I like your criteria (suspension bits, customer support etc.). In the past 12 years, I've been the guy buying used frames, so when it was time to purchase my first complete in over a decade, I used a similar criteria. I ended up with an entry level Ibis Ripmo AF, because it had DVO suspension that seemed to offer a level of performance, adjustability and user serviceability that I couldn't find on other low-spec bikes. 7 year warranty on the aluminum frame, and lots of good things said about customer support. The apparent downsides were NX components and Guide-T brakes. In the end, I think I hit it out of the park with that decision. I did need a Cascade Link to get the suspension feel right, Saint brakes to get from "no braking at all" to "Champion of stopping", and an SLX shifter/derailleur grafted onto the rest of the super long-lasting NX system. Those swaps are definitely not nothing, but I'd likely swap some things on most of the options I was looking at. I'm now on the 3rd season, have done all my own suspension servicing, still on the super long wearing NX cassette/CR, and the bushing wear on 4/6 pivot locations seem much lower than bearings if maintenance is kept up. The bike is amortizing EXTREMELY well, and I'm sure I'll keep it the full 7 years.
April 25, 2022, 3:57 p.m. - Mammal
I like your criteria (suspension bits, customer support etc.). In the past 12 years, I've been the guy buying used frames, so when it was time to purchase my first complete in over a decade, I used a similar criteria. I ended up with an entry level Ibis Ripmo AF, because it had DVO suspension that seemed to offer a level of performance, adjustability and user serviceability that I couldn't find on other low-spec bikes. 7 year warranty on the aluminum frame, and lots of good things said about customer support. The apparent downsides were NX components and Guide-T brakes. In the end, I think I hit it out of the park with that decision. I did need a Cascade Link to get the suspension feel right, Saint brakes to get from "no braking at all" to "Champion of stopping", and an SLX shifter/derailleur grafted onto the rest of the super long-lasting NX system. Those swaps are definitely not nothing, but I'd likely swap some things on most of the options I was looking at. I'm now on the 3rd season, have done all my own suspension servicing, still on the super long wearing NX cassette/CR, and the bushing wear on 4/6 pivot locations seem much lower than bearings if maintenance is kept up. The bike is amortizing EXTREMELY well, and I'm sure I'll keep it the full 7 years.