I've been running 165 mm Canfield cranks on my 2017 Canfield Balance, since I built it. Reducing pedal strikes is a great reason but there are some other benefits. Apparently, shorter cranks are less stressful on hips and knees, because of the reduced pedaling radius. 165 mm cranks are better for spinning, because there is less of a dead spot at the top of each rotation. Road cycling studies have shown there is no power compromise with shorter cranks. I do feel like there might be less torque with shorter cranks, so I switched to a smaller chainring to compensate for reduced torque. I'm now running 165mm cranks on both my Balance and my Nimble 9.
I've gone to 165's on my Zerode and I haven't had any pedal strikes, don't have to worry about having to back-pedal or hold off pedaling through tech sections - it's made a big difference to my riding experience... I'm 5'8" like Jeff and it totally works for me - just lucky that Pinion makes cranks in that length!
I just switched from 175's to 165's when I build my new bike this winter due to some post ride hip pain/tightness I'd been experiencing. Pretty early to weigh in on the change, but I think it's helped! As far as a loss of torque; It feels different, but 165mm is still 94% of 175mm... +/- 6% isnt very significant, I'm sure I lost far more torque moving to 29's on my new bike over the 27.5's on my last bike!
I went from 172.5 on my road bike to 165. Contrary to what was stated in the video, reducing crank length actually increases cadence on average. I believe one of the theories as to why this is, is because your body has a preference for a pedal speed (not to be confused with cadence, they are two very different things). Pedal speed is the speed at which your feet are moving. If you imagine a record player, any given point towards the outside of the record spinning at 33 and 1/3rd rpm is going to be moving much faster than any given point on the label of the record, thus, if you held the speed for a given point constant, as you moved towards the origin of the radius, rotational speed would necessarily increase. Ultimately as you mentioned power output is identical regardless of crank length. If the bike is traveling at a given speed, say 15 kph, and you ride one bike with 175mm cranks and one with 165mm cranks you might end up shifting to one easier gear up from what you were pedalling on the 175s and this is your body just naturally regulating its preference for speed. So same speed, same effort (i.e. power in watts), faster pedalling cadence. Where this does make a difference is on your very easiest gear. Since you don't have one more easier gear to go to, you're losing out on just a little bit of leverage. Conversely on your hardest gear you will gain a little more speed before you spin out.
Also, good to see these experiences. Anecdotally on the road bike, I've broken all of my climbing records since last year, save for one by rather significant margins (in some cases putting several minutes into nearly hour long climbs). I'd say my average cadence has gone up (on the 165s as compared to 172.5s) by 4 RPMs +/- 1 RPM depending on terrain. I just bought a Ripley AF which came with 175s and I think I'm going to swap them out for 165s. I'm right in the middle height wise (1 cm taller than Jeff at 175 cm) of the medium and the large. With the medium, with saddle setback slammed all the way back my sit bones are hanging off the back edge of the saddle. On the large with the saddle slammed forward, it's good BUT... shaving off 1 cm would open up my hips and chest, put a less acute angle on my knees, and allow me to move the saddle back by 1 cm leaving it perfectly centered on the rails. I might do what @mechanik did and go for a slightly smaller (just 1 tooth ought to do) chainring on the front if it exists. I rarely ever go near that small sprocket on the rear cassette anyway so I don't think I'll miss anything.
Jeff I really like the fact that you are blunt enough to at-least point out one thing that you don’t like about the bike regardless of your obvious reason for bias. So many reviewers that are truly not affiliated with any brands still struggle to point out any negatives as if they are afraid to.
Thanks Kevin! Lots of folks tell me I'm wrong for noting that low BB, but the handling of the Tazer with its higher BB has been great, so I feel like we're lower than necessary.
Enjoyed the video, thank you! Glad to see Ibis making these changes. I bought my Ripmo last summer, original version. First frame up custom build for me from a local bike shop. I love riding it! I put a negative 1.5 degree angle head set on, and more recently lengthened the fork to 170mm. It feels much more stable on descents, jumps, drops, and gnar. I live in Asheville, NC, and mainly ride in Pisgah National Forest.
Right on Jason, thank you! I'd love to run a 170 telescoping fork on the Ripmo but Ibis hasn't approved it for more than 160mm so I'm hesitant to run a set up they aren't OK with, especially in conjunction with the extra slacker head angle. I doubt it's going to break, but I tend to find out quickly if anything is ever possible to break!
Jeff: "What kind of bike do you think this is?" A fun one. Also, at 6'2 I also enjoy 165 cranks. Better clearance and any loss in leverage can be regained with a smaller chain ring.
JKW: Awesome riding and review as always! I'm impressed with the Ripmo 2; but even more so with your candor, inclusion of family, and Ibis' apparent willingness to let you share your "unfiltered" pros and cons of the bike. Certainly making me even more of an Ibis fan for so many reasons!! Ride on! :-)
Most skilled rider I’ve seen Jeff and you’re a natural in everything I see you do. Thanks for the entertainment, inspo and for all the info you provide.
Hey Jeff, glad to see your new sponsorship agreement for this year, hoping for some straight forward, honest reviews of some other bikes, should be entertaining. What I would also love to see this year is more of you riding your retro Mojo Ti, it also would be cool to test some bikes that don't fit into the modern day trend and lean more towards those of us who like less slack and maybe even try a rigid plus bike.
Thanks Lynx!!! Would LOVE to shred more on the Mojo Ti, that's a fun bike! I've had some weird shifting issues on it lately though, gotta get it squared away!
I recently rode my first Ibis 3 weeks ago...Mojo 3. Fell is love! I've never felt a bike connect with me like the Mojo 3 did. It made me narrow my new bike search to Ibis. Yesterday rode a Ripley, HD5 and a Ripmo. The Ripmo felt very similar to what I recall the Mojo 3, but with a little more cush. I believe the Ripmo will be my next bike. Thanks for the review and love watching you ride.
I was curious about your comment about the bottom bracket height, but was happy to see it wasn't actually any lower than the original Ripmo, and actually 1mm higher than the original HD3.
Yeah, it's funny, folks used to complain to me all the time when I worked at Ibis that our bikes were too low. I thought they were crazy, but then I rode a few other bikes with higher BBs recently and started to prefer it. Now folks tell me I'm crazy for thinking it's low. I'd love to try some one off proto bikes with +10mm and +20mm BB heights to see just how noticeable the change would be. It all feels miles lower than my trials bike, anyhow.
