Aluminum Ibis Ripmo AF
Ibis Cycles aluminum Ripmo AF are going to get, and keep, more people riding MTB. Bold statement? Nah, I don’t feel out on a limb on this one at all.
Ibis licenses one of the absolute best suspension designs. Creates confident bike geometries that perform in wide ranges of terrain and rider styles. Runs an efficient business model. These factors ensure your alloy Ibis Ripmo AFÂ is a great purchase.
DW Suspension
MTB Suspension is sophisticated. Let’s not sugar coat it. Your first parking lot lap on a dual suspension “squishy” bike isn’t going to provide you what people work for years to understand. Worse still, there are manufacturers who’s designers knowingly take advantage of that. The first sales meeting that I heard, “Well, it will pass the parking lot test at least” from a sales rep didn’t end super well!
Ibis’ frames are designed around Dave Weagle’s DW link suspension. DW is in a constant state of evolution producing more confident and efficient offerings. The latest Ibis bikes pedal efficiently across a wider range than ever before. Most importantly the Ibis DW suspension provides incredible, balanced, performance both up and downhill.
Balanced MTB suspension allows riders to easily control both the front and rear wheel from a friendly, centered riding position. Sounds kind of easy right? It’s definitely not. Many suspensions require more front input to balance the riding feel. Really putting weight on the front wheel to keep it down isn’t where newer, or less confident, riders want to be. Ibis bikes are known for being extremely competent when riding in a centered position. This is a huge bonus for riders learning the ropes.
The Ibis DW Suspension provides riders a forgiving platform downhill. Riding confidently will have you confidently riding faster and larger terrain quickly. I’ve always liked how docile Ibis bikes are when I turn my brain off for that second and the bike has to do all the work! Many bikes lack this personality trait…
Your Ripmo AF is going is an efficient pedaling platform with plenty in the tank for the descent.
Ibis bikes are known for the wide range of terrain each model is capable in. The Ripmo AF for instance is at home on EWS level steep, gnarly terrain while still being fun on your more mellow evening loop with work friends. Ibis achieves this pairing the previously mentioned DW suspension with absolutely cutting edge geometry.
Geometry
Bike geometry refers to all of the dimensions and their relationships of the frame. Geometry directly affects your positioning. Thus how a bike is “balanced” (front and rear wheel control versus your body position) as well as how efficiently you can power the bike are tied to frame geometry.
Ibis’ geo designs allow riders to climb in a more centered position. This improves the position of your legs in relationship to the cranks, particularly as you climb steeper terrain. You’re going to be climbing chunky, technical terrain quicker than ever before thanks to these advancements.
Ibis Factory Complete Options
Ibis’ factory builds are another important factor to consider. Over the years the team at Ibis has put together builds that offer amazing performance tip to tail on your bike. And they do this at price points that are market notable!
Rather than relying on “smoke and mirror” kits Ibis’ purchasing power allows them to spec quality bits throughout. Your SRAM or Shimano drivetrain doesn’t have an off brand cassette, that’s going to compromise performance and wear quickly, to save money.
I often steer new riders towards the SRAM NX or GX offerings depending on budget. The SRAM drivetrains tend to last longer than others on the market, especially with the occasional “oops” moment we are all guilty of! SRAM’s shifter and derailleur pairing also operate in a wider range of cable tension then their competitors. Meaning your SRAM drivetrain shifts when others miss.
Boutique > Mega
So why would you buy an aluminum Ibis rather than an option from the bigger brands like Specialized, Trek, Giant, Santa Cruz? I’ll make the case that your Ibis purchase is actually much safer than taking a risk on a bigger brand that you may have name familiarity with.
Ibis builds mountain bikes (well, and the Hakka which is the best gravel / mtb friendly road option on the market). Ibis builds just a few models. And they’re all bangers. Offering only a few models demands that these bikes work precisely as advertised. Nothing is diluted, nothing haphazard.
The mega brands build everything from training wheel, hell probably even strider options, to townie bikes, to cruisers, to road, to cross, to hybrid, to oh, a MTB for each discipline? Doesn’t seem surprising that things can get lost in the translation along the way. That is performance. Quality boutique brands work better, across the lineup, because they have to.
While the mega brands can miss on design and have the remainder of the line pull the weight smaller brands aren’t afforded that. All of the Ibis bikes are tested and revised until they come to market as clear leaders in each class.
Getting on a class leader in performance at a great price? What am I missing?
Ibis also has some of the best customer service in the market. Demanding quality control means I seldom see issues with the bikes, however on occasion when they occur Ibis is right there to stand behind their product. No two months waiting on warranty parts, ya – that’s a thing with consumer direct brands we see. You know why? Because it matters to each person at Ibis that you’re stoked on your purchase.
It blows me away how often I end up with Hans or Tom, two of the owners, when I call. And I’m seldom on the phone so they must be answering quite the percentage of calls I think. This keeps them abreast, aware and in tune to what’s going on. Have to love that.
Let’s review why Ibis aluminum bikes are a cut above. Suspension Performance. Geometry. Tremendous build value. Awesome Business Model.
Ibis Cycles Ripmo AF are going to get, and keep, more people riding MTB.
Balancing the value and performance of the new alloy Ibis it’s easy to see why new, and existing, riders will gravitate to them. The real trick that Ibis has up their sleeve is keeping riders using these bikes.
Look around your neighborhood. You’re going to see Specialized and Giant bikes, some certainly sport level machines, that NEVER leave the garage. We call it garage art. How do they become permanent fixtures? Well they’re not fun to ride…
They might not be fun to ride because they’re not confident. Ibis has you covered with DW Suspension and cutting edge geometry.
Might not be fun because the bits don’t work right. Ibis offers a variety of kits giving you real performance for every budget.
Could be the rider got better than the bike. I’ve got BikeCo Pro Rider’s that will tell you the Ibis chassis has plenty to grow into!
Take all the benefits of the new alloy Ibis bikes and pair it with BikeCo’s unmatched after sales service. You’re going to enjoy your purchase and the sport.
Want to compare more builds? Check out the factory Ripmo AF Builds Here
