[Dr. Dolittle]

I accompanied a friend today while he demo'd several bikes and he fell in love with the Ripley. Only caveat is that it was a V3. Dealer says he probably won't have V4's until June or July. I thought that was weird based on how many people are posting here and on FB about their awesome new Ripley V4's they're already riding. Maybe it's an East coast/West coast thing.

Anyhow, the dealer also said he's going to be making deals on his remaining V3's to clear them out. He also has Ripmo's in stock.

Sooo.....

1. Should he wait for a V4 Ripley or grab a good deal on a V3? We don't race or do anything super gnarly so he probably wouldn't even notice the new geo numbers much.

2. Is there more to ditching the eccentrics than Ibis is saying? Ibis says it's mainly to allow for longer droppers. But the Ripley was their only bike to feature eccentrics and now they're gone so I have to wonder if there was a reliability issue of some sort that prompted their disappearance. This would make the wait for a V4 something to consider stronger.

3. Should he just grab a Ripmo and be happy? I compared the geo numbers between a Ripmo and a V4 Ripley and they're nearly identical.

 

[gtsum2]

Good questions. I have a v3 and love it, but had been considering selling for a ripmo for the burlier form and more travel and updated geo...now the v4 Ridley shows up....


Ibis Ripley LS x01 Factory

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[Dr. Dolittle]

Good questions. I have a v3 and love it, but had been considering selling for a ripmo for the burlier form and more travel and updated geo...now the v4 Ridley shows up....
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Yep, similarly built Ripmo is several hundred dollars more but has a burlier fork, DPX2 shock, and four piston brakes.

 

[MSU Alum]

I'm sure he would notice a difference between the V3 and V4, but he won't know for sure until he tries the V4. And, he may end up liking the V3 more. There will be V3's available for a while, so I doubt it's time critical.

If he doesn't ride anything gnarly, he probably wouldn't get an advantage from riding a Ripmo, and the GX Ripmo is $200 more than the GX Ripley V4.
Competitivcyclist has their GX Ripley LS V3 on sale for $3799. I expect they'll be there for a bit.

 

[jrm]

If he really wants the v4 i'd suggest buying it directly from ibis and having drop shipped to his local shop....or buying from a internet dealer. Either way he will have recourse

 

[tuskenraider]

V3 Ripley still is a great bike, whether or not a new bike is out. I think the old links are mostly gone due to the popularity of longer droppers that can't fit on the current design. On paper, the V4 is a different bike altogether. So he had the opportunity to confirm that he likes a bike by riding it, but wants to consider another because it's newer. I'd rather have the bike that I love, than the one I want to love.

 

[bogeydog]

If he really wants the v4 i'd suggest buying it directly from ibis and having drop shipped to his local shop....or buying from a internet dealer. Either way he will have recourse

Will Ibis drop ship?

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[flow350]

I accompanied a friend today while he demo'd several bikes and he fell in love with the Ripley. Only caveat is that it was a V3. Dealer says he probably won't have V4's until June or July. I thought that was weird based on how many people are posting here and on FB about their awesome new Ripley V4's they're already riding. Maybe it's an East coast/West coast thing.

Anyhow, the dealer also said he's going to be making deals on his remaining V3's to clear them out. He also has Ripmo's in stock.

Sooo.....

1. Should he wait for a V4 Ripley or grab a good deal on a V3? We don't race or do anything super gnarly so he probably wouldn't even notice the new geo numbers much.

2. Is there more to ditching the eccentrics than Ibis is saying? Ibis says it's mainly to allow for longer droppers. But the Ripley was their only bike to feature eccentrics and now they're gone so I have to wonder if there was a reliability issue of some sort that prompted their disappearance. This would make the wait for a V4 something to consider stronger.

3. Should he just grab a Ripmo and be happy? I compared the geo numbers between a Ripmo and a V4 Ripley and they're nearly identical.