@@JeffKendallWeedFor the most part, I think people adapt pretty quickly to what they're riding. Most bikes I would be interested are within a +/- 5mm. Evil seems to run some really low bottom brackets. Yeti's are all over the place. Either way, we're all a bit crazy.
Few riders inspire me to get substantially better Jeff. The flow you have while doing your cool stylish tricks has me trying but I'm always slowing down and looking awkward. 😉
As a fellow 5’8” rider, I appreciate your take on a 29er as I contemplate adding one to the fleet. Ibis seems to make bikes that have a longer shelf life than other brands, the Mojo3 for example, which is my go to ride. The Rimpo seems be in that same category.
I enjoyed listening to you "modulate" your brakes. Normally annoying, but this time educational knowing when and how much you brake👍 And the bike....All mountain, fun pistol. Happy Trails buddy
Watching Jeff crush it in the wet makes me feel a little bit disgusted that I didn’t ride Monday when it was a 40% chance of rain(which it didn’t🤬) I’m riding Friday come hell or high water lol!!!
Your welcome! The Intense Tazer ebike I'm riding has a much higher BB, but it corners really, really well. I am curious how much more we can raise the bb before it really affects handling. Wish I had access to a proto version with a +10 and +20mm bb heights just to see!
That's one reason I got The Smash. I've shot over the bars far too often from pedal strikes on my Transition. I've yet (touches wood) to do it with Guerrilla Gravity.
I wish a brand would make some aluminum prototype frames that are identical besides BB height. Would be very interesting to try +10mm and +20mm heights to see just how noticeable it is. I’ve always thought the higher BB bikes can pump better but I’d love to actually test it! So often when we get adjustable bikes it’s simply done through suspension, and that’s not an apples to apples comparison.
You must be one of the best riders around. You should do tutorials to pass on that massive skills to the rest. Was I living in North America I would be knocking on your door for classes!
Thanks Germain! I do tutorials every month, and since they are so frequently requested, I've been posting them solely to my Patreon page. You can find them here: www.patreon.com/jeffkendallweed
In this day of internet mass information and, more often disinformation, you are one of the very few reviewers of products which I religiously follow. Your reviews are always spot on. Side bar: I sent a friend to Jensen USA and he got a smoking deal on a 2019 Kona process 153. I’d love to see you review that bike sometime, being a local company. Thanks for your good work
Look at that beautiful machine. Congratulations Jeff! I'll never get tired of telling you're such a mutant on the bike. It is a treat watching. Cheers to that 🍻
3:01 when you think he's going to lay it down, but you remember you're watching JKW & that's an average turn....new Ibis looks awesome! I like the improvements & I still enjoy the Ripmo AF's ride/price. Hopefully I can try one out soon. Keep it up!
Great review. I grabbed the AF frame when it came out because, well, it was cheap! :) It's an awesome bike. I always considered it an "aggressive trail bike" - the AF and V2 are a bit short in travel to be a proper Enduro bike, but it's a bit more agro than a regular trail bike. I only have two grips with it. First, the low BB, as you pointed out. I'm just a hair under 6'2" with a + ape index, and I went from 175's to 170's. I'd honestly love to try 165's. Second gripe... I feel in between sizes. That's what's kept me from pulling the trigger on the v2 frame. I'm on a large and the 475 reach is a touch short, especially with the steep STA. But.. it's playful. I worry that the 500mm reach of the XL is going to push the bike into sled territory. I'm always on the hunt for that bike that can mini enduro when needed, but still stay playful. Again, great vid as always.
Another great vid and Happy New Bike Day! It's a sweet bike. Seth, Pilgrim, and JKW are my fav youtubers and never fail to put out great content. Thanks man!
i'm the same height as you and iv'e switched to 165 on all my bikes as its just a more efficient pedal stroke as well as more ground clearance. if it were more widely available i think i might even go a bit shorter like 160. also i feel another added benefit is that when pedals are level, your feet are closer together making your hips turn easier towards the forward foot!
5:30 I have a Nicolai/Geometron G1, it has replaceable blocks barrels with threads in them, so no need to recoil or put in new thread inserts in a carbon frame, and cable routing is external apart from dropper post, but it's done well.
Are you satisfied with the 147mm travel out back? I just got my Ripmo AF and am still fiddling with the back end. I'm super happy with the geo, just wondering how many dumb mistakes i'm gonna be able to get through the rough before I get in trouble.... coming from a Kona Process 153. I've already gotten myself into a few near crashes going a bit too fast into the rough because the bike feels so confident, but I don't have it dialed yet, nor am I 100% used to it yet (was only using 60% travel, needed to remove vol reducers).
@ 8:16 - No JKW ... it's not a freeride bike. For you its a ifly all over the place bike! I think you made your own category for any bike you ride ;) . Sweet whip man! Enjoy Sedona!
Riding Grannies & Crippler in the snow/ wet... you're a mad man! I've been thinking about running some shorter cranks on my bike too, I wonder if companies will start selling bikes with shorter cranks as bb heights keep dropping?
E-bikes also benefit from the shorter cranks too! And I fully meant to ride Executioner, but literally forgot when we got to Crippler! Crippler wasn't that bad at all, I need to get back up to the shore again soon!
You said that if you were racing, you would have chosen a large frame. Can you explain that reasoning for me? I'm going to do my first enduro race this year.
Jeff I love your videos and your positive attitude, but that Trust fork has some pretty real impacts on the geo and the front/rear suspension relationship. Would be nice to see your bike reviews, with the forks the bikes you are reviewing are spec'd with. You asked for comments. Thanks and love what you do.
Thanks Jim! I'll never be a good reviewer, but since I ride all my bikes primarily with the Trust fork, I'm keeping thins similar by continuing to use it. I'm saving my pennies to buy a few standard forks to have on hand as well. My focus with bike ride reports is not so much to "review" in the traditional sense, but to explain how I got along with the bike when I ride it with my own peculiar style. Relevant or not to the average rider, a lotta folks have found this interesting, so I'm running with it! Thanks for the note!
Great video, thanks for all the pro's/con's... I would like to see a review with a conventional fork for a test/review.... only because most peeps are not running a $2500+ Trust fork ;-)
A bit confused. Was your camera guy also on a new ripmo? His bike looked like an enduro or stumpy. Or was that just an example of what can happen with a lower BB?
“I was on a different bike” I was riding an intense Tazer, he was on my Ripmo. We shot this over 4 days. he was on his enduro about half the time then took turns on the HD5 and Ripmo 2
It's much more light blue than it is turquoise. Pinkbike's video also makes it look different- almost greenish. It's like the Ripley gray ("blue") but brighter. It looks good!
