Review: Ibis Ripmo
What would happen if you took an Ibis Ripley and combined it with a Mojo HD4? Well, one thing's for sure – it would have to be called the Ripmo, following the time-honored tradition of calling celebrity couples by one cringe-inducing nickname. Kimye, Brangelina... You know the drill.
The result of Ibis' matchmaking has 29” wheels, a full carbon frame, and 145mm of rear travel delivered by a dw-link suspension layout. Ibis' geometry numbers have traditionally been on the more conservative side, but they've gone thoroughly modern with the Ripmo, and the relatively long reach, steep seat tube angle, and reduced offset fork put it right in the mix with the latest crop of longer travel 29ers.
The result of Ibis' matchmaking has 29” wheels, a full carbon frame, and 145mm of rear travel delivered by a dw-link suspension layout. Ibis' geometry numbers have traditionally been on the more conservative side, but they've gone thoroughly modern with the Ripmo, and the relatively long reach, steep seat tube angle, and reduced offset fork put it right in the mix with the latest crop of longer travel 29ers.
Ibis Ripmo
Intended use: all-mountain / enduro
Travel: 145mm rear / 160mm front
Wheel size: 29"
Frame construction: carbon fiber
Head angle: 65.9º
Chainstay length:
Colors: black olive / tangerine sky
Sizes: S, M, L, XL
Weight: 29.1 lb (13.2 kg) size large, w/o pedals
Price: $8,169 USD as tested
More info: www.ibiscycles.com
Intended use: all-mountain / enduro
Travel: 145mm rear / 160mm front
Wheel size: 29"
Frame construction: carbon fiber
Head angle: 65.9º
Chainstay length:
Colors: black olive / tangerine sky
Sizes: S, M, L, XL
Weight: 29.1 lb (13.2 kg) size large, w/o pedals
Price: $8,169 USD as tested
More info: www.ibiscycles.com
There are five complete builds available, with prices starting at $4,099 for the NX kit, all the way up to $9,399 for the XX1 kit. Our test bike began with the X01 build kit, and was upgraded with a Fox Float X2 rear shock and a set of Ibis' carbon wheels, which brought the final price up to $8,169 USD. Want to build your dream bike from the frame up? The Ripmo frame alone goes for $2,999 USD.
 | The Ripmo is quick and lively, with plenty of travel to take the edge off the occasional line choice error. |
Construction and Features
Just like the name implies, the Ripmo's look combines aesthetic elements from Ibis' Ripley and Mojo. According to designer Roxy Lo, “I felt like the era of straight, aggressive and angular, mixed in with a little swoop, might just be a fun and efficient way to approach this new platform.” The result is a carbon frame that still has a distinctly Ibis look, but with all of the features that today's riders are looking for in a longer travel 29er. There's a threaded bottom bracket, clearance for up to 2.6” tires, and plenty of room for a water bottle, even with a larger shock like Fox's Float X2 installed.
In addition, the Ripmo's short seat tube allows for the use of longer travel dropper posts – at 5'11” I was able to use a post with 175mm of drop on a size large frame with plenty of room left for adjustment.
Not all methods of internal cable routing are created equal, but Ibis went with one of the best options possible – molding tubes to the inside of the frame. Feed the housing from one end and it'll pop out the other, all without needing to resort to a combination of zip ties, dental tools, and magic to coax it out of the frame.
![Ibis Ripmo review]()
![Ibis Ripmo review]()
Bushings vs. Bearings
Ibis chose to use bushings rather than cartridge bearings for the Ripmo's lower link pivots, citing the fact that bushings work well in areas with high forces and minimal rotation. That's true in theory, but removing the rear shock from the Ripmo and cycling the suspension revealed what I would call a significant amount of friction from those bushings.
Sure, the swingarm acts as a large enough lever to overcome that friction, and the rear suspension felt very smooth out on the trail, but I couldn't help but wonder if it could be even smoother. There's a reason we're starting to see more shocks released with cartridge bearing mounts – the reduced friction they create is noticeable, particularly when it comes to small bump sensitivity. Ibis does offer free lifetime replacement on the bushings, but still, I wish they'd gone with cartridge bearings.