Regardless of what people will tell you...the Ripmo is not as efficient as a Ripley. For short rides, you may not notice a difference, but on those 2-3+ hour rides and thousands of feet of climbing, you will be longing for a more efficient bike.

I got the new bike-itis following the Ibis demo tour. The Ripmo is a badass bike and when pointed downhill there is no comparison: it destroys the Ripley and is an absolute pleasure to bomb downhill. I was dead-set on getting the Ripmo because of this...and because of the short demo. Then, I rented one for a few days and took it on some longer rides. The first day was a short ride 15 mile ride, but it's a steep one with 2,800' of climbing. The Ripmo was awesome down, but every pedal up felt labored...maybe I was having a bad day, maybe not. I rode the same trail the next day on my Ripley and the thought of owning a Ripmo vanished.

If you're not riding anything gnarly, there's no point in a Ripmo. This is where the Ripley shines.

That said, you nailed it: there are some good deals to be had on V3 Ripley's. It's an awesome bike. Ibis ditched the concentrics because they took the physical space needed for longer dropper posts.

If you need to have the latest and greatest, wait for the V4. If you want to save some money and still have an awesome bike, go for V3.

 

[MTB Dad]

Love my V3! I have several extended rides on the Ripmo and yes it’s fantastic. I have also taken a parking lot spin on a V4(felt exactly like the Ripmo position wise), which didn’t tell me a whole lot. Of course this is only my take on them, but for all day riding the position on my V3 is tops, I feel all my weight on my wrists on Ripmo. Both climb great but for me the V3 is a hair better. On the downs I feel invincible on the Ripmo where I feel I have to pick my lines more on the V3.
I added a DPX2 in January to the V3 and i’ll never go back to the Float. I also just installed a new 36 but with only a couple rides on it I can’t give a good informed review.

My V3 has 10k miles on it so I’ll probably be buying something this year but I’m in no rush, since it feels as fresh as the day I bought it.

Buy what feels best to you, not what everyone else tells you...

 

[procos]

Love my V3! I have several extended rides on the Ripmo and yes it's fantastic. I have also taken a parking lot spin on a V4(felt exactly like the Ripmo position wise), which didn't tell me a whole lot. Of course this is only my take on them, but for all day riding the position on my V3 is tops, I feel all my weight on my wrists on Ripmo. Both climb great but for me the V3 is a hair better. On the downs I feel invincible on the Ripmo where I feel I have to pick my lines more on the V3.
I added a DPX2 in January to the V3 and i'll never go back to the Float. I also just installed a new 36 but with only a couple rides on it I can't give a good informed review.

My V3 has 10k miles on it so I'll probably be buying something this year but I'm in no rush, since it feels as fresh as the day I bought it.

Buy what feels best to you, not what everyone else tells you...

10,000 miles holy moly that is a lot of riding. Kudos to you.

 

[smartyiak]

If he loves the Ripley, he should get it. I'm gonna guess (based on numbers and reviews) that V4 is completely different.

I didn't get along with the V3...mostly b/c of the short reach. If he's comfortable on it, maybe the new geo won't be an upgrade.

Also, what terrain is he riding? If he's riding all day on mellower trails, the V3 might actually be better; if he's bombing downhill, he might want to wait for the V4.

 

[MTB Dad]

I’m semi retired so lots of time to ride!
My area has lots of climbing but the DH’s do not require tons of travel, so the V3 or any 120 bike fits.

 

[wooly88]

I've had the v2 which is similar to the v3 and now have the v4. Its been a while since I've been on a Ripley but I can say that the new one is awesome. I had a Yeti sb130 and maybe similar to the ripmo I did feel more weight on my wrists but I don't feel that on the new v4. The seat tube angle is 1 degree slacker than the sb130 so maybe that helps.

From what I recall of my v2 I feel the v4 carves flowy single track better than the v2. The v4 steers so well! I felt the v2 was just a hair cumbersome but I can't explain why.

Climbing wise, they both climb great. I'd be spitting hairs. But I do like the steeper seat angle of the v4.

