The Ripley name has been in Ibis' catalog since 2011 when the OG model was introduced as a fun-loving trail bike for riders who were looking for efficiency and sharp handling. That first Ripley eventually got some geometry tweaks that created the longer (but still pretty short) LS model that was itself revamped in 2017 with a new rear-end for added tire clearance and rigidity.
That means that this entirely new bike is the fourth-generation Ripley, and with the most progressive geometry that Ibis has ever used and a very Ripmo-esque stance, something tells me it's also the most capable Ripley yet.
The bullet points read like a 'how to make your trailbike rip' recipe: The head angle is slacker, the seat angle is way steeper, and the reach is way reach-ier, too. There's still 120mm of travel out back, but those funky eccentrics have been replaced with compact links, and the lower one is actually lifted straight off the Ripmo.
It's still on 29'' wheels, of course, and it's also lighter; Ibis says they dropped 0.65lb off the frame, with a claimed weight of 5.6lb with a Fox DPS shock.
Ibis Ripley V4 Details• Intended use: trail riding
• Wheel size: 29"
• Rear wheel travel: 120mm
• Fork travel: 130mm
• New carbon frame
• Revised dw link suspension
• 2.6'' tire clearance
• Sizes: sm, med, lrg, xlrg
• Weight: 26.07lb (as pictured)
• Frame only: 5.6lb (claimed, w/ Fox DPS)
• MSRP: $4,099 - $9,399 USD (as pictured)
• More info:
www.ibiscycles.com The all-new Ripley looks a bit different, but it's still sporting 120mm of travel and 29'' wheels. Ibis has made their trail bike longer, slacker, and lighter.
There are six complete bike options, starting at $4,099 USD for an NX spec and Fox's Performance suspension, and you can spend as much as $9,399 USD if you want XTR, more carbon fiber, and a Factory-level fork and shock from Fox. If you prefer to do it your own way, a frame and Fox DPS shock costs $2,999 USD.
Ibis also offers a bunch of different upgrade options, so if you want a set of carbon rims on your entry or mid-level Ripley, you can get 'em for much less than if you bought a set on their own.
With 45mm of reach added across the board, the new Ripley is much roomier than its predecessors.
The Ripley Goes LongIt's probably fair to say that Ibis has been one of the more conservative brands on the geometry front over the years, and especially if we're talking about the previous three versions of the Ripley. To be fair, 2011 was about fifty years ago now when it comes geo, but a large-sized V1 Ripley had a 406mm reach back then, just for comparison's sake.
The revised LS model that showed up in 2017 at 428mm, but this new bike is the largest leap so far at 475mm for a large. In fact, Ibis says that reach numbers have increased by 45mm on average across the board, so they're more in-line with everyone else now.
That evolution can be seen up front as well, with the OG Ripley's head angle going from 68-degrees to 67.5 on the LS model in 2017. Jump forward a couple more years and the new Ripley has a 66.5-degree head angle and is intended for 44mm offset forks. There's an even bigger change at the seat tube; 72-degrees on the OG to 73-degrees on the LS, to a much steeper 76-degrees on this bike. The chainstays have been shortened by 12mm to 432mm, too, which is right around where I like 'em to be.
So, 120mm-travel 29er with a 66.5-degree head angle, 76-degrees for the seat tube, and 475mm reach on a large Ripley. Ibis, is this really you? Let's compare.
Evil's Following MB and Transition's Smuggler are both 120mm-travel 29ers with similar geo to the new Ripley.
Evil's much-loved Following also rolls on 29'' wheels and has 120mm of travel, and it gets a 66.8-degree head angle and 73.7-degrees at the seat when in the slackest position. A large has a 452mm reach, too. Transition's Smuggler is in the same small-travel, big-fun category as well, and it gets a 66-degree front-end, 75.8-degree seat angle, and a 475mm reach on a large.
Sure, I've gone on and on about how much I've liked Ibis' compact, nimble geo, but let's be real here: I'm in the (very small) minority, and they had to move forward, especially given the older Ripley's dated numbers. Ibis ain't the first to the fun, short-travel bike party, but they're here now.