Surprised more manufacturers don't spec cranks to match bike sizes better. 165 should probably be the default for XS/S, 170 for M/L and 175 for XL/XXL. I'd actually prefer 165 on my medium frame bike over 175 any day.
Matt, some guys do that, and at Ibis, we used to do that BITD. Not sure what Ibis do now, I just get carbon parts from them so I build them up fully custom.
Hey Jeff, have a V1 Ripmo that I custom built. Went back to 175 cranks with this build, and sort of wish I hadn't (pedal strikes). Thoughts on bumping the Fox 36 up to 170 to raise the BB and slacken the HA out a bit? Think it'd have much of a negative effect on the handling? Ideally, I'd grab some new crank arm$ but they're just so pricey.
Ben, Ibis only approves the Ripmo for a 160 fork, so I don't want to encourage you to go outside of their recommendation. Check out the Shimano SLX cranks, they are only about $100 and are plenty light and plenty strong. I have them on my Ripmo AF and they work just fine.
rrrrealllly---nice build that jeffers it really suits those forks im saving for some for this years mega-avalanche !!! 29er build hey why dont you come its really cool and very kid freindly its a propper fairytale picture-book ski-resort you and your family would love-it!
@@JeffKendallWeed ohhh wicked ! jeff yep to-do list haha but now youve replied which amaaaaazingly you always do!!!(cheers big time) .i have loadsa negativity for ye wellll just ttwo points which made me laugh at the time.NOOOO ITS NOT "there isnt much to it!!!!!!!!!!!!"its "GOSH THIS IS LIGHT" HAHAA REMEMBER MY HEART SINKING WHEN MY FIRST SUPERLIGHT CUBE HPC ACTION TEAM FRAME ARRIVED SOOO LIGHT FIRST THOUGHT WAS YEP GONNA BREAK THAT BUT THERE TOUGH HEY AND TO BE FAIR THEY HAVE TO BE WE (BY WE I MEAN YOU AND TO A LESSER DEGREE ME) RIDE HARD SO WERE A GOOD TESTBED FOR THESE PARTS THANKS FOR REPLIES JEFF ALWAYS GET A RUSH OUTHA YE BIT WET HERE TODAY AND VERY LOW 40S SO BIT MISERABLE BUT OFF TO SOUTH AFRICA SOON FOR THREE MONTHS WORK/ADVENTURE/RIDING SO LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT! GET RAD JEFFERS AND STAY KOOOL.
THATS REALLY GOOD JEFF AND MY LUCKY NUMBER HAHAA I DIDNT DO SO WELL FELL DAY BEFORE QUALI AND BROKE TWO RIBS THEN QUILIED INTO LAST POSITION MASS START IN THE AM PASSED 300PLUS ALSO CAME IN 144 HAHA AGONY BUT I WAS FINISHINNG MY FIRST MEGA EVEN IF ON MY HANDS AND KNEEEEES HAHAAA ALMOST CRASHED AGAIN RIGHT AT THE END IT WAS GREAT AND TO BE FAIR IM A 50 YR OLD RECOVERING ALCHOLIC WITH LUNG DISEASE AND I DID IT ON A 26" DOWNHILL BIKE HA MINT LOVEED IT BACK THIS ON A CARBON FEATHER TO CHEW BUBBLE GUM AND KICK-ARSE ONCE AGAIN APART FROM THE BUBBLE GUM BIT HATE THE STUFF HA CHEERS JEEFFF GREAT VIDS VERY KOOL RIDING STAY RAD!
I hope you get to my question here What do you ride on your bikes 29 or 27.5? Especially on the blue one I notice you ride the most. Thank you for your videos Jeff Kee it up!
Hey Josue I’ve been on 29” a lot this winter but for most trails I do have more fun on 27.5. I feel like a bike’s geo is more important than the wheel size. It also depends what terrain- in Sedona, for instance, the 29 is awesome. Here in Bellingham I really like the 27.5.
Hey there Jeff love you’re content! I’m in the process of getting a Ripmo V2 as well, and I’m about you’re height and I was curious what mm stem did you install?
Hey Dave thanks for the note! I'm 5'8" (174cm) and ride a medium with a 45mm stem. Feels really good- if anything, it's a tad short when seated and climbing.
@@JeffKendallWeed Thanks a bunch Jeff! appreciate you’re advice and you have definitely gained my sub, I’m super stoked on my Ripmo V2 coming in Jan, I’ve never owned a MTB before but I’ve bmx’ed my whole life and can’t wait to starting having new adventures out there! Also one last question I don’t remember the video but I think I saw you going backwards without peddling like if you had a freecoster of some sort, I’m curious on how you did that because I ride with a freecoster on my bmx and that be super rad to apply to my new MTB, again thanks a bunch and hope you have a rad day!🤙
OMG!!! It looks like you have fully gone to the flat pedal dark side. When you talk breaking pins, it's the same as getting a double-bladed lightsaber. .......... Pretty soon you'll see Tom Morgan walking into your "office" saying "No, Jeff, I'm your father"
Do you know when the Ibis Ripmo 2 will be available to purchase? Im looking at building a Ibis Ripmo, but if a newer model is coming out I might change my mind.
Hey Cole, it came out yesterday so it’s been available for a day now! While I’d love for you to work with my main sponsor Jenson USA, any good Ibis dealer can now get the new model. Cheers!
Not really. There have been a couple of great studdies lately about crank length, and just about all of them found that the actual length has minimal effect on pedaling power.
I’m 5’11” and went 170 years ago for more ground clearance. I found my knees hurt less and I’ve had to become a little bit more of a spinner from always being a pusher in the past. I’d consider going even further to a 165. One drawback is you have to raise your seat higher to accommodate.
@@JeffKendallWeed Did they take into consideration bigger riders? At 6'3" and 235, my 175's give me more torque. Got two bikes, 170's and 175's and prefer the 175's. Pedal strikes though! 8(
@@raivkka4313 Torque is the combination of the crank length and the gearing. You can adjust the chain ring or cassette to get what you want regardless of crank length.
Hello, I currently have an HD Mojo, you think I should get a Ripmo 2 or an HD5. I do a lot of mountain (Morzine, La Bresse, Lac Blanc). Thank you for your return, Have a nice day, Frédéric
Fred, If you are riding more bike parks then I would say HD5. If you are pedaling up all those mountains, then the Ripmo. But for steep alps, I’m inclined to say HD5! More travel and even slacker.
