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Ripmo as a quiver killer?

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Ripmo as a quiver killer?

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flag angryhiker
Posted: Apr 4, 2023 at 15:07 Quote
I come from an XC racing background and now ride a 130mm bike. I'm super paranoid about being over-biked (I live in SF, where there's a ton of awesome descending you just have to pedal a lot to get there) and originally wanted my next bike to be a Ripley or a stumpy.

However, every review of the Ripmo I've read says it pedals almost as well as the Ripley and descends twice as good. I ride chunky and steep stuff, so having more travel definitely appeals to me as long as the bike doesn't feel sluggish.

Curious if other ripmo owners can attest to its versatility or compare it to the ripley's climbing prowess -- particularly if you live in the bay area and go on longer rides.

I'd like a bike that won't feel stupid to ride on fire roads and tamer transition trails (which do constitute a significant amount of my riding), but can hammer down chunder once I've gotten to the top.
flag Branmuffin
O+
Posted: Apr 5, 2023 at 11:38 Quote
I think this is my 4th season on my Ripmo V1. At the time I wanted a do it all bike, because I could not afford multiple bikes nor had the extra space. It’s a legit do everything bike, no doubt. I ride anything from XC to lift days and it gets everything done without much sacrifice.

That being said, if 5/6 days a week you are riding XC trails or just trails that don’t need a 160mm bike, it may wear on you. Before my Ripmo I had a 140/140 Jeffsy and continually overwhelmed the front end on some trails, you would likely be in the same boat on a Ripley if you are aggressive.

This year I did pull the trigger and buy a Yeti Arc hard tail to fill in the gaps on the long monotonous rides.
flag norbyd
Posted: Apr 5, 2023 at 20:38 Quote
Branmuffin wrote:
I think this is my 4th season on my Ripmo V1. At the time I wanted a do it all bike, because I could not afford multiple bikes nor had the extra space. It’s a legit do everything bike, no doubt. I ride anything from XC to lift days and it gets everything done without much sacrifice.

That being said, if 5/6 days a week you are riding XC trails or just trails that don’t need a 160mm bike, it may wear on you. Before my Ripmo I had a 140/140 Jeffsy and continually overwhelmed the front end on some trails, you would likely be in the same boat on a Ripley if you are aggressive.

This year I did pull the trigger and buy a Yeti Arc hard tail to fill in the gaps on the long monotonous rides.

I have a V1 too and absolutely love it to death, a bonus is the color scheme - mine's blue/tangerine - the best scheme so far!

Today, on the FB group - either Ibis or Ripmo - someone mentioned they saw a prototype for a DH bike with a newer suspension platform ( Eventhough, Ibis' suspension platform is perfect already!). We'll know soon enough! Wink
flag Kulharin
O+
Posted: May 2, 2023 at 13:34 Quote
Just got a used Ripmo v1, coming from a 27.5 trance advanced. My first 29er.

overall its capability on technical uphill, technical downhilll, and steep dowhill is noticeably better than the trance.

On steep, grunty/punchy uphills I certainly feel the increased weight as the drag saps my momentum much more than the lighter Trance. Eventually I’ll be replacing the GX group set with an X01. Would the weight difference be noticeable for those types of climbs? Or would it be mostly a lighter tyre with less rolling resistance that will make a difference?

Currently a rear 2.4 dissector but next rear tyre I may opt for something like the Forekaster or even an Aspen. I like fast XC oriented tyresfor rear and a beefier, gripper tyre up front. Front is a dhf

Lastly the bike came with a 210mm dropper. I notice if I fully drop the seat I am buzzing my bum on bigger drops. Should I not be dropping the seat this much? Or if I do, should make sure I am standing higher and more centre otherwise make sure my bum is secure and centre on the seat? I am guessing my technique is poor and I an putting my weight too far back.
flag BenLow2019
Posted: May 2, 2023 at 13:48 Quote
Kulharin wrote:
Just got a used Ripmo v1, coming from a 27.5 trance advanced. My first 29er.

overall its capability on technical uphill, technical downhilll, and steep dowhill is noticeably better than the trance.

On steep, grunty/punchy uphills I certainly feel the increased weight as the drag saps my momentum much more than the lighter Trance. Eventually I’ll be replacing the GX group set with an X01. Would the weight difference be noticeable for those types of climbs? Or would it be mostly a lighter tyre with less rolling resistance that will make a difference?

Currently a rear 2.4 dissector but next rear tyre I may opt for something like the Forekaster or even an Aspen. I like fast XC oriented tyresfor rear and a beefier, gripper tyre up front. Front is a dhf

Lastly the bike came with a 210mm dropper. I notice if I fully drop the seat I am buzzing my bum on bigger drops. Should I not be dropping the seat this much? Or if I do, should make sure I am standing higher and more centre otherwise make sure my bum is secure and centre on the seat? I am guessing my technique is poor and I an putting my weight too far back.

Switching from GX to XO will save you about 200 grams max - not the best spot to lose weight IMO and unless you are an experienced weight pincher I doubt you'll notice anything. But you and I are different so who knows?
Better to go with lightweight casing, narrow XC tires to shed more weight in a noticeable difference.

