Finally got onto a Ripmo!

I'm 6'.5", 0 ape index. I ride an XL Gen 3 Ripley LS with a 50mm stem and 780 mm bars.

I rode a L Ripmo with a 50 mm stem out of Ibis's HQ last week. I was worried I would feel "pinched" as has been common on other Steep SA/Slack HA size L bikes I've ridden (Spot Mayhem, Pivot Firebird 27.5). This wasn't the case on the Ripmo. Felt great! Sure I could dial in the cockpit, but after 34 miles and 4,500', I felt super comfortable, and the bike was nimble over pops/drops and tight turns. Curious what an XL would have felt like.

The Ripmo pedal response felt a bit slower than the Ripley- I'm sure in some part credited to the Aggressor/Minion combo vs. the Nobby Nic/Hans Dampf combo on my Ripley.

 

Finally got onto a Ripmo!

I'm 6'.5", 0 ape index. I ride an XL Gen 3 Ripley LS with a 50mm stem and 780 mm bars.

I rode a L Ripmo with a 50 mm stem out of Ibis's HQ last week. I was worried I would feel "pinched" as has been common on other Steep SA/Slack HA size L bikes I've ridden (Spot Mayhem, Pivot Firebird 27.5). This wasn't the case on the Ripmo. Felt great! Sure I could dial in the cockpit, but after 34 miles and 4,500', I felt super comfortable, and the bike was nimble over pops/drops and tight turns. Curious what an XL would have felt like.

The Ripmo pedal response felt a bit slower than the Ripley- I'm sure in some part credited to the Aggressor/Minion combo vs. the Nobby Nic/Hans Dampf combo on my Ripley.

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I'm the exact same size. Share your sentiments as well.

I tried an XL and was on the fence. Went with the L for the shorter WB.

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I'm 5' 10", 32" inseam. I just received my large Ripmo. I'm coming off a larger hightower and a large HD3 before that. I was running a 50mm stem on the hightower. No really knowing were my seat was going to end up on a bike with such a steep STA, I went with a 40mm on the Ripmo. I've got three rides on it now. I'm still trying to figure some things out, but it feels pretty good. I'm definitely happy that i went with a large. The only thing that i could see changing is maybe going to a 50mm stem.

For what it's worth, I also got the 175mm LEV seatpost. My saddle height is right about 29". There ended up being a few inches of seatpost exposed before the dropper stantion. Plus, even with a tube and multi-tool strapped to the bottom of my seat, via backcountry research strap, there's still a couple of inches of clearance between the tire and the bottom of the tube/multi-tool with the suspension at full compression.

 

How much extra room did you have? I am 5'10" 31" in seam... just waiting on my bike and currently sitting on the 185mm Bike Yoke... wondering if it'll work with the L Ripmo. By the number crunching, I think I'll be good, but I'm curious how many inches of seatpost you have exposed as I would need a good 3.5-4cm more of it in the seat tube than you.

 

5'9 30' inseam. Im ordering the Med after demoing. Wow what a great bike to ride.. now the wait begins

 

FWIW I'm 6'1" and demoed a L and an XL. I went with the XL and it's been great. I measured it compared to my old L Scott Genius and it wasn't much bigger but it just feels it fits better. I was on the fence about L or XL and I'm glad I went with the XL

 

I'm your size (186cm) with a 34 inch/86.5cm inseam (measured from crotch to floor). I sat on a Large Ripmo yesterday and it felt fine, but I couldn't help wondering what an XL would feel like.

Can I ask what stem length you are running? Do you know your inseam measurement? Thanks!

 

Everyone is a bit different in what they like, I’m 6’ 1/2” with a 34 inch inseam, demoed both an xl and a large all day for each demo, went with the large and a 50mm stem with no regrets, previously on XL HDR and HD3. Just seemed more nimble than the XL which felt a little monster truckish to me.


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I'm 6'4" with a 36 inseam and riding an XL with a 60mm stem. I wish it was 20mm longer so I could run a 50mm stem, but overall it's a good fit. Feels compact and nimble. I was immediately comfortable riding and jumping the bike. BB is low even with the 2.5 tires front and rear. I kind of wish the XL had 5mm more clearance for the 175 cranks us big guys run.

 

I kind of wish the XL had 5mm more clearance for the 175 cranks us big guys run.

I'd like 10mm of more clearance so I could run 180mm cranks, like I used to before this low BB thing started...

