Ibis Ripmo 3

Today, Ibis unveils the third version of the Ripmo, their popular do-it-all bike that sits between the Ripley trail rocket and the HD6 enduro sled. The new Ripmo follows in the footsteps of the HD6 introduced last year and adopts the same, straighter and more angular design language as well as HD6-inspired suspension kinematics.

Compared with the outgoing Ripmo, the new version gains 3 mm of rear travel (now at 150 mm) and mullet compatibility, and has geometry that's slightly longer and slacker as well as size-specific in almost every aspect. A new "Extra Medium" size is introduced in between Medium and Large.

Together with the new Ripmo, Ibis is releasing a new Ripley, now with 140 mm front and 130 mm rear travel. We have a Ripmo on test and that's what we'll focus on here, but interestingly both bikes are based on the same platform. We'll get back to that in a bit.

Ripmo 3 Highlights

• 160 mm front, 150 mm rear travel (DW-link)
• 29" or mixed wheels (MX) via flip chip
• 64.5° head tube angle, 76.5°-77.5° seat tube angle
• Five sizes (S-M-XM-L-XL) with "size-specific everything"
• Carbon front and rear triangle
• Coil shock compatible
• Internal frame storage

Frame & Geometry

Taking a cue from the HD6, the new Ripmo leaves the curved top tube of the outgoing model behind for a clean, purposeful look with straight lines and understated branding.

The Ripmo got slightly longer and slacker for a very contemporary trail bike geometry overall. More significantly, Ibis went all the way making everything size-specific, including chainstay lengths, seat tube angles, and bottom bracket heights. The idea behind size-specific bottom bracket heights is that as the wheelbase gets longer, the centre of gravity can be a little higher, effectively maintaining the same level of stability across the size range while providing a little extra ground clearance on the larger sizes. As a result, the suspension kinematics are size-specific as well to account for each size's different centre of gravity.

The chainstay pivots have flip chips to accommodate a 29" or a 27.5" rear wheel while keeping the geometry consistent. Sizes S and M ship in mullet configuration while XM, L, and XL ship as 29er.

For now, the frame is only available in carbon.

A new feature on the Ripmo 3 is internal frame storage in the downtube. The door under the bottle cage mount is easy to open with a large handle and reveals two lovely stow bags made by Cotopaxi. Removing the bag that sits directly behind the door provides access to a second, larger bag which slides into the downtube. The larger bag is designed as a tool roll around a 70 cc mini pump.

What's cool about the stow bags is that they are made from leftover fabric. This keeps the fabric out of a landfill and it also means that each bag is unique.

Ibis made a number of sensible and user-friendly design choices such as a threaded BB, standard eyelet shock mounts, and clearance for very long dropper posts. Molded rubber protectors are found on the downtube and the driveside chainstay.

The frame has internal tunnels for cable routing, a comforting thought for us mechanical drivetrain fans, now that the first wireless-only bikes without any cable routing at all are starting to appear.

Now, back to the new Ripley. The new Ripmo and Ripley utilize the same frame design but have different upper links and shock lengths. This opens up the possibility of converting the Ripmo to a Ripley or vice versa relatively easily, a nice bonus option!

Suspension

Like the outgoing Ripmo, the new version uses a DW-link suspension layout to guide the rear end through its 150 mm of travel. The lower link runs on bushings while the upper links runs on cartridge bearings. Although all build kits as well as frame only come with an air shock, Ibis qualifies the Ripmo as coil shock compatible.

When Uncle Dave reviewed the outgoing Ripmo, he found its rear suspension a bit soft for his weight and riding style due to the leverage curve flattening beyond the sag point as well as the light shock tune specced by Ibis. Dave ended up swapping in a firmer shock. An aftermarket upper link by Cascade that increases progression is a popular Ripmo upgrade for some of our readers.

Although no specifics are provided, the new Ripmo's suspension is said to be more progressive and was described to me as "more like the HD6". Graham praised that bike's suspension for being "just soft enough" in the early travel while providing "a lot of mid-stroke support with a progressive end stroke never ending in a harsh bottom out" so that sounds promising.

Builds & Pricing

Ibis offers five build levels on complete Ripmos from 4,999 to 8,499 USD. From least to most expensive, there are three Shimano builds (Deore, SLX, XT) and two Sram Transmission builds (GX , X0). All builds have a Float X Factory shock. The Deore and SLX builds have a Marzocchi Z1 fork while the XT, GX, and X0 come with a Fox 36 Factory Grip X.

Aluminum Blackbird Send wheels with 35 mm internal width rims and 2.5" Maxxis rubber are standard throughout the range but on the three most expensive builds you can upgrade to an Ibis i9 carbon wheelset for an additional 1,400 USD.

Dropper duties are taken care of by a Bikeyoke Revive on all but the Deore level, which has a post from KS. Cockpits consist of Ibis/Blackbird housebrand bars and stems, Lizard Skin grips, and WTB Silverado saddles.

If you prefer to build up your Ripmo from the frame, you can get one with a Float X for 3,700 USD.

Whichever build you choose, you can pick from two colours: Huckleberry Purple or Swamp Monster (light green? Don't hold me to it because I'm red-green colourblind).

First Ride Impressions

A large Huckleberry Purple Ripmo with XT build showed up at my door two weeks ago and I've been able to take it out a few times on a mix of trails. In terms of geometry and sizing, everything feels very familiar and the large seems like a good fit for my 187 cm (6'2").

Ibis recommends 18-25% sag in front and 25-30% in the rear. For now I'm at the softer end of that range with 25% front and 30% rear to suit my currently somewhat timid riding style while I'm nursing a minor injury. The damper settings suggested by Ibis provided a great starting point with only minor changes made so far.

The rear suspension feels pretty good already. The bike climbs really well, somehow combining an efficient pedalling platform with loads of traction, and seems to inject a little extra forward momentum into every pedal stroke. Descending, the rear feels very smooth and composed, unobtrusive but there when I need it. A promising start!

I'm still fine-tuning the new Grip X damper on the 36 fork but I've already noticed it's an improvement over the Grip 2 in terms of finding a compression setup that combines support with small bump compliance.

It's early days but I feel like the Ripmo and I will get along very well. It tickles me in a way no new bike has for a while. I'm stoked to spend the next couple of months on the Ripmo to find out if the butterflies will last beyond the first few dates.

Find more information about the new Ripmo as well as the new Ripley at ibiscycles.com.