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The visuals and reservations about never having ridden DVO suspension are what are holding me back. I'm a sucker for a vertical shock and a straight line from HT to rear axle.
Privateer is out because of cockpit size and all the reviews saying it's quite harsh and full race. I need something I can do long rides on. The main reason I sold my old Capra is that it was too short when seated.
ogden
I think the fact the Ripmo and the AM9 aren’t particularly nice looking is the reason I’ve not ordered anything yet as well.
I should add that I'm only highlighting that in response to the OP's invitation to nitpick, I think the Ripmo is a great bike. DVO suspension is getting nothing but praise - a firend who has one was very wary of the DVO stuff, he switched the fork to a 36 straight away without riding the DVO fork- but he's a huge fan of the Topaz on the rear now that he's tried it.
Pole Evo link?
The Ripmo seems to be universally loved. If it rides as well as everyone says, I could look past it not being Sentinel pretty. At least it's not HD4 ugly.
The Ripmo seems to be universally loved. If it rides as well as everyone says, I could look past it not being Sentinel pretty. At least it’s not HD4 ugly.
But is it £500 better than the AM9? That's frame and shock, I'm sure that gets even worse when you go full build.
It's certainly more pleasing to my eyes. Also, my best mate isn't buying one 😀
But yeah, it's is more expensive. However, I could potentially be riding one with XTR and a OneUp dropper for under 4k once the unneeded bits have gone.
Sorry, just saw your edit. Yeah, frame only I'd say no. Full NX build with a Diamond/Topaz is actually really good VFM at 3.2k.
Yeah, I'm looking frame only so its a much harder sell.
Oh come on it’s a handsome beast 😉 I’ve only ridden the V2 for a few mins. It definitely felt more DH focussed than my V1. Having said that it was the AF so pretty stout already and with heavy tyres. That was on a DVO Topaz shock rather than the coil.
I don’t need the extra ‘gnarr’ of the V2. I’m actually happy that I have the ‘older’ model. The full builds are brilliant value. Almost worth the ball-ache of selling the stuff to make the frame ‘cheap'
How about a Last Glen, very similar geo to a sentinal, 140mm out back that can run air or coil easily. I have been really impressed with mine.
The Ripmo AF NX build is a bargain. Ibis have clearly taken a hit on that build to get it below the $3k mark. I bought the NX build from Sunset for £2800 and I’ve upgraded brakes to SLX and the drivetrain to a mix of XT and SLX and it still comes in under the price of the GX or SLX builds (they do get the bikeyoke dropper)
The bike is ****in amazing. Climbs like no other bike I’ve owned including ones lighter and with less travel and is scarily fast downhill.
The Ripmo AF NX build is a bargain. Ibis have clearly taken a hit on that build to get it below the $3k mark. I bought the NX build from Sunset for £2800 and I’ve upgraded brakes to SLX and the drivetrain to a mix of XT and SLX and it still comes in under the price of the GX or SLX builds (they do get the bikeyoke dropper)
The bike is ****in amazing. Climbs like no other bike I’ve owned including ones lighter and with less travel and is scarily fast downhill.
Just a shame there’s nowhere to demo the Ibis
Pretty sure there is a demo fleet as my local ibis shop mentioned it but I guess it’s just not the right time to be lending out bikes atm.
It was a bit of a punt for me but it worked out very well.
I generally don’t spend mega money on bikes and so there’s always a compromise on suspension. You generally end up with the basic stuff. Even the likes of YT and canyon can’t match the spec of the Ripmo AF NX build. NX might not be to everyone’s taste but the DVO forks and shock are amazing and so adjustable and you can upgrade the NX stuff as it wears out. The wheels and tyres are spot on too. The fact they’re like hens teeth suggests Ibis nailed this bike.
I am surprised no one has suggested a Giant Reign 29. £2.7k for workman like build with geometry that looks long slack and steep in all the right places. Maybe a bit Mondeo man or is BMW man nowadays?