 

I'm 185.5 cm with 90 cm inseam (6'1" / 35.5") and Ape Index of 0 on a Large with 32 mm stem. It's slightly too small, so I rolled my bars forward a few degrees from vertical. I figure a 45 mm stem would be perfect with the bars vertical.

I went with the L because of the increased range of motion on descents. The angle to the headset from the BB -- arctan(stack/reach) -- is lower on the XL. In other words, I'm less likely to reach the end of my arms while balanced over the BB when rolling technical features on the L. (Once arms are straight, any further rotation of the bike takes me with it, inviting an OTB.)

There's also more front tire grip with the L when balanced over the BB during turns, so fewer washouts compared to the XL.

Indeed, most considerations (agility, grip, weight, etc.) argue for "shorter is better", but at some point that's obviously no good either. From the "is the L too small" viewpoint: the distance to the bars on the L is enough that I'm sufficiently "in" the bike to resist deceleration with my arms when pressure through the BB doesn't cut it (because I'm out of position). So no, not too small for me, but I think this is the crucial question for you to consider.

 

I'm 185.5 cm with 90 cm inseam (6'1" / 35.5") and Ape Index of 0 on a Large with 32 mm stem. It's slightly too small, so I rolled my bars forward a few degrees from vertical. I figure a 45 mm stem would be perfect with the bars vertical.

I'm 183cm and leaning towards the large for the same reasons. How much seat post do you have showing? I have like 70mm with a 170mm dropper on my HD4, and the Ripmo seat tube is cut down by another 30mm

 

Yeah I would agree with this,
I got the medium - but still (after a few months) not feeling confident with the front wheel wash issue, to the point where I am considering selling the medium while it is still got some value and getting the small. I like to ride front wheel heavy for optimal pressure distribution and body position and this bike is really making that tough...

 

With slack bikes and short stems move the front wheel pretty far from the handlebar...you'd have to ride with your weight farther forward to keep from washing out.

I got to spend a few hours with a medium Ripmo. I'm 5'8" with a 30 inseam. The medium felt pretty good with a slammed 50mm stem. I believe the one I demo'd had a ~20mm rise bar (I would probably go with a flat bar if the bike was mine).

 

I am 5'-9 1/2" tall with about 31" inseam and +1 ape index (I think). I demoed both the medium and large ripmo. The medium had a 50mm stem on it the large had a 35mm stem. The medium felt crapped in the parking lot, the large felt much better here. I moved the saddle back (from the centered position) about 3/8" on the medium...still the cockpit was small. Climbing I was noticeably more upright on the medium. Both bikes climbed excellently. They feel very different so you should definitely demo both sizes if you can. The medium was amazingly balanced and planted downhill. The medium was much more playful. The ripmo is about 4 lbs. heavier than what I have been riding but the extra burliness works when the chunk increases. My current bike (2016 Fuel EX 9.9 29) has a slacker STA which feels comfortable but doesn't put out the power for steep climbs...and the front wheel lifts sometimes. It is nice, though, to sometimes be cruising on the slacker (Fuel ex) STA then stand up to sprint a little now and then on rolling terrain. (Maybe using alternate muscles helps!) With the Ripmo I tended to just stay seated more often. On the steeps (up and down) the Ripmo was just plain more cabable. The front wheel stayed down on steep climbs (on both the medium and the large). Bottom line, if I buy it, I'll definitely get the medium. The cockpit is small but you mainly notice this on the flats and rolling sections and I think I'd compromise on this to get improved climbing on steeper trails. On the climbs I appreciated being on the saddle rather than on the point of the saddle. On the descents the overall balance and feel (on the medium) when leaning the bike was great for carving turns and maintaining traction. General notes (for the medium): the ripmo is stiff, quiet, planted, carves great, has heaps of traction and seems well balanced off of small jumps. Great bike!

 

P.S. I also preferred the steering of the 50mm stem on the medium (as compared to the 35mm stem on the large).

 

5’8” with +1 (or so) ape index, 31” inseam. Demo’ed a Medium Ripmo today. I was surprised at how lively it felt on the trail... was expecting it to handle more like a truck than a sports car, but definitely the opposite. I’m coming from a Pivot Mach 429 (also Medium), and the Ripmo feels just as quick in tight singletrack (I ride in southern New England... lots of roots, rocks, short steep climbs and drops). Definitely a shorter cockpit though. The demo came with a 50mm stem (vs 60 on my Pivot). If I bought it I’d definitely run 60 or even 70 mm stem, and slide saddle back a bit.

