Bike Check: Neil's Ibis Ripmo V3
Launched last August, the Ibis Ripmo V3 took one of their most loved and best established bikes and refined it even further. With EWS wins and podiums already logged on the previous version (including a race win right here in the Tweed Valley) the latest revisions to the Ripmo saw subtle changes applied to almost every aspect of the design, with changes to rear travel, geometry, leverage and frame shape, all intended to fine tune and push the bikes capabilities even further.
Having spent all of last year aboard (and loving) the HD6, Neil is already no stranger to Ibis bikes and this time he’s chosen to give up a little travel and spend some time on the Ripmo V3 for his longer travel trail bike.
Why the change to the Ripmo then?
I’ve spent the last couple of years riding longer travel bikes in the HD6 and Megatower. They’ve both been great fun, but a few fun demo rides and tests on shorter travel options have left me scratching my head as to what might actually work best for me. The slightly shorter travel bikes have a more supported and snappy feel which I’ve really liked when pumping through corners, navigating tighter sections or when needing to unweight the bike over roots or holes. They are of course a bit less calm when smashing through rough sections at higher speeds, but bikes like the Ripmo have left me wondering whether for our steep technical trails I might prefer the more involving ride and quicker handling to the long travel bikes I’ve been aboard for the last couple of years. I guess I’m going to find out!
Tell us about the Ripmo and how you’ve built yours?
In stock form, the Ripmo is Ibis’s 160mm / 150mm travel all rounder, able to be set up with either full 29’ wheels or as a mixed wheel bike thanks to a seatstay flip chip that compensates for the change in axle height. It’s a stunning frame to look at, with all the small details well handled. All the cables are fully internally sleeved, easy to change and rattle free. The BB is threaded, the headset uses regular press in cups, the linkage is easy to work on with good quality hardware used and the lower link bushings are both super durable and replaced free for life. There’s also a new storage compartment in the downtube complete with some very nice internal bags and there’s plenty of space for a water bottle.
As to how it rides, the Ripmo is one of those super versatile platforms that you could build to do almost anything depending on how you put it together. Both Greg Callaghan and our own Innes Graham are riding the Ripmo for EDR World Cups and multi day ‘Trans’ racing which shows you how far in the gravity direction the bike can be pushed, but equally it could make a very good frame for trail centre rides or hike-a-bike hill days with a lighter build kit. It’s a super efficient pedaller and light for its travel so there’s a load of scope to make it whatever you want really.
For my Ripmo, I’m leaning into the fact that the V3 geometry now closely matches the HD6 to build what will hopefully be something that comes close to the HD6 in overall feel but with some extra pop and snap.
At 5,9’ I’ve gone with a size Medium frame, with a 50mm stem and a set of mixed wheels and the fit feels bang on with all the contact points in a familiar place. It’s actually not far away from my previous HD6, just a little shorter in wheelbase and taller in stack.
The static angles on my build are just slightly slacker than the stock geometry as I’ve assembled it with a 170mm Fox 38 for a bit of extra support and comfort out front on our steeper trails. Some numbers are; 64’ head angle, 435mm chainstay, 1224 wheelbase and 456mm reach. The BB is quite low with 33m of drop. It’s relatively compact overall compared to some of the longer bikes out there, which should translate to a quick handling bike on the technical trails.
Talk us through some of the parts choices on your build.
The contact points are all Burgtec. I’ve got their 30mm rise Enduro Alloy bar on to add a bit more stack, cut down to 760mm. The stem is a 50mm Enduro Mk3 which works well with the Medium Ripmo frame for me to add just a touch of room to the fit. Their Josh Bryceland grips have become my favourite for the moment, with just enough give and comfort in the regular compound. For pedals, I’ve just stuck with their classic Penthouse MK5s. They’re light, grippy and tough and just do the job day in and day out.
I’ve gone down in length with a 165mm Hope Evo crankset this time which has been a solely positive experience. The cranks are light, tough and simple and pedalling is definitely more comfortable for me turning the smaller circle. The extra clearance is nice too when descending, I can’t see me ever going back to a longer one. Maybe I’ll even try the 155’s next time round! The BB and headset are Hope too, durability on both is good and they are both nice to look at and easy to work on.
My brakes are also from Hope, their E4 is simply my all time favourite brake. I did consider moving to the V4 for this bike, but I find I get more than enough power out of the E caliper and it’s just so easy to feather and modulate that I’ve stuck with them again. One change is that I’ve moved off their floating rotors and onto their thicker 2.3mm universal discs. That change noticeably reduces the amount of throw in the lever and firms up the brake which seems great so far. I also ride with my levers set to bite quite near the bar so that minimal throw and solid feel is extra good for me. Rotors are 200mm front and rear.
The wheels are a custom built set. Both use Reserve Carbon rims, but the front is built with the lighter SL 30 to save weight and add some compliance, while the rear is an HD 30 for toughness and peace of mind when smashing through the rocks this bike is bound to see. I think they’re the best rims I’ve ever used, balancing weight and comfort with incredible toughness and we know from experience in the shop that the warranty is truly no questions asked. They’re laced onto Hope’s uber reliable and quick engaging Pro 5 hubs with Sapim D-Light J Bend spokes to make up an easy to maintain, dependable and yet relatively light wheelset.
