Dang, a week in the desert on those 3 rigs? What dedication and sacrifice. You really took one for the team.

Incredible video. I really love how you review the bikes based on how they feel and not on the technical side of it. Keep it up

I had the three as next bike options...but ripley really had what I wanted...I'm very happy with it. It's my xc race bike, trail bike and park bike..I just do ride it with care..I haven't used the enduro. Bike since I have the ripley too Not that they are even close but when you want to ride a lot of time nothing beats a good trail bike

Love this category of bike. Your videos make life simpler in terms of deciding on one of these bikes. 👍🏼 Super helpful!!

love this format, your insight is great

I bought the spur for the exact same reason as you mentioned. Up and down can do it all really well. I sat on the tallboy and liked it a lot but seemed to overbuilt for my terrain. The ripley would have been a good choice but the spur I took a chance on and it looks sick in the Seafood green. Little more progressive. That being said, I don't have it in my hands yet. Ordered in September so I figure Feb/March. All good cause I can drool over it and smash trails in the spring. Thanks for the first class content. This is by far my favourite channel for MTB. amazing work.

You did a fantastic job on this one, as always. I remember when you all started your channel, I knew it was going to take off quickly. You always explore all the detail very well, which informs those that can't demo these. I agree with so much of what you said. Appreciate your content and how I can tell you are creating ways to make it even better. Thank you.

Great comparison. You can literally see how much smoother the TB is by your increased speed and smoother video while on it. I'm really looking forward to a Hightower 2 vs Ripmo V2 comparison. I demo'd the HT2 and Ripmo 1 and ended up buying a Ripmo AF since the frame was only 0.85 lbs heavier than the carbon HT2. The AF if built with lighter parts (mine is GX), can weigh very close to the HT2 (even in carbon) and climb about on par but descend better than the Ripmo V1. If the Ripmo V2 was around then, I would have went that way. A Ripmo V2 isn't a direct competitor to the TB but it probably climbs about the same, if built up fairly light and descends better, especially with a coil shock. Now, throw a TB with a Cascade Link and a Pike at 130 and what would you get? Something that still climbs like a Ripmo and descends like a mini HT2? The Santa Cruz bikes just ride so solid, kinda has me wondering if that's a perfect compromise setup for some people.

Did anybody else notice that the Tallboy was extremely quiet compared to the other bikes? There was so much less rattling on the Santa Cruz! It’s a shame that the brakes where a little bit squealy. But maybe with other pads or a bit of sanding they get totally quiet too.

I have a 2020 Tallboy... Super fun bike, awesome going downhill, fun to jump and good climber.

Cant wait for my Tallboy to come in! Excellent review as always

I’m a fan of the lower link VPP. I agree it’s not as efficient on the climbs, but the decrease in efficiency is countered by uphill traction. It might not be quite as fast on the way up, but personally I don’t find it any less enjoyable. On the way down, man does it hold a line! Depending on the bike, it can be planted and poppy at the same time. Your downhill on the TB looked faster, smoother, and more enjoyable. The POV footage really backed up your conclusions on all three bikes. 👍

I ride a HT & still love this channel. Your edits & quality are top notch! Keep it up!

Love your channel. Some of the best reviews on the interwebs. Great content!

Two years since this video & my riding more short-travel bikes, I've finally figured out what I like in a short-travel/downcountry bike. If riding with my bigger group on weekly rides, I do value climbing since I'm older & want to suffer less keeping up, something like the Ripley works. But if riding by myself or with buddies cruising & bombing down at our own pace, the more capable, comfortable, fun bike would be the Tallboy because of that Santa Cruz plushness. The Spur's lighter but feels too long & slack than it needs to be for a short-travel bike, so it's not as agile. So I did the next best thing and bought a Pivot Trail 429 that climbs like the Ripley, goes downhill like the Spur but is more agile in flowy, tighter trails. No, it does not have quite the plushness of the Tallboy but more than the Spur.

I seen other reviews comparing short travel mountain bikes... I have to admit that yours was one of the best...thanks..🤘🤘🤘

It is great to watch a bike review where there is no sitting on the fence for fear of upsetting manufacturers. That Santa Cruz descends as quietly as a rolls Royce ghost . If I am ever in the US again I will be sure to pop in the shop and say hi

I'm an Ibis fanboy! I rode a V1 Ripley for about 5 years and put it on a pedestal! Not even newer bikes were as efficient. I would demo from time to time. This year, I got a V1 Ripmo and am very happy with it. At speed, it feels like a Ripley and it's very efficient up and down. The bonus is the stability. Very balanced bike.

