also includes a rubber dust cover to protect the slot machine from the elements.
The geometry has been designed to run either a 100mm travel fork with 44mm offset for a more lively feel, or a longer 120mm travel fork with 51mm offset (Trek G2 style) for a ride closer to that of the Ibis Ripley 29, but with a lower bottom bracket height.
Thru-axle rear end and slender seatstays should help to keep the frame stiff, yet compliant
Unlike the 26in version, the new Tranny 29 can also be used with a Gates belt drive. Other frame features include a BB92 bottom bracket, carbon post-mount rear brake mount, 142 x 12mm Maxle rear axle and a tapered head tube.
With internal cabling space for dropper seat posts and derailleurs, a clean setup should be easily achieved – though an internally routed dropper post and/or rear derailleur must be set up with full-cable housing. Additionally, Ibis will offer changeable cable ports, so you could run blank ports if you're not running as many cables.
The Tranny 29 will be available in four frame sizes and claims to comfortably fit a 2.3in tyre. Claimed frame weight is 1.4kg (3.08lb): not super light, but reasonable considering the detachable rear end. Frame only, the Tranny 29 will cost US1,699 (UK price £1599.99, Aus TBC) with complete bikes starting from US$2,999 (UK £2899.99). More information and detailed pricing can be found at Ibiscycles.com.