I’m a little late, but as promised, here’s the Ibis Ripley V5 review. Earlier this month, Ibis launched the new Ripmo and Ripley. We already talked about the longer-travel Ripmo V3, so today, we’re diving into the short-travel trail bike. The Ripley V5 uses the same frame as the Ripmo, so you’ll see a lot of the same updates. The Ripley gets a little bump in travel, internal frame storage, and new suspension kinematics. On paper, the Ripley looks a bit bigger, tougher, and burlier than previous models. So, did it lose its quick and lively appeal, or is it still the zippy little trail bike it’s always been?
What’s new with the Ibis Ripley V5?
Let’s cover the high-level details before we go ride this thing. The new Ripley now comes with more travel. We’ve got 130mm of rear wheel travel and a 140mm fork — that’s up a whole 10mm over the previous version. The geometry gets slightly slacker and more aggressive, too, with a 1.5° slacker head tube angle putting it at 64.9°. The build stays about the same as before with a Fox 34 and Float shock. So, while some things get burlier, others remain the same.
The Ripley and Ripmo now share a frame. So, of course, the Ripley now has internal frame storage with those cool Cotopaxi stash bags. The Ripley also features a flip chip for switching between MX and 29” setups. The difference here is that all sizes of the Ripley come stock in the 29” setup. If you want a mixed-wheel ride, you’ll have to provide your own. That makes sense for a bike like the Ripley, where you’ll typically climb more and cover more terrain. However, I could see an MX Ripley being a ton of fun, especially on smoother trails with great corners.
A lot of you told me I was wrong about my thoughts on the bottom bracket height getting higher with each size on the Ripmo. Well, we see the same feature on the Ripley, and I’m sticking to my guns. You’re the one who’s wrong. Either way, the BB height increases as the wheelbase increases, giving you more pedal and BB clearance.
And the elephant in the room — how much does the Ripley weigh? Is it too heavy for a trail bike? It’s heavier than the old one, but I’ll die on the hill named “bike weight doesn’t matter nearly as much as most people think,” so I personally don’t think it’s too heavy. My large Ripley XT comes in at 30.7 lb., ready to ride. And you’ll see in just a second it doesn’t make it a bad climber. Now here’s the part where you get mad and comment about how I’m wrong and that weight is the most important quality in a bike, and that a heavy bike sucks.
Now that I’ve pissed everyone off — let’s go ride.
Ibis Ripley V5 Ride Review
Uphill
One of my concerns about the Ripley and Ripmo sharing the same frame was that the Ripley would feel overbuilt or the Ripmo would feel underbuilt. Luckily, neither of those things actually happened. The Ripley still climbs like a Ripley with a quick and snappy quality. It’s one of the more efficient little bikes out there. I can’t help but think of the Occam SL and LT here. Those two use the same frame yet feel vastly different. I think the same applies to the Ripley and Ripmo. The Ripley goes uphill much quicker and easier than the Ripmo.
I think the Ripley’s climbing advantage comes from a couple of things. First, the geometry puts you in a more forward-leaning position. Because the fork is shorter and the HTA is steeper, you find a bit more of your weight over the bars. This posture helps keep the front end down on steep sections. It also gives you a bit more control over that front wheel when things get techy. Like with the Ripmo, the posture wasn’t so aggressive that it’s uncomfortable, but the Ripley does feel more front-heavy than the Ripmo. The rear center is a few MM longer on the Ripley at 440mm, the seat tube is steeper, and the reach is longer. All of those combine to get your weight further forward on the bike.
Next, I think the suspension feels pretty different on the Ripley. By nature, there’s less shock stroke to work with, so it ramps a bit quicker. On the climbs, this comes across as a firmer-feeling rear suspension, especially in the mid-stroke. It gives the bike a great pedal platform for hard, standing efforts, but it comes at the expense of a little comfort, control, and traction. If your climbs are smoother, faster, and more hard-packed, the Ripley is going to climb like a bat out of hell. Because of its geometry and efficiency does fine on the techy and steep stuff, but at times I found myself wanting a bit more traction. Pick your poison, I guess.
Lastly, I think the Ripley’s build, especially the tires help it scoot uphill quickly. Most of the 130mm bikes these days are coming with a bit more aggressive rubber on the rear wheel. The Ripley V5 comes with a Maxxis Rekon. Typically, I’m a big, meaty, tire kind of guy, but I’ll ride a Rekon from time to time. It’s hard to argue that tire rolls quickly and doesn’t provide much drag. I have to think that’s a contributor to the Ripley’s ascending chops.
Downhill
Let’s start this section off by taking a second to talk about the importance of bike setup. The Ripley was a good reminder for me that bike setup is almost more important than the bike itself. I might argue that a bad bike set up correctly might be better than a good bike set up poorly. I could be wrong, but setup is huge. In all honesty, I struggled with the Ripley for the first handful or more rides. I ran a ton of different pressure and damping settings, trying to find the sweet spot. I tried everything from 20-35% sag and still couldn’t get it just right. The bike felt like it hit a wall in the mid-stroke, and I struggled to get into the travel. Could use all of it, but I felt like the bike fought getting deeper into the stroke. I removed the volume spacer in the shock and the bike changed. It now felt a lot more like the Ripmo. And in my mind, that’s a very good thing because that bike is damn near perfect for me. Anyway, spend time getting your suspension set up properly — your bike will ride better for it.
