[sfr4dr]

We don’t hate the Assegais. We just think it’s heavy and sluggish AF.

All kidding aside, yes agree traction and dare I say durability are top notched. Over 700 miles in and the Assegai I kept on the front still not ready to be replaced yet.


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Yep! I think the Assegai is a great durable tire for just outright straight line speed and plowing rocks. Brakes and corners well but I prefer other tires for more nimble/sharper cornering. Maybe a good bike park tire but I'd probably run a DHF DD and DHR2 DD or Aggressor DD if I was a bike park guy but........... I'm not, even though Northstar is like 10 minutes from my house! Haha.

 

[sfr4dr]

So ive switched the diamond out for a fox 36 grip 2, my brothers selling his scott genius so i swapped a 27.5 36 i had laying round took the 29er 36 so far much more composed than the diamond but definitely not as plush as the diamond up top in its travel but im just over the diamond smashing through its travel at 125psi im only 75kg any more air and its just harsh, anyway early days set up on the 36.... My endgame is mezzer and possibly even a mara...

Interesting. I've demo'd several 36 Performance forks and always liked them. Good overall performance, nice off the top and good support on big hits. They never had that butter plush feel of the Lyriks I've been on though. I haven't demo'd a Grip2 but always read it was good for people who charge really hard, as it's more dampened than the regular Grip. Maybe that makes it less plush than the regular Grip.

 

[tomstir]

Adding another data point for the Topaz. Rider weight is 195 on size large frame. I've been riding with stock spacer settings (1neg, 2pos) for the past couple months and it felt pretty good. My main focus was the fork tuning and now that I have that in a good place I put my attention back on the Topaz. I saw on this forum about removing all neg chamber spacers due to the great anti-squat design of the Ripmo. I was also not bottoming out, so I removed all neg spacers and only left 1 spacer in the positive chamber.

Holy Amaze-Balls!!!!!

It felt fantastic and I don't feel like I lost any pedaling platform. Starting to feel that Magic-Carpet ride experience. Here are the rest of my settings:

PSI: 200 (190, bladder)
30% sag
Rebound: 5 clicks from CW
0 spacers in the negative chamber
1 spacer in the positive chamber

Most of my riding is on trail with short descents in rooty/rocky terrain. Suspension is really starting to feel dialed. I may have to install another positive spacer when I ride in the mountains (North Carolina) on really fast/steep terrain, but right now it's feeling great.

What made you keep one pos spacer if you are not bottoming out? I thought the pos was for bottom out and the neg was for beginning stroke?

 

[tomstir]

Same setup- 1 pos spacer only. The Amazeball feeling has been my experience as well after Ozibis pointed me in the right direction when I first made the switch.

I’m lighter by 30lbs but the difference translates well into our main chamber PSI and Bladder pressure: I’m at 160 psi and a tad under 180 for Bladder.

The key seems to be getting close to that 30%-33% sag range.


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Ok the Amazeball feeling comes from removing the neg spacers? I must have missed that. If the key is between 30-33% sag are those numbers based off of the topaz stroke? I see it from 51/55mm
30% of 55=16.5
33% of 55=18.15

 

[TanMan]

Ok the Amazeball feeling comes from removing the neg spacers? I must have missed that. If the key is between 30-33% sag are those numbers based off of the topaz stroke? I see it from 51/55mm
30% of 55=16.5
33% of 55=18.15

I don’t remember the exact measurements. But Oz posted on this many moons ago. See if I got this right;

Look at the DVO letters on the stanchions. That magic line is right when the bottom of the DVO letters either lines up with the shock body as it compress during sag or just a bit pass covering the bottom line.


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[OzIbis]

So ive switched the diamond out for a fox 36 grip 2, my brothers selling his scott genius so i swapped a 27.5 36 i had laying round took the 29er 36 so far much more composed than the diamond but definitely not as plush as the diamond up top in its travel but im just over the diamond smashing through its travel at 125psi im only 75kg any more air and its just harsh, anyway early days set up on the 36.... My endgame is mezzer and possibly even a mara...

Your end game is going to be a very strong one. You just need to hurry up and start playing it. Once you do you’ll wonder why you ever waited so long to do it.

 

[OzIbis]

Ok the Amazeball feeling comes from removing the neg spacers? I must have missed that. If the key is between 30-33% sag are those numbers based off of the topaz stroke? I see it from 51/55mm
30% of 55=16.5
33% of 55=18.15

You are looking at your sag as a percentage of shock shaft travel. Ibis sets up using rear wheel sag not shock shaft. Don’t ever set that thing at 18.15mm shock shaft it will feel like arse.
Due to the leverage curve and progression of the V5 DW Link as a generalisation at around sag whatever you have as shaft travel if you double it that’s how much rear wheel sag you have. This number slightly increases as the suspension gets further into the stroke. It’s not exact but it’s that close it’s not worth worrying about.
As TanMan said 27.5% sag is the inside of the letters (DVO) on the shaft. You want to run your sag just to the bottom side of those letters. This will give you a fraction over 32% rear wheel sag. The Topaz in the Ripmo is a 210x55. If you do the sums you will see that the 14mm = 27.5% sag that Ibis recommends isn’t actually 27.5% of shock shaft travel. It’s 27.5% of rear wheel travel. This is due to the leverage ratio.
Just for reference I’m on an EXT Storia V3 now not the Topaz but after testing different spring rates and different sag settings my preference is to run exactly 16mm shaft travel for chunkier rough tracks. It’s the best all round setting and is really close to what I also settled on with the Topaz.

