The Ripley and Mojo HD4 have given birth to the long awaited and much rumored long travel 29er named the Ripmo. The brand new fully carbon Ripmo features 145mm of rear travel utilizing the excellent dw-link suspension system and have 160mm up front that combines for a big wheeled monster that will be at home on almost any terrain. The geometry offers up a striking change for Ibis with a 1-inch longer reach than its brethren, a 76° seat tube angle and 65.9° head angle, 435mm chainstays, a shorter 44mm fork offset and has accommodations for 2.6″ tires and 175mm dropper posts. The Ripmo is 1x specific, and thankfully has useful internal cable tunnels for the routing, and since they had to drop the usage of Ripley’s eccentrics to accommodate the extended travel, they’re now utilizing a combination of bushings and bearings for the linkages. It features a Boost 148 rear axle, a threaded bottom bracket, a tapered headtube, and the ability to hold a large water bottle along and a piggyback shock.
Photo by Dave Trumpore
The result is a bike that’s ready to rally, while still maintaining nimble handling. Robin Wallner of the Ibis Cycles Enduro Race Team just placed a men’s third and teammate Bex Baraona placed a women’s fourth on their Ripmo’s at the EWS Round 1 event at Lo Barnechea, Chile, so it’s a contender.
It will come in S-XL sizes, with a frame weight of 5 lbs. (6 lbs. with shock), and comes in Tangerine Sky and Black Olive color schemes. It will be available as a frameset with a FOX DPX2 shock ($2999), and an NX ($4099), GX ($4799), XT ($6199), X01 ($7099) and XX1 ($9399) kits.
For additional information refer to https://www.ibiscycles.com/
Press Release
Think of it as a mashup of the Ripley’s balance and speed, coupled with the Mojo HD4’s capabilities when things get hairy.
Specs
- 29” Wheels
- 145mm dw-link rear travel
- 160mm front travel
- 2.6” tire clearance
- Carbon fiber front and rear triangle
- Available in sizes S–XL, fits riders between 5” and 6’6”
- Frame weight from
- 5 lbs / 2.26 kg without shock
- 6 lbs / 2.72 kg with Fox DPX2
- 28.1 lbs.
- Seatpost Diameter 31.6mm
- Bottom Bracket Threaded – 68mm English threaded
- ISCG 05 Compatible
- Tapered Headtube – ZS44 upper / ZS56 lower
Geometry
Is there any phrase in mountain biking that’s more overused than “longer and slacker?” Every manufacturer (Ibis included) is guilty of it. It makes bikes descend better, but the question is, how far can it be pushed? We felt we were at the limits of that trend until we began experimenting with seat tube angles and fork offset. By making the seat tube angle a steep 76°, we’ve put more weight over the front tire. This keeps the front end from wandering or washing out. Moving the seat tube forward also required pushing the front end forward to keep the top tube numbers static, resulting in the longer reach. In addition to the steep seat tube, the Ripmo also uses a fork offset that is shorter than traditionally used. That makes a 65.9° head angle feel like 64.5° without increasing the wheelbase. You get the stability of slack head angle without giving up your ability to go around tighter corners. The Ripmo geometry enables a new level of confidence and speed, bringing the stability of the EWS Team Championship winning HD4 to 29” wheels.
Linkages with Bushings and Bearings
If you ask an engineer, they’ll tell you that bushings are lower maintenance, stiffer, lighter, and more affordable than bearings. The key is only to use them where it makes sense. Bushings work best in applications with high loads and minimal rotation, two things ball bearings don’t like. That’s why suspension manufacturers use them for shock mounting hardware and why we’ve used them for the past five years on our Ripley, HD3, and HD4 Clevises. High loads and minimal rotation describe the Ripmo lower link pivots, so we’re introducing a new link featuring IGUS bushings. The new link is 80g lighter than its ball bearing equipped equivalent, while also being torsionally stiffer. The bushings are shielded from spray and protected by airtight seals and will last a long time. We believe so strongly in the concept, and we’re offering free lifetime replacement on bushings. Have a problem? Call us. We’ll send you a new set.
Photo by Ian Collins
Longer Dropper Posts
That’s why our frame is designed around a 175mm post (150 mm on a size small), although riders with longer inseams can get away with a 185mm or 200mm post. That clearance also gives you the flexibility to pick frame size based on reach, not standover height.
2.6” Tire Clearance
With a platform as versatile as the Ripmo, you should be able to run whatever tires you want. We pioneered the wide rim revolution, and we’re partial to the new crop of 2.6” tires. When paired with our 35mm rims, these high volume monsters can be run at eerily low pressures, delivering mo’ traction without getting squirrely.
Internal Cable Tunnels
While all our bikes have internally routed cables, the Ripmo is the first to feature carbon fiber tubes molded inside the frame. Just put the housing through, and it pops out the other end, no need for swear words or a pick set.
Final Thoughts
The Ripmo looks super sweet, and I like the big wheels, the 145mm/160mm of travel, the shorter 44mm fork offset, the in-frame internal routing tubing, the ability to run 2.6″ tires and finally the slightly longer reach. Lately, I tend to ride slow speed technical stuff, and although I mostly use my Mojo HD3, I sometimes miss my Ripley’s big 29er tires on that stuff, but it’s lack of sufficient travel hampered things. Now that problem is solved with the monster Ripmo which is another Ibis winner.
{ 0 comments… add one now }