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Is that the time already?! Yes, it’s undeniable that the nights are indeed drawing in and the leaves on the trees are beginning to take on a slightly muted brown tone instead of the vibrant green that accompanied your long mid-summer rides. It used to be the case that this time of year meant that preparations for training rides in poor light or total darkness were due, checking lights still work or spending time seeking out new, more powerful options. Wet weather gear and warmer cycling kit is brought out again and the mental barrier of negotiating another cold, wet, dark winter had to be overcome once again. Thankfully things have changed in recent years with the advent of some very sophisticated home smart trainers and of course the huge growth of the Zwift interactive training and racing App. Now there’s a legit alternative to those dark, wet evenings or early morning sessions with Zwift and smart trainers helping to keep you engaged and motivated through the more challenging months of the year.
We’ve seen a real boom in the popularity of indoor training over the past few years, particularly last year as the impact of Coronavirus and the uncertainty around how and when we were able to ride during the various different lockdowns really impacted our cycling outside. As the technology of smart trainers has improved and the Zwift App has gained global popularity, riding indoors on a static trainer doesn’t fill cyclists with dread the way it used to. The impact of Zwift on the indoor smart trainer market cannot be overstated; this brilliant interactive App brings cyclists from all over the world together to train and compete in a virtual screen-based cycling world.
If you’re a time-pushed cyclist using a smart trainer allows you to structure your training around your other daily responsibilities, it allows you to be more precise in the way that you train and enables you to focus on improving your weak spots in a safe and controlled environment. As you build up to the start of the 2022 season you’ll want to see yourself improving and again smart trainers are particularly helpful here, helping you to accurately record and analyse all of your training data which ends up motivating you more as you begin to see evidence of your fitness improving.
So as we move into autumn now is the time to get prepared to train productively indoors; maybe it’s time to buy your first smart trainer or perhaps you’re looking to upgrade your equipment so that you’re able to get more out of your training this winter? Typically, like any new technology there’s a lot of information to digest when you’re considering buying a smart trainer, including software compatibility, ride feel, power measurement, compatibility with your bike and even simple things like how much noise they produce. Below you will find all of the key information you’ll need from each model of smart trainer available this season at Wheelbase.
Written by Johnny Dodgin
Have you seen our weekly Fast Bike Friday feature? Missed some of our best bikes? You can now see all of our featured bikes in one place over on Pinterest where you’ll find links to each of our Fast Bike Friday Blogs too!
Click the link below and search our archive…
This week for our Fast Bike Friday feature we’re back on the gravel with the stunning Pinarello Grevil Ekar from premium Italian brand Pinarello; but leave your bike-packing luggage and camping mug at home, this gravel bike is built to be super-fast and fun, being more focused on aerodynamics and speedy agility thanks to its aero-angles and large volume 650B wheel and tyre configuration.
Before we go any further it’s also important to refer to the ‘Ekar’ portion of this Pinarello’s model name as it really is the headliner of this Fast Bike Friday feature; yes, instead of going with the more typically spec’d SRAM and Shimano gravel-specific groupsets the famous Italian brand has spec’d the Grevil with Campagnolo’s all-new Ekar 13-speed gravel-specific groupset. It’s not that long ago that the road cycling fraternity would baulk at an Italian road bike being fitted with anything other than an Italian Campagnolo groupset and it was deemed as sacrilege to fit Shimano or SRAM to such an Italian masterpiece. Things have moved on significantly these days and now we don’t even consider it; think for example of Team Ineos running Shimano Dura Ace groupsets on their Pinarello Dogma F road bikes. We’ve strayed off topic a little here, but to put it in a nutshell it’s kind of nice to still see an Italian bike fitted with an Italian groupset.
The Grevil Ekar is an Italian masterpiece from Pinarello boasting Campagnolo’s new 13-speed gravel-specific groupset.
