Since I have both bikes, I thought I'd start up a thread comparing the two bikes. I will include component lists, costs, and weight.
First up, IP-057 Hardtail, weight as built 19.5 lbs (8.85kg):
Specs:
Riding Impressions:The IP-057 is a great bike, with my setup I've created a very comfortable riding position with the WTB saddle and riser bars. I built this hardtail because I wanted a 29er and I wanted something simple. Last April when I put this bike together, the IP057 frame was still new and I needed to wait approx 30 days for delivery. I'm glad I did. The carbon does a really good job of damping small vibrations. It just doesn't beat me up like an Aluminum frame bike does. Even though you don't feel any flex with this frame, the carbon will give somewhat to help soak up small bumps.
My favorite part of riding this bike is the way it climbs, so efficiently that you just feel as though you are using 30% less energy to make it up a long climb, or you can get up the hill that much faster if I put in the same effort as I did on one of my old bikes. The bike is also good downhill, maintaining good control over rough sections.
So, to sum it up, the IP-057 is a comfortable, light, and efficient ride.
Next up, IP-036 Full Suspension, weight as built 24 lbs (10.9kg)
Specs:
Riding Impressions:When I built my IP-057 last year I had no plans of building a carbon FS 29er but here I am with two bikes now. One of the reasons I built this bike was that I liked the FS on the 26" Epic that I had, but the bike just felt too small after riding a 29er. The Epic was a 2004 but I had put in many upgrades. I made the decision to sell the Epic and my Trek 69er to help fund a new Carbon FS 29er. Even after building the IP-057, I had not totally made up my mind to build another Chiner. I did lots of demo rides from Intense, Giant, Scott, and Specialized. All the big brands have their strong points but their main weak point was price. I just couldn't make myself pay 2X for a bike with lesser components. I was also lucky enough to test ride a locally branded IP-036 at a nearby MTB race. The bike felt good, certainly good enough for half the price.
So in February I decided to start building a IP-036. I knew I wanted to go again with XT brakes and an XX1 drivetrain. However, I needed to choose wheels, fork, and a rear shock. I found deals on a Fox CTD fork and Fox CTD rear shock, both with remote lockouts. When I rode the Scott Spark 920 it had dual lockouts and I thought, hey might as well do that setup.
Today I took the IP-036 on it's third ride. It takes at least a couple rides to get a good feel for a new bike and make any adjustments needed to get everything just right. After this ride, I can say for sure that I am glad I now have a FS bike to go along with my hardtail.
The great thing about a FS 29er is that it makes every root, rock and bump feel much smaller. The suspension does a really good job of soaking up the rough trail and giving the rider a much more comfortable ride. Being FS, the bike is also very fast and controllable downhill. I hit a higher speed this ride than I usually do on the same downhill on my IP-057 with less effort. I can probably eek out another 2-3 mph top speed on the IP-036. For this build, I went with a 90mm stem and flat bars, this gives the IP-036 a different feel, a 20mm shorter stem is making the bike feel smaller even though the wheelbase is longer.
If I were to go on an all day ride I would take the IP-036 for its comfort and the ability for it to soak up the trail, if I wanted to go on a short ride and just run a 1-2 hr long sprint, I'd chose the IP-057 for it's great climbing ability.
