Ibis Ripley vs Ripmo Shootout: Different Enough?

Alright—we’ve covered both the new Ibis Ripmo and Ripley in their own videos. Now it’s time for the shootout. You might think there’s not much difference between these bikes—they use the same frame, after all. And yeah, on paper, you might not be wrong. But in real-world applications, you’d be really wrong. The differences between them are pretty apparent out on the trail. Let’s dive in.

0:00 Intro
0:37 Overviews
1:18 Ripley vs Ripmo Shootout - Uphill
3:00 Ripley vs Ripmo Shootout - Downhill
5:26 Pros and Cons
6:30 Ripley vs Ripmo Buyers Guide

[eugenebova]

This content is excellent, echoing what others have said, this is easily some of the best comparison analysis on bikes that I have seen, really great stuff! I'm exploring a replacement for my current trail rig, 2018 Santa Cruz Hightower 140/130 with a fox 36 instead of a 34. I wonder if that fork could be spec'd for the Ripley and would that extra stiffness in the front end negatively affect the overall fun factor? Ripmo sounds awesome, but Northeast riding the big chunky stuff is more bike park days for my skillset than what I encounter on most ride days at my local trails.

[randyisaak]

Love your content, without a doubt some of the best, most well-rounded approach to reviewing bikes! You often offer comparables at the end of your videos and I missed that in this one. As a previous Ripmo V2 owner, and owner of many other bikes in the category, I had a pretty good sense of how the V2 stacked up. What would be your comparables to the new Ripmo?

[petedog]

I think the sharing of frames is smart from trail and enduro bikes. Rocky Mountain did that w the Instinct/Altitude until this year. I know you love the new Altitude, but it seems mostly an ultra-capable race rig and less versatile than the previous gen. Ibis is going in the right direction w R&D. There were too many models and specs in the Industry to be sustainable.

[ThunderStruckMTB]

Good stuff. The Ripley would be my weapon of choice between the two and I agree that having two different riding bikes in the trail category is a good thing.... any plans on adding components to your web store?

[adamleininger]

Hard to agree with the "less compromised" argument when the two bikes have the same frame. That feels like the epitome of compromise.

The V4 definitely skewed more XC and the Exie stepped on its toes, but for me, that's the bike.

[nickpethan]

Patiently waiting for the new alloy version

[casestudymtb]

It almost sounds like I'm where I want to be with the AF. Ya, its the old frame, old geo, but over forked, with the cascade link, that bike is every bit as capable as some enduro bikes and still pedals pretty damn well for the category.
That said, I do really like that the new gen seems to leave room to tinker. With a custom tune you could potentially run the ripmo at 140mm, or anything in between, which was something I loved about the old gen too. Cascade links, offset bushings, short stroking... it was all on the table. Cool to see that ethos still used here.

[a.r.]

The production is getting better and better. These are some of the best reviews out there!
One question which no outlet has touched yet: how does the Ripmo compare to the Hightower? It is also close to the Bronson, but i'm not a fan anymore of the defensive feel MX wheels give me.

[manningthomson]

Could you buy the linkage and truly have a do it all bike? Swap between rear travel etc

[grantwilliams]

Great insight.. Thank you for creating the info 🙂👍

[travelthenarrowtrail]

Coming off an SB160, now on the Ripmo since July. I am now going to drop in a RS Vivid air shock. Should change its ability in the lower end of the stroke. The vivid was exceptional on the SB160. Compared to the SB160, the Ripmo climbs much quicker and leaves me less fatigued. Also beating strava climb times and I'm not really trying to. So that has been eye opening to me.

[soco]

Great vid. Any word on if/when AF models will be released?

[danielwatts]

Dude where is this riding ! Looks gorgeous

[philrob]

I have been sitting here and probably will be for the next t few months trying to figure out hd6, ripmo, or Ripley.... currently have a smuggler and would enjoy a bigger bike some days. But I don't really mind riding small bikes in the gnar. Makes me feel alive haha

[FungalHorror]

Love your review style and appreciate the content. I'm outside the US and have somewhat limited access to brands. How do the Giant Reign and Trance fare against the Ripmo here? I'm a larger rider who enjoys climbing but current bike's suspension lets me down on the heavier local stuff especially bigger drops and rough climbs. Quite a lot of black diamond or double black stretches on the trails here, but jungle terrain means you need to be able to get through some tight rooty corners on occasion. Can probably get any of those three models, but Ibis models are a bit pricier. From what I've seen Ripmo seems to be a good balance between a capable climbing all-mountain but still happy to take on some enduro stuff when it needs to?

[ScottMorgan-rr]

I went with the Ripley with a 150 lyric and 35mm riser bars. Only 2 rides so far, incredibly fun, but I feel like the front end seems to drift a bit in the corners. I’m wondering if I’m too high on the front end with that combo, if I should have gone with a 140 pike. Curious about your thoughts on this?

[abouvet]

@bikersedge I owned a V1 ripmo a few years ago. That bike felt very efficient and agile even on mellow trails. Has this new ripmo lost any of that in favor of more capability or does it feel similar to the V1 ?l

[johnalexbaker]

Which one do you get for the rider who is not very good/experienced but wants to try to keep up with his friends on chunky trails?

[cliffsangelsphotography]

If you want a happy middle between the two, just get a v1 Ripmo 😂

[adam]

The v4 ripley was perfect. I feel betrayed. Ibis trying to slap shorter suspension travel on a ripmo and calling it a ripley, boo