 

Very confusing parking lot test on a large Ripmo. I'm 183cm/6', 33" inseam, +1 ape index and I took the Ripmo for a pretty good spin (10 mins) around the streets near my LBS. Coming off my large HD4 which actually fits OK (I'd like more reach) it felt shorter and higher/less "in" the bike.

On my HD4 I run 780/35mm rise bars with a 50mm stem, and 170mm cranks, the Ripmo had 800/20mm bars, a 40mm, and 175mm cranks, and the only other thing that was a bit out was that bars were spaced up too high. I'm pretty confused because it should have still felt longer than my bike, but I ended up being in a very awkward position while standing/sprinting. I'm not sure I'll get a chance to try an XL and because the stack height is so high I'm not sure I could get my bars low enough.

Has anyone tried both bikes and could shed some light on this?

 

Very confusing parking lot test on a large Ripmo. I'm 183cm/6', 33" inseam, +1 ape index and I took the Ripmo for a pretty good spin (10 mins) around the streets near my LBS. Coming off my large HD4 which actually fits OK (I'd like more reach) it felt shorter and higher/less "in" the bike.

On my HD4 I run 780/35mm rise bars with a 50mm stem, and 170mm cranks, the Ripmo had 800/20mm bars, a 40mm, and 175mm cranks, and the only other thing that was a bit out was that bars were spaced up too high. I'm pretty confused because it should have still felt longer than my bike, but I ended up being in a very awkward position while standing/sprinting. I'm not sure I'll get a chance to try an XL and because the stack height is so high I'm not sure I could get my bars low enough.

Has anyone tried both bikes and could shed some light on this?

I can kind of help, but from a size shift downwards.

I'm 178cm tall, 31cm inseam, +2 ape index. I've been riding a Large HD3 for the last few years (620 ETT, 431 Reach), with a 50mm stem, 760mm bars with 10mm rise. I did (and do) love that bike for everything it did, but started to find myself wanting a bit more room in the cockpit of late, primarily for more stability and ability to ride the front harder.

When the Ripmo first came out, I was struggling over the Geo charts, as from my history, I figured a Medium would be great with it's slightly smaller ETT but longer Reach. Sizing charts put me firmly in the Large though, and shop/parking lot bounces weren't much help.

I was lucky enough to borrow a friends Medium Ripmo for a few weeks, and got some good time getting used to that. Essentially, it felt just like my HD3, but with bigger wheels. This definitely would have been OK for a long travel "XC/Trail" bike or keeping the same feel as my HD3. And if I've bought a medium, never riding a Large, I probably would have been totally fine on it. It was certainly capable, just like my HD3 was, but still a bit sketch at high speed (for me).

With that said, knowing I really did want a longer reach, I picked up my Large Ripmo last weekend. And I'm stoked on it! The longer wheelbase, longer reach and roomier cockpit are very nice when things get chunky and fast, and didn't really give up anything on the climbing. Took a split second to add a bit more sweep for climbing switchbacks, and get a bit more rear wheel lifting on techy/switchy tight downs, but nothing that felt weird or strange. And as mentioned already, when things opened up and got faster and rowdier, my only problem was not braking early enough for the first couple of corners!

Having ridden both bikes now, I would have been really wanting a Large had I purchased a Medium.

Also worth noting that all bikes were setup with my same stem/bars combo, utilising the same amount of spacers (20mm) under the stem for a consistent feel.

So, if I were you, given that you're 5cm/2inch taller than me, you'll probably want to go for the XL to be honest.

 

Ripmo feeling smaller than the HD4 riding in the streets is no surprise. You have a shorter ETT with the shorter stem. And a very high stack with a lot of spacers.

When riding the Ripmo downhill with few spacers and little bar rise it will feel bigger than the HD4.

At this height you can ride L or XL for sure.
I choose L for better cornering and handling.
For high speed stability go for XL.

 

Ripmo feeling smaller than the HD4 riding in the streets is no surprise. You have a shorter ETT with the shorter stem. And a very high stack with a lot of spacers.

