Ibis Ripmo V2s

Ibis Bicycles is a mountain bike manufacturer located in northern California. It produces the popular Mojo, Ripmo, and Ripley mountain bike frames among other models. Ibis products are distributed in 33 countries.In 2016, Ibis launched an Enduro World Series Team. The team went on to win the Overall Team Title in 2017. The 2020 team roster includes Robin Wallner, Bex Baraona, and Cole Lucas. The BowTi design (released in 1998) was unique in being a full suspension frame that did not use pivots to separate the front and rear triangle. A complex system of flexible titanium tubes provided up to 5 inches (125mm) of travel. Designed by John Castellano, 269 frames were produced until the 2002 closure. Castellano now supports the design with his own company. Ibis Cycles sponsors Brian Lopes. Lopes also collaborated with Ibis Cycles in developing the “Lopes Link”, a suspension upgrade for the Mojo and Mojo SL giving more handling precision.They are also remembered for their sculpture-like “hand job” cable hanger, which resembled a fist reaching up and grabbing the rear brake cable. The Hand Job took an overlooked part of every other bike and made it a focal point for an Ibis, and as such symbolized the company.

Ibis frames are primarily manufactured in Asia. In 2018, they began producing a small quantity of US made frames under the label Carbon 831. Ibis frames are primarily made of carbon, but after an 18 year hiatus (2001-2018), the brand recently began manufacturing aluminum frames.Ibis Bicycles was founded by Scot Nicol, one of the earliest mountain bikers in northern California. It began in Nicol’s garage in 1981, when a friend asked him to build a frame. Nicol sold the company to an investment group in 2000 and it went bankrupt within 20 months. Ibis returned to the industry at the 2005 Interbike tradeshow. Hans Heim, a former co-owner of Bontrager Cycles and Santa Cruz Bicycles, partnered with Scot Nicol, Tom Morgan, and Roxy Lo to relaunch the brand. Colin Hughes, the Head of Engineering, would join later as a partner.

While many companies came up with sophisticated names for their steel bike’s tubing (for example, Columbus has their famous “Genius” tubing), Nicol and Ibis called their tubing “Moron”- meaning it had more on the ends for strength and less in the middle to give the bikes light weight (a standard practice in cycling called “butted tubing”). The Moron design was released in 1994.

Das Ibis Ripmo und das Ripley erhalten für 2023 neue Farben und kleinere Updates. Aber auch dem Unternehmen selbst wurde ein neuer Anstrich verpasst. Was es damit auch sich hat, erfahrt ihr hier.Wir laden dich ein, jeden Artikel bei uns im Forum zu kommentieren und diskutieren. Schau dir die bisherige Diskussion an oder kommentiere einfach im folgenden Formular:

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Dazu gibt es auch einen neuen Kettenstrebenschutz und neue Buchsen mit besserer Abdichtung im Hinterbau. Der neue Hinterbau ist auch nur mit diesen Buchsen kompatibel, weswegen ein Verwenden der neuen Schwinge bei altem Hauptrahmen nicht einfach möglich sein soll.Erkennbar ist die neue Version, beziehungsweise die neue Schwinge, neben dem „S“ in der Produktbezeichnung an der neuen Aufhängung und der Öffnung für den Schaltzug, der jetzt die Kettenstrebe an der Oberseite verlässt. So soll es mehr Fersenfreiheit geben sowie ein verbessertes Schaltgefühl erzeugt werden, da weniger Reibung entstehen soll. Das neue Ibis Ripmo V2S ist in den Designs „Enduro Cell“ oder „Bruce Banner“ erhältlich, das Ibis Ripley V4S als „Bad Apple“ oder „Drywall“.

Mit kleinen, aber feinen Änderungen geht der Hersteller aus Kalifornien in die neue Saison – dabei bekommen aber nicht nur die Bikes ein kleines Update spendiert, auch das Auftreten der Marke wurde überarbeitet. Was lag da näher, als das bisherige Oval mit dem Schriftzug gegen einen stilisierten Ibis selbst auszutauschen?The Ripmo features a mix of bearings and bushings for the pivots as appropriate to balance weight, stiffness, and durability, with the lower link and clevis riding on bushings, and the upper link (which goes through far more rotation) pivoting on bearings. Ibis will replace worn bushings for free for the life of the frame under their warranty, and the rest of the frame is covered for seven years for the original owner. The Ibis Ripmo V2 has been around for a while now, and Ibis just gave the bike a light refresh. In addition to new colors and branding, the Ripmo gets some subtle refinements to the design. While it’s not an all-new model (Ibis is calling the new bike the “Ripmo V2S”), it does see some notable updates. The biggest one is that the Arrival is a more game-on bike that takes a more aggressive approach on the descent to start to come alive, whereas the Ripmo is more versatile in that it feels more cushy and forgiving if you’re taking things easier, and the Arrival requires more care to stay over the front end and weight the front wheel to maintain its ideal balance in terms of body positioning. The Arrival is also more lively and eager to boost off of everything in sight and more stable at speed, at the expense of being less engaging at lower speeds and in tighter spots, and not being as adept a technical climber.

