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Hay guys I am fairly new both to BMT and on here. I picked up my first hardtail, a Pitch, last summer to see if I would like its and have been riding it as much as possible since so I am pretty hooked. I am looking to get a new bike soon and one that has caught my eye has been the Ripmo AF its right in my price range, I have short legs and appreciate the low stand over, and with same of the place I would like to visit, AR, CO, NM, it sounds like it would be one I could take anywhere and be ok. That being said I do have a few hold ups, one of them being is that I have never ridden one, the only shop close that carries Ibis doesn’t have it in stock and probably wont unless I order it through them. After looking at their demo tour I ma not going to be able to take it on anything close any time soon. The other is I live in the DFW area,while there are some hills and decent chunk there are not many mountains and while this guy is listed as a trial bike its travel numbers put it closer to the enduro category. So my question would be should I get this guy even though my of day to day riding will be done on on relatively flat? As well as thought on buying a bike semi-blind(only going off reviews).
(not sure if this helps but where I am at right now)I do like my pitch but there is plenty that I don’t like about it and the last bike I got to demo was a Rocky Mountain Instinct c70 and while I had a blast on one of the tougher tails in the area but even some of the cheaper versions stretch my budget. Other considerations were the Neuron CF 8.0 and the AL 50 version of the RM Instinct. The closed trail systems to me are off of grapevine lake
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I am a big big fan of the dw-link suspension (used by Ibis and Pivot) and the Ripmo AF looks like a killer bike for the money. It is more travel than you really “need” for DFW but I also wouldn’t be surprised if it rode better than many similarly priced bikes with less travel. Does your local dealer have a carbon Ripmo that you can try? The ride should be similar.
On the other hand, I would rather have the best bike possible for the trails I ride every week and be a little under-biked when I travel. The Ibis Ripley is better suited for the riding you described. Maybe your local dealer has a demo Ripley or a leftover Ripley LS that they would sell for a similar price.
I ride weekly on the Front Range of Colorado and take at least one trip a year to ride bigger trails. If I was spending $3,000 on a new bike the Ripmo AF would be at the top of my list, but I would probably try to find a demo Ibis Ripley or Pivot 429 Trail first.
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In my opinion, the $3000 2020 Ripmo AF might be one of the best budget Trailbikes you can get. For a comparison, check out these budget 29er’s, which your local bike shops might carry.
2020 Trek Fuel EX7 29 $2900 130mm rear travel
2020 Specialized Stumpjumper 29 $2700 140mm rear travel
2020 YT Jeffsy Base 29 $2300 150mm rear travel
Go test ride the Fuel EX and the Stumpjumper to get a feel for what the Ripmo AF would be like. The $2300 Jeffsy has comparable or better spec than the more expensive bikes. However, the Jeffsy is internet only and you will need to put the bike together yourself. It you’re mechanical, this shouldn’t be a problem. You can’t go wrong buying any of these bikes.
In fact, you can’t go wrong with any Trailbike that comes with modern progressive geometry, 120-150mm of rear travel, and 29×2.4-2.8 tires. Even 150mm of rear travel is not to much for a good all-around Trailbike. You’ll be blown away at how much better these modern full-sus Trailbikes are than your Pitch.
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The travel numbers might look overkill at first glance but as mentioned in the other comments above, between the DW link and the advancements in bike tech and geo, the Ripmo AF should be a great bike for you. It’s modern, you can take it anywhere, and you should be able to get years of use out of it before needing to replace it. If you can, find a comparable bike to demo first and then don’t be afraid to pull the trigger. The Ripmo AF is a lot of bike at a very reasonable price point and unless you’re racing XC, a little extra travel won’t hurt.
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Thank you for all the great responses I am trying to set up a demo on the Ripley to see how I like the feel, but right now the only store in my area that carries Ibis doesn’t have any Ripmo’s in stock. I have gotten to try the Stumpjumper(just around the parking lot at a local shop) and the Instinct(demoed) both feel and the geo are awesome, the Instinct alloy 50 is probably the closest to the Ripmo on my list right now. If anyone has experience on both I would love to hear your thoughts.