Radon Swoop 9.0 looks close to what you want.
I had looked at the Reign, but unfortunately there's a ridiculous jump in geo between sizes. For instance, the Medium is 455 reach, the large is 493! With nothing in between!
I'm pretty much decided on the Ripmo NX now to be honest, thanks for all the suggestions people! Now just waiting for some email replied to find out when the next available ones are due, and the same for a Microspline driver for the Ibis wheels.
I’m pretty much decided on the Ripmo NX now to be honest, thanks for all the suggestions people! Now just waiting for some email replied to find out when the next available ones are due, and the same for a Microspline driver for the Ibis wheels.
10% off at mtbmonster
Let me know what the availability is like.
You've said you've discounted Specialised because of their VFM, (I completely get that) but have you ridden the Stumpy Evo? It fits your requirements
They're a bunch of fun for what you want.
They're great bikes I'm sure, and I'd love to try one, but at 3.4k for an NX build with a 36 Rhythm, they can bugger off I'm afraid
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Ogden: yeah, had seen that. They're one of the people I've emailed. Has anyone used them? Not heard their name around much other than on Google searches.
Ripmo is amazing. However local hero Robin Wallner rides for Ibis so they are insanely popular here. Therefore I can't get one A because they are sold out and B Sweden is very homogeneous as it is without everyone having the same bikes
@nickc I had a Stumpy Evo for an year before the AM9. While it's an interesting geometry experiment, great at railing corners and a very comfortable bike on more moderate paces, it lacks a lot Vs the AM9:
- durability. Mine was creaking everywhere, went through 2 bent shock bolts and most pivot bearings were shot
- very flexy rear end
- stupidly low BB, even with 160mm fork and high setting
- somewhat short
- low anti squat, very sluggish on climbs, always needed to mess with the climb switch
- rear suspension never really worked properly. It's plush, until you start to really push the bike, then it's all over the place
I’m pretty much decided on the Ripmo NX now to be honest, thanks for all the suggestions people! Now just waiting for some email replied to find out when the next available ones are due, and the same for a Microspline driver for the Ibis wheels.
Wise choice and hopefully you won’t be waiting too long for it.
You can order the microspline driver direct from ibis in the US if you want one quick, but as you are waiting for the bike anyway it’s probably not worth it. I managed to get one from my localish ibis bike shop Evo cycles in Eastbourne, BTW they had one left in stock when I rang last week.
Oh cool, thanks! Presumably you mean a freehub, not a bike? 😀
Ive a NX RAF on order as well with Jade x - Just brought the new xt 12 group , Code RSC's and A DHR2 for the rear for less than 700 quid of bike discount - another 100 on chain ring and BB - suspect will get £300 back for the NX and Guide T's- Bikes going to moose and the are sorting the Shimano freehub. Will swap over my reverb and Renthal controls when its done and Fingers crossed riding by July
Oh cool, thanks! Presumably you mean a freehub, not a bike? 😀
Yeah, unfortunately they don’t have any bikes (well I don’t think so anyway)
Ive a NX RAF on order as well with Jade x – Just brought the new xt 12 group , Code RSC’s and A DHR2 for the rear for less than 700 quid of bike discount – another 100 on chain ring and BB – suspect will get £300 back for the NX and Guide T’s- Bikes going to moose and the are sorting the Shimano freehub. Will swap over my reverb and Renthal controls when its done and Fingers crossed riding by July
Fingers crossed for you. Definitely worth swapping that rear Assegai. It’s a great tyre but it’s a lot of weight and rolling resistance to be pedalling 2 of them around.
I’m a couple of rides in with the Shimano 12sp drivetrain and it’s really nice compared to the SRAM stuff. I’ve managed to shift a load of old kit on eBay so now thinking of going for XTR cranks instead of XT to finish it off.
Rocky Mountain Instinct (BC Edition)?