Initially the Grevil takes you by surprise; for such an authentic Italian brand with a rich road racing heritage it’s somewhat unexpected to see such a radically different approach to gravel bike design from Pinarello. This super-fast carbon fibre gravel bike appears to include ALL the angles, with some unique tube profiles featuring subtle curves that contrast with more angular elements. Some of these frame design-features have been lifted directly from their road-going Dogma models and some are unique to the Grevil, but make no mistake, this is no gimmick; each tube profile has been carefully developed to help deliver just the right mix of comfort, compliance, stiffness and pedaling efficiency.
The Grevil frameset made from Pinarello TorayCa T700 UD carbon and features some distinctive tube profiles.
So it’s clear to see from the Grevil’s silhouette that there’s plenty of design elements that Pinarello have taken from their Dogma road bike but they’ve tuned the Grevil’s frame and fork to perform more efficiently off-road. Pinarello’s designers have adjusted the head angle to be a degree and a half slacker and the fork offset has been modified too helping to improve the Grevil’s stability on unpredictable terrain. The seat angle is 72.5 degrees, which again is slacker than what you would find on an equivalent road bike and this helps to reduce shocks through to the saddle.
Those distinctive angles aren’t just for show; they blend aerodynamic efficiency with off-road-friendly compliance.
The Pinarello Grevil’s livery makes it clear from the start, this is a super-fast gravel bike designed to be ridden ‘full gas everywhere’.
Pinarello have cleverly engineered a frame that boasts stiffness in key areas for pedaling efficiency and compliance where enhanced comfort is required.
The Pinarello Grevil takes another well-proven design principle that Pinarello have used on their much-sought-after road bikes; the rear of the Grevil is asymmetrical, following the understanding that pedalling and power-input is not exactly the same through both sides of the frame thanks to the right-hand drive-side of the bike accommodating the Campagnolo drivetrain and thus higher forces as the chain pulls on the right side. You’ll quickly spot this at the junction between the chainstays and bottom bracket as well as between the top of the seatstays and the top of the seat tube.
No, your eyes are not deceiving you; the seatstays and chainstays are asymmetric to better cope with the additional forces put through the drive-side of the bike.
The Grevil’s carbon seat post blends seamlessly with the rest of the frame, with the seat clamp bolt stowed out of sight where the seat tube and top tube meet.
The chainstay is dropped on the drive-side to accommodate the chainring and also features a flattened portion for added compliance.
There’s plenty of tyre clearance incorporated into the Grevil frame to allow for nice wide gravel tyres.
Pinarello’s famous Onda fork is already recognised for its stability and shock reduction, this gravel-specific version takes compliance to the next level.
Fast gravel riding and racing means aerodynamics is a legit concern, Pinarello’s Fork Flap design cheats the wind while providing extra protection for the disc brake caliper.
So let’s focus in on that Campagnolo Ekar groupset; first off it looks great! With just the right amount of visual similarities to their road-going groupsets it quickly stands out as a drivetrain from the Iconic Italian brand. That carbon fibre single-ring chainset quickly catches the eye and despite the gritty, utilitarian nature of gravel biking Campagnolo have managed to retain a more refined, classic look for Ekar. Campagnolo have committed 100% to a one-by setup (a single chainring on the front combined with a wide ratio cassette on the rear), there’s no double chainring chainset option like you’ll find from Shimano GRX for example.
Campagnolo’s Ekar gravel-specific groupset is a radical departure for the Italian brand.
This approach has its advantages including greater simplicity and mechanical efficiency as well as reduced weight and less possibility of clogging up with mud. Sometimes the downside of just such an approach is the difficulty to provide all the gear ratios you need; Campagnolo’s answer to this is in their versatile rear cassette. Their wide ratio 13-speed cassette almost features two cassettes in one – a close ratio road-style cassette which includes a tiny 9-tooth cog and a larger more gravel/mtb focused cassette that tops out with a large 42T cog to provide a nice low climbing gear.
That unique 13-speed cassette means Campagnolo have you covered for every imaginable riding scenario.
This 9-42T cassette needs a 13-speed-specific chain to fit the smaller gaps between each cog.
This 13-speed block almost features two cassettes in one – a close ratio road-style one and a more gravel/mtb focused one with bigger gaps between ratios.