The bike still has 120mm of rear-wheel-travel, but the suspension layout has been revised for more rigidity and progression.
Updated DW Link SuspensionEvery single version of the Ripley is known for two things: sharp handling, and a sporty, efficient ride. The latter comes from Ibis' use the dw link system, but are some big changes on this new Ripley. Previously, Ibis employed a dual-eccentric system where the eccentrics acted as very short links.
They originally went with eccentrics route because it let the design play nice with front derailleurs and made for a clean looking layout, but what the hell is a front derailleur? Never heard of him.
That lower link comes from the longer-travel Ripmo and is a big reason for the claimed increase in rigidity.
Without that concern, and because the upper eccentric limited seatpost insertion, Ibis decided to go with a more traditional dual-link layout that they're claiming has ''
significantly reduced the frame weight and increases stiffness.'' It also makes for a bike that looks a lot like the longer-travel Ripmo, which is precisely where Ibis stole the Ripley's new lower link from.
The new link rotates on IGUS bushings that come with a lifetime warranty, while bearings are used in the upper linkage assembly. The shock is also metric-sized now, too, at 190mm long with 45mm of stroke.
It looks a bit like the Ripmo, doesn't it?
The Little ThingsOnto the details. Changing cables on the previous Ripley required you to remove bolt-on caps so that the opening was larger and you didn't throw your bike through a wall. It helped, that's for sure, but the job could still be a PIA sometimes. They're gone now, though, replaced with molded-in internal tubes so that you can push the cable in at one end and have it come out the other, no swearing required. The bottom bracket is threaded, just like before, and there's now a splined ring around the shell that you can mount a chain guide onto when you want to go down-country-ing.
Other details include more room for a larger bottle, internal cable guides, and a splined interface at the bottom bracket that accepts an ISCG adapter.
And speaking of having fun on short-travel bikes, Ibis has finally ditched their lengthy seat tubes to make room for long-stroke dropper posts. Word is that the medium to extra-large sizes work with 170mm (or even 185mm) party posts, while the small-sized bikes can easily run a 125mm to 150mm dropper.
Other things include a bit more room for larger water bottles, "standard" Boost spacing instead of that Super Boost thing, and a 1x-specific design.
The fresh Ripley is new and interesting, but does it still have the near-telekinetic handling and efficient suspension action that its predecessors could brag about? Has Ibis managed to add burliness to their 120mm-travel trail bike without taking away its fun-loving nature? We'll have a full review of the new Ripley within the coming days that answers those questions and finds out if the new Ripley is still a Ripley.
329 Comments
The entry level build likely weighs close to 29-30lbs. Which is competitive for sure, but not revolutionary. That being said, even at a heavier 28lbs for lower-end no-carbon builds, this is still the perfect bike for most XC/TR riders out there.
Still not bad.
But my XL Jeffsy CF Pro is around 28lbs. ( 2017 )
If I would buy lighter wheels I could bring it down at least to 27lbs.
Honestly. their builds are the best in the business. I have lots of love for other bikes, and I don't even currently own an Ibis, but I can tell you that of all the bikes I've built and all the companies I've had to work with, Ibis is one of the best and their builds are second to none. Industry guys and wrenches with far more experience than I will tell you this. I'm only telling you this not because I'm an Ibis fanboy, but because I think bike companies who "do it right" should get recognition, and part of that includes correcting misinformation.
this bike probably needs a 140 fork for a decent BB height.
longer cranks = broader torque curve and longer power pulses - which folks with slow twitch muscles benefit from. JMO/JME
Are we still counting grams? Given that the components account for about 70-80% of a bike's weight, why should any of this come as a surprise? I mean, you can build up a 29er Enduro to be a 26lb bike, but not sure if it'd last more than 1-2 runs at Whistler!
Reviewing my own post, the Sniper NX build is actually 3499 - $101 less than my initial guess ;-) The GX build is about 4500. Don't care enough to make a detailed comparison, but the GX Ripley seems maybe a decent price when bench marked against that.