According to Travis McCart, Ibis' Quality Engineer, they've recently implemented a change to the frame assembly that's designed to alleviate some of the friction I noticed, and the video below is of a frame that was recently pulled from the production line.
"After receiving our first test frames, we experimented with opening up the ID as much as we could so that there is minimal friction but also no free play, even after the break in period. Based on our test results, we decided that we could open the lower pivot tube spec by .2mm to achieve the performance we wanted. To do this, we have added a final reaming process, and we check every pivot bore with go and no-go pin gauges that are within a few hundredths of a millimeter of each other in diameter. The result is that all production frames have a very smooth suspension action with minimal friction."
![Ibis Ripmo review]()
![Ibis Ripmo review]()
Just like the name implies, the Ripmo's look combines aesthetic elements from Ibis' Ripley and Mojo. According to designer Roxy Lo, “I felt like the era of straight, aggressive and angular, mixed in with a little swoop, might just be a fun and efficient way to approach this new platform.” The result is a carbon frame that still has a distinctly Ibis look, but with all of the features that today's riders are looking for in a longer travel 29er. There's a threaded bottom bracket, clearance for up to 2.6” tires, and plenty of room for a water bottle, even with a larger shock like Fox's Float X2 installed.
In addition, the Ripmo's short seat tube allows for the use of longer travel dropper posts – at 5'11” I was able to use a post with 175mm of drop on a size large frame with plenty of room left for adjustment.
Not all methods of internal cable routing are created equal, but Ibis went with one of the best options possible – molding tubes to the inside of the frame. Feed the housing from one end and it'll pop out the other, all without needing to resort to a combination of zip ties, dental tools, and magic to coax it out of the frame.
Tubes molded into the Ripmo's carbon frame make internal cable routing hassle-free.
igus bushings are use for the Ripmo's lower link.
Bushings vs. Bearings
Ibis chose to use bushings rather than cartridge bearings for the Ripmo's lower link pivots, citing the fact that bushings work well in areas with high forces and minimal rotation. That's true in theory, but removing the rear shock from the Ripmo and cycling the suspension revealed what I would call a significant amount of friction from those bushings.
Sure, the swingarm acts as a large enough lever to overcome that friction, and the rear suspension felt very smooth out on the trail, but I couldn't help but wonder if it could be even smoother. There's a reason we're starting to see more shocks released with cartridge bearing mounts – the reduced friction they create is noticeable, particularly when it comes to small bump sensitivity. Ibis does offer free lifetime replacement on the bushings, but still, I wish they'd gone with cartridge bearings.
According to Travis McCart, Ibis' Quality Engineer, they've recently implemented a change to the frame assembly that's designed to alleviate some of the friction I noticed, and the video below is of a frame that was recently pulled from the production line.
"Friction was a huge concern for us when considering to switch from bearings to bushing for the lower pivot. We knew from testing that bushings would have an advantage over bearings because they were stiffer, lighter, and would not become "notchy" feeling, but we also knew that they might be perceived as inferior to bearings due to increased friction. With all the steps suspension companies have been taking to eliminate friction, we realized we would have to spend a lot of time and effort refining and tightening our tolerances to minimize the friction in our system.
A reduced seat tube height allows for the use of longer travel dropper posts.
The Ripmo comes stock with a Fox DPX2, but the X2 is available as an upgrade.
Geometry & Sizing
Ibis stepped away from the shorter and steeper geometry numbers found on many of their other bikes and moved towards more modern figures for the Ripmo. A size large has a 470mm reach, 76-degree seat angle, and a 65.9-degree head angle with a 160mm fork. That head angle number isn't wildly slack for this style of bike, but Ibis claim that by going with a 44mm offset fork the bike handles like it has a slacker head angle. Ibis also worked to ensure that the bike would fit a wide range of rider heights, which isn't always the case when it comes to long travel 29ers - companies often stop the size chart at a size medium.
