Did I Mess Up Buying My First Full Sus Bike? Lessons For First Time Buyers and Ripley AF Impressions
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- čas přidán 28. 06. 2021
- We're in a bike drought so I MAY have just panic-bought the wrong bike.
I have the distinct pleasure of this purchase taking my full suspension virginity and consequently, although I've only had the bike a short time, I've learnt more than I ever thought possible, about bikes, my own riding and some of the things I SHOULD have considered before buying my first full suspension bike.
The New Ibis Ripley AF was one of my short listed bikes due to my love for long, fast rides on undulating terrain... and it might be the perfect bike for my that kind of riding on my local trails, but is it versatile enough for my mountain riding ambitions?
Hear my thoughts in this short term Review/First impressions of this much discussed and much loved, Ibis Cycles 2021 Ripley AF
I did the opposite - went from a 140 to a Ripley AF. Much more fun on my local trails.
A larger travel trail bike sounds like a lot of fun - floating over every rock garden and chunk, but it actually makes the trails feel dull and boring IMO.
So I was at the point to where I wasn’t having as much fun and felt I needed to ride different trails or get a short travel bike. Went with the RIipley AF and am loving it so far!
Great perspective theres a lot of us out there with a similar riding history and style thanks for sharing your experience with the Ripley was super helpful
Great overview. Exactly what I was looking for from someone that only had experience on a hardtail before.
Love to see the honest review, appreciate jt
I think it’s funny that you ended this video with regret, but at the end of the long term review, you look at this bike lovingly. Great honest reviews both times. This and a few other videos inspired me to buy the Ripmo af with the deore build. I haven’t received it yet, and I’m a little concerned that I’ll be a little over biked for the local terrain, but I plan on holding onto it long term and using it everywhere and never worry that I’m under biked. Thanks for the review.
Excellent review. I am in the same boat and was going to pull the trigger on the Ripley AF until I saw this vid. It makes total sense and I am looking down the road at bike parks and the such. I may revisit and look at a Ripmo now.
I swaped mine for a ripmo af. I'm going to be doing a long term review on that bike shortly, but I'll say it's quite a good one bike solution, even with xc trails as my home trails.
It benefits from 2 wheel sets, or changing tires for big mountain and local days, and it does have it's issues, but it's adaptable enough that, with some tweeks, it can cover a lot of different terrain very well (depending on your riding style).
I've had mine for about a season and a half now, and the best praise I have for it is that I'm not looking to replace it heading into next season, even with all the killer deals on the table right now.
Just saw your video review, nice work. Is your Ripley AF a medium? I'm in between sizes so am curious about how others are fitting. Could you share your saddle height and cycling inseam if you know it? Thanks!
I’m in the same scenario - I’ve only owned a hard tail with 100mm travel (Trek Cobia). Just spent a long weekend in New Hampshire ridding mountains and Highland Bike Park. Rode an enduro Rocky Mountain Altitude 50 (I’m pretty sure), which was something like 160/150. Cockpit felt claustrophobic to me a little, especially while climbing. I also noticed I was taking super aggressive posture on DH, kind of leaning over the handlebars even though my ass was off saddle over the rear wheel…it took a lot of concentration to get the torso back. Being a mountain noob, I did appreciate all that travel because I caught myself getting “stuck” on some pretty stupid lines. That being said, I did hit a couple black diamonds at Highland.
Anyway, my buddy who lives in NH has the carbon Ripley with 140 in the front and loves it. He rides pretty much anything, and he’s really fast. That thing is a scalpel on the trails, super flickable and climbs like a monster. He says you have to be a little selective on your lines for gnarlier stuff but he prefers the control and pedaling ability over more squish. He also has had great experiences with Ibis customer service.
Just picked up a Ripley AF last week and love it. Haven't had the same issue with the brakes. I did have that issue before I got them properly bedded in, but after a couple of heavy braking downhills they're now nice and grabby all the time. I also have not had an issue fitting a large bottle, but that's probably just be a cage difference.
I had to bleed mine but they did get better. I ended up smashing my front lever off in a crash so things only got better when I replaced it with an xt lever. Surprisingly it had the added benefit of improving my modulation, even with the deore caliper! If you're curious I just released my long term review.
In the market for a new bike and this was great advice. Thanks
You can throw a longer air spring in the fork to get more travel. Buy a bike for the trails you ride 90% of the time. You can probably beef up the tires to make it perform better in the mountains. You'd be surprised. I take my 140/130 bike to Colorado and am pretty happy with how it rides there.
Could not agree with you more! Riding my stumpjumper comp alloy, i love the capability that it gives me downhill but i miss the XC "get after it feel "of my old XC bike. No perfect bike exists or if it does i haven't found it yet lol.