The Ibis Ripmo has been a deservedly popular Trail / Enduro bike for quite a while now, and while it’s the bike that Ibis’ athletes have been racing in the EWS for the last few years, as modern Enduro bikes have gotten longer, slacker, and grown in travel, the Ripmo has started to edge more into the long-travel Trail category.David: The Ripmo climbs very, very well for a 150mm-travel bike. It pedals efficiently but does an excellent job of balancing that efficiency with still maintaining solid traction under power, rather than selling out and just chasing efficiency. As per usual for the Fox Float X2 rear shock, the climb switch isn’t terribly effective, but I felt little need for one on the Ripmo anyway, even on smoother, steeper climbs.David: We’ve unfortunately had different reviewers on the Rail 29 and Ripmo, but from talking to our folks who reviewed the Rail 29, they sound like a really good comparison for each other. My hunch is that, if anything, the Rail 29 is a touch more plush and planted feeling in terms of its suspension performance and the Ripmo a little more supportive and lively, but the two seem much more similar than they are different. David: The Ripmo feels like it slots pretty cleanly between the Rallon and the Occam LT — the Occam LT shares a lot of the character of the Rallon in terms of its suspension performance and in that it’s an especially sharp-handling, lively, efficient bike for its class, but it’s a lot quicker handling than the Rallon and substantially less stable and composed at speed. The Ripmo is a nice middle ground for folks who feel caught in between the two Orbeas. Or if you like the sound of the Ripmo but want something a little sharper-handling and more efficient under power, but don’t want to step all the way down to the Ripley, the Occam LT (or maybe even the standard Occam) is a great call. That said, the new rear end does feel stiffer to me. The older bike wasn’t unduly noodly or anything, but was definitely on the less-stiff end of the spectrum and the new one feels more stout. I don’t think Ripmo V2 owners should be rushing out to upgrade to the V2S or anything like that, but it’s a nice update to a bike that’s still very relevant without a major overhaul.The more I think about it, I honestly might just be one of those riders. I tend to favor aggressive Trail bikes yet I’m not willing to haul around a long-travel Enduro bike when I’m up over 10,000 ft. I like chainstays on the shorter side, I’m comfortable with a more compact cockpit, and the travel is right where I like it. I mentioned in the “Builds” section that I’d like to see a less burly build option, and that’s true, but it still wouldn’t deter me from considering the Ripmo. The only real fly in the ointment is its climbing efficiency, which honestly is only a tire swap away from being perfectly acceptable. What you’re left with then is this incredibly well-rounded and capable bike, one that I’d have no problem taking up to the high country, and also one that makes the most out of those hard-earned endless descents Colorado is known for.

Simon: As close as these two are in travel and geometry numbers (mainly head tube angle and reach) they couldn’t be further apart in how they ride on the trail. It’s really interesting just how different they are, and David and I chatted about this recently in the(link to bikes and big ideas podcast). The Ripmo is definitely not a long-travel Enduro bike, but riding them back to back it certainly feels like it is. As to be expected the Ripmo is much more confidence-inspiring descending steep rocky terrain, and in contrast makes the Rowl feel a bit nervous and twitchy. Simply put, the Rowl can’t compete with the Ripmo downhill. The Rowl is even more compact then the Ripmo, and also sports some of the shortest chainstays (425mm) out there, contributing to its more nimble(and sometimes nervous) demeanor. They both pedal very well, and it’s tricky to pick one over the other given the huge difference in spec, however I’m still going to give the nod to the Rowl in that department.

That’s not to say that it’s the best of both worlds or anything like that, but rather a bike that straddles the gap nicely and doesn’t fit super neatly into one specific category. But precisely for that reason, the Ripmo V2S is impressively versatile as a burly-ish bike that can handle some very steep, technical descending but is a lot more fun on mellower, flatter trails than most bigger, slacker Enduro rigs. That’s a recipe that I can easily see working for a lot of people, and though it’s not a big departure from the Ripmo V2 that it replaced, the Ripmo V2S still makes a lot of sense for the right folks.

Ibis’ updates to the new V2S version haven’t changed that, but now that we’ve spent several months on the new iteration, it’s still an excellent bike for folks who want something that can still handle some burly descents, but is dialed back from and more versatile than the latest crop of ultra-long-travel Enduro sleds.Simon: I agree with David that the Ripmo V2 slots into a unique middle ground between how we typically think of Trail and Enduro bikes, and can absolutely be an excellent bike for a lot of riders — especially those after a one-bike quiver who need something a little more aggressive than most Trail bikes, but more versatile and easier to live with every day than a full-blown Enduro bike.

(2) And who is going to be best served by the Ripmo, as compared to either a Trail bike with similar numbers but a bit lighter build (e.g. the Santa Cruz Hightower) or any number of burlier, heavier Enduro bikes.I didn’t feel like the small bump sensitivity was as good as previous Ripmo models. I’d venture to say that has more to do with the shock choice and tune rather than any changes in the suspension kinematics. To be clear, it’s still quite good, but I remember it being something that stood out before.

I think the Assegai rear maybe makes sense for people who really want to emphasize traction under power, but I personally tend to lean more your way (and made the same complaint in my review of the latest Pivot Firebird, which came with the same tire spec).

David: I’ve only got a handful of rides on the now-replaced Ripmo V2, but my impression is that the updates Ibis has made are mostly pretty subtle. That’s not a huge surprise, given that the geometry and suspension are the same, with the tweaks really just being limited to the swingarm structure. The slot missing between the Ripley and the Ripmo is a big reason I went with the Occam LT: it seems to approximately occupy that space in between them, which was borne out by some of David’s comparison’s when he reviewed the Occam LT. Thanks for the great reviews! There’s certainly nothing about that that looks dated, but it does raise some questions about where exactly the Ripmo fits into the modern bike landscape. All of those numbers are pretty normal for a modern longer-travel Trail bike, but it would seem that Ibis has aspirations for the Ripmo to be a bit burlier than that — and indeed, it’s the bike that their EWS team races on — so it’ll be interesting to see how all that adds up.And that’s because the front triangle is actually the same — all the updates happen in the back. The new Ripmo V2S (“S” stands for “Swingarm”) gets a new rear triangle with a SRAM UDH derailleur hanger, improved chainstay protection, revised cable routing, and some refinements to the pivot bushings and links. The pivot sealing is said to be improved, and the links and swingarm have been stiffened to help with handling precision. The widened links and swingarm have pushed the new Ripmo V2S to a 55 mm chainline (from 52 mm on the prior generation).

