Ibis Ripmo V3
Wheel Size:
- Size S-M: 29’’ front, 27.5″ rear
- Size XM–XL: 29” front & rear
- MX or 29” option in all sizes via flip chip
Travel: 150 mm rear / 160 mm front
Geometry Highlights:
- Sizes Offered: Small, Medium, Extra Medium, Large, XL
- Headtube Angle: 64.5°
- Reach: 478 mm (size Extra Medium)
- Chainstay Length: 436 mm (size Extra Medium)
Frame Material: Carbon fiber
Price:
- Complete bikes starting at $4,999 USD
- Frame only: $3,699
Blister’s Measured Weight: 31.2 lb / 14.15 kg (size XM, GX build, tubeless)
Test Locations: Crested Butte, Colorado
Reviewer: 5’10.5″, 160 lbs / 179 cm, 72.5 kg
Test Duration: 2 months
Intro
I spent much of this past summer and fall on the latest Ibis Ripmo — now in its third generation. The Ripmo has always had 145-150 mm of travel in the rear paired with a 160 mm fork. That was a bit more boundary-pushing back in 2018 when the Ripmo was first introduced, but how does the Ripmo fit into the long-travel 29er mountain bike landscape of today?
[For more on the design details and specs of the Ripmo and its little sibling, the Ripley, check out our First Look on the pair.]
Fit & Sizing
Dylan Wood (5’ 10.5’’, 160 lbs / 179 cm, 72.5 kg): Among the many updates with the new Ripmo outlined in our First Look, the Ripmo V3 also got a new size that falls between the Medium and Large sizes, logically called Medium-Lar…ehm, excuse me, “Extra Medium,” or “XM” for short. I’m usually a Large in most bikes in this class, though the line between Medium and Large seems to be getting fuzzy lately with a handful of manufacturers, with reach numbers continuing to grow across the geometry chart in many cases. But, Ibis’ XM Ripmo hits my personal sweet spot as far as sizing goes. As a pretty average-sized mountain biker, that’s great news, and Ibis can call their sizes whatever they want so long as they continue to be this logical.
With a reach of 478 mm, the XM Ripmo is right in my sweet spot of about 470-490 mm, and could very well have been called a Large. Immediately after hopping on the bike, I felt a comfortable Trail/Enduro bike fit that has become familiar due to how many bikes in this class I’ve thrown a leg over in the past few years. I certainly wouldn’t want to be on the Large, or the Medium Ripmo, so there’s another point for the XM. The seated pedaling position is just right; upright enough to be comfortable over long climbs, with enough room in the cockpit to get forward and aggressive for steeper ones. At 76.5º, the Ripmo’s effective seat tube angle is well within the norm for its era and class, though I personally wouldn’t mind it being a touch steeper since Crested Butte has a lot of steep singletrack and I found myself wishing that I could get my weight a little farther forward when seated and climbing on the bike a few times.
I’ve found that I prefer a relatively low stack on just about any bike, and at 633 mm on the size XM, the Ripmo is pretty average in this regard. I found myself enjoying the fit most with the stem having a single 5 mm spacer between it and the headset, with plenty of room for a higher bar height if I chose. The rest of the geometry chart results in a well-formed bike — more on that below.
Climbing
I’m quite happy with how the Ripmo climbs in the context of its class. Its DW-link suspension is supportive when pedaling from a seated position, landing on the slightly more efficient end of the spectrum. Spending lots of time pedaling from the Ripmo’s saddle is quite pleasant, with most of the rider’s input resulting in forward movement of the bike. I think most riders would agree that pedaling efficiency is a good thing, but we can also agree that efficiency that sacrifices too much traction is not as awesome. Thankfully, I think Ibis nailed the balance of traction and efficiency that the Ripmo provides, with this bike’s rear suspension rarely ever feeling sluggish on smooth roads, but also staying active enough on technical climbs to keep the rear wheel engaged with the trail.