To accommodate the huge range of movement across the 13-speed cassette the Ekar rear derailleur mirrors how both the SRAM and Shimano Gravel/MTB rear derailleur equivalents work, with Campagnolo’s 2D parallelogram trajectory giving a nice horizontal movement as the chain moves up and down the cassette. The Ekar rear derailleur includes a one-way clutch in the pulley cage pivot and there’s a locking mechanism in the derailleur’s main pivot to make removal and fitting of the rear wheel easier too.
The Ekar rear derailleur features a clutch to keep your chain secure, mirroring a feature seen on the SRAM and Shimano equivalents.
Campagnolo’s ‘2D parallelogram trajectory’ basically means movement is more horizontal as the derailleur moves up and down the cassette.
The Ekar’s single-ring carbon chainset takes its cues from some of its road groupset cousins and looks great.
The whole Ekar drivetrain has been designed around the single-ring principle; there’s no double-ring option.
Acknowledging that catching your pedals on rocks is a possibility, Campagnolo have included removeable protection on the carbon crank ends.
Campagnolo have done a good job of squeezing in the workings of the hydraulic brakes and mechanical gears into a compact shift/brake lever.
The Ekar gear shifter and hydraulic brake units look very similar to their Campagnolo road groupset equivalents at first glance, however there are some subtle differences which reflect their gravel-focused duties. First off and rather inevitably given the one-by drivetrain setup the left hand unit has been stripped of any gear changing duties with a hydraulic-brake-only configuration. Meanwhile the right hand unit which houses the mechanical gear shifter workings as well as the hydraulic brake, features one distinct difference from their road-going cousins. The inboard shift paddle (for gear shifts down the rear cassette) is c-shaped to allow for better feel and greater security off-road providing an easier, more definite gear shift regardless of whether you’re riding in the drops or on the hoods.
Compared with Campagnolo’s road-going version there’s an all-new c-shaped update to the gear shift lever which better suits shifting off-road.
The Ekar shifter/brake levers are comfortable on the hoods, with that slightly taller shape feeling more secure when you’re riding off-road.
The neat Ekar flat-mount hydraulic brake calipers are identical front and rear.
The Ekar groupset disc brake rotors are made from 1.85mm-thick stainless steel.
The Pinarello Grevil Onda Fork includes its distinctive aero ‘Fork Flap’ portion.
This particular Ekar-equipped Pinarello Grevil gravel bike comes spec’d with a pair of 650B Fulcrum Rapid Red 5 DB wheels.
As we’ve touched on numerous times during the past year, there’s an ever-growing, ever-evolving gravel biking scene which continues to diversify as more and more cyclists switch over to gravel from road cycling, mountain biking, touring, bike packing and more. We’ve reviewed steel gravel bikes that are designed primarily for utilitarian load-carrying duties, alloy bikes that feature far more relaxed angles and are designed to be more lively and playful giving a similar feel to a fully-rigid MTB and then there’s plenty of gravel bikes out there that are focused solely on performance and speed, featuring aerodynamic carbon fibre frames and fast carbon 700c wheels.
The 650B wheel size concept is simple – a smaller diameter rim fitted with a larger-volume tyre adds more comfort and control, while overall wheel and tyre diameter almost exactly matches a 700c wheelset.
It’s fair to say that the Pinarello Grevil bucks this trend somewhat; instead of being clearly identified as one of those distinct gavel bike types the Grevil is a little more nuanced. While it sports an aero carbon frame and fairly conservative angles for a faster more ‘roadie gravel’ feel they’ve also fitted the Grevil with a pair of 650B wheels sporting fatter 47C wide tyres giving the bike a greater capacity for control and comfort when the bike is pointed off-road. This may come as a bit of a surprise to some, especially given Pinarello’s rich road racing history, however with the semi-slick Vittoria Terreno Zero tyres fitted to those 650B wheels the combined outer diameter is very close to a conventional 700c road wheel and tyre combination meaning that when you’re zipping along on the smooth tarmac the Grevil feels like a fast road bike; it isn’t until you take the bike off-road that the extra tyre volume comes into play, providing extra cushioning and greater control thanks to a wider footprint.