Tyres are both EXO+ casing Maxxis, which I find tough enough for most of my UK riding. For a holiday somewhere more brutal or a race I would possibly swap to the tougher DD casings, but the EXO+ versions are noticeably quicker rolling and make the bike feel more lively so I much prefer to use them wherever I can. The front is an Assegai 2.5 in MaxxGrip while the rear is the benchmark (the best rear tyre ever?) DHR II 2.4 in MaxxTerra. If there is a better combo than that for all round riding, I don’t know what it is, they are predictable, have great braking grip and roll well. Pressures vary a little with terrain but are generally around 19psi front and 21 psi rear.
Suspension is an all Fox affair with a Factory 38 at 170mm out front and a Factory Float X shock in 230 x 60mm handling the rear wheel. I have both ends set fairly soft, coming up just short of bottom out on most rides. Settings are:
Fork: 64psi, HSR X clicks, LSR XX clicks, LSC, HSC
Shock: 145 psi, LSR, LSC,
I think I might be the last person out there still choosing regular mechanical drivetrains. I’m famously forgetful, so cables are still sensible for me as I can't forget to charge them and it does save a bit of weight compared to the fancy wireless systems.
Do you know what it weighs?
For once, yes. We actually just put it on the scales yesterday and it was 14.8kg (with pedals and tube strap) so it’s relatively light for a 170mm / 150mm bike with a big fork.
How is riding it going so far then?
So far so good, it is pretty much what I was hoping it would be. It pedals well with a nice upright climbing position and as you’d expect from a DW linkage bike a very efficient overall feel. It’s exceptionally good at just grinding out the fireroad miles with absolutely no need for the lockout lever on the shock. Up a technical section it’s easy to manipulate and accelerate, though being a mixed wheel bike it does hang up the back wheel a little more than a long travel 29er when pedalling through rough ground, especially when staying seated.
Descending, it handles a really wide range of trails well. Its absolute specialities seem to be steep turns, where it corners and switches direction incredibly quickly and roller sections where it’s far easier to accelerate and pump features with than most bikes. On trails like Thunderstruck at Glentress, Wolf of Wall Street and 3G at the Golfie, it feels as easy to go fast on as any bike I’ve ever ridden, and, in tight sections it squeezes in and out of the turns eagerly. I can see why folk pick it as a Enduro race bike, as it feels fast almost everywhere with very good response to rider input. There’s plenty of support in the suspension and it handles bigger drops and landings well. Like the HD6, the Ripmo 3 has an easy to ride neutral feel to it, there are no weird behaviours to learn to work round, you can just stand in the middle of the bike and get on with it.
The compromise for all that extra zip is that it is more of a handful in the highest speed sections and when braking through rough ground compared to the longer travel bikes, with a bit more feedback and a slightly more nervous feel in proper DH terrain. I’m not sure yet if it’s actually slower or whether it just feels like there is more going on but for big bike park type terrain it’s not quite as forgiving to ride as the HD6. For me, that’s not much of a compromise at all as it’s the technical handbuilt stuff I spend most of my time on but for someone else it might be more of a consideration if bike parks are a regular option.
Overall, I’m super happy. It’s a bike which is better at riding all the trails I like, and only slightly less good at riding the trails I don’t pick so much. It’s well rounded, fast handling, involving to ride and exceptional on steep tracks.
Any other changes planned?
I'm still curious to see both how the bike rides in the dual 29’ mode, and also with a larger volume, or coil shock so I’ll be trying at least some of those options out as we go to see if I can make it even more capable without giving up the quickness that’s making it special right now.
Curious to see or ride a Ripmo yourself? We’ve got Medium and X-Medium (Large in old money) demo bikes available to use and Neil’s bike can be here any given day, so give us a call or message and we’ll see if we can get you on one.
☎️ 01896 831429
Full Specification
Fork: Fox Factory Series, Float 38, Grip2 170mm, 29”
Shock: Fox Float X Factory Series, 2 pos. adjust with EVOL
Wheels: Custom Built. Reserve SL30 front rim, HD30 rear Rim, Hope Pro 5 hubs, Sapim D-light spokes
Tires: Front: Maxxis Assegai 29” x 2.5” EXO+, MaxxGrip. Rear: Maxxis DHR2 27.5"/29" x 2.4 EXO+ MaxxTerra
Brakes: Hope Tech 4 E4
Brake Rotors: Hope Universal Discs, 2.3mm x 200mm
Cranks: Hope Evo Crank, 165mm
Bottom Bracket: Hope, Stainless BB
Rear Derailleur: SRAM XO1 mechanical
Shifter: SRAM X01 mechanical
Cassette: SRAM X01 10-52T
Chain: SRAM GX Eagle
Headset: Hope Integrated
Grips: Burgtec Josh Brycleand Signature, Regular Compound
Handlebar: Burgtec Ride Wide Enduro Alloy, cut to 760mm
Stem: Burgtec MK III, 50mm
Seatpost: Bike Yoke Revive Dropper 34.9,185mm
Saddle: Burgtec Cloud
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