Descending there really isn't any contest. I had a 140 Pike on my v2 and have a 130 Pike on my new bike. Even with those differences the v4 feels so much more stable downhill. Hitting chunder at speed the v4 feels stable unlike the v2 where I had to choose my line better.

I haven't ridden the Ripmo but hopefully that helps your friend out. Good luck.

My old v2 LS

My new v4

 

[aski]

Regardless of what people will tell you...the Ripmo is not as efficient as a Ripley. For short rides, you may not notice a difference, but on those 2-3+ hour rides and thousands of feet of climbing, you will be longing for a more efficient bike.

I got the new bike-itis following the Ibis demo tour. The Ripmo is a badass bike and when pointed downhill there is no comparison: it destroys the Ripley and is an absolute pleasure to bomb downhill. I was dead-set on getting the Ripmo because of this...and because of the short demo. Then, I rented one for a few days and took it on some longer rides. The first day was a short ride 15 mile ride, but it's a steep one with 2,800' of climbing. The Ripmo was awesome down, but every pedal up felt labored...maybe I was having a bad day, maybe not. I rode the same trail the next day on my Ripley and the thought of owning a Ripmo vanished.

If you're not riding anything gnarly, there's no point in a Ripmo. This is where the Ripley shines.

There's probably a lot of truth to what you said. I have the OG v1 Ripley with a 140 pike and have already started the "what will I replace it with" questions. I've demo'd the v2 Ripley LS and while I thought it was definitely a better trail bike, it didn't do anything for me to want to upgrade. I then demo'd for 1 hour the Ripmo last fall (fully knowing it's too much bike for me and my trails) and was blown away with how it rode. As someone said, it gives you invincible confidence on the downs and I even set a a couple PRs on short, techy climbs. With that said, I've always wondered how I would feel on it doing longer 3-6 hour rides. How much would lighter/better rolling tires help on the longer climbs? The Ripley is such a great all day riding bike. I've been tempted to just go ahead with the Ripmo, but I've always held off to see what the new Ripley was going to be. I'm quite anxious to hear more Ripley v4 vs Ripmo comparisons.

If I didn't already own the v1 Ripley, those price reduced v3's would also have my attention. I'm just looking for a bit more differentiation right now for my next bike.

 

[bogeydog]

For those that have seen the blue in person, how would you describe it? is it baby blue like some of the photos? Is it a gray color? Is it a flat paint or a metallic paint? Is there any type of automobile similar color?

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[procos]

For those that have seen the blue in person, how would you describe it? is it baby blue like some of the photos? Is it a gray color? Is it a flat paint or a metallic paint? Is there any type of automobile similar color?

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I would like to know as well. However Black would be way easier to hide from my wife Since my V2 is black.

 

[bogeydog]

I would like to know as well. However Black would be way easier to hide from my wife Since my V2 is black.

Yeah. Every picture is different.

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[canuck_tacoma]

Own a RipleyLS and have ridden the Ripmo a few times. One thing I'm on the fnece about is these steep seat angles. Yes, the Ripmos front end stays planted on the climbs, but it feels so cramped when seated.

I'm on a Med RipleyLS and feel I'd need to goto a LRG Ripmo or Ripley V4. Now youre getting into a really big bike.

Still on the fence...would need to spend some time on a V4 Ripley to see if I'd get used to that short feel while seated.

 

[BmanInTheD]

For those that have seen the blue in person, how would you describe it? is it baby blue like some of the photos? Is it a gray color? Is it a flat paint or a metallic paint? Is there any type of automobile similar color?

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Here's the Pantone color according to Chuck Ibis:
https://www.pantone.com/color-finder/5425-C

 

[bogeydog]

Here's the Pantone color according to Chuck Ibis:
https://www.pantone.com/color-finder/5425-C

Wow. I have a Pantone book and it doesn't look much like the colors I have seen in photos. Here is a Pantone pic and a pic I have of the bike (sent by a dealer). Which is more accurate?

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