David: The Rallon is one of the best examples of a very efficient, precise-feeling Enduro bike out there, and has some similarities to the Ripmo in that they’re both burlier, longer-travel bikes that are more efficient, lively, and engaging at lower speeds than a lot of big Enduro bikes while still being able to go quite hard on rougher, steeper trails, too.

David: The Guerrilla Gravity Smash is also one of the better comparisons here. The two feel pretty similar in terms of where they land on the spectrum between true Trail bikes and bigger Enduro ones, but the Ripmo pedals a little more efficiently and the Smash is a touch more stable at speed. The Smash is also a touch more planted and composed in terms of its suspension performance, while the Ripmo feels somewhat more lively.All the builds get Maxxis Assegai MaxxTerra Exo+ tires at both ends. The decision to spec a Fox 38 up front (and arguably the Float X2 shock as well) is a little bit unusual in this travel class, but makes a ton of sense given how Ibis talks about the Ripmo as blurring the line between a longer-travel Trail bike and a full-on Enduro one (not to mention that it’s what their EWS athletes are piloting).

David: Despite their nearly identical travel numbers and comparably burly builds, the Murmur Enduro (full review also coming very soon) is substantially more bike than the Ripmo — it’s more stable at speed, less nimble in tight spots, and doesn’t pedal as efficiently. The Murmur Enduro is also more planted / less lively feeling and generally feels like a more descending-oriented, less versatile all-rounder.Rather, the Ripmo really feels like it’s straddling the gap between true all-rounder Trail bikes (e.g. the Santa Cruz Hightower) and more full-on Enduro ones, and with that framing in mind, it really starts to make sense. Despite the burly build, it’s pretty light (32.0 lb / 14.5 kg for our test bike, without pedals) and could absolutely be an everyday Trail bike for plenty of people who still want to log big miles, have something that pedals well, and want a bike that isn’t only fun on super steep, rowdy trails while still being able to handle itself when you get into some of those.

David: In some respects these two sound kind of similar on paper, but they don’t actually remind me of each other very much. They’re both ~150 mm rear / 160 mm front travel bikes that pedal better than average for their travel range and are capable of being pushed fairly hard on rough, steep descents, but beyond that, a lot of differences start to crop up.Simon: This is an interesting one. The Ripmo’s travel and geometry numbers say Trail bike, which is then immediately contradicted by the build, which screams Enduro. But that makes sense given how Ibis is positioning the bike, and with that mixed focus in mind, there’s nothing that stands out as a miss. The thing is though, I couldn’t help wishing it was also offered dressed in more Trail-like attire, with maybe a Fox 36 with a Float X and a more civilized tire combo. Call it whatever, Ripmo Lite, Ripmo Trail, Ripmo High Rockies Edition… It just seems like there’s a big gap in their model lineup, with nothing in between the shorter travel Ripley and the basically Enduro spec’d Ripmo, especially for riders who live up where the air is thin and want the capability of the Ripmo, but dialed back just a hair for those long high alpine days. And I definitely agree with David, that green paint job is outstanding.

I’ve been on the V1 Ripmo for four years now. Time to upgrade and I was naturally going to get another Ripmo as I’ve like it that much. Just yesterday saw a head to head video with the new Yeti SB 140. Hmmm it’s got me thinking…. Curious have you guys had a chance to ride that yet?David: The Ibis Ripmo V2S is a really good option for folks who want a bike that blurs the line between true Trail bikes and more game-on, descending-oriented Enduro ones. It pedals very efficiently, is a good technical climber, and is a notch more stable at speed and more composed in rough, high-speed situations than average for its travel range, while also being more nimble and engaging at lower speeds than a lot of bigger, slacker Enduro bikes.

Simon: The Ripmo is an extremely capable descender, but as David pointed out its not 100% a smasher and instead a bike that responds well to more rider input. I completely agree with this and think it’s also an important distinction — because looking at the parts spec you could easily assume it’s more of a full-on bruiser than it actually is.Ibis’ recommended suspension settings were a little light for me, both in terms of air pressures and compression damping (especially on the fork), but with a little extra air and a few clicks of damping, I had things sorted out. The shock tune felt well chosen for the bike, and the XT build (with carbon wheel upgrade) that we’ve been riding is quite nice all around.

Ibis offers the Ripmo in five different builds, and there aren’t really any budget options here (that’s where the Ripmo AF comes in), with Fox Factory 38 / Float X2 suspension offered across the range, and so on.In addition to the mechanical changes that we’ll get into shortly, Ibis has redone their branding on the new bike, with their classic headbadge retired and a new logo popping up to replace it. The frame colors have been updated (and the three-tone green “Bruce Banner” paint on our review bike looks especially sharp) but there’s also a black and copper “Enduro Cell” paint option if you’d prefer something a little more subtle. The Ripmo V2S’ geometry hasn’t changed from the outgoing Ripmo V2. It’s still offered in four sizes (Small through XL), with a 64.9° headtube angle and 435 mm chainstays across the board, with reach ranging from 433 to 500 mm (460 mm on the Medium and 475 mm on the Large). The effective seat tube angle is 77° in the two smaller sizes and 76° in the bigger ones, and all that adds up to wheelbases ranging from 1,187 mm to 1,267 mm (1,238 mm on our size Large review bike). David: We’ve talked a bunch about how there’s more than one way to make a bike that you can go very fast on — either by making a total sledgehammer that wants to just smash through whatever’s in front of it (e.g. the Norco Range) or by making a bike that facilitates more dynamic, precise riding and helps you to hit every line cleanly so that you don’t have to just plow through everything. As an Enduro race bike, the Ripmo is very much in the latter camp (and does it pretty well), but I don’t think it’s really accurate to look at it as a true Enduro bike first and foremost.David: The Bronson is the best match to the Ripmo in Santa Cruz’s lineup in terms of where both land on the spectrum between shorter-travel Trail bikes and burlier true Enduro ones, but they feel pretty different in terms of how they ride. The Bronson is more playful and eager to throw around in the air, slash and drift corners, and so on; the Ripmo feels more purposeful as something like a sometimes-Enduro bike while still being a more versatile all-rounder than the bigger, longer-travel options in that class. The Bronson has a smaller sweet spot in terms of its preferred body positioning and doesn’t pedal as efficiently as the Ripmo, but its suspension feels more plush and cushy, and it’s got more rear wheel traction under power. At least for my preferences, the Ripmo is the better technical climber due to its better efficiency and calmer handling at low speeds (the Bronson’s front wheel can feel floppy) but folks who really prioritize traction and compliance might feel differently.

