Anyone with time on Ibis Ripmo and Santa Cruz HTLT?

[garuda]

I am looking at updating my ride to a longer travel 29er (currently on Ripley LS). I've pretty much narrowed the options to a Ripmo or HTLT. The Ripmo looks great but has long wait times. Could just switch out my frame for the Hightower LT without the long delay.

If anyone has ridden both or either, can you comment on any dislikes or issues with the bike? The slacker seat tube on the HTLT doesn't look perfect, but my Ripley is 73 degrees STA and climbs just fine. I am wondering if the 76 degree STA on the Ripmo would be crappy for long rides and less steep grinder climbs (e.g., in CO - slate river road, boreas pass, rolling terrain at Hartman Rocks, etc.). The major complaint I see with the HTLT is poor small bump compliance/sensitivity due to the VPP suspension curve.

Basically, just wondering if folks have relatively unbiased feeback on either bike. In particular, trying to figure out if it is worth waiting until late fall or next season for the Ripmo due to some significant improvement over the HTLT. Not sure when SC will update the HTLT either. Most of the feedback on MTBR seems to suffer from confirmation bias or whatever you want to term it, where people are justifying their purchase on the manufacturer forum and saying its the greatest thing ever.

Thanks for any thoughts! Also, if anyone is interested in a Ripley LS XL frame or complete rig, might be selling...

[TAFKALVS]

I don't know about any of that stuff, but I rode the Evil Wreckoning yesterday and was very impressed.

[mcski]

I love the look of the ripmo, but would hold off esp since u have a ripley. if u have a 140 fork on the ripley Im not sure the real upside here. chk out ibis webpage for their demo sched. they were just in Tahoe but unfortunately i wasn't around or I would have put some miles in on the new model. I think the ht is due for a big upgrade as well. I have a couple friends on them the love them but I don't think they climb nearly as well as the ripley. Regardless I'd wait so the model shakes out a bit and more purchase options show up.

[garuda]

^^^ probably sage advice! Have a minor foot injury requiring me to bench warm for the next month, so I've been getting sucked into the appeal of the new new instead of actually riding.

That said, if peeps have reasons why one of these steeds is a must have or maybe not as good as the marketing claims, I'm interested to hear more.

[grskier]

I am looking at updating my ride to a longer travel 29er (currently on Ripley LS). I've pretty much narrowed the options to a Ripmo or HTLT. The Ripmo looks great but has long wait times. Could just switch out my frame for the Hightower LT without the long delay.

If anyone has ridden both or either, can you comment on any dislikes or issues with the bike? The slacker seat tube on the HTLT doesn't look perfect, but my Ripley is 73 degrees STA and climbs just fine. I am wondering if the 76 degree STA on the Ripmo would be crappy for long rides and less steep grinder climbs (e.g., in CO - slate river road, boreas pass, rolling terrain at Hartman Rocks, etc.). The major complaint I see with the HTLT is poor small bump compliance/sensitivity due to the VPP suspension curve.

Basically, just wondering if folks have relatively unbiased feeback on either bike. In particular, trying to figure out if it is worth waiting until late fall or next season for the Ripmo due to some significant improvement over the HTLT. Not sure when SC will update the HTLT either. Most of the feedback on MTBR seems to suffer from confirmation bias or whatever you want to term it, where people are justifying their purchase on the manufacturer forum and saying its the greatest thing ever.

Thanks for any thoughts! Also, if anyone is interested in a Ripley LS XL frame or complete rig, might be selling...

I ended up with the HTLT... the only thing I notice vs everything I test rode is the slightly slacker sta.... but, it still climbs very well.

I never got to ride the ripmo, my 2 buds that got them are very stoked on it though. I think that genre of 29er is hard to go wrong right now.
Wreckoning
HTLT
SB5.5
Sentinel
Ripmo
YT 29er.. (Jeffsy or Capra)
etc...
I road like 1/2 of them to demo prior to buying... all very capable.

[406]

I demo'ed a SC htlt, ibis ripmo, and also the Ripley ls. Did not like ripley. Liked htlt, but bought the ripmo. Dw-link >> vpp.

Done some longish rides on ripmo, no issue with geo.

Local shop has a bunch of ripmo frames, let me know if you want there number.

[smmokan]

I haven't ridden the Ripmo yet, but I put some decent time on the HTLT this spring in Brevard... and to be 100% honest, of all the bikes I've ridden in the last three years (I've ridden a LOT), I disliked it the most of any of them. It climbed like shit (compared to what I'm used to with my Spot Mayhem and Ibis Ripley LS), and it felt dead and slow-handling to me. I couldn't wait to give it back. It was super stable at high speeds, but that's the only positive. I immediately jumped on the regular Hightower after riding the LT, and I liked it much, much better. 10 times out of 10 I'd take the regular Hightower with a 150mm fork over the HTLT.