Giants in house dropper uses the wintek cartridge, same as the highline and some other higher end units. Giants carbon wheels come with a 2 year no questions asked (as long as it breaks when you were riding) replacement, and a tiered system so you pay 25% of MSRP if you break it riding within 4 years. It’s great value whether you somehow break them or not
plus better cassette, cranks, brakes, and dropper post. still a big difference.
and i don't see $700 in value over the GX which is what i think most buyers would get, and at a couple hundo less than the GX ripmo.
In other words, you could get the NX build with the carbon bars and better dropper, then go out and buy a complete XT groupset and Thompson stem and still come out $200-$300 ahead of buying the XT build - and that's before selling off the unused NX groupset.
My comment was mainly directed at the guy claiming that the XT build was worth the extra money over the NX build though, which was just plain wrong.
Yeah it doesnt shift that nice but who cares really- a 11-46 is about 30-40€ - the NX is more than doube (nearely triple) the price.
The main issue is the XT build, unless they're preemptively pricing for the release of 12-speed XT. Pricing on that particular model makes no sense relative to the SRAM builds.
And again, I was responding to the guy claiming that the XT build was worth paying for over the NX build.
Yup. Any of their ‘19 carbon components sold after April 1st. Stems, bars, frames, wheels, etc
The announcement comes after they redesigned all their carbon wheels and made them hookless as well, so I’m sure they’re expecting a very low failure rate to offer that no questions asked ride replacement option
Yeah NX really wouldn't be an option for me. Most of the time, I just buy a frame a transition parts over. Maybe upgrade a couple.
Ibis doesn't get charged more than CRC for OEM components unless something is really screwy - CRC definitely gets better pricing that your local bike shop (their retail prices are roughly the same as the shop's cost), but bike manufacturers get better pricing than that. That's how CRC is able to get their prices so low - they purchase parts on OEM contracts due to their ownership of Nukeproof/Vitus/etc and sell the extras. Also, CRC is banned from selling Shimano to the US now.
$6700 XO1 and Performance. $7100 for XO1 and Factory front/rear.
down-fork a Ripmo?
blasphemy!
up-fork a Ripley?
ka-ching!!!!!!
(Just my opinion, but I think these three are different from Smugg, GG-TP, and FollowingMB. Sure the Geo is similar, but these seem more towards the XC end (w/o being XC) and those seem more burly Enduro-y (w/o being enduro).
Am I making sense...prolly not...carry on.
A bit different than buying a Factory Fox 36 RC fork and then having a new Grip2 come out a week later with new stuff that's just plain better.
Honestly though, if you were serious about winning XC races, the Ibis wouldn't be your first choice, and if you were serious about winning Enduros, the Trail Pistol wouldn't be either. These are both perfect bikes for the majority of riders who don't race, but want a bike that make them feel like an all-around hero.
Ibis: 5.6 WITH SHOCK.
@ssip: that's because Ibis doesn't overdo their anti squat. Pivots is like 120%. Climbs like a beast in the parking lot, climbs like shit on the trail.
Ibis's DWlink seems to do pretty well on both sides while only loosing a little on the DH plush side. Hence why a fair amount of guys I know are pedaling HD4's uphill all the time. It does seem like the suspension gives up a little small bump compliance in my time with them but it pedals well like the climb switch is on AND still does great on the downhill chunder. Ripmo is like that at least... Not Uber plush like a sled but certainly effective while still going uphill like the damn climb switch is turned on.
What I wanted to ask was: What's with the 2.6" tires on a lot of the short travel rippers?
Especially on a 120mm bike that should be agile and fun to ride on smoother trails? If I was using the tires as suspension...why not add move travel and still have "normal" tires?
FYI: I haven't ridden 2.6"s, but I've tried a fatbike, yes, I get it it's not the same.
I wouldn't be surprised if they did an HD5 29er that was the real monster.
Respect for the short seat tubes though, other brands should take note.
Its basically the functional equivalent of a Whyte S120/Transition smuggler then?
Glad to see the category expanding , but like others, find the price point of the ibis a bit out of reach. Maybe it'll make a good used bike sometime in the future then
I don’t know if I’d swap out my ripmo though...big descents, nasty rock and root gardens with scree...
It’s a not that far off ripmo geometry ... ( STA/ HTA wise) I like the extra squish when I do something stupid ..