The sizing and fit also feel substantially different. The Large Fuel EX lands pretty squarely between the Large and XL Ripmo, and frankly, that makes the Fuel EX a better fit for me personally. I think those differences in fit are coloring my perception a bit, but comparing Large to Large frames, the Fuel EX is more stable at speed (in what I’d consider its “default” geometry setting of the neutral headset position and low flip chip; see our First Look for the rundown on its myriad geometry settings) and has a bigger sweet spot in terms of its body positioning, with more room for me to move around on the bike without upsetting its balance. And that makes the Fuel EX the easier bike for me to push hard on in some ways, despite its more modest suspension. But again, I think sizing is a big factor there, and the Large Fuel EX just happens to fit me better than the Large Ripmo. A lot of the more nimble, precise feeling bikes out there do that in part by having especially firm, supportive suspension but I wouldn’t say that’s particularly true of the Ripmo — it’s certainly not unsupportive or super planted, but feels more middle-of-the-road on that front than off to one end of the spectrum or the other. Small-bump sensitivity from the rear suspension is only okay, and the Ripmo definitely doesn’t feel ultra-plush and cushy, but its suspension is active enough to maintain good traction through smaller chatter without feeling wallow-y or the like. David: Ibis has given the Ripmo V2S a decidedly more burly build than average for a ~150mm-travel bike, but as we’ve hopefully made clear by now, that feels nicely in keeping with everything else that’s going on with the Ripmo. It’s a bike that spans the gap between true Trail bikes and the modern crop of 160+ mm travel Enduro sleds, and the decision to spec beefier suspension (a Fox 38 and Float X2 Factory) suits those goals.

The dual Maxxis Assegai Exo+ MaxxTerra tire spec also isn’t my favorite (though it feels more appropriate on the Ripmo than on some other recent bikes where I’ve complained about that same combo), and the 35mm-wide Ibis rims help give a little more sidewall support than you get with narrower ones, which I found welcome for a high-volume rear tire with a light casing. I’d personally still swap in something faster rolling and with a more stout casing in the rear.The builds play a significant role there, too — and the Ripmo’s builds are notably burly for a bike with its travel and geometry numbers. So with that in mind: David: Simon raises a good point that the option for a lighter build on the Ripmo would make a bunch of sense. The current ones are great for the folks who want the more aggressive Trail bike (or Enduro-lite, however you want to describe it) blend that the Ripmo offers, but it’s not hard to imagine it working really well for some folks as more of a long-travel Trail bike with a couple of pounds lopped off, some faster rolling tires, and so on. And while part of me misses Ibis’ classic head badge, I do have to say that I really, really like the three-tone green “Bruce Banner” paint on the new Ripmo. It’s not too showy but looks really sharp in person, especially against a lot of the mossy green backdrops we get up here in the Pacific Northwest. Nice work, Ibis.The Ripmo V2S remains the longest-travel non-electrified bike in Ibis’ range (the new Oso e-bike has a bit more squish), and the top-level details haven’t changed much. The Ripmo V2S still gets 147 mm of rear-wheel travel from its DW-link suspension, built around a 160mm-travel fork and 29’’ wheels at both ends. It’s offered in the same four sizes (Small through XL) and the geometry carries over from the outgoing Ripmo V2 as well.

David Golay: At 6’ tall (183 cm), Ibis’ recommended sizing puts me at the very bottom end of the range for the XL frame and a little more comfortably within the band for the Large. And while I think that they’re right to say that I could ride either, after riding the Large, I’m not all that interested in sizing up. At 475 mm, the reach on the Large frame is on the shorter side of my typical preferences, but my hunch is that the seated position on the XL is going to be more stretched out than I’d like, given its 655 mm effective top tube. As we’ll get into more below, the Ripmo clicked best for me as something like an Enduro-light bike, given that I could push it pretty hard, but it’s definitely less stable and more agile than a lot of (generally longer travel) true Enduro bikes. Given that, keeping the sizing a little more compact and emphasizing the nimbleness and precision of the Ripmo makes sense to me, rather than trying to size up and turn it into a full-on steamroller, which it just isn’t really.David: The Ripmo is more bike than the Hightower in most respects. It’s more stable at speed and more confidence-inspiring on steep, technical descents but not as engaging on more varied, rolling terrain. If anything, the Ripmo probably pedals a little more efficiently but the two aren’t far off from each other and the Hightower’s suspension provides more traction under power. The Hightower is quicker handling in tighter, slower sections of trail and its suspension feels more plush and forgiving at lower speeds, but the Ripmo is more composed when you start pushing it harder.

