2014 Ibis Ripley 29 Special Blend
(discontinued)

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Discontinued
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Where To Buy
Free shipping on orders over $50 (continental U.S. only).
International shipping available. Some exclusions apply.
Free shipping on orders over $50 (continental U.S. only).
International shipping available. Some exclusions apply.

1 member reviews

Best Carbon Trail Bike for the Money
Rating:
The Good
Tubeless setup off the floor. Easy pedaling, easy climbing, easy turning. Silent running cables after putting a little effort towards it (foam in the top tube. Excellent Deore brakes, supple 120mm DW link suspension in the rear, really great underrated 140mm X-fusion fork, front and rear are supple at low speeds with no hard bottom outs at high speeds and jumps and good semi high riding support. I love the quiet free hub and quiet brakes. I opted for 140mm fork setup and feel comfortable with the geometry at speed. Great handling at both low and high speeds. Stable in the air and easy to jump and land. Easy to stay clipped in the pedals up or down tight switchbacks. Accelerates easily and carries momentum well through tight turns, up punchy climbs and over medium sized rocks-n-roots. Hands down the best price for a complete bike with full carbon frame and DW link. Cane Creek headset. Good quality rear shifter, derailleur and chain. Drivetrain runs SILENT.
The Bad
Flexy too narrow wheels, awkward saddle and bars. Poor front shifting race face 2x crank, no dropper stock. Skippy at high frequency rough downhills. Stock bars are too narrow for the big front wheel and 140mm fork. 90mm stem a little long for descending, 710mm wide riser bars almost cut it, but not quite.
Overall Review:

I feel that this buid was meant to appeal more to XC race or road riders dipping their toes into trail/all mountain waters. I was an all mountain rider looking for something that climbed withless effort and maybe get further into the back country, while still being able to go fast when the conditions allow. My first upgrade was a dropper post. I then took my XO cranks and put a 26t direct mount narrow wide chainwheel on it. effectively running 1x10 and keeping 11-36 for climbing and leaving the high speed stuff in the hands of gravity. I upgraded to large platform clips pedals, 745 wide x 3/4" rise lightweight carbon bars 2.35" high volume nobby nic front and semislick racing ralph rear tire. These ugrades have improved control over high speed sections without compromising on the climbs. My next upgrade will be some wide carbon rims or perhaps wide alloy rims. I've been tempted to get a CCDB inline shock (or the upcoming x fusion twin tube shock) to have more controlled damping over the rear suspension. I like the suspensioncharacteristics of the xfusion trace but I may get the RS pike with 35mm chassis, I had no problems with the lyrik's stiffness on my 26, or Fox 36 chassis just to have a more rigid fork setup. On high speed rock gardens I can feel the wheels deflecting sideways and bouncing me off my line. If wider rims don't fix this then I will go for a bigger chassis like the fox36 or pike 35. On any trail without an extended rock garden, I feel that I don't need any upgrades at all. This bike would be awesome in klondike bluffs, slickrock, or gooseberry mesa.  To me the DH payoffs are worth it for the energy saved climbing. I feel by beefing up rims, spokes, and possible front fork, there may be no shortcoming for singletrack riding. Making this a true one bike to do it all trail bike.

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Specifications

Product
Ibis Ripley 29 Special Blend
Model Year
2014
Riding Type
Trail
Rider
Unisex
Sizes and Geometry
S
M
L
XL
Wheel Size
29"
Frame Material
Carbon Fiber
Frame Material Details
 
Rear Travel
120mm
Rear Shock
X-Fusion Microlite RL
Fork
X-Fusion Trace RL, 51mm Offset
Fork Travel
120mm
Head Tube Diameter
Tapered
Headset
Cane Creek 40: ZS44 1-1/8" Top / EC49/40 Traditional 1.5" Bottom
Handlebar
Ibis 31.8mm x 710mm Wide, Low Rise, 7075 T6
Stem
Ibis 3D Forged 31.8mm Bar x 28.6mm Steerer, 7075 (50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110, 120, 130)
Grips
 
Brakes
Shimano BR-M615, 180mm Front / 160mm Rear Rotors
Brake Levers
 
Drivetrain
2x
Shifters
Shimano BL-M615
Front Derailleur
Shimano Deore Down-Swing, Top-Pull, Direct Mount
Rear Derailleur
SLX RD-M675 Shadow+ SGS 10-Speed
ISCG Tabs
N/A
Chainguide
N/A
Cranks
Race Face Respond
Chainrings
24/36 Tooth / Bash Ring
Bottom Bracket
BB92/Press GXP
Pedals
N/A
Chain
 
Cassette
CS-HG62-10, 10-Speed, 11-36 Tooth
Rims
Stan's ZTR Rapid 29er, 32 Hole, Black Wheels
Hubs
Stan's ZTR Rapid 29er, 32 Hole, Black Wheels
Spokes
Stan's ZTR Rapid 29er, 32 Hole, Black Wheels
Tires
Specialized Ground Control 2BR 29" x 2.1" Front // Fast Trak 2BR 29" x 2.0" Rear
Saddle
Ibis Custom Saddle, CrMo Rails
Seatpost
Ibis 7075, 350mm
Seatpost Diameter
31.6mm
Seatpost Clamp
Standard
Rear Dropout / Hub Dimensions
142mm Maxle
Max. Tire Size
 
Bottle Cage Mounts
Yes
Colors
Blue, Black/Green
Warranty
3 Years for Frame
Weight
N/A
Miscellaneous
 
Price
$3,950.00
More Info
What do you think?
Where To Buy
Free shipping on orders over $50 (continental U.S. only).
International shipping available. Some exclusions apply.
Free shipping on orders over $50 (continental U.S. only).
International shipping available. Some exclusions apply.
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