Thanks for doing this review! These are the exact bikes on my radar 😁

I own the Ripley and love it. But the Transition Spur and Santa Cruz Tallboy are both just as good.

I’m starting to think my Izzo is a long travel spur. No real regrets on my Izzo. I really wanted that ripley but bike apocalypse forced my hand. Another great review!

Best bike channel on youtube.

Love my Ripley. It climbs like a beast and can handle any descent I throw at it

Great video, as usual. Might want to mention the weight difference. Transition Spur: approx. 26 lbs., Ibis Ripley: approx. 29 lbs., and Santa Cruz Tallboy: approx. 31 lbs.

2:28. That’s your 130LR hiding behind your truck. You brought it with you because you knew it would be more fun than all three.

That new slacker head angle on the Ripley AF may put it at the top on descents as well. Hopefully the carbon version hits soon. I’m in shopping mode for my next bike.

SICK video. Very well done. Thanks man. (my Ripley arrives this week after waiting over 8 months...😁)

Just here to applaud the video making & attention to detail! Always solid input & story telling 👏🏼😎

That slightly leaned forward seating position of the Ripley sounds exactly the same as the Ripmo, and it's great for climbing, especially tech climbs. For being a 35lb bruiser I am actually very impressed with how well my Ripmo climbs.

the best regular review I've seen for these bikes!! Kudos!

This is what the people wanted! Thanks! Any chance you had time on the Revel Ranger? How would it have compared to these three?

Excellent review, thanks! Would love to where the Epic Evo stacks among that group. No doubt the most exciting category this year.

This is my all time favorite bike review and head to head to head matchup hands down. Really good content here. Great job

I place a premium on climbing and ordered the Ripley in XT build which includes upgraded factory Fox susp. It should arrive in the next couple weeks. Looks like you had the XT build on the Tallboy which includes a nice upgrade to the Pike. Thanks for the nice comparison of the three.

Very glad to come across this comparison/review and thank for doing it. Spur and Ripley are on my short list for a 2021 addition and this video really helps with making my decision.

I love to nail those technical climbs and am by no means a speedster on the descents. So I guess it's the Ripley for me.

Really enjoy your reviews! It is outstanding landscape :)

You mentioned that Spur was less responsive on direction changes than the Ripley. I imagine then that the Spur is not a good choice for a first FS bike for a rider who rides mostly "old" geo HTs with shorter WBs and steeper headtubes?

Had my Ripley for a few months now and absolutely love it. The rider could use some upgrading though haha

Great job. Thanks for putting this together, it is exactly the kind of thing that helps to get perspective and make an informed decision when we cant all test ride all the Bikes we are interested in ourselves. One thing maybe to consider adding in would be the availability of each one. Like if someone was torn between two, one might be able to be bought more readily than the other helping to make their decision easier. Or to consider if waiting 3 or 4 extra months for the one they prefer is worth the wait. Thanks again. Oh, what trail was that? Where exactly in St. George?

The Tallboy seem to swallow the terrain in a different way, more in a big bike way. Looks great, so does the view, wow mother nature

vs the 2020 Specialized EVO carbon ST? Add a ST Link w/ a 190x42.5mm shock for 120mm rear travel. Combine with 150mm RS Pike fork w/ DeBonair C1 airspring ( 150 fork preserves BB height ). 64.5-degree HTA and 76.5-degree STA when riding with a 2.6" rear tire and riding in "High Position." ** The not-so-good...165mm crankset could maybe go to 170mm? Its a low bottom-bracket height, even in the High position. ** Rides way better than it should! Specialized has built an incredibly light Fact 11 frame. The FSR suspension acts more consistent w/ the short-travel link: doesn't sit too deep into its travel like it does with the standard 210x50mm shock. It simply rides like a "set-it and forget-it" trail bike. Note that the lighter the wheels... the better the ride quality. Its a BIG bike with a long, long wheelbase. Lightweight wheels and 2.6" tires give you back a lot energy and add extra trail confidence. The carbon EVO S3 ST weighs a little under 27-pounds with XO1 drivetrain, 1650-gram wheels, 29x2.6" Rekon tires, 150mm RS Pike, 190x42.5 shock, and a 180mm OneUp dropper post. ;-) All that said, I'd choose the Ripley in this test. Just love the low-weight and climbing ability!

Great video quality and color grading. Seriously, A+. The bikes are cool too, I guess.