At 31.2 lbs (size XM, GX build, tubeless), the Ripmo comes in at a respectable weight for its class, without much mass holding it back on the way up. As I mentioned earlier, I would have appreciated a slightly steeper seat tube angle on some especially difficult climbs, but I think the 76.5º effective seat tube on this bike matches its “capable Trail bike” personality (rather than being a “shorter-travel Enduro bike”) as I’ll get into in the next section. Its slack 64.5º head tube angle could have been alleviated a bit with a steeper seat tube angle, allowing the rider to get more weight over the front wheel. But, to be clear, I didn’t find the head tube angle to be a significant issue on the way up during my time on the Ripmo, I just find that Crested Butte’s steep and demanding singletrack brings that “wandering” nature out of just about any front wheel.
Descending
When descending, the Ripmo feels comfortable in a wide variety of terrain, all while distinguishing itself in a few key ways.
While previous versions of this bike were marketed more solidly in the “Enduro” category, the latest Ripmo feels like a versatile, long-legged Trail bike that handles just about anything you throw at it. It’s pretty engaging at slower speeds and on more moderate, flowy, pedaly trails. It keeps its speed nicely in rolling terrain, where its responsive, DW-link suspension allows the rider to pump and pedal to maintain and generate speed. The playfulness of the Ripmo shines in instances like this, where it rewards an active style, pushing into corners, and popping off of rollers, where its responsive suspension can help send you airborne without much effort. Additionally, the 478 mm reach on the size “Extra Medium” resulted in plenty of room when getting playful and dynamic with the bike, without the Ripmo feeling too long and cumbersome. I think the Ripmo’s poppy suspension and relatively short chainstays are to thank here, but the Ripmo isn’t just a playful bike.
The Ripmo also handles rough and demanding terrain well, especially given how playful it feels on mellower trails. Its moderately slack head tube angle results in calm, stable steering at high speeds and on steeper trails. Additionally, the 478 mm reach on the size “Extra Medium” resulted in plenty of room when getting playful and dynamic with the bike, without the Ripmo feeling too long and cumbersome. The same 478 mm reach that didn’t feel too long on mellower, tighter trails also provides enough room for me to move around the bike and remain active on fast, technical descents. The Ripmo’s moderate 1,249 mm wheelbase also provides respectable stability, creating a pretty big sweet spot without any major preferences for where the rider needs to focus their weight in order for the bike to perform best.
When switching the Ripmo’s flip chip over and exchanging the 29” rear wheel for a smaller 27.5” one, it retains most of its character, though feels slightly different in a couple of ways. First, the MX configuration on the Ripmo prefers a more rearward weight bias, and second, it feels even more playful and maneuverable. I personally enjoy the feeling of cornering on a mixed-wheel bike, where the rear wheel tends to track slightly more inside the trail on corners, resulting in feeling like I can keep my weight farther inside during the exit of a corner, whereas on a full 29er I can sometimes feel that my weight is too far on the outside of a corner when exiting a turn. Again, this is a personal preference and not a feeling that everybody enjoys. The Ripmo also feels more comfortable on steeper trails with a 27.5” rear wheel, where I could get my weight farther back on the bike without running out of butt-to-tire clearance. This usually isn’t a problem for me as I do have pretty long limbs, and I never felt that I couldn’t get far enough back on the full 29er Ripmo, but this could be helpful for riders with shorter legs in particular.
The Build
There’s a lot of value to be had with the SRAM GX Eagle Transmission build on the Ripmo. I appreciate where Ibis chose to spend and save the rider’s money, with an emphasis on high-end suspension here. The Fox Factory 36 Grip X fork and Float X were highlights on this bike, feeling smooth and appropriately damped for the intentions of the Ripmo. The original Fox 36 Factory Grip X fork that came on the Ripmo was having some strange issues at first, though Ibis then sent a replacement which performed quite well. I’m also happy that Ibis put the RSC version of the SRAM Code brakes on this bike, which I’ve enjoyed on many other bikes and performed well on the Ripmo, feeling powerful enough even on sustained, steep descents.
