MRP's New Ribbon Fork and Ramp Control Cartridge - Eurobike 2016
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MRP's trail and all-mountain focused Ribbon fork is entirely new from the ground up, including its odd looking lowers that employ a fork arch that is in the usual place but that also appears to be turned around backwards. The new Ribbon, which takes its name from a well-known trail in MRP's hometown of Grand Junction, Colorado, will be an addition to their catalog rather than a replacement for their proven Stage fork.
The 27.5 Ribbon can be run with up to 170mm of stroke or down to as little as 140mm, while the 29er version can be set with up to 150mm of travel or down to 120mm. This is adjusted internally on both models by either 5mm or 10mm increments via a spacer system that is said to be simple to understand, and MRP includes everything that's needed with the fork.
Ribbon Details
• Intended use: trail / all-mountain / enduro
• Travel: 140-170mm (27.5), 120-150mm (29)
• 35mm stanchions
• Internally adjustable travel in 5 and 10mm increments
• Air-sprung
• Ramp Control system
• Twin tube damper
• External LSC, LSR adjustment
• Availability: late November
• Weight: 4.1lbs (w/ QR axle)
• MSRP: $989 USD
• Intended use: trail / all-mountain / enduro
• Travel: 140-170mm (27.5), 120-150mm (29)
• 35mm stanchions
• Internally adjustable travel in 5 and 10mm increments
• Air-sprung
• Ramp Control system
• Twin tube damper
• External LSC, LSR adjustment
• Availability: late November
• Weight: 4.1lbs (w/ QR axle)
• MSRP: $989 USD
The 27.5 Ribbon can be run with up to 170mm of stroke or down to as little as 140mm, while the 29er version can be set with up to 150mm of travel or down to 120mm. This is adjusted internally on both models by either 5mm or 10mm increments via a spacer system that is said to be simple to understand, and MRP includes everything that's needed with the fork.
There are two separate chassis - one for 27.5'' wheels and another for 29'' wheels - and the former can fit a tire up to 2.6'' wide, while the latter can take a 2.6'' wide 29er tire or a 3.0'' wide 27.5 plus-sized wheel and tire combo.
Forwards but also backwards. The odd looking arch is designed to be mud proof.And what about that funky looking arch that appears to be designed backwards but put on forwards? MRP says that the idea is to simply move the lattice work to the front of the arch to keep mud and crud from building up within it, something that their UK clientele has repeatedly requested. Also, with everyone and their friend selling an all-black fork with different decals on it, the funky arch design of the Ribbon certainly sets it apart from the crowd.
MRP has also included a set of nifty air-bleed valve buttons on each fork leg; simply push them to expel any pressure that's built up from use or elevation change.
The Ribbon employs a twin-tube damper just like the Stage fork, but it's an updated design that has moved to an internal floating piston rather than the expanding bladder compensator found in the Stage. Why the change? MRP says that the IFP is a more reliable, easier to manufacture design, and also that it makes it much easier for a rider to perform a damper bleed. That said, one of the main reasons that many fork dampers employ expanding bladders is because it's an essentially frictionless system, which is important when talking about the 1:1 suspension ratio of a fork but less of an issue when the leverage of a bike's rear suspension can easily overcome the friction of a shock with an IFP in it. MRP's Noah Sears says that this isn't an issue with their IFP-based design, however, because of the low air pressure behind the floating piston.
The Ribbon is home to a new twin-tube damper.A crown-mounted dial is used to adjust the Ribbon's low-speed compression, with eight clicks that take the fork from wide open to nearly locked out. Rebound is tuned at the bottom of the same leg, and there's a decal on the casting that shows the total number of clicks for LSC, LSR, and the Ramp Control air spring feature.
MRP has also gone with a different air spring in the Ribbon compared to what's used in the Stage, with the new fork featuring separate air valves for the positive (at the top) and negative (at the bottom) air chambers. This is instead of the self-adjusting negative air spring found in the Stage, and like any fork with a two-way adjustable air spring, it lets the rider tune how active the fork is by varying pressure in the negative chamber.