Suspension Design
The Ripmo uses a dw-link suspension layout for its 145mm of rear travel. Two short links connect the swingarm to the front triangle, while the shock is driven by a yoke that's mounted to the seat stays. The bike's anti-squat percentage is above 100% at the sag point, and the leverage curve is progressive initially, before becoming slightly regressive at the end of the stroke, which means that the bike is best suited to an air rather than coil shock.
Specifications
![Ibis Ripmo]()
| Specifications | ||
| Price | $8169 | |
| Travel | 145mm | |
| Rear Shock | Fox Float X2 210 x 55mm | |
| Fork | Fox Float 36 RC2 Factory Series 160mm, 44mm offset | |
| Headset | Cane Creek 40 ZS44/ZS56 | |
| Cassette | SRAM XG 1295 EAGLE 10-50T | |
| Crankarms | SRAM XO1 Eagle Carbon 32T Direct Mount. 175mm | |
| Rear Derailleur | SRAM Eagle X01 12 Speed | |
| Chain | SRAM X01 EAGLE | |
| Shifter Pods | SRAM Eagle X01 12 Speed | |
| Handlebar | Ibis carbon 31.8mm | |
| Stem | Thomson Elite X4 | |
| Grips | Lizard Skins | |
| Brakes | Shimano XT M8000 | |
| Wheelset | Ibis 942 carbon | |
| Hubs | Ibis | |
| Tires | Maxxis Minion DHF 2.5 / Maxxis Aggressor 2.5 | |
| Seat | Ibis custom saddle, cro-mo rails | |
| Seatpost | KS Integra | |
Test Bike Setup
After a few initial rides on the Ripmo I made a few cockpit changes so that it would better suit my preferences. The spec sheet lists an 800mm bar, but the one that arrived measured 760mm, so I swapped it out for a 780mm bar I had lying around. I also switched out the seat – the stock Ibis seat was incredibly narrow, and not something I felt like sitting on for hours at a time.
Based on Ibis' recommendations I set up the Float X2 shock with 25% sag, a number that I stuck with for the duration of testing. I did end up swapping out the 2018 X2 for a 2019 model – I'll go into the details of that switch shortly.
The bulk of my rides aboard the Ripmo took place in Bellingham, Washington, and Squamish, BC, with springtime conditions ranging from slippery mud to the most perfect dirt you've ever seen.
Based on Ibis' recommendations I set up the Float X2 shock with 25% sag, a number that I stuck with for the duration of testing. I did end up swapping out the 2018 X2 for a 2019 model – I'll go into the details of that switch shortly.
The bulk of my rides aboard the Ripmo took place in Bellingham, Washington, and Squamish, BC, with springtime conditions ranging from slippery mud to the most perfect dirt you've ever seen.
Mike Kazimer
Location: Bellingham, WA, USA
Age: 35
Height: 5'11"
Inseam: 33"
Weight: 160 lbs
Industry affiliations / sponsors: None
Instagram: @mikekazimer
Location: Bellingham, WA, USA
Age: 35
Height: 5'11"
Inseam: 33"
Weight: 160 lbs
Industry affiliations / sponsors: None
Instagram: @mikekazimer
Climbing
Over the last few months I've tested several bikes with seat angles in the 76-degree range and reach numbers hovering around 470mm, which meant that right from the start the Ripmo felt very familiar. Those numbers work well for my dimensions, putting me in a comfortable position that's well suited for long days in the saddle.
The Ripmo has a quick and efficient feel when climbing, the kind of traits that make it easy to spin out the miles on the way to a big descent. The bike's overall weight is already very reasonable, and yet out on the trail it somehow manages to feel even lighter than what the numbers on the scale say. As you'd expect, it's not quite as fleet-footed as the shorter-travel Ripley, but it's not far off – it's a remarkably speedy climber, even when shod with 2.5" tires front and rear. There's no unwanted bobbing or wallowing, and I never felt the need to reach for the lever that adds more low-speed compression on the Float X2 shock.