I could run a 140 fork... same bike with less oh shit swish .. and running DD tires...may defeat the point of the ripley entirely.
They really need to lose the schwalbe rubber..
Too swap or not to swap ... that is the question..
Regardless .. ibis is awesome
is the DW Link Suspension basically the same as the one used on the Atherton/Robot bikes which I believe were the first to have Dave's newest version?
Normal DW-Link designs like Ibis and other similar mini-link designs (Santa Cruz, Niner, Intense, etc) all have a solid rear triangle that moves as one piece on the upper and lower mini links. The eccentrics on the previous Ripley were still acting as mini links in the same way. Yeti Switch Infinity is related too
DW6 on the Robot bikes added a pivot on the chainstay near the dropouts, so the chainstays and seatstays move a bit relative to each other instead of being a single unit. It is somewhat like a horst-link but with pivots at both ends of the chainstays! In the diagrams they showed on the Robot bike review that dropout pivot doesn't seem to move much, so the behavior is probably still closer to a normal DW-Link though
"It's a pure dw-link, with anti-squat, braking-squat, etc.... squarely in the levels that have made that design so popular. The main reason for the linkage design was to support the unique challenges of building a configurable suspension for a 3D printed titanium lugged bike that's designed to be tailored to each unique rider's wants/needs. The DW6 design makes it comparatively easy to tailor things like chainstay length, leverage ratio, etc... all independently of one another - while still maintaining the dw-link pedaling and braking characteristics"
What happened to the full review?
Threaded is over rated. Too much redundant metal. Adds weight.
Bbinfinite press in modules dont creak and are a lighter solution.
truly a Godsend for press-fit bikes - makes them work like they were designed to.
yea it will generally solve that too. just use the green loctite liberally.
i've yet to replace the bearings to be honest - i've just pulled the seals and re greased occasionally. haven't seen the need yet. you *could* press out the bearings, but probably best just to install a whole new module AFAIK.
Do you think this is better than a Wheels Manf thread-together BB for a press fit? Those seems great but they didn't sell a Dub version when I built my bike.
1) higher-quality bearings
2) better control over left to right alignment - this is their secret sauce IMO.
The Process was out a year before the Tranny, way back in 2013. The real surprise is that short travel 29ers are still a bit niche really, when they're probably the most fun MTBs to ride most of the time.
Everyone needs to get over the "high price" If you cant afford it maybe you should try a different sport. Any NEW bike worth buying is gonna cost $5k---$10k. In case you haven't been around for the last 10 years.... mountain biking has become insanely expensive!!!! Kinda always has been with all the replacing of broken parts and keeping up on proper maintenance schedules. I'm surprised to see people complaining about cost nowadays! Just be thankful for how far we have come with technology....back in the day (15-20 years ago) pro/top level bikes were $10k+
I am by no means trying to justify the cost of new bikes, I think they should be cheaper for sure....but probably not gonna happen when lots of people ARE willing to fork over $5k---$10k.
I also think new full size pick up trucks shouldn't cost $60k+ ....but they do!!!
Can' help but feel this is a bit a meh move.
I’ll buy a Yeti for that much money! All day long!!!
I just am not a fan of shorter seat tubes...I get the reasoning behind it, but for taller riders, it makes it hard to get a seat post that is long enough.
As for physics, think about it this way. When you are trying to loosen your cranks, you usually need a longer 8mm allen key...the extra length gives you more leverage to loosen the bolt, heck sometimes I even have to grab a handlebar or something to make it even longer! This works because all that extra length puts more force into the bolt. Now let's take that same idea and apply it to seat posts...as our seat tubes get shorter, the post has to get longer, as the seat post gets longer...this applies more leverage\force on the frame and to the seat post..you put my 260lbs at the end of that long lever...things are gonna break!
This is why I am not a fan of this new short seat tubes movement, this happened back in the freeride days too and it sucked then as well!
...bravo. well said. we live in a world with plenty of genuine extortion to moan about. if you don't like a bike price, don't buy it....
Good looking rig
People will say looks shouldn't matter, but when you're potentially shelling out $4-9k, well, they do.
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