I’m looking for a 29er FS, something I can use a Llandegla/Cannock etc. I’ve narrowed it down to either an Ibis Ripley or a Santa Cruz Tallboy 2. Both get rave magazine reviews, so I was just wondering if anyone on here could give me an idea of day to day living with the frame – thinking about bearing maintenance/cleaning etc.

I’ve owned bikes from both manufacturer’s before so am aware of their respective aftersales support.

Missus got the Tallboy(alloy) in January, ridden it loads. It’s the X01 Spec. Still feels fresh as anything, had muddy rides and dry ones down here in Tassie. She raced about 300km on it in the first month and has hardly touched the Blur LTc since.

Cleans up easy, never looked at the bearings, fairly sure it’s got the grease ports in the linkage like the C versions (she’s out on it at the minute). Bearings are free replacement (on return) but as I say not looked at them yet, we both have Blur LTc’s and in nearly 2 years she’s not looked at those either.

Issues? The Fox CTD lever went a bit sticky on the rear, needs sending back really but will do it within the year, on the Blurs both dampers failed and needed warranty rebuilds too but thats a Fox issue. If it’s an option I’d get the shock with a handle bar remote as it’s hard to be bothered to use it (it also pedals well whatever the setting)

In short she loves it.

Can I sway you further and chuck the Turner Czar into the mix? no bearings to worry about and rides and reviews as good as the other 2 also.

Have an original Tallboy carbon, not sure what the changes are on the 2 but can’t imagine it’s wildly different.

I raced it for 2 years in endurance races, long muddy rides in the York Moors, the Quantocks and trail centres here there and everywhere. Even had a pop at an enduro, I wasn’t the fastest but the bike was still very capable.

Very comfy on the long rides but still able to put a spurt on when needed.

Loads of muddy miles and I still haven’t changed the bearings.

Hired a Ripley for a 2 day bike pack in the Cairngorms and loved it. Took it out on some forest singletrack at the end too and still loved it. Never ridden the Tallboy but can’t imagine anyone could be disappointed in the Ripley.

I’ve got a tallboy 2 and previously had a 1 and an LT. The 2 is much better than the 1 generally, quite different geometry and pedals much nicer. Best bike I have ever had for hacking about but if you buy carbon buy new, I’m on my 4th ….

I’ve got a Ripley and a mate’s got a Tallboy LTc. After just over a year he’s looking to sell it as it’s quick but not so much fun. From my experience and the reviews I’ve read the Ripley doesn’t really feel like a 29er. If it matters he also had to have a replacement frame due to cracking around the bottom suspension pivot.

Bearings in the eccentric DW link are easy to change, and are off the shelf standard BB30 bearings.

I looked at the Czar but am not that keen on the looks, think I’m swaying ro the Ibis to be honest. Thanks all.

I’m having much the same debate at the moment. Tallboy Carbon or Ripley. This years tallboy colours are terrible though!

The other ones I’ve been looking at are the Pivot Mach429 and the Niner Jet 9 RDO.

All get good reviews, all cost much the same for the frame guess I need to actually demo some!

I have a 2009 ibis Mojo, a 2012 Tallboy with 120 mm fox float and now an Ibis Ripley with 120mm fox float. Have ridden the tallboy for two years.

I was amazed at how fast the tallboy felt and accelerated when I first got it. It had stans crest And frequency I19 wheelsets (both felt equally light – but stans seemed a bit more flexy). I really was enamored with the speed because it made it easier to keep up with my friends who are all faster than me. It seemed both fast and fun and maneuverable.

However, over time I realized that on rougher trails, I just felt it didn’t have enough suspension and I was tired of getting jarred so much. I tried adjusting sag and rebound to dial in both the fork and rear shock. But when I softened up the rear shock to try and make it feel softer, it didn’t feel so efficient pedaling. It had an RP23 rear shock so I tried switching it to the stiffer setting for pedaling efficiency on the climbs, but then it didn’t track over rough terrain well.

So In the end I found that when the going got rough, I really wanted my Ibis Mojo, because that thing was so much smoother, as well as more maneuverable and fun in the rough stuff.

When I took my mojo to lake Tahoe trails for a week, I realized how awesome it felt in rough stuff compared to my tallboy and what I had been missing. When I came back and rode some rough trails here again on my tallboy I just felt like it was no where near as controlled or fun in rough trails. And I was getting jarred like heck again.

So to get the best of both worlds, speed and roll over of a 29er and hopefully control, smoothness and maneuverability of a mojo, I purchased the Ripley.

My first two rides in my Ripley I couldn’t believe how much control and maneuverability it had in the technical rough stuff. It was almost like a mojo, but even more confidence inspiring on rough technical downhills. I was attacking drops, ups, boulders and jumps with so much confidence. The same ones I either avoided or hesitantly took on my tallboy. It really seemed like I was getting most of what the mojo offered but with better speed and cornering that I found with a 29er. I have to say it was really fun to ride.

I’m completely sold on the Ripley in only a short few rides. For the trails I ride (I’d classify as aggressive cross country to trail to some light all mountain), it is a dramatic improvement over the tallboy.