Thanks Jay, it’s been on the backburner and I needed to get it out. But yeah, both bikes are pretty sweet all mountain/enduro rigs.

I’m also looking at the 2021 Santa Cruz Hightower vs the ripmo v2. Kinda leaning towards the HT due to the warranty and looks of the bike. Idk it’s a hard choice. Ripmo has a bit more travel on fork and shock.

MidwinterEclipse If you want more of a stiffer feeling bike that’s very direct then maybe the HT. If you want something more alive and playful feeling where you can melt the ground under you then the Ripmo forsure

Mine is coming in 6 weeks!!! Ibis Ripmo! I ordered it this summer. Keep riding folks!!

instaBlaster...

Ride on, glad it was helpful.

Thank you for watching. Appreciate your thoughts.

Agreed, it’s a great time to be a mountain biker. You have to look closely to find any flaws because they are so good.

I wish I could tell you a story about Santa Cruz warranty and how they took care of me. They stand by their no BS warranty and take care of their customers. You made a great choice, hope you continue to enjoy that rig. Ride on...

Yeah the Ripmo rips. It’s got that fun bmx feeling. Feels like a smaller bike than what it really is. Enjoy the ride...

Thanks Adam, appreciate you stopping in to watch.

I suspect it will feel even better than the AF due to the weight savings going to carbon. I’m sure you’ll be able to sell your AF quickly because of the bike surge and wait times for an Ibis. Thank you for watching. Ride on...

You would not be disappointed by the Ripmo. Still, its is the most beloved out there. I'm on my second one.

There you have it folks! Honest testimony of Ibis customer support. Glad to hear this report and appreciate you sharing this with us...

Yes, they are both really great bikes. I actually kept the Ripmo and sold the Santa Cruz and do not regret it. Appreciate you watching.

Awesome, now for some trail action.

Yeah they are both pretty sweet no doubt.

Thanks for your comments. Yeah, the 5010 is really an amazing bike. For the money, nothing can touch the Ripmo AF, its all that and more. Glad you have both.

You're going to love it...

Appreciate your commenting, watching and subbing! My only concern with the Foxy is the really long reach and wheelbase which makes the bike great in straight line chunky descending but on flatter tame trails and switchbacks, like we have here in Colorado and New Mexico, it’s a handful. Of course a demo is the best way to substantiate that. But the poppy playfulness of the Ripmo is important for a “Ripmo killer” to have as part of the deal. Some bikes have the stability but feel dull and boring. Ibis has blended it all together into the Ripmo.

It’s worth the wait. Plus, it’s a bike you don’t see on the trails because its so hard to get. You be the few the proud...

Thank you very much, I really want to try one with the Cascade link and one without to make the comparison. You got yours down to a really nice weight and trust every word you say about the feel of it. Ride on...

​@@travelthenarrowtrail8660 Thank you:-). At the moment I am also testing it with lighter tyres Dissector 2,4 front and Rekon 2,4 rear for full day epic trips with a lot of pedalling and elevation up and down . Acceleration into steep technical hills or at flat is amazing. They may not be the best tyres for parks but for natural trails in woods are just perfekt combo. I really like to experiment like you do:-). Good luck and all the best to you and to your channel!

@@northshoreboy1313 Did you stay on your correct size or up size? I'm just 5'8" but looking into large not a playful rider i just like the traction and longer wheelbase of up size frame. Currently on 2020 Norco sight A1 27.5 in Large and i like it.. came from 2019 Chromag Rootdown Medium. what are your thoughts? Thanks.

The HT at the price they charge should already be well sorted and not require a link upgrade.

Yeah it’s really outstanding. Your one of the lucky ones too, not too many of them out there due to high demand.

Luckily i walked in to my local shop and they had a built carbon ripmo v2

In this video I'm running the 44mm offset Lyrik fork. Now running a 44mm offset ZEB and love it too. Thanks for watching. Glad you like the colors.

The Ripmo will be worth the wait, you'll love it. Yeah, the W.E. can be damage inc.

It depends on the weather as I have a few programmed into the 8.

Glad you picked up a Ripmo frame, they're sort of a unicorn right now, the wait times are long. Hopefully you didn't have to wait too long for it, but you are going to love it! Thanks for watching and glad you liked it. Enjoy that Ripmo...