I've got the Ripmo, but I've been craving a lightweight short travel trail ripper. Definitely might build a Ripley soon

I will say that I've noticed a difference of opinion on two of these bikes - Tallboy and Ripley - that tends to break down by rider size/weight. Smaller lighter riders (under 150/155lb) on smaller frame sizes tend to absolutely love the Ripley and feel it works well in most all circumstances. They love the climbing and feel the suspension doesn't give up much to the tallboy on the downhill, some feel the tallboy is overly stiff especially with carbon wheels. Heavier riders (over 175/180lb), on larger frames, tend to prefer the tallboy. They feel that the Ripley is too harsh on chatter, bottoms on bigger bumps and the frame feels flexy on the rough stuff. In between feelings tend to be mixed. Obviously I don't have a huge sample, but it seems to fall this way for people I know that have ridden both.

Really nice review: informative, nuanced, helpful. Thank you!

Another excellent review. Location and weather look sick compared to to the cold, wet and windy weather here in the north of England.

Excellent review , I very much enjoy the format of your reviews.

I’ll take a Ripmo V1 or a Yeti SB130, because they both climb faster than the Tallboy and descend much better. This is from real life experience. Revel Rascal, Pivot Switchblade are great options. Canfield Tilt will be released on April. The CBF feels very similar to a DW-Link on climbing but more capable on the downhills. So most likely this will be the down country/trail bike of the year when it comes out.

Great comparison. Really surprised the Spur didn't make the top honor. Thank you for the great detail!

Your review confirmed my suspicions...I want the Ripley going up and the Tallboy going down. I still can't decide!

Another great video, guys. This is the best assessment of the tallboy I've seen. I've had one since June and totally agree. It's more of a short travel enduro bike than aggressive cross-country bike. It makes you think you're a much better rider than you are. But, if the spur had been released a week earlier I would gotten one of those instead.

Which one would you want in your garage?

Just proves there is no a magic bike in our magical diverse environment we live here on earth. Each has strength and compromise.

I currently have a Pivot Switchblade and looking to add a shorter travel 29er to the stable. I've already had the Ibis Ripley and it climbed like a beast, but wasn't confidence inspiring on the descent. The two bikes on my radar are the new Tallboy and Rocky Mountain Element. Briefly, what are your thoughts on the two bikes head to head?

Nice review! I really like how you do on-ride reviews rather than talking about the bike back in a Garage, House, Bar ETC. Cough cough Bike Mag. I'd like to see how the Yeti SB115 Fits in the mix.

Appreciate the conclusion to your video. A great overall on the 3 bikes. I ride in Phoenix, Tucson and St George. Your thoughts on a Ibis Ripley, Ripmo and the bike I am leaning toward is a Niner Rip 9 due to its CVA suspension. Your opinion is greatly appreciated. Jg

This trail looks like a blast. I’ve got a Ripley on order from you guys scheduled to arrive in May. What is the name of this trail? I’d like to ride it. Great video. Love the comparisons.

What a great video production and super useful review. Really an A for your effort. I have narrowed it down to the Spur or Ripley. Just subscribed! Thanks a million. (By the way, where is this amazing trail. I am heading to AZ in April and hoping it is there) :-)

Great review! I love the no nonsense language without pandering to the manufacturer’s. If the Ripley is an “A” climbing, what would you give the Ripmo V2? Thank you!

I’d like to ride there 👍🏼 but I wouldn’t want to ride there all the time I really enjoy our honest to God dirt here in the Midwest

Awesome channel. I just bought the new Canyon Neuron CF 8. Couldn’t pass up the bang for you buck factor on that bike. Full XT drive train, Fox sus and carbon wheels for 5k. Not progressive geo but short fun wheelbase. Would love to see you review it.

Most important question.... where can I get that hooded jacket? love it!

Cool and nice review thanks very much . The ripely is a very nice bike , I discover a nice bike. Can you make a video about the Hightower 2021 please?

would the mojo 4 handle this trail as well as the 29ers? thanks!

Great review and well done

Great review! It's funny that if you took the longer travel 29er's from these companies (Ripmo, Sentinel, and Megatower), I suspect the results would be the same with respect to each brand and their rankings.

Great review. The new Tallboy is really puzzling to me. Why not just get the bigger travel bike instead?

Enjoyed the video. Love MTB'n St George. Do you have any reviews on the Niner Rip 9? Blue skies, Jg

Excellent review, I would lean towards the Tallboy for my climbing style!

I think I've watched this comparison like 5 times over the last 2 months

What camera are you using? The footage quality is incredible!

