Ibis' fifth-generation Ripley AF goes all-aluminum to create a 120mm-travel trail bike that's far more affordable than its carbon fiber predecessor, with the Deore-spec model shown here selling for $2,999 USD while a frame costs $1,800 USD.
For some perspective, you'll have to part with $4,200 USD to get a carbon Ripley with a similar Deore spec, while a carbon frame and Fox shock sells for $2,833 USD. If you want your aluminum Ripley AF with an NX/GX drivetrain mix, it'll be $3,299, please. Due to the pandemic's effect on OE component availability, Ibis will offer only two versions of the Ripley AF.
Ripley AF Details• Travel: 120mm rear / 130mm front
• Wheel size: 29"
• New aluminum frame
• dw-link suspension
• Threaded bottom bracket
• Weight: 32.6 lb / 14.8 kg (as shown, size L)
• MSRP: $2,999 (as shown), $3,299 USD
•
www.ibiscycles.com Carbon VS Aluminum - What's Different?No carbon means less cost, but it also means a bit more weight; Ibis says that a Ripley AF frame comes in at 7.45lb on their scale, or somewhere around 1.45lb heavier than the carbon frame that retails for a little over a grand more. Whether or not that price-to-weight calculation is something to consider will depend on your priorities, but here's something more noteworthy: the Ripley AF is a full degree slacker up-front than the carbon version.
A new frame gave Ibis a chance to tweak the bike's geometry a bit, with the head angle dropping from 66.5-degrees with a 130mm fork on the carbon Ripley to 65.5-degrees with the same fork on the Ripley AF. That adds a bit of length to the bike's wheelbase and front-center, of course, and the 475mm reach on a large-sized frame remains unchanged. Other numbers that haven't changed include the 432mm chainstays, 418mm long seat tube (on the large), and a 76-degree seat angle.
The aluminum bike's slacker geometry raises the obvious question of an updated carbon Ripley in the near future, to which Ibis had this to say: ''
The Ripley is a unique bike. We've seen people throw on 100mm SID forks and rigid posts, to create 23 lbs BC Bike builds. On the other hand, there are riders mounting up a Pike or lowered 140mm 36, DPX2 shock, and burly tires. It's super versatile. We knew the AF customer would be different than the typical carbon Ripley buyer. For one, they're not as hung up on weight. Many gravitate towards aluminum because they have carbon fatigue. They just want to beat on a frame and not worry about it and they're more gravity oriented. We listened to that feedback. You can easily achieve a slacker head angle on the carbon Ripley by installing a 140mm air spring in the stock 34, running an AngleSet, or using an eccentric bushing. Neither of those things will void your warranty.''
The alloy frame gets most of the features found on the carbon model, including a removable ISCG adapter and threaded bottom bracket, 148mm Boost hub spacing, room for a large bottle on all frame sizes, room for a 203mm rear rotor for the big boys, and Metric shock sizing. The Ripley AF also gets internal routing but does without the tube-in-tube system used on most carbon frames, as well as some serious frame protection.
DW Link SuspensionThe frame material is different but the suspension ain't, with the same 120mm of dw link-controlled travel on the back of the Ripley AF as you'll find on the carbon bike. That means you should expect a trail rig that values speed and pedaling efficiency, with the Ripley long being known as a short-travel trail bike that's designed to cover ground quickly.
That fast, efficient ride comes courtesy of the dw link suspension, with the two co-rotating links employing a relatively high anti-squat number that helps to give the bike its speedy demeanor. Just as on the carbon Ripley, the bottom link and bushings are actually borrowed from the burlier Ripmo chassis. That should aid frame rigidity, but it also means that the same replacement parts can be used on essentially all of Ibis' full-suspension bikes. And speaking of that, those bushings in the lower link come with a lifetime warranty (there's a seven-year warranty on the frame, too), while you'll find sealed bearings at the upper link.
The new Ripley AF is a perfect fit for our upcoming value trail bike Field Test where we'll be pitting it against other machines that put affordability ahead of fancy. Stay tuned for those video reviews in the near future to find out how the new aluminum Ibis compares.
No brainer.
@xlcheese
yes, are you talking about clutch service (which sounds like it needs to be, regularly), or something else?
When the 12spd shimano started rolling out I was super impressed and sold a ton of bikes with it. It performed great and was a better value than SRAM. I still think they are great performing drivetrains, but the number of failures makes me shy away. When shimano has inventory they are superb getting warranty stuff taken care of.
Probably would have better durability, and honestly, do we all need the crazy range of the 12 speed dinner plate?
**I will note that I have no clue if dropping to a 10 speed would actually have any cost savings, so, there's that.
The GX has been bullet proof for me.
I also broke an SLX brake lever blade - not a warranty issue, I dumped hard in a rock garden. Replacement is still unavailable, so I replaced the whole lever with a Deore. Indistinguishable on the trail, same price. My trail bike is now an XTR/XT/SLX/Deore hybrid.
Gold standard for reliability for me is 10 speed XT; I'd build a new bike, set up the shifting, maybe give the barrel adjuster half a turn after the first couple hours of riding... then ride it until the chain wore out. Just flawless.