I'm the same height as Creg and had the same experience on a parking lot test - granted i was coming off a Ripley LS, not HD4. I think this is what transitioning to a modern geo bike feels like. The steep seat angle really negates that long reach when you're seated. I did a proper demo on a L in Santa Cruz and felt awesome after a 35 mile, 4,000' ride. It just takes some getting used to... Definitely opportunity to dial the cockpit with lower rise bars, 50-60mm stem, etc.

 

Cool thanks guys. Yeah I was more referring to short when out of the saddle, like my knees would come quite close to the bars when sprinting and my elbows were flared on a very strange angle. I might head back to the LBS and play around with the stem, spacers, and sag a bit more. I don't want to have to go to more than a 50mm stem because I do ride some pretty steep trails

 

Just an update. I took my bike to the shop when I played with the Ripmo so I could ride them back-to-back. Once I dropped the bars to a similar height the Ripmo felt much and more normal, and definitely larger than the HD4 (thankfully). Funnily enough a friend was also at the shop with his new XL Bronson (489 reach) so I had a ride on that too and the reach also felt fine to me, but the wheelbase and TT felt too large for me. Large Ripmo it is!

 

At 5'9" with 33" inseam and a slightly long ape index I'm still stuck on size between a medium and a large. I do worry about tt length due to a lot of seated midwest riding without a lot of climbings. I've owned med m3, large m3, and a large hd3. I did a short stint on a med hd4 and that felt pretty spot on. Thoughts???

 

I am 6'2" with a 34" inseam and was XL on the HD3, L on the HD4 and running L for the Ripmo. Fit is really good on seated climbs.
My 2 cents would be M for you but being able to pedal them around even in a parking lot would let you know you are making the right choice.

 

I am 5’9” with a 32” inseam and I have a 6’1” wingspan. I test rode the medium and large. I went with large because I thought the medium felt a little cramped with the steep seat tube. The large felt better to me for my riding style.

 

Can anyone guess the size of this Ripmo

I demo'd what I thought was a Medium and I loved the bike. So much that I bought one. After riding it a few times it almost feels cramped. I have a pic of the bike I demo'd. Is it possible to tell the size of the bike by looking? Size sticker is a bit gummed up and I am not sure now that I demod a medium... I'm thinking maybe it was a large.

 

I demo'd what I thought was a Medium and I loved the bike. So much that I bought one. After riding it a few times it almost feels cramped. I have a pic of the bike I demo'd. Is it possible to tell the size of the bike by looking? Size sticker is a bit gummed up and I am not sure now that I demod a medium... I'm thinking maybe it was a large.

Definitely a Medium you've got there. If you look at your bike next to mine (which is a large) you can see the difference in sweep, curve and bracing of the Top Tube/Seat Tube junction. That and the room above your shock piggyback is much smaller.

 

Looks like a medium.

 

Winner! Not sure how you can tell but you are correct. I asked Chuck and he confirmed Medium. I think me adding 800 30mm riser bars (vs. 780 20mm rise on the demo) may play a part?

 

Compared it with my bike that is a large. There are some slight differences in the toptube/seattube junction.

Don't think the bar makes that big difference. Maybe if there is more backsweep.
Looks like you could move the saddle slightly backwards. Not to much because then you would not get as much benefit of the steep STA.

 

Long shot here.

I'm 6' 1.5" on a Large. Love it, but cant stop thinking about riding a bigger frame.

Anyone with an XL wish to trade for a Large? PM me, I'm near Denver.

 

I’m almost 6 “5” is an xl going to be tight ?


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I'm almost 6 "5" is an xl going to be tight ?

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Depends how aggressive you ride, but imo, yes... Too small.

 

Do any on-the-fencers who pulled the trigger on one option now wish they had gotten the other one? I'm between medium and large (174.5cm, 0 ape index) and for every parking lot demo I've done the medium felt cramped, the large felt good. Last time, on the medium the seat was moved all the way back and it felt better but still a bit too short.
One big concern with the medium is that I had to make more of a conscious effort to keep my back straight vs. letting my hips roll back and arching my back out. I tend to do that (though don't want to) when climbing steep stuff and I fear that I'd have a harder time maintaining a more straight back on the medium when climbing.

I have a medium Ibis Mojo (from 2009) now and I've always wondered if I should have gotten a large.

Here's me on a large Ripmo.

 

large for sure. though keep in mind you will effectively have a much steeper seat tube angle for your given saddle rail height.

in other words, on the medium you're probably on the slacker side of 76deg "effective" angle, where on the Large, you will be on the steeper side. may affect upper body fit for you.