I've heard really good things about the Ripmo from a few friends, but since it's second-hand info I won't pretend to know anything about it yet.

[rideit]

A little OT, but don't count out the Rocky Mountain Instinct BC.
I demoed it a few weeks ago, and fell in love with it.
I actually thought it was easier to wheelie/manual my 27.5 Altitude, which blew my mind.

[North]

I'm in the 'dislike' camp on the HTLT, but am not totally sure why because I had a pretty good time on a regular HT riding around Tiger Mtn and Kachess Ridge. It felt harsh to me on the Whole Enchilada - lots of travel, but I didn't think it utilized it particularly well. Could've been the setup, which is so so crucial to get right when demo-ing.

[supermodel159]

Anyone have any additional feedback on the Ripmo?

[Phall]

A really good friend of mine writes about MTB's for a living, used to race pro, fast as fuck, and sold his HTLT for a Ripmo, so there's that.

[406]

Still like my ripmo, worth a demo. Ibis demo van was just in San Diego, so might be in your area this week.

[toast2266]

A really good friend of mine writes about MTB's for a living, used to race pro, fast as fuck, and sold his HTLT for a Ripmo, so there's that.

I've heard similar things from friends. Fast guys who know what they're doing that're super psyched on the Ripmo.

[supermodel159]

Still like my ripmo, worth a demo. Ibis demo van was just in San Diego, so might be in your area this week.

I need to catch that van...no question.

Thanks for the insight.

[pano-dude]

I picked up a Ripmo and it's definitely a ripper. Climbs very efficiently and descends like a monster truck. Setting new person best times on trails I've been riding for years. Highly recommended.


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[TahoeBC]

Got a couple weeks on my Ripmo and could not be happier. One thing I'd say though if your a tweener frame size I'd try and demo both sizes if possible. Last two IBIS's I went XL, with the Ripmo I went for a large but other's go for the bigger frame. The XL felt a little more monster truckish for me, the large for me was way more playful.

[pano-dude]

I am on a large and it does not feel large. I am 5'11". If I was 6' or taller an xl would be needed.
The bike is an amazing climber, seat tube angle really puts you in a power position on the steep tech stuff.

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[smmokan]

I am on a large and it does not feel large. I am 5'11". If I was 6' or taller an xl would be needed.
The bike is an amazing climber, seat tube angle really puts you in a power position on the steep tech stuff.

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It all depends on your riding style. I'm 5'11" and the large felt huge to me, like TahoeBC said above (but I ride a large in all other Ibis bikes, comfortably). That said, I don't like the super slack, stretched out feel of a bigger bike so that has a lot to do with it.

[GrumpyPilot]

As anyone had a chance to ride the new Bronson? If so thoughts on it vs the other bikes in this thread?

[robnow]

Well it’s a 27 vs 29 but check out the NSMB review on it, getting lots of praise. Personally, coming off a long shocked Hightower I’m between looking at the Evil Offering and waiting for what will surely be a 29er version of the Bronson in the Hightower revision come spring...although hoping the numbers will be a little more progressive than the Bronson (steeper ST and more reach in the XL).

[GrumpyPilot]

Well it’s a 27 vs 29 but check out the NSMB review on it, getting lots of praise. Personally, coming off a long shocked Hightower I’m between looking at the Evil Offering and waiting for what will surely be a 29er version of the Bronson in the Hightower revision come spring...although hoping the numbers will be a little more progressive than the Bronson (steeper ST and more reach in the XL).

Yeah, get the wheel size difference, was looking at a medium the other day looks nice, larges are hard to find. No way to put a Push rear on it, if you ever wanted to go that way the through hole is too small. Lots of choices out there.

[frorider]

I ride XL frames in most brands but damn that Lg Ripmo I demo’d felt plenty big for me.

[robnow]

I ride XL frames in most brands but damn that Lg Ripmo I demo’d felt plenty big for me.

At 6'2", regular proportions I also ride XLs. I ride with the local Ibis rep and jumped on his Lg Ripmo and it was small, same with the Yeti SB130 Lg, the handlebars were at my knees.

I feel like in recent history we go through this same process every couple years. One brand stretches out the cockpit, everybody else follows suit and recommends to size down the first year...and then the following season everyone realizes their mistake and sizes up.

[ridinshockgun]

Did someone say Sentinel?

[smmokan]

I'm building up a new Ripmo, and I ordered a medium (I'm around 5'11"). The measurement from the back of the saddle to the middle of the handlebar is exactly the same as on my large Spot Mayhem, both with a 50mm stem. They have very similar STA and are off on the HTA by less than a degree. The large was WAY too big for me, even with a 35mm stem.