New may not always be better, but in the case of the Ibis Ripmo, it most certainly is. Slackening the head tube angle, slightly longer reach, and some protection for the linkages, the Ripmo V2 isn’t too different, but it is better. The more aggressive headtube angle does not take away from the climbing ability of the Ibis’s we have come to know and has only made it more fun on the downs. Now with room for a 750ml water bottle, what can’t this bike do?!

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Ibis really does not know how to disappoint. The Ripmo is their long-travel 29er that comes in carbon and aluminum frames. The Ripmo is their carbon setup, and the Ripmo AF is their alloy framed bike. Other than the cost being the main differentiator in addition to frame material, the Ripmo AF does have a slacker head tube angle of one degree.

The Ripmo is well seated in the Trail bike category but can also flirt with the Enduro crowd if pushed. The rear travel of 147mm may get a bit overwhelmed in truly enduro trail setups, so do be careful of the limits of the travel.

The Bike

The Ibis Ripmo V2 has been upgraded from the first iteration in several good ways. The geometry has become more modern with a steeper head tube, shorter fork offset (44mm), and an improved rear suspension set up. Essentially they took the old Ripmo and just made it better on the downhills without compromising the uphill prowess expected from Ibis.

Ibis has adjusted the rear suspension for a “traction tune” that keeps the wheels planted when you need traction but has enough progression to keep from smashing through the travel on bigger drops. Ibis has also designed the bike for a coil rear suspension as well if that is your cup of tea.

Climbing

Ibis’s DW linkage is the real hero on this bike. It keeps the pedaling platform super tight while cranking up the steeps. The seat tube angle is a steep but conservative 76-degrees, helping to keep the rider in a central position while putting the power into the pedals. The new 44mm offset fork helps with the maneuverability in the switchbacks but the front wheel can pick up on the super steeps if the rider is not too careful. The slack head tube angle can get a bit squirrely in slow sections as well. These things happen with a lot of the long travel bikes, so it really isn’t the worst thing.

Downhill

For the amount of travel, only 147mm, the Ripmo… rips. Ibis has updated the geometry to make the head tube slacker at 64.9-degrees and a 435mm chainstay across sizes. The reach on the large is 475mm, fairly long to keep a good amount of weight on the front wheel while shredding into berms. The slight curved top tube also gets out of the way and will give you lots of room to move on the bike during the high-speed steep sections.

If you keep the Ripmo within its limits of travel, this bike will go all day. The short chainstay keeps the back end lively and easy to manage, while the modern geometry keeps you in a comfortable position for hard-charging. The Ripmo has also been built for versatility. It can handle a variety of trail styles, like the old Ripmo, with more confidence on the downhills.

I will mention that the hubs are loud. Some people love it; some not so much. Just needed to mention that for the sanity of some riders. It is very interesting to feel like you are being chased by a pack of bees every time you stop pedaling.

Build Options

As mentioned earlier, the Ripmo is available as an alloy frame, the Ripmo AF. With the Ripmo AF, the builds start at $3,199! Pretty impressive for the Ibis design and some very good components to go along with it. Even with full upgrades to the Fox Float suspension, the build only gets up to $3,759. The most expensive AF build is the SRAM GX drivetrain for $4,299. If you just want the frame, it will only set you back $1,999.

With the carbon-framed Ripmo’s the frame starts at $2,999. Builds start at $4,399 for the Shimano Deore drivetrain and go up to $5,899 for the Shimano XT drivetrain and brakes. All of the non-wireless builds come with the DVO Topaz rear shock and DVO Onyx fork, they can be upgraded on the website for the Fox Float suspension systems for additional costs. There is a wireless option that comes standard with the Fox Float suspension and it costs $10,999—a pretty penny for a pretty rad build.

The Bottom Line

Ibis has done it again. With just a slight modification to the head tube angle and some tweaking of the rear suspension leverage rates, they have created a solid bike. The versatility and composure that this bike exudes is awesome. The ability to choose between an alloy frame and a carbon frame will allow a lot of riders the ability to get on a Ripmo and see what it can do. The efficient climbing powered by the dw-link and the ability to basically ignore any bumps on the way up is so good. Turn the bike downhill and prepare for a good time, and as long as you stay within the realm of a 147mm travel bike, it’ll go all day. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, it’s the old Ripmo just better. While new may not always be better, in this case, it is better without a doubt. .

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