![Ibis Ripmo review]()
It felt a little easier to get through tight switchbacks with the shorter offset fork – the front wheel seemed to trace a tighter arc, and it felt more locked into the turn. The same was true while descending – one of my favorite trails has a sustained steep section, a real brake burner, with multiple swooping turns in a row. With the shorter offset fork if felt like I was able to hold my line a little better, and push a little harder through the turns. Again, it's a subtle difference, and I could easily get accustomed to either setup, but in this case, if I had to choose I'd go with the 44mm option. On a similar note, I do think Ibis could have gone with a slacker head angle without negatively affecting the bike's climbing abilities, but the current geo does help keep the bike from feeling sluggish on less-steep terrain.
![Ibis Ripmo review]()
Over the last few months I've tested several bikes with seat angles in the 76-degree range and reach numbers hovering around 470mm, which meant that right from the start the Ripmo felt very familiar. Those numbers work well for my dimensions, putting me in a comfortable position that's well suited for long days in the saddle.
The Ripmo has a quick and efficient feel when climbing, the kind of traits that make it easy to spin out the miles on the way to a big descent. The bike's overall weight is already very reasonable, and yet out on the trail it somehow manages to feel even lighter than what the numbers on the scale say. As you'd expect, it's not quite as fleet-footed as the shorter-travel Ripley, but it's not far off – it's a remarkably speedy climber, even when shod with 2.5" tires front and rear. There's no unwanted bobbing or wallowing, and I never felt the need to reach for the lever that adds more low-speed compression on the Float X2 shock.
How About That Offset?
Fork offset continues to be a hot topic, especially since there's no hard and fast rule about what increasing or decreasing the amount of offset will do to a bike's handling in the real world. I tried forks with 51, 46, and 44mm of offset on the Ripmo, and ended up preferring the shorter offset fork that the bike is spec'd with. The handling with 44 and 46mm of offset felt the same to me – I'm not convinced that anyone can feel two millimeters of difference, but the fork with 51mm of offset did alter the bike's handling slightly.
Fork offset continues to be a hot topic, especially since there's no hard and fast rule about what increasing or decreasing the amount of offset will do to a bike's handling in the real world. I tried forks with 51, 46, and 44mm of offset on the Ripmo, and ended up preferring the shorter offset fork that the bike is spec'd with. The handling with 44 and 46mm of offset felt the same to me – I'm not convinced that anyone can feel two millimeters of difference, but the fork with 51mm of offset did alter the bike's handling slightly.
The Ripmo's Fox Float 36 has 44mm of offset.
It felt a little easier to get through tight switchbacks with the shorter offset fork – the front wheel seemed to trace a tighter arc, and it felt more locked into the turn. The same was true while descending – one of my favorite trails has a sustained steep section, a real brake burner, with multiple swooping turns in a row. With the shorter offset fork if felt like I was able to hold my line a little better, and push a little harder through the turns. Again, it's a subtle difference, and I could easily get accustomed to either setup, but in this case, if I had to choose I'd go with the 44mm option. On a similar note, I do think Ibis could have gone with a slacker head angle without negatively affecting the bike's climbing abilities, but the current geo does help keep the bike from feeling sluggish on less-steep terrain.
Descending
I'm a big fan of rides that incorporate plenty of old-school technical trails, the kind that weren't necessarily built with mountain bikes in mind, and that require extra concentration to find any sort of flow through them. The Ripmo's maneuverability made it an excellent match for that sort of tight and twisty weirdness, especially if there was a little bit of pedaling thrown into the mix. It's quick and lively, but with enough travel to take the edge off the occasional line choice error.
The same goes for flowy jump trails – when faced with a nice lippy jump it seems like the Ripmo has some sort of hidden booster rocket that ensures you'll make it to the landing (or past it) every single time. It's a poppy, energetic bike that's extremely easy to get airborne.
However, coming back down for landing, or when plowing through really chunky sections of trail is when the more linear nature of the rear travel was occasionally revealed, and even with 25% sag I found myself touching bottom on the 2018 Fox Float X2 more often than I wanted. That shock already had two volume spacers installed, the maximum recommended amount.