Love my V2, Der Kaiser on the back is great for efficient climbing; got a little inline coil thats been a dream so far. Rode Lord of the Squirrels last fall and it was the ideal bike. Can be ridden very hard on the way down if you’ve set it up properly. Mine weights just under 30lb w/o pedals fox 36 carbon everything lolSimon: Climbing performance is definitely a strong point for the Ripmo, but for me, I’m going to narrow that down a bit and emphasize technical climbing — this is where I feel like the geometry and suspension unite and the Ripmo does its best work. As David said, the short-ish chainstays and moderate 76º seat tube requires a bit of finesse on the very steep sections, but it’s those exact same numbers that make it excel at ledgy technical climbing. Now, where it didn’t excel for me was on long smooth climbs. The efficiency is there, but it wasn’t enough to make the Enduro-focused build unnoticeable. So in short, if you like the sound of the Ripmo but think you’d want a bike that’s a notch more stable and descending-focused at the expense of a little all-around versatility, the Rallon is a really good call; conversely, the Ripmo is a lot like a slightly more compact, versatile Rallon that is a better technical climber in particular. David: The Carbonjack feels something like an Arrival but with a preference for a much more rearward weight bias and upright, centered body position. That makes it a little closer to the Ripmo than the Arrival is, but the Ripmo is again more versatile and engaging at lower speeds, is a better technical climber, and probably pedals slightly more efficiently. The Carbonjack is more stable at speed and its suspension feels slightly more supportive at the expense of a little bit of small-bump sensitivity.Ibis does still have the Mojo in their lineup as something of an in-between option, but it’s not really splitting the difference between the Ripmo and the Ripley. It’ll be interesting to see where Ibis takes things there. That said, the Rallon is definitely “more” bike overall, mostly in that it’s a little more stable at speed but correspondingly not quite as nimble in tighter spots. The Rallon also has a bit more suspension travel (and feels like it in terms of its composure at speed in rough, fast sections of trail) but is impressively close in terms of pedaling efficiency. But while the Large Ripmo feels a little more compact than a lot of the bikes I’ve been spending time on of late, I really like the fit. Smaller bikes can tend to have a correspondingly smaller-feeling sweet spot when it comes to body positioning, but apart from feeling slightly more sensitive to bar height than average (I was able to land on a setting I was happy with after swapping in a 40 mm stem and introducing a 2.5 mm headset spacer to the mix for better fine-tuning), I found the Ripmo to be quite intuitive in terms of its fit and handling. I did swap in a 40 mm stem in place of the stock 50 mm one to calm down the steering a little, as tends to be my preference on most bikes. I’m not a fan of companies using stem length as a fit variable (the Small and Medium Ripmo come with a 40 mm stem) since stem length has such a big impact on steering feel, but that was an easy fix. Don’t get me wrong, I love Assegais and the excellent traction that they offer, but having them front and rear on a trail bike is a lot to drag around. Thankfully, tires are an easy fix, and I think I’d be inclined to swap the rear out for a Dissector or similar, and then keep it as a spare for the front. As spec’d though, long fire road climbs had me reaching for the compression lever, which as David mentioned, is fairly ineffective on the X2. Nonetheless, I went looking for it, and not because the suspension needed it, but because I was trying to overcome the sluggishness coming from the build — most notably the tires.That suspension performance, plus the comparatively compact dimensions of the Ripmo, also make it an especially good technical climber for a longer-travel bike. Ultra-long wheelbases are great for stability at speed, but also tend to make bikes more cumbersome in tighter spots, especially when dealing with stair-step-y ledges and the like when climbing. And especially if you want a somewhat longer-travel, more compliant bike that’s still an excellent technical climber (as opposed to opting for something shorter travel and more efficient) the Ripmo is a great option.

Für Enduro-Verhältnisse stellt der Hinterbau nominell betrachtet eher wenig Federweg bereit. Die Funktion ist aber über jeden Zweifel erhaben und passt perfekt zur Gabel. Selbst im soften Set-up mit viel SAG stellt der Hinterbau beim Ripmo, der auch mit Stahlfeder- Dämpfer gefahren werden kann, eine gute Progression zur Verfügung und gibt sich sehr schluckfreudig und sensibel, ohne wegzusacken. Bergauf sitzt man kompakt. Wegen der breiten Reifen und schweren Felgen und weil der Hinterbau im Wiegetritt leicht wippt, leidet die Spritzigkeit beim neuen Ibis Modell.Mit seiner 160er-Gabel und knapp 150 Millimeter Federweg am Heck wandelt das Ibis Ripmo V2S zwischen unseren Kategorien All Mountain und Enduro. Durchweg robuste Komponenten, wie die wuchtige 38er-Fox-Gabel und die mit 35er Maulweite extrem breiten Alu-Felgen, rücken das Ripmo aber stärker in Richtung Abfahrt. So aufgebaut überschreitet das Bike samt Pedalen – trotz des 2763 Gramm leichten Vollcarbon-Rahmens – knapp die 15-Kilo-Marke. Dafür kann man mit dem Ripmo bergab die Zügel wirklich locker lassen. Durch die moderne, aber keineswegs extreme Geometrie fährt sich das Mountainbike handlich und intuitiv. Dank der kurzen Kettenstreben geht das Ibis zügig durch enge Kehren und leicht aufs Hinterrad.

*Das BIKE-Urteil gibt die Labormesswerte und den subjektiven Eindruck der Testfahrer wieder. Das BIKE-Urteil ist preisunabhängig. BIKE-Urteile: super (250–205 P.), sehr gut (204,75–170 P.), gut (169,75–140 P.), befriedigend (139,75–100 P.), mit Schwächen, ungenügend.

