The Toolbox Concept - Jibb V2 and Madonna V3 Adjustability

The Yalla! was launched in 2022 as a bike ready to compete on the highest level of downhill racing. An important part of the recipe was the Toolbox Concept we introduced. The idea was simple: we wanted to offer adjustability on the key metrics of the bike, so riders could optimize their bike depending on personal preferences, track characteristics and conditions.


While the Yalla! was being raced at the world cups we started the development of the Madonna V3 and Jibb V2 and we were very curious how the Toolbox Concept would benefit the two bikes with much broader use cases. The Yalla! has a clear focus, where as the Jibb and Madonna are very good at doing many things.


During the process we mainly learned how small changes to a solid base can shift the bike’s focus depending on the rider's preferences. The Jibb V2 and Madonna V3 offer adjustability at the chainstay length, BB height and suspension progression. The straight head tube also allows for angle adjustment with Works Components headsets. 


Your Jibb V2 or Madonna V3 comes out of the box with the mid settings and from there you can make small, but noticeable adjustments with separately available hardware. This hardware is shared between the Jibb V2, Madonna V3 and Yalla!. Only the Rear Wheel Axle is 9 mm longer on the Yalla!, everything else on the hardware is shared between the three bikes.


The out-of-the-box mid-settings are our first recommendation and if all the options are not your thing, no worries, there is no need to make changes. But when you get to know your bike better and have personal preferences, you can. The Jibb V2 and Madonna V3 offer the following adjustments:


Chain Stay Length

  • 5 mm longer chainstays will shift your weight to the front wheel, this will make it easier to load the front tyre and manage grip and balance between the two wheels. Your bike will feel more balanced and calm. It will also require more energy input to point the bike in the direction you want it to go.
  • 5 mm shorter chainstays will make your bike a little more lively, it will be easier to lift the front wheel but also make it harder to put pressure on the front tyre. This will require a little adjustment in your body position on the bike in key moments to not have your front wheel wash out.

BB Height

  • Raising the BB will make it easier to lift the front wheel and change directions, it will also give more clearance to the ground with your feet. The downside is that you’ll feel like you’re more on top of your bike, where your feet play less of a role in steering your bike. The bike will also feel less planted and cornering might be easier to initiate, but the carving through the corner won’t be as confident.
  • Lowering the BB is interesting for steep terrain, you’ll be able to surf and push your bike with your feet, a bit like skiing in deep powder. But be careful, a low BB will make for easier contact with the ground and it will make the bike less lively.

Suspension Progression

  • More progression will raise the BB dynamically, you’ll effectively ride higher in travel and use less. This will make your bike feel more efficient, upright and you’ll have more reserves for big impacts.
  • Less progression will lower the BB dynamically, you’ll effectively ride lower in travel and use more of what’s available. If you feel like you’re not using your travel enough this can be an option. 

Head Angle

The 56 mm head tube on your Jibb V2 or Madonna V3 allows for a 1° adjustment with headsets from Works Components.

  • A slacker head angle will make the front more capable, but be careful, it will also push the front wheel further away from you, making it harder to load the front tyre. 
  • A steeper head angle will make the bike more nimble. Easier to maneuver and could go together well with a shorter rear end. 

Wheel Size

The Jibb V2 and Madonna V3 are based around 29” wheels but offer a Lower Shock Mount that is designed to compensate for a 27,5” rear wheel, bringing back the geo to where it was with 29”. The ‘MX Lower Shock Mount’ does not allow for further adjustments to the BB height or suspension progression. 


We generally recommend a 29” setup, but the smaller rear wheel can mainly help shorter riders with trouser clearance. There are more details though to the wheel size options that you can read about in this Madonna V3 deep dive.