I love my carbon Ripley 120/120!! It fit the need of my quiver between the wreckoning 180/160 coil and Cotic 140 hardtail . The Ripley has its limitations, but how cow it’s a great bike on 80% of the stuff I ride.
I saw that your commented on my video. Unfortunately, CZcams is glitching for me so couldn't read the whole things. Anyways, appreciate the support and keep up the good work with your channel
I was just saying how In sync we are with topics of Interest and how much I appreciate the stuff you're putting out, I literally just finished interviewing a sports psychologist 2 days ago and literally asked the question about whether or not intentional practice should be executed outside flow state. I'm really excited to get that video edited, I'm expecting it out some time next month! Thanks again for all the great content!
I have a Ripley AF and an aluminum Kona 153. They are similar spec builds. I’m almost always preferring the Ripley. I would take the Kona on shuttle and bike park laps but not much else. You will have to go a little slower on the Ripley in really fast chunky stuff and might not be as confident on big drops. The advantage of the ripley is peddling, pop, and weight. You’re going to have more fun when you’re getting to the top faster and less tired. Get some better brakes and put some gravity tires on there.
Sounds like you needs a quiver. I have 3 bikes one for each discipline. I also came from a hard tail, as they are the most affordable, but like you mentioned the type type bike you might need depends on your preferred trails and maybe how you ride. The experience cost of a bigger travel trail bike is a heavier slower ride in some situations but then a more plush ride over the rough. XCish bikes are best in rolling terrain and longer rides that are not super rough. XT breaks with ICE rotors work nice . A bigger rotor size more pistons will definitely give you more stopping power. Ripley is a downcountry bike. Ripmo is more of a tail bike. Thanks for sharing!
So I'm coming from your exact background...decades-long hardtail, ride like-you're-racing (get the heartrate up & keep pushing). I can relate to much of your questions & thoughts...got a few for you to throw in your quandary:
1) Bigger travel is generally going to mean more weight (unless you're dropping crazy cash & even then, still p'bly have some weight issues), because you are going to be looking at a bike specifically designed to descend like a banshee ... the designers are like "climb, with is that...we ride lifts up & bomb down" so not only do they not really care about weight but also,
2) bigger travel (getting into a more enduro & especially downhill) bikes means a geometry change, more slack. Moreso than even that trail bike. Which for me, I hate. & which I also found to be a bigger issue than the weight thing. The more slack style of the enduro/DH models really suck at climbing/pedaling (I like cranking out power just like you described). I found the transition from my hardtail to the full-sus trail machine was palitable...my riding skills combined w/the little extra squish in the tail made me a better/faster descender without compromising my climbing/flat-ground speed/efficiency too much.
I think you're spot-on about there isn't a "quiver killer" out there. If someone truly wants to ride a variety of different types of trails, they are p'bly going to need more than one steed.
That being said - for a guy in the midwest, who can ride almost any trail within driving distance in control on a hardtail (even most of the few lift access ones...they aren't like the ones in the mountains). I have found this specific Ibis model & bikes comparable to it to be pretty darn close to a do-it-all (like you said, maybe not THE best at any one thing, but pretty good at everything), at least what we're riding the majority of the time. When I do get a chance to go to the mountains...I rent a full squish downhill & ride it like I rented it!! :P :D
{oh, one more} 3) I think that there's a difference in verbage out there that can be confusing. I am old school. So "techy" terrain to me is tighter switchbacks, super rock gardens, log bashing (to get over them on the trail, etc... almost trials-type riding. Where I've found some of the younger, newer mtb crowd, sees a flow trail as being "regular" as in little to no obstacles & then their definition of "techy" is having to slow down for something or the trail having jump features. I don't know, but I think those terms on different mtb channels mean different things to different riders.
Anyway - I liked your vid, I'll look for more (maybe there's a follow-up to this already); but nice finding somebody who (sounds like) rides very similar to me w/a similar hardtail history! Ride on, bro!
Nice video. I have the same bike and I have the same issue with the water bottle cage space. Can you tell me what brand of bottle cage are you using right now?? Thanks!!
Can't recall the exact cage, something from specialized.
Coming from someone who rides a 160/160 as their full sus I wish I had a Ripley for my local trails.
Haha, Grass is always greener I guess. Definitely an N+1 situation.
I own a Ripley V4 (140 fork) and a Ripmo V2. I live outside of Boulder, CO in the front range and am admittedly an intermediate rider. The front range has flow and tech with punchy climbs that start right out of the parking lot. 80% of the time, I reach for the Ripley over the Ripmo. That’s not a slam on the Ripmo, but the Ripley is just “fun” to ride. Granted, the Ripmo will definitely bail you out of trouble, but the Ripley rails and it has no idea it’s less capable than its numbers. It’s been said by much better riders than myself that geo matters more than travel and I think there’s truth in that.