Jeff, How did you fit the 200mm dropper and not get tire contact with the back of the seat when the post is down? I had plenty of room for a 200 in my medium, but when I put the seat down it wouldn’t clear the tire. Had to raise the post another 20mm till I just cleared the tire so I went with a 180 instead.
are you using full XTR? if so, a video on how to adjust shifting on the 10-51 would be very helpful for us Ripmo XTR owners. I am using a RF crankset which seems to be the choice on Ibis website, but am interested in the XTR, specifically the chainring and if it's a better choice than RF chainring.
Hey there, not sure on the best chainring. I like the XTR one just fine, but if I don't keep the chain well lubed it definitely grabs the chain quite a bit. Maybe that's how the chain stays put? I dunno, but the XTR rings have been fine for me. As for the 10-51 and shifting, there's a special mark on the cage for setting the b-tension, be sure you're using that. Chain length is critical on the 10-51. And finally, I did set my lower limit (for the smaller cogs/higher ratio) a tad past the 10 tooth to allow for more cable tension adjustment. That's worked well.
Shimano brake question if you don't mind. Currently running two piston XT's (5'10" 210 riding weight) and just feel like I need more. I can get a set of Zee's for a good price, or do you think going with 4 piston XT's is a better bet? PS - Only thought about this because of the brake squeal from those metallic pads!!! Love the content and channel!! Those snow covered trails looked gnarly!!
Hey there Nick, I don't think you'll notice more power going from M8020 4 piston to any other Shimano brake. However, going to bigger rotors would make a good difference. I use 180mm rotors front and rear, as well as metallic pads.
@@JeffKendallWeed Thanks for the reply. I'm actually on M8000 (2 piston) brakes now. I am running Ice Tech rotors 180mm and metallic just in the back. I just feel like I'm at the limit of the brake combined with my comfort level, and not really sure making the jump to 4 piston brakes will get me where I need to be.
Ah I misunderstood ya, thought you had the 4 piston brakes already. In my experience all the Shimano 4 piston brakes have similar amounts of power, but it’s been a while (12 months now) since I last rode Saints/Zees! Rotors make a big difference as well.
Does Logan have the best GoPro commentary ever? "HEYYYYY"
#freeduro
The best Ibis rider/presenter there is 👌🤘
Aw shucks, thanks Jesper!
@@JeffKendallWeed he's right you got skills bro , your videos make me want to buy an Ibis.
@@scottstanton9412 I bought my Ripmo 15 months ago partly because of JKW but also because it got amazing reviews and it just felt right when I demoed.
Jeff "the jackrabbit" Kendall-Weed
I'm inclined to think that every bike you ride becomes a freeride bike. =) Your videos are always so beautiful and fun. Great energy!
Thank you Sky!
I've been running 165 mm Canfield cranks on my 2017 Canfield Balance, since I built it. Reducing pedal strikes is a great reason but there are some other benefits. Apparently, shorter cranks are less stressful on hips and knees, because of the reduced pedaling radius. 165 mm cranks are better for spinning, because there is less of a dead spot at the top of each rotation. Road cycling studies have shown there is no power compromise with shorter cranks. I do feel like there might be less torque with shorter cranks, so I switched to a smaller chainring to compensate for reduced torque. I'm now running 165mm cranks on both my Balance and my Nimble 9.
I've gone to 165's on my Zerode and I haven't had any pedal strikes, don't have to worry about having to back-pedal or hold off pedaling through tech sections - it's made a big difference to my riding experience... I'm 5'8" like Jeff and it totally works for me - just lucky that Pinion makes cranks in that length!
I just switched from 175's to 165's when I build my new bike this winter due to some post ride hip pain/tightness I'd been experiencing. Pretty early to weigh in on the change, but I think it's helped! As far as a loss of torque; It feels different, but 165mm is still 94% of 175mm... +/- 6% isnt very significant, I'm sure I lost far more torque moving to 29's on my new bike over the 27.5's on my last bike!
I went from 172.5 on my road bike to 165. Contrary to what was stated in the video, reducing crank length actually increases cadence on average. I believe one of the theories as to why this is, is because your body has a preference for a pedal speed (not to be confused with cadence, they are two very different things). Pedal speed is the speed at which your feet are moving. If you imagine a record player, any given point towards the outside of the record spinning at 33 and 1/3rd rpm is going to be moving much faster than any given point on the label of the record, thus, if you held the speed for a given point constant, as you moved towards the origin of the radius, rotational speed would necessarily increase.
Ultimately as you mentioned power output is identical regardless of crank length. If the bike is traveling at a given speed, say 15 kph, and you ride one bike with 175mm cranks and one with 165mm cranks you might end up shifting to one easier gear up from what you were pedalling on the 175s and this is your body just naturally regulating its preference for speed. So same speed, same effort (i.e. power in watts), faster pedalling cadence. Where this does make a difference is on your very easiest gear. Since you don't have one more easier gear to go to, you're losing out on just a little bit of leverage. Conversely on your hardest gear you will gain a little more speed before you spin out.
Also, good to see these experiences. Anecdotally on the road bike, I've broken all of my climbing records since last year, save for one by rather significant margins (in some cases putting several minutes into nearly hour long climbs). I'd say my average cadence has gone up (on the 165s as compared to 172.5s) by 4 RPMs +/- 1 RPM depending on terrain. I just bought a Ripley AF which came with 175s and I think I'm going to swap them out for 165s. I'm right in the middle height wise (1 cm taller than Jeff at 175 cm) of the medium and the large. With the medium, with saddle setback slammed all the way back my sit bones are hanging off the back edge of the saddle. On the large with the saddle slammed forward, it's good BUT... shaving off 1 cm would open up my hips and chest, put a less acute angle on my knees, and allow me to move the saddle back by 1 cm leaving it perfectly centered on the rails. I might do what @mechanik did and go for a slightly smaller (just 1 tooth ought to do) chainring on the front if it exists. I rarely ever go near that small sprocket on the rear cassette anyway so I don't think I'll miss anything.
Jeff I really like the fact that you are blunt enough to at-least point out one thing that you don’t like about the bike regardless of your obvious reason for bias. So many reviewers that are truly not affiliated with any brands still struggle to point out any negatives as if they are afraid to.
Thanks Kevin! Lots of folks tell me I'm wrong for noting that low BB, but the handling of the Tazer with its higher BB has been great, so I feel like we're lower than necessary.