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I wouldn’t hesitate to order a bike either on-line or through a shop as long as that bike has gotten great reviews and I can be confident of getting the right size. I’ve bought 3 bikes this way. No bike shop can carry every size of every price point of every bike. So you’re not likely to find just the size and price point you want in any local bike shop. And if a bike is a hot seller, they go right out the door as soon as they come in. I suspect that Ripmo’s are a hot sellers given that they have gotten stellar reviews. The only way you are likely to get a Ripmo is by ordering it. In fact, if you really want a Ripmo AF, you better order quickly as they are likely to sell out. If you do order any bike, just make sure you get the right size.
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I have owned a Ripmo for about 6 months and have lived in the DFW area in the past, so I think I can add a useful perspective. My Ripmo is the carbon, but I think the AF is very similar in geometry, so my points should be pretty relevant. I currently live in Boise Idaho, which has an abundance of smoother trails, but we travel a lot, and I’ve had a chance to ride my Ripmo in Whistler, Bellingham, and southern Arizona, so I have taken it on a wide variety of terrain in a short six months.
I would start by saying that I love my Ripmo, and feel it is one of the best bikes out there for almost any trail. It is not a featherweight, so I wouldn’t pick it for cross country racing, but it pedals very well and doesn’t seem cumbersome even on big days or long climbs. I’m a pretty good climber, so I don’t worry too much about weight, but the steep seat tube angle makes going uphill very doable and the bike tracks very well even in steep or rough terrain. On the decent it is a very confidence inspiring bike taking on hard steep black trails in the PNW and Arizona without complaint. It’s stable at speed, but is also reasonably nimble and playful on tighter terrain.
I can understand your reluctance to plunk down your cash on a bike that you haven’t ridden. I was able to demo both the Ripley and Ripmo on local trails here in Boise, but it sounds like that may not be possible for you. Cycle Progression in Austin demos Ripmos, so that might be an option. I am 5’9″ with longer legs, and chose a medium. I could have ridden a large, but wanted a more nimble feel than a sled, but I think I would have adjusted to either.
To finish, I rode both the Ripmo and Ripley. For trails like Grapevine, rocky trails in NM and CO, Palo Duro Canyon, and the bigger features in Bentonville, I think the Ripmo is worth the extra weight. I didn’t so much need the travel, but the bigger fork, shock, and brakes seemed to make the Ripmo more capable. There are so many great bikes out now that you certainly have options, but I can attest that the Ripmo does well in virtually any terrain.
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I would say it really depends on how much you plan to travel because I wouldn’t want a 33-34 lb Ripmo AF in the DFW area. That’s definitely Ripley type stuff in the entire state for that matter. I had the carbon Ripmo from July 2019 until last month and it’s a great all around bike but lacked the “wow” factor for me so I’m going back to a 27.5 myself. You didn’t really say if there was a specific budget you’re trying to stay at and it’s unlikely you’ll find a demo but I can’t recommend the Revel Rascal enough. I’ve demo’d it on fast DFW type trails and just took it out this weekend on super-chunk DH stuff in the Los Angeles area and I had 20 “best times” on Strava. By comparison, most people with me were on bikes with 170 & 180mm front suspension. The Rascal is a 29er with 140 up front, 130 in the rear. Revel licensed the rear suspension design from Canfield and it’s the best rear suspension I’ve ever ridden….and I’ve been riding 30 years. If you dod some research and google “Ripley vs Rascal’, you’ll see a common theme. They’ll say “get the Ripley if going uphill is your primary concern, get the Rascal for everything else.” Yeah, it’s that good.
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I recently purchased a Pivot Mach 6 (2017 edition before the redesigned enduro-ized 2018 model). I’d classify myself as an aggressive trail rider, so when i was in the market for a new MTB I was thinking any thing in the 120mm – 140mm range of travel. I had no interest in looking/demoing a 160mm travel bike. The LBS insisted I try out the Mach 6, and boy did my opinion change quickly. The 2017 editon specs are more trail than Enduro when compared to the newer Mach 6, however this is exactly the feel I was looking for. As others have said the DW suspension is top notch, and personally it was a major selling point for me. My point with this is that a bike is not classified based on travel alone, rather it is the type of suspension system, geometry, wheel base, tires, etc… I am so glad I test rode my Pivot Mach 6, as I may very well be riding a different bike now. Demo Demo Demo to find out what feels right for you…It may surprise you. Good Luck & Happy trails!
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