Die amerikanische Marke Ibis kann bereits auf über 40 Jahre Firmengeschichte zurückblicken und doch sind bei uns in Deutschland nur die Wenigsten mit den außergewöhnlichen Bikes vertraut. Zu den erfolgreichsten Modellen der Kalifornier zählt sicherlich das langhubige Mojo, das mit seinem organischen, zweigeteilten Carbon-Hauptrahmen lange Zeit das Design der Marke prägte. Ebenfalls typisch für Ibis ist die DW-Link-Anlenkung, die das geschlossene hintere Rahmendreieck mittels zweier Wippen mit dem Hauptrahmen verbindet. In der aktuellen Modellpalette findet sich das Mojo, als einziges MTB mit 27,5-Zoll-Laufrädern, immer noch, zurechtgestutzt auf Trailbike-Maße. Den Platz des federwegsstärksten Modells hat zwischenzeitlich das Ibis Ripmo übernommen. Es verkörpert die neue Designsprache von Ibis, bleibt aber, wie auch alle anderen Fullys im Line-up, dem DW-Link treu.Etwas ungewöhnlich ist die Reifenwahl mit einem Maxxis Assegai an Vorder- und Hinterrad. In Kombination mit den breiten Felgen bauen die 2,5er-Reifen sehr voluminös, das bringt auch bei wenig Reifendruck viel Stabilität, Präzision und exzellenten Grip. Auch die überdimensionierte Gabel zahlt aufs Steifigkeitskonto ein, weshalb wir trotz der geringen Messwerte bei der Rahmensteifigkeit keinerlei Auffälligkeiten im Praxistest feststellen konnten.

Speaking of “wheels on the ground,” if you’re that type of rider, you might want to look at swapping over to coil suspension. You’ll find ever so slightly more grip, and you’ll be able to get deeper into the travel more often. I do have a Cascade Components Ripmo link on hand, and spent the last year riding it on my Ripmo V2. The change was subtle, not enough for it to be a game changer for me. The bike feels slightly plusher at the beginning of the stroke, and it ramps up a little more at the end, but not as much as I was hoping. To me, the feel of an X2 shock versus a Float X/DPX2 is MUCH more noticeable than the feel of the link itself. The Cascade link adds 250 grams to the weight of the bike, and costs a pretty penny. If you want, give it a go, it won’t hurt anything, but if it were my dollars, I’d ride my bike more and tune less. Luckily, the Ripmo does not lean too heavily into the “FRO” (For Race Only) direction by any means. I’d actually love to see Ibis build (and make available to the public!) an Enduro World Series (EWS) specific race bike. For that bike, I’d hypothesize a bike based on the Ripmo, but with the ability to adjust chainstay lengths, headtube angles, and of course, be more of a ~170/170mm travel configuration with a more aggressive ramp at the end of the suspension curve. The EWS has gotten significantly gnarlier since I participated in a handful of events (retired in 2016), and now folks are racing mini-downhill bikes after pedaling up grueling, steep access road climbs. These bikes need to shred down, and simply be efficient up- and the ability to ride less exciting, lower angle “blue” or “black” (ie not steep and gnarly) trails can suffer once things are indeed made more gnar friendly. For 2023, the trusty Ibis Ripmo platform carries into its 5th year of production as the “Ripmo V2S.” The original Ripmo debuted in late March 2018, and was one of the first widely accepted, long travel, 29″ trail/enduro bikes. I remember this bike well, and back when I was still working at Ibis (2008-2015), I was even requesting the crew to develop such a bike. Yes, 29″ all-around enduro sleds existed way back then, but there were only a few on the market, and they were not nearly seen as a viable option for the majority of the riding public. My how times have changed! I will say, props to Specialized for making the Enduro 29 back in around 2014, while not the first, that bike was very significant in paving the way for the rest of the industry. I had been riding my Ripmo V2 since January of 2020– the “before” times, if you know what I mean. At first, I had a Trust Shout fork on the front. I actually liked the feel of the bike with that massive front end- it was nicely slacker and taller. And that brings up a great point- just how will folks be using this bike? More on that later. I spend a great deal of time in Arizona during the winters, and found myself to grow quite fond of the 2.6 sized WTB tough casing tires. I used to work at WTB, though I left my position at the company at the end of 2017. Those larger 2.6 tires raise the BB ever so slightly. I’ve also found that a 170mm fork helps a bit too- along with plenty of volume reduction in the suspension. This all is more significant in a flatter, rockier place like Arizona, in particular, Sedona- but I’m all about chasing down those rougher, more backcountry trails than I am finding the flowiest machine built jump trail. Regardless, spilling this much digital ink makes this sound like far more of a problem than it really is. I just wish bike brands in general would try testing out some reasonably higher BB heights. The days of riding while seated are over- we’re standing now, and leaning our bikes in turns- and we can afford to gain 10mm of clearance. And I know you’ll all say “just get shorter cranks,” and FYI, I’m on 165s on all my Ripmos. But that won’t help my 32t chainring gain clearance!For as long as I can remember, Ibis has sponsored high level racers, from Anne Caro Chausson to Brian Lopes to the Gehrig twins, though the brand has never made their entire identity solely about racing. This has been a cool balance of the yin and the yang- recreational riders seemed to take more of a priority for product development over ultimate race needs. In a move that surprised many of us, Ibis recently declared that they are now a “racing focused brand,” as the Ripmo platform is close to what their sponsored EWS race team is currently racing. Running a race team is a huge endeavor, and the Ibis team is quite successful. But this “racing focused” claim confuses many of us, and I’m a little concerned that it scares away potential customers from this very bike. At the end of the day, what racers are looking for in a bike isn’t drastically different from what a regular ‘ol consumer might need, but there are indeed many smaller differences that favor one or the other.