I also had some strange issues I haven’t encountered before with the SRAM GX Transmission rear derailleur on the Ripmo. Specifically, the shifting felt that it was off by a bit in one direction, failing to upshift correctly, despite proper setup and an attempt to offset this using AXS’s “micro-shift” function. But, same story here, Ibis sent a new GX Transmission derailleur, and it was shifting precisely and beautifully after that, with the excellent downshifting under load that I’ve come to enjoy with SRAM Transmission.
I had a mixed experience with the Blackbird Send Alloy wheelset. I enjoyed the ride quality, feeling smooth in rough terrain. With a 35 mm internal rim width, these rims are quite wide, even for an Enduro bike. This resulted in the 2.5” Maxxis Minion DHF (front) and DHR II (rear, a proven tire combo) feeling pretty squared-off on the trail, and stable in corners. But, the downside is that the rear wheel had a hard time staying true and straight, with a couple of rim truing and spoke tensioning sessions needed during my two-month testing period. If I were to spend any money to upgrade the GX Ripmo build, it would probably be in the wheel department.
I also want to briefly touch on the Ripmo’s internal frame storage. It was useful and quiet for the entire testing period, and I was able to fit just about everything I needed for a ~2-hour ride in there.
Who’s It For?
Folks looking for a versatile, capable Trail bike. It’s hard to get the Ripmo to feel out of place, making it a great option for folks who want to ride a variety of trails on a single bike that does just about everything at least okay, and a lot of things well. There are bikes in its class that offer better traction and composure in rough, steep terrain and others that provide even more playfulness, but the Ripmo strikes a compelling middle ground which makes it a good option for riders who appreciate a bit of both. Combine this with great climbing performance, and the Ripmo can feel practical on an impressive range of ride types, from quick shots down steep trails to bigger days on flowy singletrack.
Bottom Line
The Ripmo offers versatility combined with a healthy dose of playfulness that makes it stand out among Trail and Enduro bikes. While it doesn’t handle any specific type of trail better than anything else out there, it feels very comfortable on a wide variety of terrain, functioning well as a casual bike park ripper, a dynamic flowy trail shredder, as well as a steed worthy of all-day missions.
Deep Dive Comparisons
BLISTER+ members and those who purchase our Digital Access Pass can check out our Deep Dive comparisons linked below. Get our Digital Access Pass to view all our Deep Dives and Flash Reviews, or become a BLISTER+ member today to get access to that and a LOT more, including the best worldwide Outdoor Injury Insurance, exclusive deals and discounts on skis, personalized gear recommendations from us, and much more.
Deep Dive: Ibis Ripmo V3
We compare the Ibis Ripmo V3 to several Trail/Enduro bikes in its class, including the previous Ibis Ripmo V2S, Revel Rail 29, Specialized Stumpjumper 15, Spot Mayhem 140, and Santa Cruz Bronson.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
To get our comprehensive Deep Dives and our initial, unfiltered reports on new gear, become a member and receive many other services, deals, and discounts.
If you’re already an active member, please log in.
(If you’re already logged in and a member in good standing and seeing this message in error, please refresh this page in your browser.)
Nice review! Is the fork damper an X or X2? My understanding is the builds with the fox 36 come with the new gripx damper. Thanks!
Thank you, Carla! And thanks for catching that, it was indeed a Grip X damper on the Fox 36 Factory fork.
What did you think of the stock Float X’s performance as a shock? Some people seem to have been unhappy with it and swapped to more linear shocks like a Vivid or a coil or ran pretty high sag on the stock.
Hey Mark, I thought it was fine and that it matched and even contributed to the bike’s responsive, poppy suspension feel. I’m guessing a more linear air shock or a coil (which Ibis *does* condone running on the Ripmo) would reduce some of that ramp-up in the bottom half of the travel, definitely changing the personality a bit, which could be fine depending on what you like.