Luckily, Fox just released the 2019 version of the X2, which has a new bottom out bumper and an air can that can take 4 volume spacers, so it was time for a quick shock swap. Running the new shock with three volume spacers delivered the feeling I was looking for – there was more end-stroke support, and the times when I did use all the travel were smooth and controlled, without any harshness.
I'm a big fan of rides that incorporate plenty of old-school technical trails, the kind that weren't necessarily built with mountain bikes in mind, and that require extra concentration to find any sort of flow through them. The Ripmo's maneuverability made it an excellent match for that sort of tight and twisty weirdness, especially if there was a little bit of pedaling thrown into the mix. It's quick and lively, but with enough travel to take the edge off the occasional line choice error.
The same goes for flowy jump trails – when faced with a nice lippy jump it seems like the Ripmo has some sort of hidden booster rocket that ensures you'll make it to the landing (or past it) every single time. It's a poppy, energetic bike that's extremely easy to get airborne.
However, coming back down for landing, or when plowing through really chunky sections of trail is when the more linear nature of the rear travel was occasionally revealed, and even with 25% sag I found myself touching bottom on the 2018 Fox Float X2 more often than I wanted. That shock already had two volume spacers installed, the maximum recommended amount.
Luckily, Fox just released the 2019 version of the X2, which has a new bottom out bumper and an air can that can take 4 volume spacers, so it was time for a quick shock swap. Running the new shock with three volume spacers delivered the feeling I was looking for – there was more end-stroke support, and the times when I did use all the travel were smooth and controlled, without any harshness.
Ibis Ripmo
Transition Sentinel Carbon
How does it compare?
The Ripmo and the Transition Sentinel use two different suspension designs, but they share several similarities when it comes to geometry – the seat tube angle, chainstay length, and reach numbers are all nearly identical. But there is one significant difference – the Sentinel's head angle is 64-degrees, almost two-degrees slacker than the Ripmo's.
That two degree difference is noticeable, and compared to the Sentinel, the Ripmo's handling feels a little sharper – it's more of an all-mountain machine rather than an enduro race rig or bike park smasher. That's not to say that it won't work as a race bike – Robin Wallner's EWS results illustrate that point – it's just that it feels happiest zipping around on trails that are a notch or two down on the gnarliness scale.
The Ripmo feels quicker on the climbs, likely due to the combination of the dw-link suspension design and a lighter frame weight. It also shines on more undulating trails, where the terrain forms a natural pump track. On the descents, the Sentinel has a burlier feel, with a planted, stable ride that allows it to plow right through the rough stuff, traits that make it shine on more DH-oriented trails. The Sentinel's suspension also feels more supple over small bumps, a trait that can help provide extra grip on wet, slippery terrain.
The Maxxis' Aggressor is a good fast-rolling option that can handle a relatively wide range of conditions.
The Ripmo comes with Thomson's classic X4 stem and Ibis' own 31.8mm carbon bar.
Technical Report
Fox 36 Float RC2: The 36 Float was flawless for the duration of the test, silently handling every obstacle without any strange noises or behavior. It's incredibly smooth, offers a wide range of adjustments, and has plenty of support to keep it from diving into its travel on the steeps, or bottoming out on bigger hits.
Shimano XT brakes: I'm not the biggest fan of the current generation of XT brakes, especially since they still seem to occasionally suffer from an inconsistent lever feel, even after a fresh bleed. If this were my bike, I'd swap 'em out for a set of SRAM Code brakes, which offer better modulation and consistency.
Thomson stem: The X4 stem is beautifully made, but I do wish the bolts didn't use a 3mm head. It's also worth mentioning that a 31.8mm handlebar is spec'd, which isn't the end of the world, although there are more 35mm options on the market than ever.
Maxxis DHF 2.5 / Aggressor 2.5 tires: This is a great tire combo for everything except super-sloppy conditions. The Aggressor is fast rolling and predictable, and the DHF is as proven as it gets.
