It rained last night, but hopefully not enough to muddy up the trails, I had to take a chance with the new build staring me in the face! One thing about the bike, it is soooo light! I am not a weight weenie but wow, this is starting to turn me into a weight bratwurst.
I took it to my after work go-to trails. It’s mostly twisty, rooted trails that wind in and out of trees. There are some technical climbs, and occasionally some short downhill bursts.
From the get go the Ibis Ripley handled like a dream! It felt shorter than the Pivot Mach 429 in a reach aspect but that’s most likely due to the seat tube angle on the Ripley, it pushes rider forward more, but it was comfortable. When you pushed on the pedals, it instantly went forward. The previous Ripley V2 model didn’t feel this way to me but the Pivot did. This forward placement really helped with the climbs, I didn’t have to lean forward like on the pivot to keep the front end down.
I built this up with the 1×12 SRAM AXS Eagle, it performed really well. It’s insta-shift! I am not sure it’s worth an upgrade from another 1×12 setup if you already have that. SRAM AXS is the electronic, wireless shifter/derailleur package.
I don’t really rip it up too hard at my age, but the Ripley can still sail off a jump like there’s no tomorrow, the bike is very well balanced, and easy to control.
After one ride, I am not sure I can find any negatives about the bike. The Ripley V4 has a higher bottom bracket than the previous version so pedal strikes are almost non-existent..almost. It came with 175mm cranks so it happens. It handles well thru turns, climbs probably better than any bike I’ve ridden, and smooths out the bumps without losing any momentum.
All I can say is I am looking forward to getting it out again! It was a blast!! It’s a very strong contender at knocking my trusty Pivot Mach 429 off the main bike list!