Today, Ibis is introducing a new long-travel bike to their lineup, the Ripmo. The Ripmo is a 145mm-travel 29er aimed at the Enduro and aggressive Trail crowd. Here is the critical information and some of our initial impressions.
Geometry
The all-new Ripmo is on the slacker end of the spectrum. A 65.9-degree head tube angle is about a half degree slacker than the Santa Cruz Hightower LT and Yeti SB5.5, but it doesn’t go super slack like the 65.6-degree Trek Slash or 64.0-degree Transition Sentinel. Still, the Ripmo has a 1228 mm wheelbase (measurement based on a Large frame), and it will be interesting to see how well the Ripmo corners at slower speeds.
The Ripmo features 435 mm chainstays, and like the short-travel Ibis Ripley, the Ripmo has clearance for 2.6-inch tires.
The Ripmo’s 76-degree seat tube angle is fairly steep and should put the rider in a solid climbing position right above the cranks. (It should be noted that the short-travel Ibis Ripley has a remarkably tight, 428 mm reach measurement on a Large frame). The Ripmo has a 471 mm reach measurement on the Large frame — nice and roomy.
The Ripmo is available in sizes Small, Medium, Large, and Extra Large, and the frame is only available in carbon fiber.
Suspension
With 145 mm of DW Link travel, the Ripmo should be fairly adaptable. Some 29-inch Enduro bikes like the Evil Wreckoning, YT Capra 29, and Specialized Enduro feature 160 mm or more of rear-wheel travel, which can make these bikes quite the chore to pedal around as daily drivers.
DW Link suspension is a dual link system that we’ve found to provide an excellent pedal platoform on the other bikes we’ve used that feature the same system.
145 mm is a reasonable travel number. The Yeti SB5.5 has 140 mm of travel, and the Santa Cruz Hightower LT has 150 mm. Both of these bikes can serve as daily Trail bikes for folks who don’t mind a little extra heft, and we suspect the Ripmo will slot in nicely with such bikes.
Build Kits
Ibis is viewed as a premium brand and their prices reflect that. The frame-only option of the Ripmo sells for $2999. Complete bikes range from $4099 for the NX, up to $9399 for the XX1 kit with carbon Ibis wheels.
Bottom Line (For Now)
With 145 mm of travel, slack geometry, and a proven suspension design, the Ibis Ripmo looks like it could be a capable and effective Enduro rig that could also double as a daily driver. Stay tuned for our full review.
hah i got tricked into thinking it’d be the review ;-)
i don’t trust any other reviewer than the usual poster on this site ;P
V interested to hear how this compares to the Yeti 5.5 and Hightower LT.