There's a time and a place for enduro shred sleds, and this isn't one of them. Ibis' DV9 GX Eagle Complete Mountain Bike begs us to reconsider hardtails -- wiht their snappy power, light weight simplicity, and nimble control, ability to soar up climbs at speeds the taunt the full-suspension beasts that are left in the dust. While Ibis may have taken a little hiatus from the hardtail world, they aren't strangers to the cross-country machines, with previous steeds like the Tranny that offered unique features for XC hot laps, but with the progression in the mountain bike world, the DV9 shows just how damn versatile a hardtail bike can get. The DV9 is meticulously dialed-in, with lofty 29-inch wagon wheels that are built to slay XC loops, and take further up the mountain for agile handling on the trails. The DV9 started as the brainchild of Ibis' CEO Hans Heim wanting to create a frame for his daughter Lili. Lili is in high-school, an active racer, and she has to buy her own bikes, so it needed the rolling benefits of 29-inch wheels, and be affordable and versatile out of necessity as well. Ibis hooks up the DV9 with modern features, such as internal dropper post routing, a tapered head tube, Boost rear axle spacing, and an in-house favorite, a creak-free threaded bottom bracket. The big story with the DV9 is its ability to be competitive on the race course as well as a capable trail bike when you just want to have fun. This is afforded by its progressive, slack geometry and clearance for up to 29x2. 6-inch tires. Of course, the carbon construction keeps things light and stiff (the frame comes in at 1210g) and since it lacks any damping at the rear end, you'll appreciate the vibration cancellation afforded by the composite layup as well as those high volume tires. Compared to the Tranny, the reach numbers on the DV9 grew by 20 to 24mm depending on the size. The head tube also slackens from an XC dedicated 71-degrees to a modern trail 67. 4-degrees with a 120mm fork ...