Vittoria Terreno Zero Graphene 2.0 650B x 47C are fast-rolling on smoother roads but provide ample grip on loose gravel.
Tubeless ready, the Vittoria Terreno tyres fitted onto the wide Rapid Red 5 DB 650B rims will help prevent pinch flats.
This is one fast, aerodynamic gravel bike; the completely smooth centre portion of the Vittoria tyres will help you hold your speed.
The Pinarello Grevil Ekar provides a magic mix of performance and agility, with all of its rich racing heritage gained from decades of winning on the road informing the ride quality and flat-out-speed of the frameset. That distinctive silhouette with all its curves, angles and asymmetric features reflects the development originally seen on the Pinarello Dogma road bike but takes things further in a quest for comfort and compliance off-road. There’s some aerodynamic tube profiling too hinting at how the Grevil has been designed to perform, giving you an aero-advantage over long distances. The curve ball is those 650B wheels; initially they seem too much of a contrast with the rest of this super-fast gravel bike’s performance identity, however as we’ve already discussed, with those fat Vittoria tyres and their slick central channel they’ll be super-fast on the road and comfortable and playful when you venture off-road. Finally there’s that Campagnolo Ekar groupset – marking the Italian component maker’s entry into gravel biking; it’s a brilliantly thought out groupset with all the elegance of their road-going equivalents combined with the simplicity and efficiency required to perform consistently in gritty, gravel riding scenarios.
The Pinarello Grevil magically blends performance and agility thanks to that stiff, aero-efficient frame and large-volume 650B tyres.
Pinarello Grevil Ekar RRP £4,200.00 is available in-store and online now.
Full Specification:
Written by Johnny Dodgin
Photos by James Vincent
Want to see more fast bikes? You can now see all of our featured bikes in one place over on Pinterest where you’ll find links to each of our Fast Bike Friday Blogs too!
Click the link below and search our archive…
We’ve got new bikes coming into stock every day at WHEELBASE, here’s just a selection of some of our latest arrivals from the World’s best brands…
The all-new Cannondale Adventure is the ultimate leisure and fitness bike. Launched today, the Adventure is built for comfort and is a joy to ride. Its comfort focused design and upright riding position make it the perfect city bike – great for commuting, getting around town or weekend rides through the park.
Each Adventure model comes with an in-built kickstand for convenient parking and the classic step-through frame design makes getting on and off the bike quick and easy. A front suspension fork with 50mm travel dampens road vibrations and increases comfort when cruising canal paths and cycle ways. The large volume 2.0″ tyres are well-suited for all paved surfaces and the reliable 160mm disc brakes provide confident stopping power regardless of the weather.
Available in 3 models, the Adventure boasts a folding stem and pedals for even more convenient parking when out and about. The Adventure EQ model comes with in-built Dynamo lights, full-coverage mudguards and a rear rack with pannier mounts for transporting all your daily essentials.
Stylish, step-through frame makes for convenient mounting
Fold-away pedals are useful when moving through busy streets
Rear rack and front and rear mudguards give protection and storage
The all-new Cannondale Adventure is available in-store and online now.
Have you seen our weekly Fast Bike Friday feature? Missed some of our best bikes? You can now see all of our featured bikes in one place over on Pinterest where you’ll find links to each of our Fast Bike Friday Blogs too!
Click the link below and search our archive…
Friday the 22nd of October saw the first round of our Wheelbase Wahoo Crank It Up Brewery Tour go off in style at the Hawkshead Brewery in Staveley, The Lake District. With the promise of fast and frenetic racing via the Zwift virtual racing platform on the most cutting-edge Wahoo indoor smart trainers and smart bikes a great mix of cyclists made the trip to the Hawkshead Brewery on a dark, damp evening; what better way to adjust to the beginning of the new Autumn season than a night of bikes and beers?!