 

[turner_nz]

Your end game is going to be a very strong one. You just need to hurry up and start playing it. Once you do you’ll wonder why you ever waited so long to do it.

I know tell me about it, id pull the trigger now but currently having money going into decking out my work truck... Watching the limited mezzer like a hawk on cycling deal if it goes below 1k nzd ill grab one and maybe even look at ceracoating it... But then warranty will be awkward... But yeah comes down to cash and priorities at the moment.



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[OzIbis]

I know tell me about it, id pull the trigger now but currently having money going into decking out my work truck... Watching the limited mezzer like a hawk on cycling deal if it goes below 1k nzd ill grab one and maybe even look at ceracoating it... But then warranty will be awkward... But yeah comes down to cash and priorities at the moment.



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Clearly your priorities are skewed in the wrong direction🤣

 

[tomstir]

You are looking at your sag as a percentage of shock shaft travel. Ibis sets up using rear wheel sag not shock shaft. Don’t ever set that thing at 18.15mm shock shaft it will feel like arse.
Due to the leverage curve and progression of the V5 DW Link as a generalisation at around sag whatever you have as shaft travel if you double it that’s how much rear wheel sag you have. This number slightly increases as the suspension gets further into the stroke. It’s not exact but it’s that close it’s not worth worrying about.
As TanMan said 27.5% sag is the inside of the letters (DVO) on the shaft. You want to run your sag just to the bottom side of those letters. This will give you a fraction over 32% rear wheel sag. The Topaz in the Ripmo is a 210x55. If you do the sums you will see that the 14mm = 27.5% sag that Ibis recommends isn’t actually 27.5% of shock shaft travel. It’s 27.5% of rear wheel travel. This is due to the leverage ratio.
Just for reference I’m on an EXT Storia V3 now not the Topaz but after testing different spring rates and different sag settings my preference is to run exactly 16mm shaft travel for chunkier rough tracks. It’s the best all round setting and is really close to what I also settled on with the Topaz.

Thanks Ozibis!!!
I was wondering why my math was off.......probably guilty of not reading all the info out there. Great explanation. Its easier to just stick with the mm measurement than the percentage. It appears that the DVO print on the shaft is about 14mm away from the body, which is a great sag number to start with? Is your preference to set the sag at 16mm? Which is just on the outside of the DVO print?

Another round of tuning. I got to
main 245psi
bladder 200psi
two neg spacers 0pos
the climbing ability was starting to fall......flick back to middle and was great again
I decided to remove one of the two neg spacers......wow super plush......soft....didn't climb as well in open. I added 5 more pounds to 250psi climbed better but was real good in the middle. Sag was way past the DVO print....So now
main 250
bladder 200
one neg spacer 0pos
The down was nice.....I think I need to do something about the fork...its starting to not feel as nice now!!!!...
I did bottom out the shock....not harsh but I could feel it.....no jumps or drops....just smacking a big rock.....I stopped a few times on the way down and the o ring was way farther than it has ever been.....i'm thinking its a bit to soft.

I plan on going back on Wednesday for more tuning. Going to first remove the last neg spacer....I'm guessing that will make it even more soft than it already is....will require more air.....or........any suggestions?........Maybe that will make it too soft and will bottom out more.....which will then require a spacer in the positive ?

Is there a known reaction to adding or subtracting spacers? Will adding one to the neg result in "this"......while adding one to the positive with result in "this"? I was told by DVO to add a neg spacer when I needed to stop pedal strikes....I added one and it really helped the pedal strikes......it also made it pedal better.....so I always associated the neg spacer with firming up the beginning of the stroke. Am I way off?

thanks again for your help

 

[OzIbis]

Thanks Ozibis!!!
I was wondering why my math was off.......probably guilty of not reading all the info out there. Great explanation. Its easier to just stick with the mm measurement than the percentage. It appears that the DVO print on the shaft is about 14mm away from the body, which is a great sag number to start with? Is your preference to set the sag at 16mm? Which is just on the outside of the DVO print?

Another round of tuning. I got to
main 245psi
bladder 200psi
two neg spacers 0pos
the climbing ability was starting to fall......flick back to middle and was great again
I decided to remove one of the two neg spacers......wow super plush......soft....didn't climb as well in open. I added 5 more pounds to 250psi climbed better but was real good in the middle. Sag was way past the DVO print....So now
main 250
bladder 200
one neg spacer 0pos
The down was nice.....I think I need to do something about the fork...its starting to not feel as nice now!!!!...
I did bottom out the shock....not harsh but I could feel it.....no jumps or drops....just smacking a big rock.....I stopped a few times on the way down and the o ring was way farther than it has ever been.....i'm thinking its a bit to soft.

