Well, that didn’t take long. Just a few days after the new bike was spotted under Ibis enduro team riders, the new Ibis Ripmo is official. Calling it the love child of a Ripley and a Mojo HD4, the Ripmo is probably what fans of long travel 29ers have been waiting for with more travel, modern geometry, and the right choice of spec and features to get the job done.
Starting at the top, the Ripmo is based around 29″ wheels and includes clearance for 2.6″ tires. Ibis was one of the first brands to really push the wide rim trend, so naturally, they built the bike to fit 2.6″ tires on their 35mm rims with plenty of clearance.
Built with carbon front and rear triangles, frame weight is said to be 5.08lbs without a shock, or 6.06lbs (2.72kg) with a Fox DPX2 rear shock. Complete builds can be built as low as 28.1lbs (12.7kg). Still utilizing the dw-link suspension system, the Ripmo is tuned to run 145mm of rear travel mated with a 160mm travel fork. Stock, the bikes will include the Fox DPX2 rear shock, though the Float X2 will be available as an optional upgrade.
The suspension does feature an all new lower link which moves from bearings to igus bushings and saves 80g from the same link with bearings. Why bushings? Ibis has always been a proponent of ‘bushings where you need them, bearings where you don’t’. That refers to the fact that bushings are ideal for locations with high loads and little rotation, where bearings excel places where there is more rotation. That meant that the lower link could be better served with bushings which will hold up longer and offer better performance. To stand behind the decision, Ibis is offering free lifetime replacement on any of their bushings.
When it’s time to recable your Ripmo, you’ll be happy to know that the frame includes new internal cable tunnels which allow cables to go in one side and pop out the other. Ibis points out that this is their first bike to use carbon fiber tubes molded into the carbon which makes this routing possible.
That internal routing also includes the internal dropper post routing – for longer 31.6mm posts. The frames have been designed around the use of a 175mm dropper post (150mm for the small), but riders with longer legs could probably use a 185mm or even 200mm post. In spite of the lower top tube and seat tube to allow for bigger posts, the frame still allows for a water bottle mount inside the front triangle – even with a piggy back shock reservoir.
Continuing with good news, the frame features a threaded bottom bracket that sits behind the bolt on downtube protector. The bottom bracket is ISCG 05 compatible with the addition of a splined adapter and the frame is 1x specific.
At this point it’s almost a given that any 29er will use Boost spacing, but to confirm the Ripmo uses a tooled 148x12mm rear axle, and Boost fork up front. Post mount brakes and an integrated chainstay protector finish things off out back.
To make the big bike more confidence inspiring and more nimble at the same time, the Ripmo has an all new geometry with a longer reach, slacker 65.9° head tube angle, steeper 76° seat tube angle, and a custom shorter 44mm fork offset that Ibis says will make the bike feel like it has a slacker head tube without increasing the wheel base for better handling in tight turns.
Complete bikes will be available in five different builds in Tangerine Sky or Black Olive. Pricing ranges from $4,099 to $9,399, while the frame only goes for $2,999 with a Fox DPX2 shock. Additional options include carbon bars for GX builds ($68), the Fox Float X2 ($270), and Ibis or Industry Nine carbon wheels. Bikes are available now through your local Ibis dealer.