![Ibis Ripmo review]()
Fox 36 Float RC2: The 36 Float was flawless for the duration of the test, silently handling every obstacle without any strange noises or behavior. It's incredibly smooth, offers a wide range of adjustments, and has plenty of support to keep it from diving into its travel on the steeps, or bottoming out on bigger hits.
Shimano XT brakes: I'm not the biggest fan of the current generation of XT brakes, especially since they still seem to occasionally suffer from an inconsistent lever feel, even after a fresh bleed. If this were my bike, I'd swap 'em out for a set of SRAM Code brakes, which offer better modulation and consistency.
Thomson stem: The X4 stem is beautifully made, but I do wish the bolts didn't use a 3mm head. It's also worth mentioning that a 31.8mm handlebar is spec'd, which isn't the end of the world, although there are more 35mm options on the market than ever.
Maxxis DHF 2.5 / Aggressor 2.5 tires: This is a great tire combo for everything except super-sloppy conditions. The Aggressor is fast rolling and predictable, and the DHF is as proven as it gets.
Pros
+ Excellent climber
+ Lively, energetic ride
+ Feels even lighter than its weight suggests
Cons
- Bushings
- Aggressive riders will need to use additional volume spacers to increase end stroke ramp up
- Shimano XT brakes
Is this the bike for you?
The Ripmo is the epitome of a modern all-mountain bike. It can take on everything from long, all-day pedal fests to the occasional enduro race or lap down a line of man-made jumps, all without feeling out of its element. It wouldn't be my absolute top pick for a pure DH / bike park machine, but it'll handle just about every other style of riding remarkably well.
The Ripmo is the epitome of a modern all-mountain bike. It can take on everything from long, all-day pedal fests to the occasional enduro race or lap down a line of man-made jumps, all without feeling out of its element. It wouldn't be my absolute top pick for a pure DH / bike park machine, but it'll handle just about every other style of riding remarkably well.
Pinkbike's Take
| Ibis embraced modern geometry trends with the Ripmo, and the result is a bike that remains composed no matter which way the trail is pointed. It's a well-rounded machine that still has that classic Ibis efficiency, but with extra stability and composure for the rough stuff. |
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We get it. You don’t like XT brakes. You can stop bringing it up now.
we need less hate, more bikes and beer!
I’m a customer. I talk sh*t because I spent real money on a product that didn’t deliver. It’s like I’m supposed to just say “they are a drunk, cut them a slack while they work out their problem”
Also, in full agreement with @mikekazimer that the previous generation Shimano brakes were flawless. That makes them fact they stuck with the current flawed design for years even more frustrating. SRAM fixed their problem.
When it comes to handlebars, 31.8 is better for alu, 35mm is better for carbon. Some call it polishing the turd, it being the carbon fibre bicycle handlebar. It doesn't matter if it's on a road bike, XC bike or DH bike. It's madness unless you change them after every crash. So if anyone doesn't get how dumb people fed by a*shole marketers dumb down the sport and make everyone take consequences, here you have an example: 35mm handlebar standard.
In both situations people set it upon themselves. Good luck. You may need it.
Another solution I’ve used is just swap the levers for M6000 Deore ones - I like this cus they’re very cheap to replace and don’t have the on the fly adjusters to snap off. For whatever reason the Deore levers don’t seem to suffer the same issue but it’s possible I’ve just been lucky with them.
I think a lot of people would echo the same thing
And if you bottom out an air shock the frame isn’t built good enough.
What would happen with a coil shock back there?
"Well son, you see there are other good people who have families they need to feed, and this allows them to do that."
"But can't they just eat a little less?"
Yes. Bikes even this good shouldn't cost that much. Yes, tech is cool and gets expensive but come on. $5000 is enough.
or buy an intense frameset for $2500 and buy your parts from Germany.
Also, if those fit dudes were having fun on their “overkill” bikes, what’s the issue?
Q: "soooo to further clarify, you go to the local bike park to watch fit guys?"