Moose and sunset have stock i believe but in the orange and with Topaz . so mine went on order 3 weeks ago - Could be the freehub that holds it all up as not till EOM - Looking forward to a new bike been 5 years . My Capra has served me well - last ride for it Saturday and then a deep clean for sale .. 2nd hand prices are crazy Atm
klunky
MemberJosh Bryceland was pedalling this nonsense on Instagram recently. Got a bit of backlash and deleted it.
Just curious - he said what about what ?
I am looking at exactly the same boat. I test rode a hb130 and was blown away by how efficient it was uphill and competent down. I have just spent a long weekend with a Deviate Highlander. It was phenomenal downhill, faster and smoother than my Nomad. Heavy though (had asseggai tyres which didnt help) but has left a proper lasting impression. Biggest issue is it doesnt fit a thule roof rack, so need a better transport solution. I also cant have a sentinel as one of my best mates has recently bought one. Others popping up are the Intense & Bird but neither have the "want" that the hb and deviate have. Its a lot of £ so big decisions!
A yakima highroad should fit it. Fits all my HPP bikes. I have a lot of time on the Privateer 161, druid and norco optic. My money would be on the new Norco Sight all around use. The optic is the fastest everywhere IMO yet still being able to go big. Just a harsher ride everywhere.
Being said as I do not have any money left after the above I have settled on a Morph cycles steel FS and hoping to build it soon. 140 or 160 forks. Keep the 160mm fork in a guncase for parks and racing and 140 mostly around tweed valley.
Sorry, just saw your edit. Yeah, frame only I’d say no. Full NX build with a Diamond/Topaz is actually really good VFM at 3.2k.
When you say amazing value I just went onto the bird builder and for £3299 you get an AM9 (Catflap grey!) with Lyrik Ultimates, super Deluxe cool, Xt group with Raceface crank, Code RSC’s, DT Swiss E1700 spline wheels, Maxxis tyres, bird dropper etc.
Other than perhaps a wheel upgrade to something more bling and maybe a nicer dropper (although the e1700’is pretty decent) I don’t think that spec can be beaten.
The Ripmo AF is a killer deal in the US, here, not so much. It's not a bad one either in any way, but one only needs to factor in a brake upgrade to see the price jump. I guess many of us keep hearing/reading North Americans saying "it's a steal it's a steal!!" and internalise that without then comparing the spec with our local price.
I really like the Ripmo carbon V1 on my very brief experience with it, can only assume the AF is just as good. But I can't imagine the price difference Vs the AM9 to be justifiable. Even if it was a price match, the AM9 can handle bigger forks, is more progressive (you might like that or not, in my case it's a plus) and has the best costumer service and lifetime warranty ever
Reopening to close this. Bought an AF, finally got it about a months ago, only about 4 rides in.
Luckily came with the updated Deore/Onyx combo. Replaced the whole drivetrain with an xt/xtr mix, and the rear tyre with a DHRII.
And it rocks my world. Travel at both ends is so supportive yet so supple, absolutely blows my old Patrol and its wooden Monarch out of the water. The Onyx is a seriously impressive bit of kit, as is the Topaz.
A few runs in I was already hitting lines harder and faster than I ever did on my old bike, and on the first local ride bettered my best times on the tech bits.
Climbing is seriously impressive. I've never really noticed the climbing prowess of a bike as I'm very much winch and plummet, but the lack of bob and ability to monster truck up wobbly climbs has taken me aback. Bloody lovely.
As a side note, I still think Birds are very awkward looking. But I've just bought an Aeris 120, so... :/ 😀
Alloy Tyee or stumpjumper frame, that's what I've narrowed it down for now.
There's also the full moxie frame at third...
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As a side note, I still think Birds are very awkward looking. But I’ve just bought an Aeris 120, so… :/ 😀
They grow on you! When I first decided to go for an AM9 I really wasn't sure on the looks but I love it now.
Good to reasonavble value for money brands:
Bird AM9
Commencal Meta AM
Radon Swoop
Propain Tyee
Whyte G170
Canyon Strive?