One thing that does get carried over from the Stage is MRP's clever Ramp Control system that, as you probably guessed, adjusts how the fork ramps up in its travel without needing to add or subtract tokens. Instead, you simply turn a crown-mounted dial that opens or closes a very small port; the smaller the port, the harder it is for the air to pass through and vice versa. Think of it as damping, but to control the fork's air spring ramp-up.
MRP has also gone with a different air spring in the Ribbon compared to what's used in the Stage, with the new fork featuring separate air valves for the positive (at the top) and negative (at the bottom) air chambers. This is instead of the self-adjusting negative air spring found in the Stage, and like any fork with a two-way adjustable air spring, it lets the rider tune how active the fork is by varying pressure in the negative chamber.
One thing that does get carried over from the Stage is MRP's clever Ramp Control system that, as you probably guessed, adjusts how the fork ramps up in its travel without needing to add or subtract tokens. Instead, you simply turn a crown-mounted dial that opens or closes a very small port; the smaller the port, the harder it is for the air to pass through and vice versa. Think of it as damping, but to control the fork's air spring ramp-up.
The Ramp Control assembly sits at the top of the spring-side fork leg.
Tired of token tinkering? MRP's Ramp Control cartridge replaces the top cap and token assembly of certain RockShox forks, and it allows you to tune ramp-up by turning a dial.Would you like a quicker, tool-free way to adjust the ramp-up of your Pike, Yari, Lyirk, or BoXXer instead of adding or subtracting tokens? MRP has decided to offer their Ramp Control system in a drop-in, cartridge-based setup for the aforementioned RockShox forks. The $150 USD Ramp Control cartridge replaces the top cap and token assembly of your RockShox fork, allowing you to adjust its bottom-out control by simply turning a crown-mounted dial. This dial opens and closes a very small port at the bottom of the cartridge; the smaller the port, the harder it is for the air to pass through and vice versa.
MRP says that installing the Ramp Control system and leaving it wide open is about on par with adding one token to your RockShox fork simply because of the volume it takes up, but that it also gives you a much easier way to tinker with your spring rate.
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As for the arch, mud mitagation was part of goal, for sure, but we make no secret about it also being there to achieve a unique look. The aim was blend form and function - keeping the weight reliefs in the traditional spot (back of the arch) and then throwing non-functional material elsewhere to achieve an interesting "look" seemed a little silly when we could go this route.
Cheers!
Not $150 awesome though.
For a given amt of fork movement, a normal damper forces *fixed volume* of oil through the damper. With this thing, it takes time for air to flow through the tiny orifice and equalize the pressure - instead of forcing a fixed volume (oil) you're ramping up the pressure outside the chamber and allowing some leakage into it. If you held the fork deep in its travel at this point, eventually the pressures inside and outside the chamber would equalize and you'd lose the progressiveness, but realistically a normal bottom-out type of situation wouldn't involve the fork sitting low for long enough to make that happen. Adjusting the orifice opening would basically change how quickly this equalizes, which would feel more or less like adding/subtracting tokens.
Seems like a really clever system. I'd love to try it. The only thing I'm wondering about is if you'd lose progressiveness after successive big hits because the chamber wouldn't be able to release its air fast enough. Or if slower bottoming events like G-outs wouldn't act as progressive as fast ones.
@NoahColorado am I understanding this correctly?
Also, if you are interested in this type of technology check out the Manitou IRT and IRC. Both are custom ramp control. I have the Mattoc with an IRT and it's cool because you can adjust the ramp-up using a shock pump.
FWIW, adding and removing tokens usually involves some amount of damper fiddling as well. I expect this probably would too, just maybe with less rebound than you'd use on a fork with actual tokens.
common MRP - please make a 170mm 29 Version. This would be a dream comming true for our alpine trails...
