While their wheels may be small, the fun factor on these 27.5″ bikes is huge. The Santa Cruz 5010 vs Ibis Mojo 4 go head to head to see which one jibs, jumps, and plays the hardest. One of them feels ultra-quick, nimble, and lively, while the other rides like a bigger and burlier bike. Read on to find out which is which.

Let’s start with a quick overview of each bike. Then, we will dive into the comparisons.

Build Kits and Price Santa Cruz 5010 vs Ibis Mojo 4

Santa Cruz 5010 vs Ibis Mojo 4 key geometry numbers

Mini Reviews

Santa Cruz 5010 Mini Review

The 5010 is Santa Cruz’s short-travel, fun-sized play bike. It rolls on 27.5” wheels and has geometry designed for being quick and nimble. It uses the new Lower Link VPP design which gives it that characteristic Santa Cruz feel. Except, the 5010 feels a little more efficient and supportive than some of the other Santa Cruz bikes, including the Tallboy. The suspension rides deep, provides tons of traction, smooths out little bumps, and ramps up nicely at the end of the stroke. It’s not ultra-efficient on the climbs, but it gets to the top without any fuss and the more active suspension platform makes the 5010 great in technical climbs. The frame feels stout which adds to the burly factor — it rides like a much bigger bike. The front end feels tall and confident, but I did have to make a conscious effort to keep the front wheel weighted in corners.

Ibis Mojo 4 Mini Review

Ibis released the newest version of the Mojo earlier this year. It saw some very welcomed changes like a longer reach, slacker head tube angle, and Ibis’ Traction tune. These updates completely changed the bike for the better. The older iteration wasn’t nearly as capable as the 4th edition. Like the 5010, the Mojo has 27.5” wheels, 130mm (r) and 140mm (f) of travel. It utilizes the DW Link platform which is top-tier when it comes to smoothing out small bumps. The Mojo has the so-called “hover bike” feel. It motors over small bumps, rocks, and roots like they aren’t even there. The Mojo’s climbing performance is some of the best, despite the Maxxis Assegai tires gluing this thing to the ground. It accelerates very quickly both up and downhill. The frame isn’t the stiffest or burliest. It doesn’t allow for pure monster trucking. Although, that’s not the intended application of the bike. For a trail bike, the frame is stiff enough — just don’t plan on riding world cup rock gardens at pace.

Santa Cruz 5010 vs Ibis Mojo 4 Comparisons

Climbing Efficiency

• Mojo 4 — From a pure efficiency standpoint, the Mojo is faster than the 5010. There’s less pedal bob, the body position is more centered and the bike scoots forward incredibly fast. The DW Link on Ibis bikes is pretty much unmatched in the climbing department. While I’ve said this about every Ibis I’ve ridden, there’s just something special to the way they climb and accelerate. It feels so lively and energetic. 
• 5010 — While the 5010 feels bigger and burlier than the Mojo when pointed downhill, it also feels that way on the climbs. It climbs more like a standard all-mountain bike than it does a quick, snappy trail bike. That said, compared to Santa Cruz’s other offerings, it’s one of the best climbers, excluding the Blur of course.

Technical Climbing Santa Cruz 5010 vs Ibis Mojo 4

• Mojo 4 — Technical climbing is a lot of fun when your bike leaves you with enough energy to give it a valiant effort. The Mojo has quite a few things going for it in the technical climbs category. Its energetic feel encourages you to try the tough lines on the tough climbs. The Traction Tune keeps the rear wheel planted so you don’t slip out. The bike’s steep seat tube angle keeps your weight centered so you’re not popping wheelies the entire time. It doesn’t really have any technical climbing flaws. You could argue the wheelbase and reach are long, and you’d be right. It isn’t quite as easy to navigate a tight corner as the 5010.  
• 5010 — If I had to climb an impossibly technical climb and could only choose between the Mojo and the 5010, I’d take the 5010. The Mojo seems near perfect in technical climbing until you ride a 5010. There’s more traction, a little shorter wheelbase, and the suspension is more active to absorb bigger bumps on the climbs. It’s not as energetic as the Mojo, but when it comes to brute force smashing up rocks, efficiency isn’t always king.

Weight

• No contest. The Mojo 4 is lighter.

Handling Santa Cruz 5010 vs Ibis Mojo 4

• Mojo — Time for a little imagination vacation. Close your eyes and imagine you’re riding… oh yeah, reading is hard with your eyes closed. Keep them open, but imagine you’re riding a short-travel, small-wheeled bike that’s main purpose is to find every side hit, slap every berm, and zip in and out of corners. Can you picture it? The Mojo feels closer to that picture than the 5010. It’s ultra-quick in corners, loves to jump, and eats tight berms for breakfast.
• 5010 — Ready for another vacation? Here we go. Imagine you’re riding a short-travel, small-wheeled bike that rides well above its travel category. That’s the 5010. It doesn’t feel as quick and snappy as the Mojo, despite having a shorter reach and wheelbase. It seems to perform better on more open trails with faster straightaways.

Downhill Capability Santa Cruz 5010 vs Ibis Mojo 4

• Mojo — Because the Mojo feels more lively, snappy, and quick, it also feels a little more likely to get bucked around on rough sections of trSanta Cruz 5010 vs Ibis Mojo 4ail. The frame doesn’t have the stiffness of the 5010. It tends to bounce around a little bit more as well. Part of it could be the Fox 34 vs the Rockshox Pike on the 5010. I’ve always thought the Pike feels more stout and capable than the 34. The Grip 2 damper in the Mojo’s fox fork, certainly helps, but I still don’t think it can match the bigger stanchions of the Pike.
• 5010 — The 5010 rides above its pay grade. I didn’t hesitate to ride hard terrain on it. It certainly never feels like the limiting factor when the trail gets rough. The VPP suspension does an amazing job. It rides “deep,” meaning it feels pretty plush in the beginning and end strokes. The last bit of travel ramps up well to provide bottom out support and more control. The size-proportionate chainstays give the bike more stability.

Fun Factor Santa Cruz 5010 vs Ibis Mojo 4

• Mojo — In the traditional sense of the word, the Mojo is probably more fun. It’s more lively, energetic, and quicker. It’s perfect for side hits, jumps, and rollers — jibby stuff. The extra short chainstays make it more maneuverable as well.
• 5010 —  The 5010 charges harder. To some people, that is more fun. If I was riding jumps at the bike park, I’d take the 5010. It would be more fun on high-speed, big jumps.

 

Recommendations

Rider A – You like big days in the mountains. You don’t race XC, but hate being slow on climbs. You like the challenge of technical climbs. You don’t care about getting from point A to point B as fast as possible. Some days you just want to take it easy and cruise some blues. You listen to audiobooks while riding. You turn every roller into a jump. You take pride in how fast you can get around a corner. Buy the Ibis Mojo 4.

Rider B – You’re a hard charger on the DH but don’t always ride terrain that requires a 160mm bike. You love jumps. You love big jumps. You hate feeling “under-biked.” You’d rather enjoy the scenery than push the pace on climbs. You listen to music while you ride. You have a season pass to a bike park. You shuttle bikes in a pickup truck. You own a full-face helmet. Buy the Santa Cruz 5010.