I got to ride the new Ibis Ripley at Eagle this summer, and it was absolutely unreal. I have always been a fan of the Ripley since the first version. It broke all the molds and expectations of what a 29er was and could do. Quicker than a 26er but with 29" wheel efficiency. It climbed like a hardtail but could handle serious descents.
I call it my new favorite downhill bike. Not because it necessarily rivals a dual crown gravity sled, but because the climbs felt like descents... and it crushed the downhills too.
I really like using Strava to compare one bike to another. I know, I know… The Colorado front rangers just got off the bus here. "Strava isn't real racing" they say. Meanwhile, in Aspen, someone just shaved one second off of their PR that was set way back in the days of inaccurate GPS data and was declared the cycling club god-king. Everyone take a deep breath and let's continue. Strava is a great tool to figure out what you are actually feeling. One great example from my wife, Megan is the occasion she tested the new version of her everyday bike on our everyday trail. She felt way slower. Now the new geometry of the bike was intended to feel more stable and confident at speed so there are two distinct possibilities. She could have been slower or gone faster while feeling slower. One is good one is bad. GPS says...she was faster...significantly so.
Back to the Ripley. I couldn't match my climb times. Why? Because I was riding with a group and got so far ahead that I had time to hang out, shoot photos and check out the scenery while waiting for everyone else to catch up. Megan got to try the Ripley too. It was the last ride of the day. She thought she was too tired, after one day of racing and one day of riding, to try even one more bike, but she went for it. I was on a long travel Enduro bike (Revel Rail to answer your question in advance). On the bottom half of the Boneyard climb I kept up. I was huffing and puffing to do so. That I was able to keep that pace on a bike with 165mm of rear travel was impressive on its own, but you can see my review of the Rail for more on that.
On the Ripley I couldn't match my downhill times, but the only reason I couldn't keep up with those times compared to my every day bike (Transition Sentinel with DH tires and custom tuned suspension) was the single piston XC breaks specked on the XTR kit. I had to slow down just a little bit too far in advance of the corners but I was only off by a few seconds. Since then I built a Ripley for a customer and the bike came with XTR Trail quad pistons. That seems like a perfect fit for the capability of the bike. Megan is lighter so the dual pistons didn't have the same effect. She matched her race times on the first ride on that bike after taking 2nd in women’s pro in the enduro race the day before. My race time put me in 10th out of 38, so that isn't too shabby, and I wasn't able to match that time, but I wasn't far off.
Now I called it my new favorite downhill bike and I assume you are still wondering why. The real reason I call it my new favorite downhill bike is right out of the gate at Eagle you ride across town and hit Charlie Brown Trail. It is a modest uphill with one very steep punch. I honestly, seriously, no joke felt like I was going downhill. The next climb is Bellyache road. Steep loose gravel for 200yds or so (the shit bit according to Strava) it held traction and accelerated with little effort. The next climb is Boneyard which is 1,100 vertical feet of the most beautiful varied climbing on earth with an average 6% grade with three very steep 100 yard sections. I couldn't even use the easiest gear and it is geared higher than my current bike. It climbs better than an e-bike. When Megan tested it she was 50 miles deep and didn’t even know if she wanted to ride one more mile. She bettered her hardtail climb times.
The four best trail bikes I know are the Norco Sight, Transition Smuggler, Intense Primer and Ibis Ripley. I would say with the new geometry the Ripley matches the Smuggler in downhill stability. It is competitive with the Primer in the way it can lock in to and rail corners like a big slack bike and was competitive with the plushness and versatility of the Sight.
For me, the big thing was that it held its own in everything that is special about those other three amazing bikes, but it is absolutely unmatched in climbing efficiency, balance between uphill and downhill geometry, and all of the details that Ibis considers, such as tire clearance (it can take a Schwalbe 2.6), Ibis wheels (some of the best wheels in the business), bushings instead of bearings wherever plausible (way less maintenance and weight), and component offerings (they pick the ones they like rather than the ones that they can get cheap). On top of everything, it is pounds lighter than any other trail bike. It is without question a big leap forward in class.
The first time I ever rode a Ripley was the original 29" wheel version. This was back in the day when 29ers "couldn't corner, were no good on the downhill, and we're only good for uphill focused men who wore spandex, and I do mean MEN because women just cannot ride a 29" wheel." That Ripley dispelled all of those myths, but one most of all. It wasn't just quick for a 29" bike, it would have been quick for a 26er. Hell, it would have been quick for a BMX bike. The latest Ripley is much longer and slacker than all previous incarnations so one would wonder if it sacrificed maneuverability. I can assure you that it did not. It gained balance and stability, but is still as quick as ever.
If you can get this bike with Shimano 12s and Ibis Carbon wheels, do it. If not, rob a bank and make it happen. It is absolutely worth it.*
*Ride Demo Days does not actually condone robbing banks so please don't Rob a bank. If you do, we will not testify on your behalf.
Evan Winn
Snowmass Demo Days