Enjoyed the video, thank you! Glad to see Ibis making these changes. I bought my Ripmo last summer, original version. First frame up custom build for me from a local bike shop. I love riding it! I put a negative 1.5 degree angle head set on, and more recently lengthened the fork to 170mm. It feels much more stable on descents, jumps, drops, and gnar. I live in Asheville, NC, and mainly ride in Pisgah National Forest.
Right on Jason, thank you! I'd love to run a 170 telescoping fork on the Ripmo but Ibis hasn't approved it for more than 160mm so I'm hesitant to run a set up they aren't OK with, especially in conjunction with the extra slacker head angle. I doubt it's going to break, but I tend to find out quickly if anything is ever possible to break!
Really enjoyed Jeff's tone and volume when speaking from Arizona. Relaaaaxed. My favorite part of the vid was his daughter and the stuffed dog.
Thanks Yama!!! I’m trying to calm down while on camera and use more b roll to bring the energy back up. Hopefully I can figure it out!
Thank you for sharing. I just got my Ripmo three weeks ago. I had a feeling this would happen.
you can buy a different headset toslack yours out, as for rear suspension, I have an v1 ripmo & am totally happy with it as is.
Same happened to me last year with my Ripley v3
@@nickbatchelor8028 which headset is it?
Watching you ride makes me think "maybe lawn bowling is my thing". Serious skills on the bike Jeff.
LOL thanks Scott!!!
Jeff: "What kind of bike do you think this is?"
A fun one.
Also, at 6'2 I also enjoy 165 cranks. Better clearance and any loss in leverage can be regained with a smaller chain ring.
Cheers Joe! The small crank arms are pretty sweet!
JKW: Awesome riding and review as always! I'm impressed with the Ripmo 2; but even more so with your candor, inclusion of family, and Ibis' apparent willingness to let you share your "unfiltered" pros and cons of the bike. Certainly making me even more of an Ibis fan for so many reasons!! Ride on! :-)
Thanks JD!!!
Most skilled rider I’ve seen Jeff and you’re a natural in everything I see you do. Thanks for the entertainment, inspo and for all the info you provide.
Hey Jeff, glad to see your new sponsorship agreement for this year, hoping for some straight forward, honest reviews of some other bikes, should be entertaining. What I would also love to see this year is more of you riding your retro Mojo Ti, it also would be cool to test some bikes that don't fit into the modern day trend and lean more towards those of us who like less slack and maybe even try a rigid plus bike.
Thanks Lynx!!! Would LOVE to shred more on the Mojo Ti, that's a fun bike! I've had some weird shifting issues on it lately though, gotta get it squared away!
I recently rode my first Ibis 3 weeks ago...Mojo 3. Fell is love! I've never felt a bike connect with me like the Mojo 3 did. It made me narrow my new bike search to Ibis. Yesterday rode a Ripley, HD5 and a Ripmo. The Ripmo felt very similar to what I recall the Mojo 3, but with a little more cush. I believe the Ripmo will be my next bike. Thanks for the review and love watching you ride.
Geez such buttery smooth talent on a bike .. Well done Jeff !!!
I'm weird, but I love how Ibis uses a real headtube badge on their bikes instead of a cheap sticker. to me is sais...Quality!
It’s like a mad car badge ,those details are sure signs of quality craftsmanship and care.
Videos are always top notch. Thanks for all the effort especially from someone who is currently covered in snow and can’t ride.
Thanks for noticing, Pete! Hope you thaw out soon!
Great looking frame. Love the colour! I still can't get over that Trust fork though...I hate the way it looks... It makes me sad. lol
Cheers Chris, the Trust fork does look quite different in real life than on the internet.
Doesn't matter how it looks when you're in the cockpit.
I was curious about your comment about the bottom bracket height, but was happy to see it wasn't actually any lower than the original Ripmo, and actually 1mm higher than the original HD3.
Yeah, it's funny, folks used to complain to me all the time when I worked at Ibis that our bikes were too low. I thought they were crazy, but then I rode a few other bikes with higher BBs recently and started to prefer it. Now folks tell me I'm crazy for thinking it's low. I'd love to try some one off proto bikes with +10mm and +20mm BB heights to see just how noticeable the change would be. It all feels miles lower than my trials bike, anyhow.
@@JeffKendallWeedFor the most part, I think people adapt pretty quickly to what they're riding. Most bikes I would be interested are within a +/- 5mm. Evil seems to run some really low bottom brackets. Yeti's are all over the place. Either way, we're all a bit crazy.
My Ripmo has 175 cranks. Possibly why I’m not having fun in the tech gardens
"It was raining in bellingham so we went to Fromme" where there was snow haha
lol fair point! We had a two day break in the weather so we went where we thought we could get some special footage!
Jeff is one of the best mountain bikers out... 🤘
Thank you Fred!
Few riders inspire me to get substantially better Jeff. The flow you have while doing your cool stylish tricks has me trying but I'm always slowing down and looking awkward. 😉
Hahaha thanks Julian!!! Stay at it and keep practicing, that's how we all get better!
As a fellow 5’8” rider, I appreciate your take on a 29er as I contemplate adding one to the fleet. Ibis seems to make bikes that have a longer shelf life than other brands, the Mojo3 for example, which is my go to ride. The Rimpo seems be in that same category.
Right on Joey! the medium has worked great for me. If i was trying to race, I might consider a large, but honestly the medium is pretty good.
I'm a fan of your honest review and the changes you made ;-)
Those trails are soo pretty to me!
Thanks Gogo!!!
I could've sworn I saw that thing floating on the trails!
Looks so fricken nimble!
Thanks man!!!
Hey Jeff, that Marines haircut does you well! :)
Hahaha thanks man!
I enjoyed listening to you "modulate" your brakes. Normally annoying, but this time educational knowing when and how much you brake👍
And the bike....All mountain, fun pistol. Happy Trails buddy
I can't get over how quiet the bikes are!! No rattle, creaks or clanging!!
From your AF video I bought my first real bike. Thanks for the video and Ibis you rock! You sponsored the right guy.
Thank you Troy! I hope you enjoy the AF- it's a GREAT bike!
Watching Jeff crush it in the wet makes me feel a little bit disgusted that I didn’t ride Monday when it was a 40% chance of rain(which it didn’t🤬) I’m riding Friday come hell or high water lol!!!
Hope you got out and enjoyed a good ride yesterday! Cheers Jedidiah!
Where are you riding?
I made the 3 hour trip to Arkansas to ride Bentonville!!! It was everything I’d hope for 💯
Bike looks amazing, but I am just blown away by your riding skill on those wet, sloppy nw trails. Incredible really!
Thank you Eugene!