Can you add the Pivot Trail 429 to your next list of short travel comparisons. DW link

I wonder if you put a larger volume reducer in the Ripley would help with the bottoming and the tech DH feel you were talking about. My Fuel EX felt similar to the description you were giving and really came alive with the larger reducer. Also helped it to pop off jumps.

Great way to review! What max tire size with something like a DHF or Assegai do you think the Spur or Tallboy could fit? The Ripley can take a 2.5. Tire volume can really do wonders for techy climbs and descents.

Awesome review as always. Any chance of getting a comperison to the rocky mountaine element? The short travel catagory is on fire!

Little late go the game,leaning towards the ripley but love fast descent.what your feelings on if you increased the fork to 140 mm ?

Thanks a lot for all the good work you put into this channel ! Would you rather get an alloy or carbon Tallboy ? I'm pondering the value of a carbon frame if you're not much into the weight stuff... Greetings from France

These bikes are so similar in terms of geo and travel there can't be much difference in them. After that, it's just down to weight. The Spur is probably about 5 pounds lighter than the Ripley and Tallboy for bikes at a similar price point. I think that's a significant plus for the Spur. I would have liked to have seen the new Specialized Epic EVO also compared to these other bikes. Thanks for the great content.

what a great and good work, thank for that !

What about the Trance 29 ? How does it compare ?

Have ridden the TB and Ripley both in large. Found the TB a little short for me (6ft with long arms). Found the Ripley conquers everything and just wants to go go go. Be keen on your thoughts if you would Chang the comments on Ripley descending but running a 140 mm fork. I’m waiting on a Ripley frame and looking at a 140mm fork. We all like to race downhill right?

It would be nice to have weights on these as well; even if it’s just for the build you’re riding. And specs on other sizes somewhere in the description would be nice too. Thanks.

So the new Rocky Mtn Element just came out have you ridden that? Also the Pivot 429 is out and I demoed that in Fruita and it was pretty awesome.....

As Always I love your Vids! I think the real (and only) questions is: Which of these three steeds can one actually purchase? Would you say the Spur would climb as well as the Ripley at Snowbasin or North Fork Park because you don't really need the DW Link due to little to no chunk or ledges.

Excellent video as usual. I wonder if you guys could help a a bit. I'm buying my first EMTB this year BUT I'm very undecided between Levo SL v.s. Orbea Rise. I have already ridden a Levo SL and I felt the bike was good but lacks in motor power by having only 35 NM's, I know the Rise is more powerful than the Levo but does it feel like having almost double power compared to the LevoSL?

I love my Tallboy 4. Have you had the chance to try it with a 140 fork or more expensive rear shock ? Would you recommend any certain upgrades? I had my eye on potentially on piggyback shock.

I wish the izzo could’ve been thrown into this comparison as well, seems like it fits in well with this group of bikes

How big/noticeable is the difference in climbing capability between these 3 bikes versus bikes with a little more travel, like Orbea Occam or the new Canyon Spectral 29?

Great review and comparison! Which trails were you doing the laps on in St. George? Nice mix of up and down especially 3 times!

I'm afraid to do this to yah but if you have ridden the kona hei hei at all can compare the uphill and downhill of that to the tall boy? The bikes i'm considering are the kona hei hei, santa cruz tall boy, and the santa cruz blur. Great video!

You guys have the best reviews, great job! What trail is this?

Always nice reviews ,Biker's Edge. A interesting comparison will be YT IZZO and TRANSITION SPUR ,if is possible. Keep up . Thank you.

Put a deposit on a Spur, coming off a 2019 Rocky Instinct 140/150 travel, looking for something shorter, more nimble that can still hold its own . Your final words on the spur made sense to me it's an average of the 2 which is what I wanted. Question for you as I believe you have a Spur and I never hear this mentioned in any reviews. How does the Spur do in undulating terrain where you have to pump through, pedal short little quick climbs, and then short downs...really my main concern is how it pedals, does it feel quick when you get on it or does it absorb all your power?

Solid review. Subbed.

Great review and comparison! Would you put the revel rascal in this category? If so how would you rank that bike in comparison to these climbing and descending?

I thought the 2021 tallboy had a 65.7 degree head tube angle ? By the way, Awesome review of some fine machines

What A nice place to ride ! Thanks !!

Pivot trail 429 fo sure would be my pick.

Great review, as always. i,m 188x95kg, You are a big guy too, is stiffness something to keep in mind with these bikes? You mentioned that the Tallboy is very stiff, but what about the other 2?