I plan on going back on Wednesday for more tuning. Going to first remove the last neg spacer....I'm guessing that will make it even more soft than it already is....will require more air.....or........any suggestions?........Maybe that will make it too soft and will bottom out more.....which will then require a spacer in the positive ?

Is there a known reaction to adding or subtracting spacers? Will adding one to the neg result in "this"......while adding one to the positive with result in "this"? I was told by DVO to add a neg spacer when I needed to stop pedal strikes....I added one and it really helped the pedal strikes......it also made it pedal better.....so I always associated the neg spacer with firming up the beginning of the stroke. Am I way off?

thanks again for your help

Yes my set up is 16mm of shaft travel.
Removing a - spacer increases the capacity of the - chamber therefore making the initial part of the stroke more plush.
Adding + spacers makes the shock more progressive. You are quite a bit heavier than me so I don’t really want to tell you exact pressures and settings to use because I’m unable to test my recommendations so they may not be correct but at a guess I would say that if you like the increased plushness of removing the - spacer then add enough pressure to get the sag back to where you want it then add + volume spacer/s to control bottom out. At your weight no - spacer may be to soft off the top but give it a go. It’s easy enough to put one back in if it’s a step too far. Also make sure you’ve lubed all your linkages with a thick waterproof grease. That changes the feeling of the rear suspension noticeably for the better.

 

[EVgEEk]

What made you keep one pos spacer if you are not bottoming out? I thought the pos was for bottom out and the neg was for beginning stroke?

Just a judgement from what other people mentioned, and the fact that I weigh 195lbs, and I hit some drops to flat (<5ft). I maybe could get away with zero spacers in the pos chamber if I was strictly trail riding without hitting any drops to flat.

 

[sfr4dr]

Just my opinion but to ride this bike to it's full capability, you'd have to have at least 1 or for most people 2 positive spacers, all depending on weight of course. With no positive spacers, the bike would bottom out all the time if you are riding it anywhere near what it can do. Honestly if you're riding a Ripmo with no spacers and aren't bottoming it out, you are way overbiked for where and how you're riding.

 

[sonicreducer]

Just my opinion but to ride this bike to it's full capability, you'd have to have at least 1 or for most people 2 positive spacers, all depending on weight of course. With no positive spacers, the bike would bottom out all the time if you are riding it anywhere near what it can do. Honestly if you're riding a Ripmo with no spacers and aren't bottoming it out, you are way overbiked for where and how you're riding.

Well with 200 pounds .. I had to add a POS spacer or would bottom out always .. and I'm actually considering adding another ..not riding hard my technique is bad yet

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[RedXJ97]

I caught this awhile back on Instagram when the Ripley AF came out. Anybody heard anything else about this guard? I guess we're not exactly late spring yet. Ordered my RAF in August and should be getting it in the next few weeks so trying to get all my frame protection in order so I can ride the thing if it ever shows up! Curious to see what Ibis comes up with.

 

[rton20s]

I caught this awhile back on Instagram when the Ripley AF came out. Anybody heard anything else about this guard? I guess we're not exactly late spring yet. Ordered my RAF in August and should be getting it in the next few weeks so trying to get all my frame protection in order so I can ride the thing if it ever shows up! Curious to see what Ibis comes up with.

View attachment 1917863

Nice catch on the frame protection! Back in August I put my name on a Medium my dealer already had on order with Ibis. Scheduled delivery back then was late November/early December. It is almost March and I see no end to my wait in sight.

 

[OzIbis]

Just my opinion but to ride this bike to it's full capability, you'd have to have at least 1 or for most people 2 positive spacers, all depending on weight of course. With no positive spacers, the bike would bottom out all the time if you are riding it anywhere near what it can do. Honestly if you're riding a Ripmo with no spacers and aren't bottoming it out, you are way overbiked for where and how you're riding.

I totally agree with this post.

 

[sfr4dr]

Not sure if anyone is looking for an upgraded size large AF but I ran across a nice one near Sacramento, CA. It's more pricey but probably not far off given the upgrades and people get premium prices here.

Ibis Ripmo AF Custom Build - 2020 Large

Top of the line mountain bike without going into carbon parts. Ridden one season. Frame is in good condition, normal wear and tear, no creaks. Rear shock was serviced in the summer and Front fork...

www.facebook.com

 

[bdreynolds7]

Not sure if anyone is looking for an upgraded size large AF but I ran across a nice one near Sacramento, CA. It's more pricey but probably not far off given the upgrades and people get premium prices here.

Ibis Ripmo AF Custom Build - 2020 Large

Top of the line mountain bike without going into carbon parts. Ridden one season. Frame is in good condition, normal wear and tear, no creaks. Rear shock was serviced in the summer and Front fork...

www.facebook.com

Hey that’s where I live! Nice.

It has arrived. Unfortunately longer spokes are delayed in shipping

 

[sfr4dr]

Hey that’s where I live! Nice.

It has arrived. Unfortunately longer spokes are delayed in shipping

Nice man! You ride in North Tahoe or Truckee much? There's so many great trails, endless really and a lot is still secret to many! I used to ride down in Folsom back in the day and still ride in Auburn and Nevada City/Grass Valley during the winter.