At your weight and interest in a lighter Hightower, I think a 150mm Pike is the way to go. Depending on what you are riding as well. If you’re riding super fast chunky stuff you might notice a little flex, that is might. For the most, you’ll notice no flex at all. I think the Pike is great fork and plenty stiff for smaller riders. You’ll love it.

@@travelthenarrowtrail8660 Thank you for the feedback. Going lighter is not a popular option it would seem. I'm waffling between Hightower and Tallboy because they can be built the same weight so I'm thinking why wouldn't I go with more travel? Also I can't find a demo right now to make the decision.

@@mickbauman951 Well I always believe in being over biked, but that's me. The lighter the Hightower the more fun it will be in tamer trails. However, if you mostly ride tamer trails, the Tallboy is the way to go. It can handle pretty janky stuff too and maintain that party feel on the tamer stuff. Yes, demos are hard to come by depending on where you live.

Both sizes are large and feel relatively the same. Ripmo feels a little taller due to a larger fork than the Hightower, but it's minimal. I'm 5'10 and both feel comfortable and I probably wouldn't enjoy a medium.

Thanks for watching, appreciate it. The Hightower I've had a long time experience on since it came out. This purpose done build was to be sort of an experiment. I've done videos on the Tallboy and other trail bikes as well but this was the experiment. I wanted to see how the Hightower would respond at the 29lbs range vs the typical 32-33lbs range its usually in. For the simple reason that the Hightower is kind of a great balanced bike, its just not as jazzy and lively as was the Hightower LT it replaced. Now the way I built it up, it has been plenty capable for all kinds of enduro riding. I ride in Colorado, Utah, NM, etc, pretty knarly terrain. Santa Cruz does offer a Hightower build with lightweight components and gets close to where I got this one but not quite. What I found was the Hightower in 29lbs range really comes alive and gives a feeling similar to the Ripmo. Which is a shame that it takes that to make it feel that way. Now the Ripmo is a more burlier bike, more rear travel (147) and slacker HTA, and specced factory with a larger fork. The Ripmo has a more snappier and lively feel to it than the Hightower and yes it does have the edge in climbs. Could be due to the Ripmo frame weight being less than a Hightower coupled with the DW Link. But for a bike to feel so bmxish as the Ripmo does but be so capable is amazing. The Megatower is the enduro purist bike that is another category and the Ripmo sits between Hightower and Megatower, due to its aggressive geo, travel, ability to run coil, and specced fork. Even though its matched against the Hightower. What I didn't talk about is changing the Hightower rear shock to a megneg, which changes the bikes character. Plus the Cascase link which boots the travel to what the Ripmo is. One who is buying one of these for the first time might not notice the differences, especially if you have not been able to ride them for long periods of time and so; you can't go wrong with either of these bikes as a choice. So again, it was all an experiment and I discovered what I didn't expect but it was fun nonetheless. While I always rode Santa Cruz in the past since 2011, the new Ripmo v2 (and the Pivot Switchblade) really changed my mind. Appreciate your comments.

Not sure what you wait time is on your new Ripmo but you're going to love that bike. I sold the Hightower and kept the v2 Ripmo. It is really as close to a one bike quiver you could have. Thanks for watching and commenting.

@@travelthenarrowtrail8660 did you sold the hightower because the ripmo is more fun? im looking for a new bike and i live in holland and im thinking of buying one of the 2. most off the trails are quit flat so wich bike you would recommend?

@@a.w.mmathijssen7517 If your trails are flat and you are looking at both these bikes, I would go with Ripmo v2. It is more of a playful feeling bike designed around a 160mm fork and can run a 170mm fork. Hightower designed around 150mm fork. Ripmo gives you that bigger bike as well for riding more chunky downhill terrain. If you will never hit bigger trails and keep it on flat trails, I would recommend the Ripley or the Tallboy. I've done reviews on both those on my channel as well. Let me know what you go with.

@@travelthenarrowtrail8660 Thanks for you’re answers! Well the trails are not that rough, there are jumps etc but not so much climbing high mountains. I do want to go more to bike parks so that’s why I want to decide between the 2. The bike that I have now is a 2019 scott Genius what Im liking but for my feeling it’s more XC orientated. What fork would you recommend for the Hightower a fox 36 grip 2 or Lyrik ultimate 150mm or 160mm? I can get a great deal on a Hightower frame what saves me like 1200usd vs Ripmo frame.