A: No. I consider myself, my buddies, and pretty much everyone I saw that day as reasonably fit, so if you count the following - watching replays of videos that my buddies took of all of us riding the trails, gaping as a friend rode into a tree, or flew off a jump and landed in a manual, which he then rode down the rest of the trail, or admiring the way some guy was throwing perfect whips off monster gaps or making a techy section seem effortless - then maybe, but no, I don't watch in the way you are alluding to, and I definitely do not go to the bike park primarily to watch others; I'm much too focused on having fun on my bike!
Q: "Also, I those fit dudes were having fun on their 'overkill' bikes, what's the issue?"
A: There isn't really one. For some of those riders, were their bikes overkill for what they were riding? Yes. Could they have been fine with a less expensive bike that would've served their needs just as well if not better? Probably. They didn't need those bikes for what I saw them riding, but there were plenty of features there that would've fully warrantied those bikes, and maybe they ride harder at other times. At any rate, those bikes provide more comfort and margin for error, and were obviously what those riders wanted. At the end of the day, it's their money. I have no problem with them "having fun on their [...] bikes". I was just laughing because I saw them having big bikes and not utilizing them to the fullest, and I knew that I had been sucked into thinking that my bike was grossly inadequate and I desperately needed a bike like that when I should've just been happy with what I've got.
Hope that cleared everything up. Anything else, anyone?
Fuuuuck that.
Worse yet, two of my riding buddies (same weight & riding style as myself) and my girlfriend (30% lighter and certainly riding with more finesse) manage at most a season on their big-brand, all bearing bikes.
So now about guys from IBIS claim that shorter offset make bike feel like it has slacker HA...
Does it make feel slacker or not? Because if it make it feel slacker, than Sentinel should feel like it has 62 HA O_о
If someone can explain this to me, I would be grateful.
Thanks in advance.
Transition, and others are trying it the other way around, IE a very slack head angle for descending, and then shortening up the fork offset & reducing the trail the biggest thing I've noticed on the ride quality is it doesn't seem to "flop" in corners. There are some other things it does, blah blah blah, but I've never read before that it would do some magical slackening effect. That may just be a typo AFAIK.
I bet ol' PVD could yak on for hours about it.
Except that a shorter fork offset means a longer trail.
I've also been confused about how one person will say it increases trail (which it does) which should have a similar effect to increasing trail from HA, but then the next person says it will speed things up a bit especially on slack bikes.
shorter offset tracks straighter w/ heavier steering, hence the comparison to slacker HA.
longer offset/less trail makes it easier to pick and alter lines IME.
How this affects you will be significantly determined by your riding style and ability, which can change.
This is what happens when a 5mm change doesn't make one ounce of difference (except to the best riders in the world), and people are searching for things to say about how the performance changes. Like you said in your post, the change is really, really minor. It's the hot thing for bike companies to talk about these days.
The RipMo is not that bike! It’s something quite different. Had two wet ride so far and I absolutely love it. Climbs better than my Mojo3, seems to rip grip out of the ground, is super composed on the steep stuff but still fun to ride on the more mellow trails. I deliberately didn’t go for a Sentinel as it’s only going be really good when I’m really scared!
Mine was frame only, DPX2 shock. Went 2019 (42mm offset) Lyrik rather than fox. 175mm KS post. DHF 2.5 and DHR 2.4 WT’s. 29.8lbs. QC on mine is very good. Paint is even and thick. Early days but I’m absolutely sold so far.
Also notice they weight it with a hub and rotor. Also note that the swingarm length will provide a nice lever to overcome the noted friction. The engineer in me says bushings are best in this application for the long haul but the LTS/Turner experience in me says give me bearings for the best feel and I'll replace them as needed. I've ridden my HD4 almost daily for 8 months now and the bearings still feel great.
When was the last time you tried to compress a shock with your hands? Surely you can see how much of a bullshit point this is?
And BTW, when is the Rallon review coming?
Neither bike felt to long either, and that's saying something because I'm coming off of a 2013 rocky mountain with a close to 430 reach on a large. The Orbea and the Ibis honestly felt about the same seated. The Ripmo is slightly longer when standing which helps descending.
