First Ride: Ibis Ripmo – Now With Downtube Storage & Mixed Wheel Compatibility – Pinkbike

There are five complete models, with prices starting at $4,999 for the Deore model, and going up to $8,499 for the X0 AXS version. There’s also the option of upgrading to an Industry Nine carbon wheelset for $1,400.
Details

Along with the improved looks, the Ripmo now has a handy hatch in the downtube for tube and tool storage. A lever rotates outward to open the door, and on the inside are two bags made by Cotopaxi, a company with a strong focus on using recycled materials, or remnants that would have otherwise been discarded.

There’s enough room to hold a 26 oz water bottle on all but the size small frame, which will still accept a 22 oz bottle. And speaking of clearance, there’s plenty of room to fit a 2.5” wide rear tire – all of the models come with the new 2.5” Maxxis Minion DHR II.

The suspension layout was derived from the HD6, with a much shorter yoke connecting the shock to the swingarm. That allows for improved coil shock compatibility, and the Ripmo should work with most coil shocks on the market. The lower link rotates on bushings, and the upper link uses cartridge bearings. Those lower bushings are covered under a lifetime replacement program, and there’s a lifetime warranty on the entire frame.

Geometry

The new Ripmo has a .4-degree slacker head angle than before, and a seat tube angle that’s .5-degrees steeper. In other words, fairly minor changes. Ibis did make some tweaks to increase the number of size specific details. For instance, the seat tube angles now get steeper as you go up through the sizes, rather than slacker. That helps ensure that taller riders don’t end up sitting too far behind the bottom bracket when their seat is at full extension.

Size specific chainstay have also been implemented, but we’re only talking about two millimeters between sizes here; the chainstay lengths remain on the shorter size across the board. Ibis has experimented with longer chainstays, but according to engineering manager Colin Hughes, they weren’t fans of how they rode. The easygoing nature of the Ripmo has always been on of its strong suits, so I can understand why they’re sticking with shorter chainstays. (That doesn’t mean I’m not still curious how this bike would ride with longer chainstays, though.)

One clever size specific feature that’s easy to overlook is the bottom bracket height. It increases as the sizes go up, in order to improve the bike’s breakover angle. A bike with a longer wheelbase has a lower breakover angle compared to one with a shorter wheebase if the bottom bracket heights are the same; increasing the bottom bracket helps increase that angle, which helps to keep the bike from getting hung up when going over taller obstacles.

Models & Pricing

Ride Impressions

I went with an extra-medium Ripmo, since it has essentially the same measurements of the previous large. Those geometry figures work well for my 5’11” height, and I didn’t have to do anything out of the ordinary to find a good starting point.

On my first ride that Ripmo exhibited its hallmark peppiness – getting airborne has always been its strong suit, and it shines on bermy, jumpy trails, where the Ripmo’s shorter back end makes it easy to get the front wheel up and to slap the bike through tighter turns. It’s also a very good climber, with a satisfying blend of efficiency and traction. I’m not totally sold on the 2.5″ wide rear tire and the extra-wide rims, but that setup does make it possible to run lower pressures and keep the back wheel glued to the ground while climbing.

Strangely, on rougher descents I found myself struggling a bit with front end traction – there wasn’t the level of grip I was expecting, especially with a 2.5” tire up front. I thought maybe I was just having an off day, but when I got home I decided to pull the Fox 36 Grip X apart to see if anything was amiss. It turns out there was an exorbitant amount of grease on the air spring, especially on the negative side – way more than necessary, and enough that it was affecting the fork’s performance. I pulled out the giant grease glob and reassembled to fork, and noticed a significant improvement the next time I headed out.

Even with the improvement, I’d still prefer the Grip X2 damper over the Grip X that’s spec’d on the Ripmo – the Grip X is noisier than the X2, and it doesn’t have the same level of sensitivity. It’s similar to the difference between the previous Fit4 and Grip 2 damper; in that pairing I would have preferred the Grip 2 as well.

Fork gripes aside, Ibis’ updates to the Ripmo didn’t diminish its well rounded nature – that blend of easy handling combined with enough travel to handle most trails helps make it a solid option for a wide variety of riding zones. Look for a full review later this year once we’ve put more miles in on the new Ripmo.