Not worried about weight; rather, this was more of an experiment on the Hightower to see how it would respond. Thanks for watching and commenting.

In this video it was a blend of two different trails, Heil Valley ranch in Boulder and Little Scraggy, which is part of Buffalo Creek in Morrison, all Colorado. Thanks for watching.

Yep, they are pretty amazing.

The warrantee is not that good where I live. I had friends that had wheel and hub issues that they had to sort themselves. Pretty poor really.

I owned 2 of them after this video in different colors. Loved the bike! The grey one in this video weighed 28.5 pounds, my other one was blue and weighed 31 pounds. I went with a Yeti SB160 now because I wanted more travel. The new Ripmo is coming out spring of 2024. What issues have you discovered that has made liking the bike difficult?

@@travelthenarrowtrail8660 interestingly enough I’ve really started to come around on the bike in the short time since I posted that. I think one of the biggest improvements was lowering the recommended air in the forks and just overall getting the suspension dialed. I also can’t rule out improved fitness, ha. Have heard great things about that Yeti, enjoy! (And thanks for the response)

@@lorenroot7667 Check this video out, its really good for beginners or novices who may need to sharpen skills. If you haven't see it. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/hLOFi8p-kte2kps.html

Not in this comparison video. I do have a MC video that is recent, about 3 videos back if you are interested, but yeah, not in this one. Thank you for stopping in.

Yes, I agree the VPP is a great suspension now in the lower link. Yes, I've done a review on the Revel Rascal. Thanks for taking time to watch.

5’10

I’m 5’10, I think a large would fit you well and feel more stable, the medium might fit too. If you can’t find a demo carbon frame, look for a Ripmo AF demo in M or L and it will be similar. Ride on...

I use epidemic sound for the tracks, I don't remember the artists. Thanks for watching.

I’m 5’10 and recently switched to a size Medium Ripmo and to be honest, it’s not bad at all. It actually feels great. The bike feels more playful and easier to pop off stuff. Both Ripmo and Hightower are long reach so at your height, I would recommend a medium.

@@travelthenarrowtrail8660 thanks!

Maxxis Assgai 2.5 exo+

Appreciate you stopping in!

Same

I bought a Ripmo AF

Depends on where you are riding them at. Both of those bikes are a blast but are in two different categories. On chunky downhill enduro stuff, the Ripmo, on less aggressive trail, the Ripley.

@@travelthenarrowtrail8660 I live in California so we don't have super chunky trails, but its my first mountain bike as I'm a road rider looking to move into mountain. The bikes im considering right now are the ripmo/ripley, mojo, 5010, Hightower, and the sb 130. Any advice would be greatly appreciated lol

@@tom2038 So that info helps. Coming from road cycling and just building skills on the trails, I think the Ripley would be perfect. It can be built up light, it climbs amazing, and it super agile. SB130 is good too but Yeti tends to run more expensive that Ibis/Santa Cruz. The mojo and 5010 are 27.5 wheel size as well and you will find those to be more maneuverable because the smaller wheels are easier to get up to speed. The Mojo is a the more better climber and quicker but the 5010 is more gravity oriented in that is can handle more downhill chunk better. 5010 is more stable planted feeling bike, where the Mojo is more poppy playful and will feel more bounced around on aggressive trails. Hightower is closer to the Ripmo, however the Ripmo has more travel. The Ripmo can be built up lighter and climbs better. The Hightower is an all balanced bike that can do everything well but at the 30lbs or more mark the bike just kind of feels neutral. In the sense that its not lively, but in the 29lbs area, the Hightower comes alive. The Ripmo is lively at any weight and can be built up lighter than the Hightower if money is available to do it. The Ripmo frame is lighter than the Hightower CC frame. You will get more stability and confidence with 29 inch wheels because they just roll over things better than a 27.5 wheel but some 29ers are kind of blah feeling, the Ripmo is not. The SB130 is in between the Ripley and Hightower/Ripmo. I would put much closer to the Ripley though in terms of how well it climbs and its ability. It is longer than the Ripley. I would say the Ripley is a more playful bike, lighter bike, and climbs better than the SB130 on steep mountains and they both handle rough descents about the same. They will get bounced around in heavy rocky terrain but rear shock choices can help with that. The SB130 lunch ride is closer to the Hightower and more capable as it is at 137mm of rear travel but again more expensive in price. If possible, see if you are able to demo some of these in your area so you can get a feel for them. That way you can see if you like 27.5 inch wheels over 29er wheels. The Ripley is the closest feeling 29er to a 27.5 wheel because its just so fast, playful and easy to crank up to speed. Hope this helps...