@xlcheese: just give me a 10-13-16-19-23-27-31-36-41-46t X-Dome, 300g $300, a Saint shifter, and an XTR der with a metal clutch lever and I'll never comment again. In dusty conditions Shimano 12 gets noisy at ring after an hour, even with lightly lubed chain. Maybe the ring will wear out and it will get quieter. We need drivetrains that are global-warming compatible
Lol yeah when I was installing my M6100 Deore I was like, wtf. Why is the cage so thin?
With little pressure from my fingers I could squish the cage easily.
I measured the cage and it's 1,7mm thick, while my old 10 speed Deore is 2.4mm.
My NX mech was even thicker.
But so far it works great. I hope it stays like that.
Yep, since Shimano 12 speed last June, on my third cassette (XT and SLX), third rear derailleur (XT and SLX), 4 chains (XT, SLX). It has all added up to be quite expensive to run their 12 speed system so far with no issues on 11, 10, 9 spd Shimano before over past 15 years. Shimano 12 speed is just too fragile, finicky and wears too quickly for me in comparison that it feels like a big “money grab”. Throw availability issues for replacement parts now, tough pill to swallow. Nice bike, strongly considering Sram GX myself for these reasons
The whole move to aluminium was a big gamble for Ibis, as it could have been read as a devaluation of a high-end brand. They clearly understand the needs of the everyday Joe rider, and by working the suspension design, frame finish and spec choices so hard they've created some great products (in the Ripmo AF at least, and I'm sure this Ripley AF will be similarly well received). So far it's only served to enhance their reputation.
Lighter aluminum, Really? The Specialized stump jumper comp alloy costs $299 more than the new Ripley AF and weighs more too: 14.9kg to the Ibis with deore at 14.8 kg...
Not with that half-assed geometry anyways. If they wanted a really capable trail bike, they should have gone down the route of the Optic. Full-on 65° HTA, 510 mm reach, 35 mm stanchion fork, Super Deluxe DH rear shock, etc.
You do not in fact know that the incident that caused the dent in AL would have made a carbon frame unusable.
Don't just take my word for it but look up Vital MTB's comparison test of short travel 29ers. Their verdict: When it comes to riding hard, the Ripley isn't even in the same league as the Tallboy or Optic.
A better option for someone who wants a short travel alloy bike that can shred would probably be the Banshee Phantom.
The Optic is like $750 more then Riply AF Deore. So not really a good comparison.
The Ripmo and a bunch of other bikes use that and they race Enduro on them so not sure what you're talking about.
You don’t buy one of these for looks, I can’t tell what it looks like when I’m riding it, but I can tell it’s a blast.
I have Fox Performance fork and shock on my carbon Ripmo. It’s good stuff. But it’s not DVO boutique cool stuff.
That being said, isn't the whole point of bling to put non-stock, non-oem stuff on your bike?
To me, Kashima is bling but it feels meaningless and non-impressive. “Cool, you spent a lot. Can you ride or even make sense of all those dials?”
But they can still benefit from them if the rider chooses one.
E.g. I had a ccdb air on my old smuggler and it was sensational, but hugely changed the character of the bike.
[somebody had to do it]
The industry: Sorry, bro, you have to wait till the end of December 2021, because you know...
Yeah if you put on your smart cap optimizing ya bike for 80% of your rides makes sense, but when that damper is a pumping, the bikes a dancin' and your brain fades into the gnar zone... Worth it.
This needs to be done.
Some sort of Parody film that reviews the best affordable available bikes/components. Emphasis on "whatever was actually available to buy", which likely means not complete bikes.
Because personally, I'm not sure how a frame with no parts would stack up against a pair of non-branded pedals.
Now a $3000 Mojo AF with DVO 130/140mm Topaz and 140/150mm Diamond D1 would absolutely get my purchase.
Anyone else curious about the listed 11-51T Deore 6100 (12 speed) cassette. Perhaps a typo or perhaps Shimano is really putting the nail into SX/NX.
Travel mashers are awsome!
Next headline will be the Deore version is sold out through 2023.
- Does it have a gimmicky steering wheel - no it doesn't
- Is there a lot of carbon fibre.. no there isn't
- Can it fit a box.. no, pass
Oh wait... wrong channel...
I feel like that was an artfully done homage by Mike
I surprised that no-one use suntour/xfusion forks / shocks to reduce price even further ?
Deore build £3399
NX/GX build £3499
But USA price for Deore build is $2999 straight conversion is £2200
£1100 price bump for UK ????
I know the new part brexit customs system adds costs, but that's insane
Ripley Aluminum Foil in case anyone was wondering about the acronym.
You can get a head tube extension and/or and external cup lower headset to eliminate most of that.
Instead of spending money, just get stronger is solid advice
Why are new alloy bikes so heavy? Doesn't make much sense...
Basically, bikes are better and they also weigh a bit more as a result. If you look at the carbon versions, they're also up in weight generally. Short of being a top level racer in your category, a couple pounds isn't going to hold you back.
Can you fit a piggy back shock on it?