As for the dropper - you said you're buzzing your bum during drops. I hope you are NOT SITTING during the drops - that will lead to crashing and injury. You should be dropping the seat all the way down before the trail feature and then immediately return to a standing position up on your pedals. During the drop let the wheels and suspension do their work and then absorb the last of the impact from the drop in your legs - you can only do this while standing on the pedals. If your legs compress and your bum gets buzzed right after the drop impact then that is normal but shouldn't always be happening - it is then you need to work on your strength or technique or both.
flag WasatchEnduro
Posted: May 2, 2023 at 13:56 Quote
bridgermurray wrote:
I come from an XC racing background and now ride a 130mm bike. I'm super paranoid about being over-biked (I live in SF, where there's a ton of awesome descending you just have to pedal a lot to get there) and originally wanted my next bike to be a Ripley or a stumpy.

However, every review of the Ripmo I've read says it pedals almost as well as the Ripley and descends twice as good. I ride chunky and steep stuff, so having more travel definitely appeals to me as long as the bike doesn't feel sluggish.

Curious if other ripmo owners can attest to its versatility or compare it to the ripley's climbing prowess -- particularly if you live in the bay area and go on longer rides.

I'd like a bike that won't feel stupid to ride on fire roads and tamer transition trails (which do constitute a significant amount of my riding), but can hammer down chunder once I've gotten to the top.

So what 130mm bike are you riding right now? Are you outriding the travel?

You've also literally described the Ripmo. It's amongst the best climbers in its class (140-150mm rear + 160 up front), along with the yeti sb130 LR and pivot switchblade. A ripmo can be built light and with fast rubber will feel nice and snappy (to me) and still have plenty in reserve for descents.

A friend recently dropped down to a Ripley briefly from his typical Ripmo, Jeffsy, or Stumpy EVO (he's owned them all in recent years) and he quickly outrode the travel so sold it. Even an upforked Ripley will be a far cry from a Ripmo on the descents.

Any chance you can demo one? It sounds like your ideal Ripmo setup is air out back and a 36 or Lyrik up front, not an Onyx (what I run) or Zeb or 38... plus carbon hoops and a fast(ish) rear tire like an aggressor. If you've got a big budget, you can potentially get it under 30 pounds. My XL v2 was originally a hair over 31 pounds with carbon hoops / bar, pedals, normal weight shimano 12 speed stuff (slx/xt), a Fox 36, and normal trail casing tires.
flag jshuman
Posted: Apr 29, 2024 at 11:24 Quote
Have a medium 2021 Ripmo V2. Various carbon bits including frame and rims. i9 Hydra hubs. Fox Float 36 fork and Fox Float X2 can. XT 12-speed. Weighs ~ 30 lbs.

Quiver killer? Yep. Very good climber w/ the DW-link rear? Check. It ain't the bike holding me back, it's me. Mad fun on descents? Check.

I just got back from Brevard, NC. Pisgah Forest riding is a fair amount of long gravel grinding/singletrack up and then some chunky/chundery downhills on Avery Creek, Buckwheat and Bennett Gap, or Black Mountain. See a lot of Ripmos, Transitions, and various Santa Cruz flavors around town. Most of my riding in VA is similar. Rocky, rooty, technical.

Will probably take the Ripmo for a 7-day hut to hut trip from Durango to Moab. Could I do it on an XC or hard-tail? Absolutely. But the last day is the Whole Enchilada . . .

Now IF most of my riding was gravel and fire road, I would probably lean more towards an over-forked Ripley w/ some suspension tinkering to make it more progressive. Maybe even a rear can upgrade.

Things I might upgrade/change as parts wear out:
XTR cassette
Carbon crankset
Float X or DPX2 - just better suits my riding style. The X2 is a great shock and highly adjustable (i.e. takes a while to dial in) but is ~ quarter of a pound heavier. Fantastic for Enduro/Bike park days. Less fantastic if you like to pop off features.

Minor complaint. Low-ish bottom bracket. I'll probably swap from a 170 to a 165mm crank at some point.

So to sum up. Yes. But then again, the Ripley could be a quiver killer for lots of people. Or that old Kona Process 134 supreme that only gets occasional use. Or that old Litespeed hardtail sitting forlorn in the basement. Or that even older Bridgestone MB-0.

So maybe I'm not the best person to respond as I'm clearly in the N+1 group. But if I could only have one, the Ripmo would be it.
flag jshuman
Posted: Jul 26, 2024 at 7:49 Quote
The upgraded 2025 Ibis Ripley V5 with a slightly slacker head angle and more travel (140mm front, 130 rear) would indeed by a quiver killer.

Additionally, Ibis has finally done what (IMO) most bike makers should do. Adjust chainstay length, seat tube angle, and bottom bracket height for their various frame sizes.

I even like the option of extra medium.

[YT=https://youtu.be/H8u8-2CoKWs?si=fzfKZgkt_pOg5wUh]
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