Awesome! Stoked to hear it's been such a work horse for you! Definitely a fun little whip for sure!
That's a bad ass first full suspension!
I just put a deposit on a Ripley AF for next year and you have me second guessing now haha. I’m coming from a 2015 Kona Kahuna and typically ride Canmore and West Bragg. Thanks for the review. I might need to re-evaluate my bike needs and rent something with more travel to make sure.
Well, I can say now, after having a chance to ride for 2 weeks in Squamish (both with 130mm and 140mm up front) that while I would have preferred more travel out back for speed and comfort, I still had a ton of fun. If you can I definitely encourage you to check out some other bikes (mid travel trail bikes, stuff with 130 or 140 out back) but if you're not over at moose and are mostly riding stuff like bragg or similarly chill spots regularly then you probably don't need more bike, there's a lot of pedaling out there and the Ripley AF is a champ at it, if not a little portly. 😉
If you haven't you might want to check out the Knolly Fugitive, Beta did a review video that makes it sound like a pretty solid contender, at least for my own riding style, if I were to shop around again for something with a little more travel.
Cheers and thanks for watching!
@@casestudymtb Well that is good to hear. I've read the Ripley doesn't ride well on technical chatter as some other DW-link
That Knolly Warden looks great but I think it's more then I want to spend. A really cool freeride group from Calgary called The Flannel Crew ride Knolly bikes.
I have been looking at maybe the Devinci Marshall or Orbea Occam H30 as an alternative.
good review. I bought a 130 mil fs bike for 1st floor bike. it was fun to play with, super stable, but needed better brakes and I thought more suspension so I bought a long travel 150 mil Hightower. much safer and more capable, but at those higher speeds on rougher terrain, the learning and injury curve kinda doubled. if I had it to do all over again I'd get another trail bike 140ish suspension. polygon siskyu t8 would do. gg trail pistol. I'd try a ripmo af . kind of biased toward megatower. I do ride a marin hardtail also . fun ,fast, and tough! marin alpine trail would be a great trail bike also for riding most of the trails I ride. green to black and occasionally double black
I think having a hard tail in the line up is always good. Was thinking of adding an updated HT. Looking at the Trek Roscoe 7...
I'm interested in your longer term thoughts on this bike. I'm looking to buy a Ripley or Ripmo AF this time next year. It would be a bike to complement my hardtail.
Me too!
I'll have a ride review coming out next week that covers alot of the same things but gives you the info uncensored and in the moment. There's a lot more joy out there then there is in the garage haha!
I also go into some details about how I'll be challenging this bike in a post ride conversation that might interest you.
I suspect i'll be putting up the longer term review around October if not a little earlier
Do you want to buy it this time around next year, or do you want to receive it? If you want to receive it, start talking to your dealers now...
What bottle cage are you using? I’ve got the same bike and I’m having trouble finding a cage that works.
I'm just using some specialized cage, i'm not exactly sure what model, but it's not the one to get if you want to run a 750ml bottle
I too bought the Ripley AF coming from a hard tail. I am personally very content with my purchase, but now feel the desire to try a longer travel bike. When considering what bike to get and coming from a hard tail anything beyond a short travel trail seemed overkill. Now that I've been riding the Ripley, I can see how a longer travel bike would be a nice compliment for tougher terrain. I've thought about at some point in the future swapping for something a little bit longer, but I love the climbs with this thing and wonder how much I'll miss it. I'm going to do some rental and demo days and see how things feel. You can't really know until you try it and I don't regret my purchase because it matches the trails I'm riding the majority of the time. I'll be really curious to see what changes you make and how you feel about them.
I’ve got a Ripmo v1 and a Davinci Django and I prefer the Django for 90 % or rides. If I’m going to do a big, techy ride, I’ll go with the Ripmo. To be quite honest, if I were to upgrade the 34 fork to a 36 or Pike/Lyric, it would probably be fine for 95% of rides. Ripley AF is a great bike. You are overthinking it. I did the same thing and then bought the Ripmo to answer that question. Good luck on your journey.
I actually just released my long term review so if you're interested in seeing how my opinions changed you should check it out!
How tall are you, what’s your inseam, and what size do you ride?
I'm, give or take, 5'11 riding a large, reach and stand over are perfect for me.
The Ripley AF was the bike I wanted for the last 6 months, but I just could NOT find one anywhere. I ended up buying a different bike for my first FS bike - I am enjoying it....but I still wish I could have found the Ripley :( Enjoy it!