The team from Wahoo Fitness were on hand to host the event along with Wheelbase and kept the racing and smart trainer demo sessions running smoothly all evening. Everyone who attended the Brewery Tour was entered into a free prize draw to win a brilliant Wahoo Kickr Smart Trainer worth £999.99 at the end of the night; while those who were brave enough to take on the Wahoo hill climb were competing for a £349.00 Wahoo Elemnt Rival GPS watch. With two GPS watches being awarded to the King of the Mountains and the Queen of the Mountains every single competitor was giving their all on this gruelling 900 metre climb with an average gradient of 15%
There was some brilliant efforts throughout the night, with our Wahoo Fitness event hosts whipping up the crowd to cheer each and every rider up the virtual hill which got steeper and a whole lot harder towards the top of the climb. Cow bells were rung, shouts of encouragement rang out and multiple pints of fine Hawkshead Brewery beer were consumed! Speaking of beer, there was a nice little bonus prize too; everyone who raced was eligible for the best pain face of the night. With our talented photographer James Vincent in attendance to record the event we called on him to capture every racer in action and at the end of the night, with riders projected on screen the crowd voted for their favourite pain face of the night. The prize? Their own height in Hawkshead Brewery beer!
As Round 1 of the Wahoo Crank It Up Brewery Tour came to a close the King and Queen of the Mountains were awarded their Wahoo Elemnt Rival GPS watches and our Wahoo Fitness hosts did the prize draw for the star prize of the Wahoo Kickr Smart Trainer worth £999.99
Thank you to everyone who attended our event and helped to make it a really fun get-together with bike racing and beers. Thanks to the excellent team from Wahoo Fitness for hosting the event and keeping the tempo high all evening and many thanks to Hawkshead Brewery for allowing us to run the event in the brewery and for the fantastic beer!
If you missed this event there’s another chance to join us at the next round of the Wahoo Crank It Up Brewery Tour! The next stop is at the Ilkley Brewery on Friday the 12th of November. The racing format will be the same and so will the prizes so there’s another chance to win BIG!
Click the link at the bottom of this feature to find out more and to register for the upcoming Ilkley Brewery event!
Be sure to scroll down to our event images below…
There were some fantastic prizes to be won on the night.
The Hawkshead Brewery made the perfect venue for this event.
The racing was fast and frenetic throughout the night.
Riders took on a gruelling 900 metre virtual climb on Zwift; it was a straight-up sprint with no warm up!
There was plenty of encouragement for each and every rider.
Plenty of Hawkshead Brewery pale ale was consumed.
Our winner of the best ‘pain face’ on the night!
There were some impressive times for this short, explosive climb.
The Wahoo Crank It Up Brewery Tour provided top of the range Wahoo smart trainers and smart bikes for the evening of racing.
Some competitors managed to smile as well as grimace.
Times were tight between the riders vying for the King and Queen of the Mountains titles.
Reece from Wahoo Fitness kept the crowd going throughout the night.
Finally it was time for the prize giving and the moment we decided on the best pain face of the night…
Once the winner was decided it was time to measure him up for his height in beer!
Thank you to Hawkshead Brewery for all your support.
No tippy toes!
Reece from Wahoo Fitness did the honours for the top prize of the evening.
Winner! The moment our prize draw for the £999.99 Wahoo Kickr Smart Trainer was announced.
Our lucky prize draw winner receives her prize from Wheelbase’s Toby along with Reece and Mike from Wahoo Fitness.
We go again! Join us at the Wahoo Crank It Up Brewery Tour at the Ilkley Brewery on Friday 12th November.
Written by Johnny Dodgin
Photos by James Vincent
We gave the Ibis Ripmo AF the full dream build experience, check out the video above.
This week’s Fast Bike Friday feature takes a detailed look at the Ibis Ripmo AF, an affordable alloy version of the their more expensive carbon Ripmo (the AF stands for aluminium frame; not what we thought it was short for when we first saw the bike!). But before we get into the Ripmo let’s just take a minute to acknowledge Wheelbase’s newest bike brand, available now in-store and online; Ibis have been around since 1981 when Scot Nicol started out with a little shop just outside Mendocino, California. The brand has grown throughout the years and has played an important role in the history of the development of the modern mountain bike; today there are now around 40 employees working in Santa Cruz, California and Scot Nicol remains one of the owners, indicating in his bio on the Ibis website that nowadays his role generally involves trying to stay out of the way.