Now we can talk about how the Ripley rides on the downhill. Starting with the suspension, it’s got that soft initial stroke, supportive mid-stroke, and a decent amount of ramp-up. Obviously, there isn’t a ton of travel to work with, but it handles rough terrain surprisingly well. I rode the Ripely on some trails I normally reserve for the big bike. I was a bit hesitant and definitely moved a bit slower, but it was a nice reminder that little bikes can be plenty capable, even on the rough stuff. Overall the suspension feels firmer and less forgiving than the Ripmo, but that works in the bike’s favor on the terrain it was designed for. On smooth and fast trails, the Ripley loses less energy and momentum when pumping, cornering, and jumping.
The geometry is certainly slacker and more forgiving, but the Ripley hasn’t lost its best selling point. It’s still quick and lively with a very maneuverable quality to it. And while I certainly felt more stable this one versus previous Ripleys, I don’t think it’s lost that character. I think it now strikes a better balance between stability and agility. If a bike is all agility, you’ll lack the confidence to push the pace. If it’s all stability, you won’t be able to change lines or get it around a corner. The Ripley sits nicely between the two.
The Ripley is an extremely easy bike to get off the ground. It’s better at this than all the previous versions—for a couple of reasons. The suspension certainly helps it get off the ground and keeps it composed when goofing off and jumping. The frame feels a bit stiffer and more robust, which always helps when your landing is less than perfect. I have found there’s a bit of an adjustment needed to get the amount of oomph you need to give the bike on a jump. It’s easy to give it too much leading to some overshot landings.
Ibis Ripley V5 Comparisons
Ripley V5 vs Ripley V4
I really liked the V4 Ripley for it’s quick and snappy character. It was amazing on the climbs and good on easier descents. It could get outgunned quicker than other 120mm bikes, though. The Ibis Ripley V5 is more capable while still having appropriate handling characteristics for the category. Yes it’s a bit bigger and more stable than the old one, but I think the bike gets more versatile because of it. Previously I wouldn’t have wanted to ride much double black diamond terrain on the Ripley. Now I wouldn’t shy away from it. I don’t think it suffers much on the climbs. If it does, it’s not noticeable enough to call attention to itself.
Read the Ripley V4 Review Here
Ripley V5 vs Transition Smuggler
Let’s chat about the Ibis Ripley V5 vs the Transition Smuggler. Both are 130mm bikes with similar geo and builds. I have to think the Ripley is the quicker and more efficient climber. Not that the Smuggler was all that inefficient, but thew Ripley just has a snappier feel to it on the pedals. On the descents, the Ripley feels a bit more fun and goofy, while the Smuggler feels a bit more serious. It wants to go a bit faster, while the Ripley wants to duck and dive. Both are capable descenders, but if I had to ride some rough stuff, my first pick would be the Smuggler.
Ripley V5 vs Orbea Occam SL
Let’s compare the Ripley to the new Orbea Occam SL. The Occam has 10mm more rear travel, but it rides more XC than the Ripley. It’s a bit faster uphill, but that comes at the expense of stability and downhill performance. The Occam feels a bit more timid at speed and in chunky terrain. It feels a bit less fun and engaging than the Ripley, too. I’d take the Occam for the climbs and the Ripley for the descents.
What would I change about the Ibis Ripley V5?
There isn’t much I don’t like about the Ripley. I’m not always the biggest fan of little bikes, but this one ticks more boxes for me than most. I did struggle with setup, but that’s probably more of a personal problem than anything. As a bigger rider, I’d love to see a Pike fork or something just a little stiffer than the Fox 34. I could feel it flexing and binding from time to time on some higher speed and rougher trails. I wouldn’t hate a Dissecrtor rear tire, either. But then you’re trying to turn the bike into something it’s not — you might just be better off with a Ripmo at that point. So I’m probably wrong.
Who is the Ibis Ripley for?
I like the Ripley V5 for a couple of rider groups. The first is the big ride, folks. These are the riders who like to cover a lot of ground. By nature, they’ll find themselves in varying terrain with easy, flowy stuff as well as rough and difficult trails. The Ripley is versatile enough to cover that entire spectrum both up and down the mountain. It’s a great climber and a capable descender. It wont have you feeling overgunned or undergunned on most of the trails you’ll ride. Of course, it can get in over its head, but that upper limit of its capability has been raised quite a bit.
The second group of riders is the fun havers. The new Ripley is a little less serious and a little more fun than it used to be. It’s better at goofing around and jumping off of everything. Both the geometry and suspension facilitate that type of riding. If you’re not too interested in putting down the fastest times both up or down the mountain, you’ll probably really enjoy this one. You’ll get more smiles per mile than with most other bikes.
Well, that’s going to do it. If you’re still torn between a Ripley and a Ripmo, stay tuned for the showdown.
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