Ibis

Ripley Carbon 4.0 Mountain Bike Frame

The Ibis Ripley tops our shortlist of short-travel trail bikes, serving as a light and fast trail bike that can climb like a cross-country rig and descend like an all-mountain machine. Ibis satiates our appetite for a do-it-all 29er by taking the Ripleys racy cross-country roots blending it with the ever-popular longer-slacker-steeper treatment that sends modern bikes into bigger terrain than ever before. Fortunately for us, the engineers used some restraint to keep the steed true to its snappy pedaling roots that still excel when it's time to bust out some XC hot laps. After seeing a hoard of bikes stretched out to the max, we're happy to see well-balanced geometry on the Ripley, as well as a Ripmo-inspired chassis that elevates the bike's handling characteristics and overall durability.

Geometry on the current version of the Ibis Ripley is part of what makes it such a special bike. The angles are balanced and offer a planted feel on descents, with an agile feel on undulating terrain and a comfortable pedaling position for sustained climbing. The 66.5-degree head-tube angle and big 29in wheels plow right over obstacles, and the reach is pretty generous, with 475mm offered on a size large frame to give us plenty of room to move around on the bike. Though the Ripley resembles a trail bike and rides like one too, we can easily throw on some lightweight cross-country tires and toe the line on race day.