What did you end up with?
I’m about to get my first FS bike as well. Going with the Ripmo AF. Figured it would be a bit more versatile then the Riply. Around me it rooty and rocky AF.. and being a little older I’m wanting a smother ride. Sucks right now you cannot go try out bikes.. you have to order and wait months… 😖 Hopefully the Ripmo is not a let down.
Congtats on new bike day, You'll have to let me know how you like it!
You put 27.5 plus wheels with 3 inch tires it will turn into a magic carpet minus the extra rotationalweight of course.
Ya, I don't think so, that's a lot of rubber, maybe for riding on snow but that really isn't the feel I'm looking for. In the end I love the bike, I just needed to buy a second one to fill in the gaps for all mountain riding.
Metallic pads no...just no. I don't think you know why one would need metallic pads. Start with bigger rotors, that should do it. Organic pads FTW. bigger fork will screw up that bike. 140 will make it plush...er but rear end will get more unsettled at higher speeds anyways. not sure what you meant about slacker geo..letting you lean bike over ...more...IDK ...you lost me there mate. Great video, keep it up
sounds like you should have bought the ripmo brotha
You should try a super slack hardtail with the 160 mil travel 64° head tube angle it should pedal good and still be able to charge downhill and still be lively enough that's to me is a true jack of all trades like and you can get them the way 30 to 32 lb
I'd love to, even a 140 hardtail I' sure would be a blast but a lifetime of beating myself to hell means I've destroyed my ankles so, while I've always loved my hardtails, I'm definitely happy to take a break from them in favor of something a little kinder... for now anyway
@@casestudymtb yeah if you are as beat as you say you are, it probably would be a n+1 type of bike.
Make a trade with someone who thinks their Ripmo AF is just too much bike.
I get a laugh out of people saying the ripmo is too much bike. 120 might as well be a hardtail.
Haha I feel that, I've actually been super impressed with what I've been able to huck this 120 bike off of and down, the geo really does go a long way, and for my city, which is all XC single-track, it's probably the best bike for my style. Not the best for the weekend trips to proper mountains but still pleasantly capable. I did a long term review if you're interested, you can find it on my channel page!
So while this bike doesn’t check all the boxes, doesn’t this mean you need to buy more bikes? Win win 😄
N+1, the immutable law of cycling
Wanna trade for a Ripmo AF? that's more travel than the Ripley
You offering? Haha
@@casestudymtb I am. SLX build with TRP Quadiem brakes. I have a Medium not sure what size you ride there
Haha well unfortunately that won't work for me, I'm firmly a large, but I appreciate the offer. That said, I'm not looking to part with the Ripley just yet anyway.
You may want a Ritmo instead. The Ripley is a great bike for going out on your local trails and riding for several hours in all types of terrain except the narly downhill stuff. It sounds like you were looking for an enduro bike.
The more I ride it, the less I'm sure. Seems more like I actually just want ANOTHER bike. Typical.
ripmo?
Maybe, I'm hoping to test one out, I'll have to see once I get on it.
You did not mess up.
Haha totally, fun will always be had, regardless of the bike!
I get to express a bit more of the joy this bike is bringing me next week with my on-trail ride review! Come back and check it out if you're curious!
@@casestudymtb I saw elsewhere you expressed that you thought the bike might not be enough for your goals, but I would just add that I have two friends on that bike now, and with a 140mm air spring and a piggyback shock out back, you'll have all you really need to charge.
@@Justin-Walsh piggy back is a little out of reach of the piggy bank right now but I ordered the 140 air shaft the day after I bought it, that was 100% always part of the plan. I'm definitely excited to see how things change with the extra travel upfront.
@@casestudymtb I hear you on the piggy bank, but another thing you could try is to go to a bigger volume spacer in the DPS to get a lil more progression out of it.
@@Justin-Walsh I thought I mentioned it in here but even before I went to the mountains with it I put the largest reducer in. I've done all I can for now.
Answer RIPMO
I picked one up in October! I haven't spent a ton of time on it but I have tossed up a first impressions review, check it out!
I love the capability of the Ripmo but the geo makes it less fun on the undulating twisty singletrack I have in my town.
The combo of the ripley and ripmo is awesome, one for the home trails and one for the mountains, but it's hard to justify holding onto two bikes and I still find I run into the Ripley's limits in town when I want to huck.
Some of the efficient pedaling and highly adjustable options look super appealing to me, the new Fuel EX or the stumpy EVO offer a lot of value if you don't mind tinkering and only want one bike to do it all. I'll stick with what I've got for the time being but I'm certainly excited about the direction things are going with adjustability.
@@casestudymtb ok Ripely with 140mm fork 🤙🏼