The Ibis Ripley came out a few years ago and it was a ground-breaking frame for Ibis that allowed the company to grow. Brand-loyal customers were happy to finally have an Ibis 29er option. Highlights were an elegant bike that integrated concentric bearings in the frame to accommodate pivot movement. Fans celebrated its amazing handling that 'didn't feel like a sluggish 29er.' Other highlights were a light sub-6 lb frame that allowed a water bottle mount inside the front triangle.

The new Ibis Ripley LS is ready to carve.

The new Ibis Ripley LS is ready to carve (click to enlarge).​

But the Ripley was not without its problems with its unwieldy cable routing and frame bearing mounts that could develop creaks. Couple that with a 29er crowd and trail bike market that was maturing. Folks had grown up to 29ers as they no longer feared its handling characteristics. Also, trail bikes have evolved to short-travel, big-tired, terrain eating tools that should be capable of railing most fun, rowdy trails with commitment. Bike descending ability is now more a product of geometry rather than just travel.

[youtube width="640" height="385"]httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uCX3CTFa4gThe Ibis Ripley 29 has been reimagined and reissued with two geometry choices, the original and the new LS which stands for Long and Slack.

So the new Ripley is here to address all these demands. But with such a loyal fan base of the the old geometry, Ibis felt compelled to keep the old and call it the Ripley. The new geometry bike is called the Ripley LS.

Internal cable routing is now silent through rear suspension movement.

Internal cable routing is now silent through rear suspension movement (click to enlarge).​

The New Ripley and the Ripley LS

  • There are two geometry options: The proven, much loved geometry of the original or a new-school long and slack version called the Ripley LS
  • Internal cable routing using our port system that is found on the HD3
  • Increased tire clearance
  • Threaded bottom bracket
  • Seat mast lowered by 1/2" to accommodate today's longer droppers
  • Choice of Boost 148 (starting in November '15) or 142mm x 12mm Shimano through axle (now)
  • Stiffer eccentric cores
  • New rubber molded chainstay and seatstay protection (this retrofits to the original Ripley)
  • New colors ("Tang" and "Black")

Continue to page 2 to learn more about the new Ibis Ripley LS and a full photo gallery »

Geometry

New Geometry for the  Ripley LS.

New Geometry for the Ripley LS (click to enlarge).​

Going through the numbers, it looks like it makes all the right moves starting with the head tube angle. It is now 67.5 degrees instead of 69.2. This is a huge departure from the old but it is much more in line with the new 29ers of today. Buyer beware though as they need to ride these two bikes before deciding since they will be very different beasts.

[youtube width="640" height="385"]httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uCX3CTFa4gHere's a peek at the geometry differences between the Ripley and the Ripley LS.

The top tube has been lengthened as well by 15mm on the Ripley LS. This is a very welcome change as new trail bikes need top tube room to handle tech descents and accommodate stubby stems and wide bars.

Cable entry on the down tube.

Cable entry on the down tube (click to enlarge).​

BB height is now 12.8 inches instead of 13 when using 2.1 inch tires. Of course, we're all gonna use bigger tires, right? As 2.3 is the new 2.1 when it comes to tires. This is a welcome change indeed, especially in the West Coast where obstacles are few and carving opportunities are plenty. In fact, you can almost call the Ripley LS the West Coast bike and the original Ripley the East Coast, rocky, rooty dominator.

Seat angle has been steepened to 73 degrees and top tube clearance has been increased by .2 inches. This is another welcome change.

We celebrate the new Ripley indeed with its major geometry change and its addressing of the various bike issues. This assures a long and prosperous future for this Ripley iteration.

For more information visit www.ibiscycles.com.