@@travelthenarrowtrail8660 wow this was super helpful. I really appreciate the input. Just wondering what your experience has been with the warranties on ibis? Ive heard horror stories about yeti so its kind of scaring me away. Also my buddy told me if im considering the ripley i should consider the tall boy. Might stick with the two sc companies since I live 30 mins away from the factories. Definitely will be demoing these bikes( if covid relaxes lol) since ill probably go for the xt build on santa cruz ( not sure if ill go for the reserve wheels) and either the slx or xt build on ibis

@@tom2038 Ah, well. If you live near Santa Cruz, you have access to demo Ibis and SC bikes. I know Yeti has now gone to a lifetime warranty but yes I've heard horror stories about them. In Colorado, all the shops say they are great with warranty but I'm not sure if its because it's local. Ibis has a 7 yr warranty and I've never had experience with anything on that end. I know people who have told me Ibis was quick and helpful on warranty issues. So, I've heard good things about them. Santa Cruz is known for having the best lifetime warranty in the biz. I've personally had experience with them and they went above and beyond! While I don't currently ride a SC bike right now anymore, I've owned several of them and it does give you peace of mind. I guess the question is will you even keep the bike past 7 years? If you think you might sell it after 4-5 years I would consider the Ibis brands. If you may never sell it SC bike might be the one. I almost mentioned the Tallboy but didn't want to make the decision harder. I would definitely go Tallboy over the SB130. It feels like it has 130mm of rear travel even though its only 120mm. It rides more all mountain than the Ripley does and is more stable in chundery trails due to the suspension being very progressive at the end of the stroke. The Ripley does climb better than the Tallboy and feels more playful for jumping and popping it off stuff. The DW Link on the Ripley is more linear feeling, which gives it that poppy playful feel but will feel bounced around a little bit more than the Tallboy would in rough terrain. Get some demo rides in and get a feel for them.

I would say they are over rated. I rode Hightower LT and was surprised how terrible it was. Ok at going downhill but terrible at everything else. A bobbing energy sapping monster any where that you wanted to pedal with power. All I can say is that people who say that these pedal well must only be cruising up hills with lower power input in which case the short comings are not so obvious.

Personal preference. Much of my riding in Colorado and NM at times involves lots of long climbs and for me, more of an upright position feels more comfortable on long climbs.

Between these two or overall in general? Much of the question depends on what you like to ride trail wise?

Travel the Narrow Trail let’s say a 16 mile trail ride with 2000 ft of climbing through a continuous mix between chunky and rocky flow. Lots of slabs.

@@ryanhicks382 Sounds like a trail bike might be what would work for you (120 - 130mm of travel), such as the Ibis Ripley, Santa Cruz Tallboy, or the Evil Following or the Yeti SB130. The Tallboy might feel the plushest feeling one of all of them but the Ripley might be the snappiest of them in climbing. The Evil would be with the Ripley in that they both are snappy quick. Yeti is the best balance of all them. Out of enduro bikes, I would recommend the Ibis Ripmo or the Pivot Switchblade but these are much bigger bikes, more capable but not able to climb as well as the trail bikes. They can handle more rocky chunk, bigger drops, and might be more confidence inspiring on steep downhills.

Well I found myself riding the Ripmo more so I sold the Hightower and don’t regret it.

Agreed!

🤙, great suggestion...

I’m any country these are expensive lol

So I'm not sponsored but if you listen closely in the video, I did say I believed the edgier bike is the Ripmo v2. What I did not say is that is the one I prefer.

In that case go Ripmo AF! You will be stoked

Donna, it should help you, the things he changed does not really change the impressions he speaks about that much.