Next up on nit picks, the bike’s bottom bracket height is quite low-to be fair, this is a trait shared among many modern bikes, and it matters more to folks who ride rougher terrain. The issue is made worse by the linear nature of the stock suspension. The result is catching pedals crank arms, and chainrings/bash guards in rough terrain. When manufacturers started to make bikes longer (my Ripmo is a 1219mm wheelbase), they took little time to consider that the break-over angle of the bike got much worse, and continued with the same ~340mm bottom bracket heights we had with bikes that used sub 1100mm wheelbases. This is wild- the original Mojo HD3, for example, has a 3mm HIGHER BB than the Ripmo V2s, despite a 30mm shorter wheelbase. Heck, the old 2008 Mojo Carbon had an 1085mm wheelbase with a 335mm BB height- merely 6mm of height is added to the Ripmo’s BB, despite 134mm of length.I really like a lot of things about modern day enduro and trail bikes, but people always ask first what do I not like… Well, my list is truly a few nuances, mere nitpicks, that would be the metaphorical “termite in the ice cream.” For one, more advanced riders can find the Ripmo V2 and V2S a bit too easy to bottom out. Ripmo V1 was WAY too easy to bottom out, though this was improved for subsequent versions with a better leverage ratio. But still, if you’re an aggressive rider, plan on adding a low cost volume reducer kit to your rear shock. It makes a big difference, is easy, and affordable.

For an EWS racer, weight, pedaling efficiency, traction, and ability to smash through ultimate gnar and super steep trails would all be high on the requirement list. For the rest of us, ease of use, fun and playful feel, durability, and ride convenience might be higher requirements. With such a small percentage of customers ever intending to race, and Ibis’ past history of building non-race oriented bikes first and foremost, this is indeed a bit of an identity shift.

The Ripmo’s balance of modern geo with capable suspension, all reigned in somewhat reasonably, keep it a very viable bike for so many people in so many places. It’s my go-to bike, and the benchmark to which I compare everything else on the market. Is it perfect? Maybe for someone, somewhere- for me, it’s quite close, but there are always small tweaks that I’d like to try! Just like with that green shade of grass, we’ve probably just got to get over one more fence to truly find “perfect.” I’m absolutely tickled to have my Ripmo so dialed in, and I’m pumped that a brand I’ve known so well for so many years is behind this bike. I do hope to finally get a production version of the Ripmo AF in for a comparison, but it’s also wonderful to see that the AF is indeed so similar to the carbon V2S. I prefer the carbon versions for a few reasons, but if you can’t swing the carbon price, the AF is also a great bike. But that, my friends, will be a different post.Now that I’ve complained for a few paragraphs, I’ll make mention that the bike does corner quite well. Even with my “ruining” (pardon the sarcasm!) of the geo with the 10mm longer fork, and often larger tires, the bike leans into corners quite nicely. There is a decent amount of traction available, and the near 64° head tube angle feels terrific when leaned over. Some other designs have a touch more traction, but the Ripmo has PLENTY of grip to have a grand ‘ol time- and more traction would come at a detriment of the bike’s other fun trait- it’s willingness to float off the ground.

The 160/147mm suspension layout works great as an all-arounder for folks in many different environments. For folks like me, who live in a mountainous region, that amount of travel has become the de-facto norm for modern trail riding. For folks who might have slightly less elevation, but who want to carry a bit more speed and confidence on the downs, all without sacrificing too much on the flats and the ups, the Ripmo platform has a been a great option. It’s a bit much for truly mellow terrain, but if you’re looking for an edge to modestly push your own limits, the Ripmo responds well. I think that’s been the secret of the Ripmo platform for all these years- you’ll see folks across the world riding this bike in a ton of very different ways. And finally, if you do have mellower trails, but you’re an aggressive, advanced rider- someone who leaves the ground often- the Ripmo allows you to do just that and get the most of out of your efforts.The IGUS bush­ings in our low­er link are lighter, stiffer, and vir­tu­al­ly main­te­nance free. We believe so strong­ly in them, we back them with a free life­time replacement.

If you are under 16 and wish to give consent to optional services, you must ask your legal guardians for permission. We use cookies and other technologies on our website. Some of them are essential, while others help us to improve this website and your experience. Personal data may be processed (e.g. IP addresses), for example for personalized ads and content or ad and content measurement. You can find more information about the use of your data in our privacy policy. Here you will find an overview of all cookies used. You can give your consent to whole categories or display further information and select certain cookies.Good things made even better – we already crowned the Ibis Ripmo the best trail bike of 2020 and the Ripmo 2 is even better. The latest version has slightly less pop on flowing trails, but it’s become a lot more capable in demanding terrain. It still climbs excellently and scores with very balanced handling. If you’re looking for the perfect trail bike for every kind of adventure, you will definitely find it here.To compare the bikes head to head, we traveled to sun-drenched Latsch in South Tyrol for a weekend in early February and found the perfect test conditions. Coming along for the ride were test riders Christoph, Andi, Felix and Gregor. Last of which owned an Ibis Ripmo with a Works headset to slacken the head angle. It was all the more exciting to see how much of a difference we would feel on the new bike.

If you’re interested in how the Ibis Rimpo compares to the best trail bikes on the field you may want to go through our current group test (click for review). For more info on the Ripmo 2 head to ibiscycles.com.Did you enjoy this article? If so, we would be stoked if you decide to support us with a monthly contribution. By becoming a supporter of ENDURO, you will help secure a sustainable future for high-quality mountain bike journalism. Click here to learn more.Before we start with the differences, let’s look at its similarities with the previous Ripmo. The Ibis Ripmo 2 is a trail bike with 147 mm travel at the rear (it had 145 mm before to be accurate) and 160 mm up front. As you’d expect from Ibis, the bike features DW-Link suspension with a virtual pivot point. Ibis provide a lifetime warranty on the bushings of the lower rocker link, which is nice to know. The bike features a full carbon frame and is compatible with up to 2.6” wide tires.These cookies are used by third-party vendors or publishers to display personalized ads and/or measure the success of ads. They do this by tracking visitors across websites.

