Ultra Lord
Hurts. Requires Money. And is nerdy.
Got it dirty yet? How's it compare with the tranny?
Woot! New Ibis Ripley - Boom!
- Thread starter Minlak
- Start date
Minlak
custom titis
Big ride planned on Sunday - Haven’t ridden enough to properly compare - loved the Tranny to - I would have a smuggler again or the new Spur if I could afford it - still have a soft spot for transition bikes - but Ibis is quickly becoming my new lover
Bloody sexy beast. Bike is ok too.
pink poodle
気が狂っている男
I think you'll be breaking the laws of God and nature once you experience the DW link on trail.
downunderdallas
Likes Bikes and Dirt
There really is no need to go on and on about it like that, we all have lives to live you know, we don't have all day to read your ride reviews!
pink poodle
気が狂っている男
Talk about padding it out with fluff.
Minlak
custom titis
The hardest part of doing a ride report is trying to be objective. I found myself riding along and comparing the bike to the Torrent and the Smuggler. You cant do this. they are different bikes with different intentions. Sure you can decide which one you prefer but it is not fair to compare directly. This also becomes more of a challenge when you can only report on your experience of riding and the bikes you have ridden. With all that in mind I give my impressions of the bike as a stand alone product not a comparison of my other bikes.
Today's ride was an XC orientated pedal around featuring some single trail and fire road. I will break it down into sections to try and get my thoughts in order instead of a jumble of ramblings.
Fit: I am 186 cms tall and chose the large frame. from the day I picked it up I have changed nothing in terms of handlebars / stems / seats it is the same spec that it was delivered with. I have tilted the seat a little down on the front, moved the brake levers forward a little and cut the handlebars down to 750mm. The riding position does feel a little more like I am on the bike not in the bike. It is a little more aggressive than I would normally ride but I did not notice any strain on my lower back at all.
Pedaling UP: It has a minor amount of pedal bob however it is not sapping. It does not feel like you are having to work harder to get up the hills. It has a 32T round ring and 12spd Shimano. On my other rides with 32T oval and Sram 11spd I would normally head for the biggest 2 rings to get the climbing done. I was able to complete the whole ride with out going lower than the 3rd biggest ring. For the majority of the ride I was in the middle to lower 3rd of the cassette range. This was with the shock in the open position. So all in all it pedals great.
Going DOWN: My first time using a dropper post and I did feel a little lost with out the seat wedged between my legs. But you can certainly get a lot lower and further back easily. I found the bike to be quick, not quick as in fast but quick as in steering and feel. I didn't have the usual 29" land barge feeling. I found myself feeling a little unstable when I tuned out as I was turning quicker in the the corners and squaring them off. This is just something to get used to not a criticism, when I concentrated it was perfect. It is also super planted. It did not skip over ruts and several "jumps" that I would normally get a little bit of air on became planted roll overs.
Wheels: The wheels are 35mm internal of Ibis's own brand. Aluminium 32 hole with 4 pawl 36 point engagement (this means around 10deg slack on uptake). These wheels are solid as and I didn't notice them flexing or feeling squirmy at all. I did notice the engagement though and I think that is because I am used to more and I was listening for the clunk as the hub engaged. Having said that there was not a single time I felt it wasn't enough or that I had concerns changing to the pinch climb after a down.
Brakes: Four piston XT's that work exactly as advertised. I was caught out a couple of times as the lever pulls further before contact that I am used to. However by the end I was more comfortable covering the brake leaver with some pressure that did not start the braking process. When you squeeze the brakes they work. The more you squeeze the faster you brake just like brakes should.
Suspension: It just works. Pedals well and smooths out all of the ruts. Small bump compliance is amazing. i think I can dial the suspension in a little more. So to be as impressed as I was knowing it could be better makes me pretty happy.
Changes: Going forward I think I will change to a thicker grip and will probably put my normal seat on the bike. I will need to pay more attention to remembering I have a dropper as well. Wheels / Rear hub maybe. I do think as above this is more a problem as I was looking for the issue.
Overall: It is very hard to be objective. you have spent so much money and you want to drink the Kool Aid. You want to believe you have made a good choice. So did I? Yes - I think I did. It is not fair to compare it to the Smuggler it replaced but if I had the 2 in the shed I would take the Ripley every day. However the Ripley is a m ore modern bike - the geometry has changed and this shows in the way it rides.
Today's ride was an XC orientated pedal around featuring some single trail and fire road. I will break it down into sections to try and get my thoughts in order instead of a jumble of ramblings.
