BIKER'S EDGE

Alright—we’ve covered both the new Ibis Ripmo and Ripley in their own videos. Now it’s time for the shootout. You might think there’s not much difference between these bikes—they use the same frame, after all. And yeah, on paper, you might not be wrong. But in real-world applications, you’d be really wrong. The differences between them are pretty apparent out on the trail. Let’s dive in.

I’m not covering details or doing a full review of each bike. We’re keeping this short and sweet. If you want all the dirty details, watch the individual reviews first. And don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten about testing these in their MX setups, but I’ll have to let my new titanium collarbone heal a little longer before I can get to that. 

So we basically have one frame but two trail bikes here. One is on the shorter travel side, and the other is more aggressive, with more travel and slacker geometry. With 130mm of travel, the Ripley is the more balanced ride. It is more neutral in its intentions. The Ripmo, with 150mm of travel, shifts up the burly scale quite a bit and is more descent-biased. It’s still a well-rounded bike, and I wouldn’t go as far as pigeonholing it as an enduro bike. Both can be run in full 29 setups as well as MX configurations. They both feature updated suspension kinematics that offer more traction, mid-stroke support, and ramp-up at the end of the stroke. 

The Full Reviews

Get up to speed on each bike before diving into the showdown.

Now, let’s compare the two. Usually, when we compare bikes, we compare similar bikes in a similar category. As a result, the differences end up being a little more subtle than what we are going to see here. While you could argue these are both trail bikes, they’re at different ends of the category. That might make the results here feel like a big “well, duh.” 

Ibis Ripley vs Ripmo Shootout

Uphill

Starting with the Ripley, we have a quick-rolling, efficient climber with a slightly more forward-biased posture. It places equal emphasis on the climbs and descents, and as a result, it feels quite a bit quicker on climbs and rolling terrain. The Ripley doesn’t look as XC on paper as the older V4, but I don’t think it suffers all that much on the climbs. The body position still allows for great weight distribution; the suspension is plenty efficient, and the tires are still fast-rolling — really, the only thing you can complain about, and trust me, too damn many of you have already, is the weight. It’s a little heavier than the previous Ripley, but because of that, you get a stiffer, more robust frame, better durability, and internal frame storage. 

The suspension platform on the Ripley feels a bit firmer and more supportive. That’s likely due to the nature of the shock having less stroke to work with. It still provides a pretty decent amount of traction for technical and loose climbs, but that plushness doesn’t extend as deep into the stroke as you’ll find on the Ripmo. The Ripmo’s suspension allows for more traction and more control on bumpy climbs. Of course, the tradeoff is a little less efficient than you’ll get on the Ripley. 

The Ripmo scoots up the burly scale just a bit and, because of it, pays a couple of penalties for the climbs. Namely, the body position is more rearward, although, for the category, it’s still fairly well balanced. Of course, the Ripmo gets even heavier than the Ripley because of the components it comes with. Most of the components get bigger, burlier, and more robust, but the ones that impact climbing performance the most are the tires and suspension components. The Minion/Assegai tires roll significantly slower than the Rekons on the Ripley.

Clearly, the climbing performance award goes to the Ripley here, and I’d say it’s by a pretty significant margin. 

Downhill

Now, let’s get to the fun stuff. Previously, there was a decent overlap between the Ripley and Ripmo. I think that gap has been narrowed ever so slightly. Yes, the Ripmo got a bit more capable with the 3rd version, but the 5th gen Ripley got even more capable. Let’s start with the Ripmo. It’s one of those bikes you could take anywhere, and it’s pretty okay. You might find yourself wanting just a little more or less at times, but for the most part, the bike will be evenly matched to just about any trail. The geometry is right where most other brands have been settling in for their 150mm bikes. It’s plenty slack without going overboard, leading to stable yet still maneuverable and quick-feeling handling. It’s fun in the corners, on smoother trails and tighter stuff, but it’s not overly timid when you are pushing the pace on fast and rough terrain. The Ripley does feel quite a bit different in terms of handling and geometry. The Ripley gets a bit shorter overall and steeper. Both of these characteristics give it a sportier character than the Ripmo. It doesn’t just feel like compromised Ripmo on the descents. It offers something the Ripmo can’t, and that’s a livelier handling feel. 

The suspension feel between the two bikes is pretty different, considering they have the same frame. Of course, the linkage and shocks are different, which gives each bike a unique feel. The Ripley is definitely firmer, less forgiving, and a bit tougher to get into. The Ripmo, on the other hand, is softer, easier to use, and plusher. They both fit their respective applications very well. The Ripmo offers more traction and control in the rough and on steep terrain. It hugs the ground significantly better. Conversely, the Ripley is slightly better at holding speed and momentum in rolling and smooth terrain, of course, at the expense of traction and control at times. 

The Ripmo felt poppier and easier to get off the ground. It seemed to give a little more willing to get airborne in terms of suspension feel. The Ripley felt firmer and harder to get into that rear suspension to get the front of the bike up for bunnyhopping and unweighting.  

Picking a winner here is tough. You can’t just say the Ripmo is better because it’s more capable. While that’s true, not everyone wants the more capable descender. Some folks want the quick and snappy handling that rewards an active riding style. In that case, Ripley would be the winner. Personally, I prefer the Ripmo, but I know folks who would be much happier with how the Ripley descends. 

Ibis Ripley vs Ripmo Shootout: Pros and Cons

Let’s chat about a few pros and cons to each. 

Smaller riders might prefer the Ripmo as it comes stock in an MX configuration for sizes small and medium, whereas the Ripley is full 29 on all sizes. You can convert either bike to either wheel setup, but the Ripmo is the only one that comes as an MX in small sixes out of the box. 

For whatever reason, I had a harder time setting up and using the travel on the Ripley. I ended up having to remove a shock spacer to get the suspension feeling how I wanted. I think many Ripley riders will also struggle to use the travel well without doing some more fine-tuning.

The biggest pro for me about these bikes, apart from ride quality, is the versatility they offer. Considering they share a frame, you could potentially build one up somewhere inbetween the two. You could over-build the Ripley or slim down a Ripmo for something in the middle. That kind of versatility is nice for making your bike ride precisely how you want. 

Ibis Ripley vs Ripmo Shootout: Buyer’s Guide

So, let’s talk about who each bike is for. First of all, they’re both trail bikes — now that the Exie and HD6 exist, these can be purpose-built. Previously, the Ripley V4 kind of teetered on that line between XC and trail, but since the launch of the Exie, the Ripley no longer needs to cover XC duty. Ibis was able to purpose-build it as a trail bike. And at the other end, now that the HD6 exists, the Ripmo doesn’t have to try to cover enduro duty. It’s better suited for the task at hand now. That seemed to piss a bunch of folks off for some reason. I don’t see why having better, less compromised options is a bad thing. If you want an XC bike, you can now have one. If you want an enduro bike, you can now have one. I’d argue that’s better than having to compromise on either end of that spectrum and having to settle for an X-Trail or Trailduro bike. Anyway, rant over. 

That’s going to do it for our Ripmo and Ripley showdown. See you next time.

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