Fantastic ridin' as always! Love the set-up on that bike. Looks like a lot of fun to ride. Enjoy!!
Thanks Chris! I’ve been really enjoying this bike!
Enjoyed watching every second of this video! lookin forward to the next on:)
Gotta have that Mac-Ride spacer :) My little ones can't get enough of our mac-ride time!! Love your channel!
YEP! I've already taken her riding here in Sedona on the new Ripmo 2!
This was such a nice video Jeff! I swear I keep appreciating your crazy unique riding style more and more with each vid! Keep it up.
Thanks man!
Thank you, Thank you Thank you for mentioning the too low bottom bracket. I've been saying for years now BB heights have been too low.
Your welcome! The Intense Tazer ebike I'm riding has a much higher BB, but it corners really, really well. I am curious how much more we can raise the bb before it really affects handling. Wish I had access to a proto version with a +10 and +20mm bb heights just to see!
That's one reason I got The Smash. I've shot over the bars far too often from pedal strikes on my Transition. I've yet (touches wood) to do it with Guerrilla Gravity.
I wish a brand would make some aluminum prototype frames that are identical besides BB height. Would be very interesting to try +10mm and +20mm heights to see just how noticeable it is. I’ve always thought the higher BB bikes can pump better but I’d love to actually test it! So often when we get adjustable bikes it’s simply done through suspension, and that’s not an apples to apples comparison.
@@JeffKendallWeed Wouldn't Ibis have some of their own development prototypes of different bb heights?
Nice review and rad riding thx Jeff
Nice riding guys... The filming looks great Logan.. & Like Nate says "Jeff is a ninja"
Thank you Mike!!!
You’re a amazing rider Jeff! definitely put the bike through all it can take! I love my RipMo Ibis 👍🏼
Thank you Diego!
You must be one of the best riders around. You should do tutorials to pass on that massive skills to the rest. Was I living in North America I would be knocking on your door for classes!
Thanks Germain! I do tutorials every month, and since they are so frequently requested, I've been posting them solely to my Patreon page. You can find them here: www.patreon.com/jeffkendallweed
In this day of internet mass information and, more often disinformation, you are one of the very few reviewers of products which I religiously follow. Your reviews are always spot on. Side bar: I sent a friend to Jensen USA and he got a smoking deal on a 2019 Kona process 153. I’d love to see you review that bike sometime, being a local company. Thanks for your good work
Thank you! I wouldn't call myself a "reviewer" by any means though. I'm a rider first and foremost!
Great Vid from a rider who can definitely put this bike through it's paces.
Thanks Peter!
Thanks for bringing this to us. Ripmo 2 looks sweet.
Thanks for watching man!
Amazing riding man great video 👍👍👍
Thanks Q!
Awesome as always! I agree, one of the best riders on UA-cam. Thanks for doing these videos! Learning a lot from you
Thanks Jim!
After riding a ripmo af for 3 days in Arizona I can say that this is the logical step.
Hahaha yes!!!
As always a great video Jeff!
Thanks Mike! Stay tuned for that hardtail vid soon too!
Look at that beautiful machine. Congratulations Jeff! I'll never get tired of telling you're such a mutant on the bike. It is a treat watching. Cheers to that 🍻
Thank you Marcos!
3:01 when you think he's going to lay it down, but you remember you're watching JKW & that's an average turn....new Ibis looks awesome! I like the improvements & I still enjoy the Ripmo AF's ride/price. Hopefully I can try one out soon. Keep it up!
Great review. I grabbed the AF frame when it came out because, well, it was cheap! :) It's an awesome bike. I always considered it an "aggressive trail bike" - the AF and V2 are a bit short in travel to be a proper Enduro bike, but it's a bit more agro than a regular trail bike.
I only have two grips with it. First, the low BB, as you pointed out. I'm just a hair under 6'2" with a + ape index, and I went from 175's to 170's. I'd honestly love to try 165's. Second gripe... I feel in between sizes. That's what's kept me from pulling the trigger on the v2 frame. I'm on a large and the 475 reach is a touch short, especially with the steep STA. But.. it's playful. I worry that the 500mm reach of the XL is going to push the bike into sled territory. I'm always on the hunt for that bike that can mini enduro when needed, but still stay playful.
Again, great vid as always.
NinjaJeff strikes again! So nice to see you gliding (hover?) over stuff... :)
Nice. Thanks for doing this.
Thanks for watching Dave!
Looks nice! Have been thinking of going with shorter cranks for awhile and what you said about the cadence may really work for me also. Thanks!
Cheers Gary! Lots of folks have been commenting favorably towards the shorter cranks.
Great job on the follow cam Logan. Hope you didn't get hurt too much.
Logan is a shredder! He is OK, thank goodness!
Another great vid and Happy New Bike Day! It's a sweet bike. Seth, Pilgrim, and JKW are my fav youtubers and never fail to put out great content. Thanks man!
Thanks Tom!!!
Jeff is a little more skilled than Pilgrim when it comes to installing forks. No sledghammers or pavement files.
@@scottpratico1315 haha true, they all have their strong points but are all entertaining to me. To The Sky!
i'm the same height as you and iv'e switched to 165 on all my bikes as its just a more efficient pedal stroke as well as more ground clearance. if it were more widely available i think i might even go a bit shorter like 160. also i feel another added benefit is that when pedals are level, your feet are closer together making your hips turn easier towards the forward foot!
Ahhhhh interesting point about cornering! I've only got a few rides on these cranks, excited for more!
5:30 I have a Nicolai/Geometron G1, it has replaceable blocks barrels with threads in them, so no need to recoil or put in new thread inserts in a carbon frame, and cable routing is external apart from dropper post, but it's done well.
I so wish more brands used those replaceable barrel threads!
Are you satisfied with the 147mm travel out back? I just got my Ripmo AF and am still fiddling with the back end. I'm super happy with the geo, just wondering how many dumb mistakes i'm gonna be able to get through the rough before I get in trouble.... coming from a Kona Process 153.
I've already gotten myself into a few near crashes going a bit too fast into the rough because the bike feels so confident, but I don't have it dialed yet, nor am I 100% used to it yet (was only using 60% travel, needed to remove vol reducers).
Your videos are always great!
Thanks man!!!
LOL the brake honking in the snow... It's like you have a flock of geese with you on your ride
hahaha right?! The joys of the wet, cold, dark forest!
Love the new colors! I wish I could be on the new bike every year plan, but it will have to wait!
And don't forget, mountain biking isn't just about what bike you're riding!