Fit: I am 186 cms tall and chose the large frame. from the day I picked it up I have changed nothing in terms of handlebars / stems / seats it is the same spec that it was delivered with. I have tilted the seat a little down on the front, moved the brake levers forward a little and cut the handlebars down to 750mm. The riding position does feel a little more like I am on the bike not in the bike. It is a little more aggressive than I would normally ride but I did not notice any strain on my lower back at all.
Pedaling UP: It has a minor amount of pedal bob however it is not sapping. It does not feel like you are having to work harder to get up the hills. It has a 32T round ring and 12spd Shimano. On my other rides with 32T oval and Sram 11spd I would normally head for the biggest 2 rings to get the climbing done. I was able to complete the whole ride with out going lower than the 3rd biggest ring. For the majority of the ride I was in the middle to lower 3rd of the cassette range. This was with the shock in the open position. So all in all it pedals great.
Going DOWN: My first time using a dropper post and I did feel a little lost with out the seat wedged between my legs. But you can certainly get a lot lower and further back easily. I found the bike to be quick, not quick as in fast but quick as in steering and feel. I didn't have the usual 29" land barge feeling. I found myself feeling a little unstable when I tuned out as I was turning quicker in the the corners and squaring them off. This is just something to get used to not a criticism, when I concentrated it was perfect. It is also super planted. It did not skip over ruts and several "jumps" that I would normally get a little bit of air on became planted roll overs.
Wheels: The wheels are 35mm internal of Ibis's own brand. Aluminium 32 hole with 4 pawl 36 point engagement (this means around 10deg slack on uptake). These wheels are solid as and I didn't notice them flexing or feeling squirmy at all. I did notice the engagement though and I think that is because I am used to more and I was listening for the clunk as the hub engaged. Having said that there was not a single time I felt it wasn't enough or that I had concerns changing to the pinch climb after a down.
Brakes: Four piston XT's that work exactly as advertised. I was caught out a couple of times as the lever pulls further before contact that I am used to. However by the end I was more comfortable covering the brake leaver with some pressure that did not start the braking process. When you squeeze the brakes they work. The more you squeeze the faster you brake just like brakes should.
Suspension: It just works. Pedals well and smooths out all of the ruts. Small bump compliance is amazing. i think I can dial the suspension in a little more. So to be as impressed as I was knowing it could be better makes me pretty happy.
Changes: Going forward I think I will change to a thicker grip and will probably put my normal seat on the bike. I will need to pay more attention to remembering I have a dropper as well. Wheels / Rear hub maybe. I do think as above this is more a problem as I was looking for the issue.
Overall: It is very hard to be objective. you have spent so much money and you want to drink the Kool Aid. You want to believe you have made a good choice. So did I? Yes - I think I did. It is not fair to compare it to the Smuggler it replaced but if I had the 2 in the shed I would take the Ripley every day. However the Ripley is a m ore modern bike - the geometry has changed and this shows in the way it rides.
TLDR
So basically “It was good”
Are you comfortable with the bar height/stack height on the L?
Minlak
custom titis
Yes I am. I was actually a little concerned as reading the size guide I might have actually been an XL candidate. They cut the steerer tube reasonably long too there is 15 mm below the stem and 5 mm above the stem to play with. Most of my bikes end up with 70mm stems really enjoying the shorter stem on this one so far though.
hifiandmtb
Sphincter beanie
TL;DR
He lost me at ...
He lost me at "my vagina"
Daniel Hale
She fid, he fid, I fidn't
Pls, read the whole lot Minlak, good work seems like very good choice
Short stems are good on every bike, doubt I’ll ever b longer than 70mm on any bike, road/track etc..just hard to get a 60mm quill stem
droenn
Fat Man's XC President
Ultra Lord
Hurts. Requires Money. And is nerdy.
I don’t know about the whole “don’t compare them to tranny and norco” thing, they’re all trail bikes, just designed to ride the same trails differently.
Good write up though, glad you like it.
Good write up though, glad you like it.
Minlak
custom titis
I more meant try to have an open mind and see it as it’s own entity - not just go - oh yeah hopes were better - DT wheels were better etc
Ultra Lord
Hurts. Requires Money. And is nerdy.
Yup I get you now.I more meant try to have an open mind and see it as it’s own entity - not just go - oh yeah hopes were better - DT wheels were better etc
Bike was still better though wasn’t it.
Minlak
custom titis
Yes - yes it is - felt like I have been missing out by not having this in my life sooner
Best review I've read.
This, I read the hardest part then skipped to the way it rides.
Need pics so I can fill in the middle bit.