The orbea was the first time i ever encountered a seat tube so short there were comparability issues with seatpost and my longish 765mm seat rail height. That was until i bought the Ripmo. On the large Rallon i had the stock Aeffect post to the max line. On the Ripmo, the stock 150mm KS wouldn't fit. My Bike Yoke 160mm would not fit, for some stupid reason bike yoke says the 185 wouldn't fit either, for $80 extra the 175mm KS would barely clear. So my options were slim. Instead of spending $450 on a 9point8 long travel i got a fox transfer 150mm that cleared by less than an inch. If your a shorter build you'll appreciate the low seat tube though
But I’ve bever been able to get too excited about Ibis bikes anyway, don’t know why but they just don’t move the lever for me.
Easy answer, more bling, more expensive and people want an X2 to show their riding buddies.
I have ordered with a DPX2 and Perfomance fork. But I also have a custom damper cartridge on order.
www.pinkbike.com/photo/15730305
Seeing what happened to the paint on my HD, the talk of bushing tolerances makes me really nervous.
I know I’m being OCD and there aren’t many other people who look at their bikes like I do , but look at a Santa Cruz and then look at a 3600$ Ibis frame and tell me which one you feel good about.
I think the Sentinel is the wrong bike for comparison even though the travel numbers are similar. I think the Rallon is the closest bike to it, followed maybe by the new Mondraker Foxy 29. I just think from my short time on the Sentinel it’s a little more of a sacrifice on the climbs.
If I was going chase Enduro glory, I’d be tempted to play with an angle set to try 0.5-1 degree slacker HA, but I don’t think it’s really needed. I’ve never felt limited by the bike at speed yet. I’ve even got a few top 10 DH segments locally, not bad for a 44 YO ex XC guy, not a former DHer.
This bike does make me want to try riding a long travel 29’er again.
A note on the X2 shock: Most people ride with and love it because of its high and low speed adjustibilty on rebound and compression ( also why so many like the Fox 36RC2).
My XT brakes have been set and forget, with a bleed once a year. The code brakes on my dh bike are warranty replacements , hot weather/locked levers.
This is definitely my next bike anyhow.
We have sent back to Sram lots of Code crappy levers . We are sick of their So called, "Minor issues"
The condom exo one stretches a tiny bit fatter than the DD one.
Great size for U.K. winter I thought, just enough slim enough to cut through mud without sacrificing too much cushion but will probably suffer the extra width of the 2.5 come autumn and see what it’s like.
Thank you so much
Not sure I get 35mm for non-DH bike, just how rigid do you want your bars? I want a little give to help smooth out chatter, it’s like wheels where too stiff is possible.
The Pole Machine and Evolink 140 on paper look crazy. A large Evolink 140 reach is 510mm and the wheelbase is 1317mm. By all other manufacturers standards they're crazy. Fortunately Leo Kokkonen hasn't based his bike designs on other companies standards and now we're looking at a revolution in mtb design!
Before you make a judgement, go ride a Pole bike. It will feel different and it will amaze you at just how much more fun you'll have on a bike! Climbing, descending, switchbacks, in the air, flowing trails, just cruising the flats, all of it! I demo'ed the Pole's at Mulberry Gap, GA for a few hours and the results were... I ordered an Evolink 140 EN. Welcome to the revolution
I would be happy to agree with you, but that's not been my experience.
So what we have here is a bike journo comparing a fresh (and possibly even unloaded) product against a bike manufacturer who has made a decision based on long term benefits. If you're going to argue against that, you'll need to base that on long term testing too. Now I'm not going to say I've done the testing but so far the pro-bushing statement makes sense and statement against them doesn't. Especially when pedal bushings (which actually do perform full rotations) are brought into the discussion.
There seems to be a sentiment of "expensive bike, we need the expensive option" but the expensive option isn't necessarily the best. Loose leave tea against teabags, shaving soap against shaving foam from a pressurized container... I could go full hipster dentist on this one. But considering it is an Ibis, I feel it is justified.
In theory... in practice needle bearings seize up with a water ingress and rot in no time. I think IGUS bushings make a lot of sense in this low rotation application, and they have a lifetime warranty.