@@JeffKendallWeedVery true, love the bike you ride!
Cant wait to ride this new Ripmo!!!
You’ll hAve fun on it man!
I like how it was raining in Washington, so you drove 4 hours north where there was snow. I think I'd have taken the rain.
@ 8:16 - No JKW ... it's not a freeride bike. For you its a ifly all over the place bike! I think you made your own category for any bike you ride ;) . Sweet whip man! Enjoy Sedona!
Great review Jeff. When the dropper post is all the way down, have you noticed any rear tire rub against the saddle when bottoming out??
Great Stuff Jeff from Wales 🏴 UK 😉🤘🤘🤘
Cheers Taffy!
New bike day! Hype!
Hahaha Roy, new bike day is ALWAYS exciting!
Riding Grannies & Crippler in the snow/ wet... you're a mad man! I've been thinking about running some shorter cranks on my bike too, I wonder if companies will start selling bikes with shorter cranks as bb heights keep dropping?
E-bikes also benefit from the shorter cranks too! And I fully meant to ride Executioner, but literally forgot when we got to Crippler! Crippler wasn't that bad at all, I need to get back up to the shore again soon!
Sick content and riding man.
Subbed for more madness !
You said that if you were racing, you would have chosen a large frame. Can you explain that reasoning for me? I'm going to do my first enduro race this year.
Love how you said I will cut away so we don’t visit the er and cut towards yourself while saying it
hahaha but I was careful!
Jeff I love your videos and your positive attitude, but that Trust fork has some pretty real impacts on the geo and the front/rear suspension relationship. Would be nice to see your bike reviews, with the forks the bikes you are reviewing are spec'd with. You asked for comments. Thanks and love what you do.
Thanks Jim! I'll never be a good reviewer, but since I ride all my bikes primarily with the Trust fork, I'm keeping thins similar by continuing to use it. I'm saving my pennies to buy a few standard forks to have on hand as well. My focus with bike ride reports is not so much to "review" in the traditional sense, but to explain how I got along with the bike when I ride it with my own peculiar style. Relevant or not to the average rider, a lotta folks have found this interesting, so I'm running with it! Thanks for the note!
Bike looks sick! Nice riding.
Thanks CJ!
Awesome video as always do you know when they will release the v2
Yes at 9am this morning.
Great video, thanks for all the pro's/con's... I would like to see a review with a conventional fork for a test/review.... only because most peeps are not running a $2500+ Trust fork ;-)
A bit confused. Was your camera guy also on a new ripmo? His bike looked like an enduro or stumpy. Or was that just an example of what can happen with a lower BB?
“I was on a different bike” I was riding an intense Tazer, he was on my Ripmo. We shot this over 4 days. he was on his enduro about half the time then took turns on the HD5 and Ripmo 2
Next month I'm swopping my Ripley V4 for Ripmo V2 :)
Man I'd be total dork if I didn't buy one now! Thanks for making me internet famous Jeff!
lol Cheers Derek!
The color looks completely different than on the website. In a good way though. Awesome video!
It's much more light blue than it is turquoise. Pinkbike's video also makes it look different- almost greenish. It's like the Ripley gray ("blue") but brighter. It looks good!
You could make anything look fun🤘
For me a trail bike, for you a free ride. You have such good control of that bike it's ridiculous.
Thanks Andrew!
Awesome content I’m about 5’8 trying to find the right size ibis ,what size do you ride and why ?thank you stay safe .🇬🇷🤙🇨🇦
I am 5'8" (174 cm) and the medium fits great.
Surprised more manufacturers don't spec cranks to match bike sizes better. 165 should probably be the default for XS/S, 170 for M/L and 175 for XL/XXL. I'd actually prefer 165 on my medium frame bike over 175 any day.
Matt, some guys do that, and at Ibis, we used to do that BITD. Not sure what Ibis do now, I just get carbon parts from them so I build them up fully custom.
Hey Jeff, have a V1 Ripmo that I custom built. Went back to 175 cranks with this build, and sort of wish I hadn't (pedal strikes). Thoughts on bumping the Fox 36 up to 170 to raise the BB and slacken the HA out a bit? Think it'd have much of a negative effect on the handling? Ideally, I'd grab some new crank arm$ but they're just so pricey.
Ben, Ibis only approves the Ripmo for a 160 fork, so I don't want to encourage you to go outside of their recommendation. Check out the Shimano SLX cranks, they are only about $100 and are plenty light and plenty strong. I have them on my Ripmo AF and they work just fine.
New bike is the best kind of bike.
True! But some are truly more exciting and more fun than others.
That fork looks so gnarly - so hard to get used the look
hahaha it looks way more rad in real life, I promise! It's much burlier than it looks on a screen.
rrrrealllly---nice build that jeffers it really suits those forks im saving for some for this years mega-avalanche !!! 29er build hey why dont you come its really cool and very kid freindly its a propper fairytale picture-book ski-resort you and your family would love-it!
Hahaha! I did race a Maxiavalanche in Andorra back in 2006. That was AWESOME! Started 392nd, finished 13th.
@@JeffKendallWeed ohhh wicked ! jeff yep to-do list haha but now youve replied which amaaaaazingly you always do!!!(cheers big time) .i have loadsa negativity for ye wellll just ttwo points which made me laugh at the time.NOOOO ITS NOT "there isnt much to it!!!!!!!!!!!!"its "GOSH THIS IS LIGHT" HAHAA REMEMBER MY HEART SINKING WHEN MY FIRST SUPERLIGHT CUBE HPC ACTION TEAM FRAME ARRIVED SOOO LIGHT FIRST THOUGHT WAS YEP GONNA BREAK THAT BUT THERE TOUGH HEY AND TO BE FAIR THEY HAVE TO BE WE (BY WE I MEAN YOU AND TO A LESSER DEGREE ME) RIDE HARD SO WERE A GOOD TESTBED FOR THESE PARTS THANKS FOR REPLIES JEFF ALWAYS GET A RUSH OUTHA YE BIT WET HERE TODAY AND VERY LOW 40S SO BIT MISERABLE BUT OFF TO SOUTH AFRICA SOON FOR THREE MONTHS WORK/ADVENTURE/RIDING SO LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT! GET RAD JEFFERS AND STAY KOOOL.