Orbea also let you spec the H20 and H10 Occams with Fox Factory for an extra $550, so H20 with Fox Factory fork and shock is $3650.
Unlike a Giant "entry level" bike in the low $2k range this isn't going to require a bunch of upgrades if it's being ridden hard. Plus it's a dw-link bike which has never found it's way onto a bike this affordable.
But to be fair, I'm open to hearing about all the awesome $3k bikes from 5 years ago that are better than this.
Just checked and that bike looks really, really good. Component-wise I think Giant's wheels, especially their low end ones, are flimsy and weak compared to what Ibis is offering on the Ripley. Don't know about that Praxis crank. Obvious differences are the geo (just the seat tube angle) and platform design which combined with wheels/crank are selling points to spend the $700 more.
But the comparably priced Trance X 29 (2400) w/ SX looks not as nicely specced as the non-X.
Personally I've got an Orbea Oiz H10TR on order which is priced at $3300, with a full XT drivetrain, Fox 34 Performance fork and DPS shock, and a RaceFace wheelset.
I can't believe no one has asked this.
Now they slackened the HA even more and added a little extra weight. Seems like they're already going that way anyhow. Plus, isn't the stumpjumper 130/140 a sporty short travel trail bike with a good amount of size options. Not sure how an extra 10 mm and being able to downsize would take that much away from it. But I digress, I knew that my sentiment wouldn't be that popular. It would just be nice to have a little more capability, like the optic. While still having an option of having the 120/130 Carbon Ripley if you prefer that.
For those that say get a Ripmo, That's exactly what I did and I can tell you that the Ripley beefed up is still way more agile and sporty than the Rip V2, especially the AF Rip. Just my opinion.
I think it's just that Ibis doesn't have a crazy deep product line and they're ok with that as they're not a massive brand.
If they slot a 130r/140f bike inbetween the Ripley and Ripmo, it's going to cannibalize sales from both and cost more to add a new frame to the lineup for what could be marginal sales.
Hey it would be cool though if there were clearance (?) to take a longer shock so it could be setup 130r/140 or 150f. Kinda like the Trail Pistol / Pistola.
IMO it was good that the Ripley was decisively different from the new hyper-aggressive short travel 29ers à la Norco Optic and SC Tallboy. It was one of the few remaining options for people who wanted a classic lightweight, efficient marathon bike with modern touches. I'm sure Ibis knew this and thus I don't really understand what they were aiming for with this new model.
The swoopy top tube on my alu ripmo hasn't buckled yet, but to be fair I do constantly curse it because the 50 gram weight penalty (over a straight tube) is fkn killing me on the climbs.
And I'm assuming the designer was Roxy. I haven't heard of any frame failures amongst the many other ripmos I ride with. Though I have to admit, the carbon frame looks better.
www.vitalmtb.com/features/Roxy-Lo-Industrial-Design-at-Ibis-Cycles-The-Inside-Line-Podcast,2903
Again, links to anything you've actually designed, not studied in class.
www.behance.net/galleries/product-design/automotive-design
to hers and see how crap hers looks in comparison
www.behance.net/roxylo
Dude. You don't like the design and that has been documented.
Now you're just being an ass. Move on maybe?
The Ripmo won a Design and innovation award, designed by Roxy Lo.
The Mojo HD 3 won Enduro bike magazine design award 2015, Designed by Roxy Lo
What awards do you have?
@danzzz88
The brake routing is roadist, not racist.
As in the actual history of brake routing is rooted in what side of the road you drive on. If you drive on the right side of the road, the left hand is used for signaling. This means the right hand is used for the more stable rear brake. If you drive on the left hand side it’s the other way around.
Also Automatic transmissions are faster than manuals, just sayin’
Regardless, heavier, vastly more complex to repair, at least 2x more expensive to replace, teach you nothing about engine braking effects, but more importantly they remove a significant pleasurable factor of the human/car interface which is why manual variants of used performance cars command more resale value.
Anyway all I want is the option to route my rear brake hose around the strain relief of the headtube so it isn’t damaged in a crash where the bars are spun around.
But sorry,32lbs (plus pedals,etc) just doesn't compute as trail bike weight for me.
Thanks a lot to all the fat bastards who broke trail bikes forcing manufacturers to make the frames and wheels reinforced (AF) to keep warrantys at a minimum.
Weight doesn't matter my ass!
Riders on the carbon version have generally spent much more $$ and also have lighter components so the weight differential is even more.
A $3k alu trailbike is going to weigh... exactly this much.
This is awesome.
Bikes are 3 pounds or more heavy than just 2 years ago,even in carbon.
I don't see the point or fun on a heavy 120mm bike.
I hear you. Yeah it seems like everyone is speccing wider rims, bigger rubber, bigger cassettes, 4 piston brakes, girthier stanchions, more piggyback shocks, etc. on more and more trail bikes, not just all mountain and enduro bikes.
I don't have a problem with this as there are still plenty of lightweight frames out there (not aluminum) as a starting point for a lightweight and pricey build.
Some companies go light on carbon, others build in a margin of error to reduce warranties.
At this pricepoint I don't know how you go lighter, though.