Hey MRP: Make the Ramp Control cartridge for Rockshox 32mm forks like the SID/Reba and I'll buy 3.
Real talk, we had threaded bosses on the back of the Stage fork with genuine plans to make a fender, but we couldn't make one that didn't cost an arm and a leg to produce. We found the garden variety Mucky Nutz and Marsh Guard jobs to work without fault for relative pennies, so a proprietary unit never came to be. We made sure those worked as well on this casting and called it good.
I agree that zip-ties aren't the cleanest, but Home Depot, and the like, have thin Velcro straps that work just as well and can be reused easily.
And velcro straps are cleaner than zip ties... Meh.
I don't really get the ziptie/velcro hate, regardless of how nice the bike is. If you use a black one you can barely see it.
Take for example, internal cable routing. That adds way more to the cost of a frame than threaded holes to the back of a fork arch.
Also, frames with custom, built-in bumpers for double crown forks. Money is spent on those even though a ring of rubber around a stanchion is cheaper and not custom to every frame.
Or perhaps the best example: Remember when fork brake lines were zip tied to fork lowers? Now we expect forks to include a threaded mounting hole and custom cable clamp. Fenders need exactly the same improvement.
Certainly i'm not claiming it to be a profitable feature right now. But it will be eventually. My hope is that a company or two adds fender mounts and the others all have to follow suit or be left behind.
The Stage 29" fits some 29x3" tire & rim combos (even though they're not officially supported). Does the 29" Ribbon have more or less actual clearance than the Stage?
Also, does the Ribbon use boost spacing?
It SEEMS cool, but once you adjust the spring rate, doesn't that mean you need to then readjust your compression and rebound settings as well, since those will be thrown out of wack for the new spring rate?
If you're doing that at home and taking your time with it, sure, that's fine, i guess, but then spacers offer the same benefits with less complicated parts. And if you're doing it at the trailhead, you're holding up your buddies having to readjust everything.
Makes sense now. It should't effect any settings as you're not changing volume, but rather changing the flow of air. I'll be picking one up when they release it on their site.
How will the ribbon feel compared to my Stage? I have a 29er 150 stage and love it, but wouldn't mind replacing my Pike on my 27.5
The new damper and air spring designs are also going into the MY17 Stage and Loop models - both of which remain in the lineup.
Thanks for the questions.
Two more questions, will the stage also be getting lower drag seals moving forward?
Are the damper and air spring available as aftermarket drop-in upgrades? I imagine the air spring would be easy enough to change but the damper requires a weird socket correct?
Also, can someone explain why low speed damper adjustability (compression and rebound) would be prioritized over any high speed damper adjustability?
I'm not 100% sure why LS is prioritised over HS, but I reckon it's just because it's cheaper for the companies and less confusing for riders to have just a few external adjustments. I think removing that pedal bob and brake dive is seen as a priority and is also difficult to tune out over a range of rider weights and styles with a fixed factory setup, so those adjustments get priority.
35mm Stanchions?
must resist...
Really like the bleed valves. Much better than the zip tie trick.
I like Suntour's arches because they don't have that. May be marginally heavier, but not too bad. (talking about higher end ones, Auron, Durolux, not cheapie stuff)
I wouldn't call it a "problem," per se, but this certainly is a functional improvement. Aesthetics are personal.
Though the real solution is to put real fender mounts on the arch and have the fender cover those holes. DVO has it figured out. Hopefully the other manufactures will soon as well. Example: http://brimages.bikeboardmedia.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/DVO-Diamond-suspension-fork-for-enduro-mountain-bikes02.jpg
Possible solution: added weight for all the times you're not riding in wet, sticky conditions by way of a fender you'll have to add on top of the cost of a new fork.
Not taking the piss, just saying the unconventional "outcast" arch design keeps the muck from accumulating in adverse conditions without ANY downsides when it's sunny and delightful.
Can't wait to read the reviews on this.
Edit @Tehuprising beat me to it