Best Short Travel Bike of 2021

You’ll be able to ride to your limits with confidence on the new Ibis Ripley. It is upgraded and ready to help you set some new PR’s on your backyard trails. Still super fast on the climbs, the new geo has added some forgiveness but keeps all the wheels on the ground during a steep climb and may have you trying climbs you used to ignore. A longer wheelbase has added a sense of security for your descents. Whereas the old Ripley would have gotten squirrely, the new version minds its manners and handles the cornering efficiently. It was easy to choose the Ibis Ripley as our Best Short Travel Bike of 2021.

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See Our Best Short Travel Mountain Bike Review 2021 Article HERE!

Ibis, named for a bird that flies and is light…duh, has brought the Ripley into the world to accomplish the same things. Be light—check—and fly—(rider dependent but also) check. Right off the top, the flowing top tube and curved lines make the Ripley look smooth but oddly delicate. That is until you saddle the bike, push down on the pedal, and feel your eyes get pulled into the back of your head by the power this bike generates. Set with 120mm rear travel and a 130mm fork, the Ripley wants to go, and at some points, you may just need to hold on. As with most of the bikes on this list, Ibis has made the Ripley “longer, slacker, steeper!” It’s the way the riding world is going, and Ibis is making it work with the Ripley, no questions asked. Read on to find out why the Ibis Ripley is our Best Short Travel Bike of 2021.

The Bike

The rear suspension is still a dw-link bike, but it now runs on the actual links. Ibis states that this reduced the frame weight while adding stiffness to the frame as well.

Climbing

With the short travel in the rear suspension and a new design that is more progressive throughout the travel, the Ibis Ripley is a climbing machine. You might as well call it an elevator! The quick handling is due in part to the 44mm fork offset and a shorter back end. The steeper seat tube makes seated climbing more comfortable and efficient as well.

Downhill

Now with the new and improved “longer slacker steeper” geo, this bike is going to keep you confident while allowing you to pick your way through rougher or loose corners at speeds you did not think possible on a 120mm travel bike.

With the longer reach and more advanced suspension, the Ripley feels solid and stable while you pick your way through descents. What may be a one-line-only section for some other trail bikes seems to be a choose-your-own-adventure on the Ripley. Ibis has approved the Ripley for a 140mm fork as well if you find you’re hitting the downhills more than the uphills; it just may tamper with the climbing efficiency.

The two-piston brakes that come on all of the builds on the Ripley may be a bit soft depending on your riding style so just be warned that they could use an upgrade if you’re hitting long descents.

Build Options

The bike world just seems better than most when you read the color options that some of these rides come with. You can go with Matt Braaap or Blue Steel depending on your flavor, and who doesn’t want to picture Ben Stiller’s face every time they saddle up to ride?

For the frame only, the cost is $2833 with the highest non-wireless build price going up to $5799 for the Shimano XT build up. Along the way is the Deore build ($4199), the Shimano SLX build ($5099), and the GX build ($5399).

If you just got that promotion at work and are looking to spend some money, the XX1 AXS (wireless build) will set you back a noticeable $10,899, but I mean, wireless, cool.

On their website, you can also choose to upgrade certain areas of the bike, like the wheels and hubs, tires, and fork to name some of the options. This will help you dial in that perfect build for hitting the trails and setting PRs on the local track.

The Bottom Line

Built more modern than any of its predecessors the Ripley has become far more capable than any of the Ripley’s of the past. The updated geo has kept its climbing prowess while adding confidence to the downhill. The upgraded rear suspension keeps power in the pedal when you need it and a progressive curve on the ups and downs while charging on the local trails. This poppy rocketship called the Ibis Ripley was an easy choice as our Best Short Travel Bike of 2021.

With a 7 year warranty, you’ll be able to trust this bike until “modern geo” standards change again, and we’re all riding on bikes with 5-meter chainstays and 42-degree head tubes looking like Fred Flintstone on his way to work.

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