Ibis has released a new Ripmo 29er enduro bike, this time in Aluminum. This is the only Aluminum bike in the Ibis lineup and the material change isn’t the only trick it has up its sleeve.
The new Ibis Ripmo AF has slackened the headtube angle when compared with the carbon Ripmo from 65.9° to 64.9°. The wheelbase has also in turn increased and the reach has as well. What results is an even more aggressive bike on paper. The travel has been kept the same at 160mm up front and 147mm in the rear.
To go along with these geo tweaks, the Ripmo AF is compatible with both coil and air shocks due to a more progressive leverage rate on the DW-Link™ suspension. All of the builds come stock with a DVO Topaz T3 Air, 210 x 55 and are up-gradable for $100 DVO JadeX coil shock. As someone who writes about writes about and rides more “budget” oriented bikes having the same shock spec across all builds is really exciting. Often finding a build with a lower end drivetrain (that works perfectly fine) combined with a decent suspension is just about impossible.
The Ibis Ripmo AF has a base spec complete build starting at $2999. When you consider that the base build of the carbon Ripmo is $4399 the Ripmo AF offers some significant savings while being perhaps a better bike for some people.
Base Build
The $2999 build gets you a pretty complete spec. A DVO Diamond D1 160mm fork up front and the aforementioned DVO Topaz T3 Air provide the springy bits. These are DVO’s top of the line shocks and forks, so you aren’t making any compromises by buying the cheapest build available.
4 piston SRAM Guide T brakes paired with 200mm and 180mm rotors are a fitting choice for this bike. The SRAM brakes are matched up with a SRAM NX 12 speed drivetrain. A KS Rage-i Dropper dropper is included and the cockpit and wheels are rounded out with mostly house-branded components.
Upgrade Options
If you want to bump up the specs out of the box you can also purchase a SLX 12 speed or GX Eagle build. In my estimation, since the base build presents so much value, most buyers will be best off saving their pennies and replacing components as they wear out.
The other upgrade option provided is the $100 bump up to the DVO JadeX coil shock. For those who are coil curious this seems like a very tempting option.
Overall, the new Ripmo AF looks to be an pretty awesome deal for those looking for a rowdy, tough, alloy enduro bike. You can find out more over at the Ibis website or Jenson USA.