Since the top tube and seat tube angle haven’t changed, the riding position on the new Ripmo 2 is just as central and comfortable as on the Ripmo. Thanks to the steep seat tube angle, you sit comfortably even on the nastiest climbs. We didn’t attempt any super technical climbs during the test, but we never felt the front wheel want to flop from side to side due to the slacker head angle or the rear end suffer more pedal bob due to the increased progression. The Ripmo 2 is still an outstanding climber that will get you to the top of every trailhead in a relaxed and efficient manner. Accelerating, the bike feels as lively and agile as before.Only one question remains: which one would Gregor choose? Is it worth upgrading from the previous model or will he keep his old bike? We believe this picture says it all…

As the data suggests on paper, the differences aren’t dramatic the first time you jump aboard the new Ripmo 2. We set both bikes up with the help of the Ibis’ setup guide. As such, the rebound feels unusually fast, too fast when you test it in the parking lot, but it performs well on the trail.

The previous Ripmo’s greatest strength was its balance. We mean this not only regarding its intended use, but also regarding how easy the bike is to ride. That hasn’t changed with the new Ripmo 2. Each of our test riders immediately felt comfortable on the bike, always able to generate equal amounts of grip on both wheels. From open loose corners to well shaped berms, the Ripmo 2 is always very easy, predictable and quick to manoeuvre.The Ripmo 2 remains willing to implement quick direction changes. Here, you have a little more room to throw your weight around on the bike. This makes it easy to position yourself optimally on steep descents and balance your centre of gravity for maximum grip through the corners. The seat tube still is short enough to give you as much freedom of movement as possible, which instils you with confidence and makes the bike that much more fun to ride. With so much good, there is very little to criticise on the Ripmo 2, and we were only annoyed by the bike’s noisiness during our test. Shimano’s XT brakes, in particular, rattled very loudly with the cooling fins on the pads. In very rough sections, we could also hear the chain slapping. However, both of these points are easy to remedy.

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Compared to its predecessor, the Ripmo 2 has a 1° slacker head angle, and depending on the frame size, between 2–14 mm increase in reach, and more progressive suspension. The differences are not apparent at first glance, but if you look at the frames next to each other, you can see that the front shock mount has moved down significantly. So, Ibis didn’t just give the bike a new rocker link, but they redesigned the whole front triangle. However, they’ve made no changes to the rear triangle. The chainstays remain at 435 mm for all frame sizes. A nice little detail is the added protection to prevent stones from getting jammed in the rocker link, which has often been the cause of unsightly scratches.Just two days after the Ibis Ripmo won the title of 2020’s best trail bike, the American brand already sent us it’s successor. For the Ripmo 2, they’ve done a lot to increase downhill performance, but will the bike still be as versatile as before? We tested it extensively and had it go head to head with its predecessor.

A touch more progressive end rate was added to eliminate bottom-out for you hard-chargers. Also added were standard equipment guards to help protect the linkages from contamination.And Ripmo’s svelte feel on climbs is still there. This is a bike that is prepared for sucking up big hits going down yet is nimble and surprisingly light feeling on the climbs, partially thanks to an amazingly light frame weight of just 6.3lbs (w/lightest shock option).

A thick rub­ber down­tube pro­tec­tor deflects debris, while our chain­stay pro­tec­tor fea­tures thick raised sec­tions to help damp­en chain slap noise. And our sim­ple-yet-ele­gant link­age pro­tec­tors stop mud and rocks thrown by the tire, keep­ing your beau­ti­ful bike beautiful.

What if we took everybody’s favorite bike and made it a little slacker and little longer? Hell, what if we made it more progressive and coil compatible? And that’s exactly what we did for the Ripmo V2S. Active ingredients include: 29” wheels, berm-defying cornering tendencies, and a love for long rides.The Rip­mo V2S fea­tures a new UDH dérailleur for max­i­mum future com­pat­i­bil­i­ty and moves to a 55mm chain line. The wider chain line allows for a stiffer chainstay.

So, you’re too fast for nar­row-wide chain reten­tion on its own? Chal­lenge accept­ed. Our remov­able ISCG tabs allow shred­ders to bolt on a chain guide, while the rest of us can shave grams.Tired of hit­ting ​“pur­chase” on anoth­er set of bear­ings each sea­son? So were we. That’s why we use bush­ings where they make sense, and bear­ings where they don’t. The IGUS bush­ings in our low­er link are lighter, stiffer, and vir­tu­al­ly main­te­nance free. We believe so strong­ly in them, we back them with a free life­time replacement.IMPORTANT: Before riding, check the saddle to tire clearance with the dropper post fully dropped and the air out of the shock with frame compressed to bottom out.

Mo’ drop­per, mo’ bet­ter. On small frames, you can run 125 – 150mm, pend­ing your pref­er­ence and inseam length. Our short­er seat-tube lengths and low stan­dovers allow you to choose your size based on your reach preference.The Rip­mo and Rip­mo AF share the same steep, 76-degree seat tube angle and a rangy but not stratos­pher­ic reach, which places rid­ers cen­tral­ly over the ped­als. It makes for an effi­cient posi­tion that can go the long haul. The slack 64.9 head­tube angle and 44mm reduced-off set fork doesn’t wan­der while climb­ing, and doesn’t hold you back descend­ing. It works — all day up, all day down, all day in between.

For international inquiries, type in the name of your country and if we have a distributor there, their name will pop up. If you don’t have a distributor in your country, feel free to call us or contact us via email at [email protected] and we’ll find a way for you to swing your leg over an Ibis.

For the US and Canada, head on over to the ‘find a dealer’ page and enter your zip code (or allow your browser to know your location) to find your closest retailer. If there’s no one close, we have several options for authorized online sellers.