A couple of years ago, I
rode the 3rd generation Ibis Ripley LS on some of Santa Barbara’s more rugged trails. At the time, this model was dubbed the “LS” – for Long & Slack, but it really didn’t embody either of those attributes. And so, I wasn’t exactly floored by it…You could even say that in the review, I was a bit unkind. Well, now there is a completely new 4th generation Ripley, and although ironically it doesn’t bear the “LS” badge, it most certainly is L and S – long and slack that is. In addition to taking on the same silhouette as the RipMo, it also adopts the latest geometry trends – long reach and a slack head angle combined with a short offset fork and a short-ish stem. Its rear end has been shortened up quite a bit, bringing the chainstays down from 444mm to a more nible 432mm. If it isn’t self evident already, I liked this bike much more than its predecessor. Read on as we dive in…...