THATS REALLY GOOD JEFF AND MY LUCKY NUMBER HAHAA I DIDNT DO SO WELL FELL DAY BEFORE QUALI AND BROKE TWO RIBS THEN QUILIED INTO LAST POSITION MASS START IN THE AM PASSED 300PLUS ALSO CAME IN 144 HAHA AGONY BUT I WAS FINISHINNG MY FIRST MEGA EVEN IF ON MY HANDS AND KNEEEEES HAHAAA ALMOST CRASHED AGAIN RIGHT AT THE END IT WAS GREAT AND TO BE FAIR IM A 50 YR OLD RECOVERING ALCHOLIC WITH LUNG DISEASE AND I DID IT ON A 26" DOWNHILL BIKE HA MINT LOVEED IT BACK THIS ON A CARBON FEATHER TO CHEW BUBBLE GUM AND KICK-ARSE ONCE AGAIN APART FROM THE BUBBLE GUM BIT HATE THE STUFF HA CHEERS JEEFFF GREAT VIDS VERY KOOL RIDING STAY RAD!
I hope you get to my question here
What do you ride on your bikes 29 or 27.5?
Especially on the blue one I notice you ride the most.
Thank you for your videos Jeff
Kee it up!
Hey Josue I’ve been on 29” a lot this winter but for most trails I do have more fun on 27.5. I feel like a bike’s geo is more important than the wheel size. It also depends what terrain- in Sedona, for instance, the 29 is awesome. Here in Bellingham I really like the 27.5.
Hey there Jeff love you’re content! I’m in the process of getting a Ripmo V2 as well, and I’m about you’re height and I was curious what mm stem did you install?
Hey Dave thanks for the note! I'm 5'8" (174cm) and ride a medium with a 45mm stem. Feels really good- if anything, it's a tad short when seated and climbing.
@@JeffKendallWeed Thanks a bunch Jeff! appreciate you’re advice and you have definitely gained my sub, I’m super stoked on my Ripmo V2 coming in Jan, I’ve never owned a MTB before but I’ve bmx’ed my whole life and can’t wait to starting having new adventures out there! Also one last question I don’t remember the video but I think I saw you going backwards without peddling like if you had a freecoster of some sort, I’m curious on how you did that because I ride with a freecoster on my bmx and that be super rad to apply to my new MTB, again thanks a bunch and hope you have a rad day!🤙
Hi,Jeff super bike 💯🤘😎🤘
Cheers Mara!!!
OMG!!! It looks like you have fully gone to the flat pedal dark side. When you talk breaking pins, it's the same as getting a double-bladed lightsaber. .......... Pretty soon you'll see Tom Morgan walking into your "office" saying "No, Jeff, I'm your father"
lol cheers David!
Do you know when the Ibis Ripmo 2 will be available to purchase? Im looking at building a Ibis Ripmo, but if a newer model is coming out I might change my mind.
Hey Cole, it came out yesterday so it’s been available for a day now! While I’d love for you to work with my main sponsor Jenson USA, any good Ibis dealer can now get the new model. Cheers!
Any disadvantages to the 165 cranks? I'm 5'11" on a large Ripmo AF
Not really. There have been a couple of great studdies lately about crank length, and just about all of them found that the actual length has minimal effect on pedaling power.
I’m 5’11” and went 170 years ago for more ground clearance. I found my knees hurt less and I’ve had to become a little bit more of a spinner from always being a pusher in the past. I’d consider going even further to a 165. One drawback is you have to raise your seat higher to accommodate.
@@JeffKendallWeed Did they take into consideration bigger riders? At 6'3" and 235, my 175's give me more torque. Got two bikes, 170's and 175's and prefer the 175's. Pedal strikes though! 8(
@@raivkka4313 Torque is the combination of the crank length and the gearing. You can adjust the chain ring or cassette to get what you want regardless of crank length.
Hello, I currently have an HD Mojo, you think I should get a Ripmo 2 or an HD5. I do a lot of mountain (Morzine, La Bresse, Lac Blanc).
Thank you for your return,
Have a nice day,
Frédéric
Fred, If you are riding more bike parks then I would say HD5. If you are pedaling up all those mountains, then the Ripmo. But for steep alps, I’m inclined to say HD5! More travel and even slacker.
@@JeffKendallWeed Hello, thank you very much for your advice,
Good day to you.
Man, you're such an awesome rider. Come on out to Pisgah. I have a place you can stay at.
Thanks Erol!!!
super nice ride style!!
Thanks!!!
Jeff, How did you fit the 200mm dropper and not get tire contact with the back of the seat when the post is down? I had plenty of room for a 200 in my medium, but when I put the seat down it wouldn’t clear the tire. Had to raise the post another 20mm till I just cleared the tire so I went with a 180 instead.
are you using full XTR? if so, a video on how to adjust shifting on the 10-51 would be very helpful for us Ripmo XTR owners. I am using a RF crankset which seems to be the choice on Ibis website, but am interested in the XTR, specifically the chainring and if it's a better choice than RF chainring.
Hey there, not sure on the best chainring. I like the XTR one just fine, but if I don't keep the chain well lubed it definitely grabs the chain quite a bit. Maybe that's how the chain stays put? I dunno, but the XTR rings have been fine for me. As for the 10-51 and shifting, there's a special mark on the cage for setting the b-tension, be sure you're using that. Chain length is critical on the 10-51. And finally, I did set my lower limit (for the smaller cogs/higher ratio) a tad past the 10 tooth to allow for more cable tension adjustment. That's worked well.
Nice report! In terms Of weight.. are you running the same components between the af and the v2? Is it all in the frame? What’s the difference in lbs?
Hey Jon, my Ripmo v2 is around 32lbs, and my Ripmo AF was just over 35lbs.
Shimano brake question if you don't mind. Currently running two piston XT's (5'10" 210 riding weight) and just feel like I need more. I can get a set of Zee's for a good price, or do you think going with 4 piston XT's is a better bet?
PS - Only thought about this because of the brake squeal from those metallic pads!!!
Love the content and channel!! Those snow covered trails looked gnarly!!
Hey there Nick, I don't think you'll notice more power going from M8020 4 piston to any other Shimano brake. However, going to bigger rotors would make a good difference. I use 180mm rotors front and rear, as well as metallic pads.
@@JeffKendallWeed Thanks for the reply. I'm actually on M8000 (2 piston) brakes now. I am running Ice Tech rotors 180mm and metallic just in the back. I just feel like I'm at the limit of the brake combined with my comfort level, and not really sure making the jump to 4 piston brakes will get me where I need to be.
Ah I misunderstood ya, thought you had the 4 piston brakes already. In my experience all the Shimano 4 piston brakes have similar amounts of power, but it’s been a while (12 months now) since I last rode Saints/Zees! Rotors make a big difference as well.