There’s an honest, no-fuss industrial look to the Ibis Ripmo AF and we love it!
So back to our Ibis featured fast bike. Cast your eyes over the Ripmo and you’ll see an industrial looking full-suspension trail bike which features curved hydroformed tubes which in some ways mirror the distinctive Ripmo Carbon curves but also boasts a more utilitarian appearance with fat tubes and chunky welds. This is a burly trail bike that’s built to go downhill fast, absorb big hits and keep you rolling over technically demanding terrain; while its 147mm of rear travel and 160mm of front suspension travel means this bike is not quite a full-on Enduro bike it is ready for some particularly rowdy riding and definitely leans more towards excelling downhill rather than uphill.
Apparently AF stands for aluminium frame – not what we originally thought!
Ibis have designed the Ripmo AF to have a rangy but not super-long reach giving you just the right amount of room to remain agile and free to move around the bike when you’re constantly shifting your weight to compensate for gradient changes and tight turns. As you’d expect on a progressive trail bike like this, there’s a slack 64.9-degree head-tube angle; Ibis have complemented this with a 44mm reduced-off-set fork for a more sure-footed feel on steep descents and when you’re flying at top speed. With the Ripmo AF’s trail bike status in mind Ibis have not neglected ride quality when the bike points back uphill. The 76-degree seat tube angle places you centrally and upright over the bottom bracket creating an efficient pedaling position, helping to make climbing back to the top of your favourite trail all the more easy.
Chunky welds and fat tubes give a contrasting look to it’s carbon fibre Ripmo cousin.
The Ripmo AF is a burly alloy trail bike that’s ready to get rowdy.
Branding on the matt-silver Ripmo AF is subtlety hidden on the underside of the down tube and rear of the seat tube.
The DW link on the Ibis Ripmo AF is worth shouting about and features here on the bike’s livery.
At the heart of the Ripmo AF’s suspension platform is the DW link (named after its originator Dave Weagle); the DW link helps to prevent squat (the compression of the rear suspension under pedaling load) as the chain’s tension acts on the suspension. In practice this means that the Ripmo’s suspension remains active and sensitive to small and big hits even when your putting down the power through the pedals; brilliantly the DW link configuration also helps to minimise pedal kickback as the suspension moves through its travel AND also helps to negate the effects of braking forces on the rear suspension, keeping the Ripmo plush and active under heavy braking.
The Ripmo AF’s suspension configuration with DW-link reacts sensitively to changing terrain while retaining a stable pedaling platform.
There’s 147mm of plush travel on the rear of the Ibis Ripmo AF.
This particular Ripmo AF features a DVO Topaz T3 Air shock; the bike is also available with a coil shock if you prefer. The DVO Topaz T3 air shock provides excellent levels of small bump compliance and tunable damping that will stop you getting bucked when you fluff your landings; The T3 compression adjust gives you 3 compression settings at the flick of a lever and is denoted as pedaling, traversing and descending, however the DW link is so good at making the suspension work efficiently you most probably won’t need to use it.
The DVO Topaz T3 Air shock features a 3-position climb switch.
Upfront, to match that plush, active rear suspension Ibis have spec’d a pair of DVO Onyx D1 suspension forks with a whopping 160mm of travel. With 36mm wide stanchions and 110mm Boost spacing these forks are built to take big hits and keep your steering precise and in control even when things get fast and frenetic. This is a seriously tunable fork, allowing you to customise how the fork feels and performs; it features six-position compression adjustment and DVO’s OTT (Off The Top) adjuster which changes how sensitive the fork is to small and big hits.
OTT comprises a preload adjustable negative coil spring that acts against the positive air spring. It allows you to adjust the initial 30mm of travel by externally adjusting the tension on that negative coil spring in direct relation to the air pressure in the main spring. So what does this mean in practice? Well, by adjusting that initial part of the fork’s travel you can customise both the DVO fork’s bump-eating plushness and jump-friendly support. Put simply a heavier, more aggressive rider should use more air pressure AND more OTT while lighter, less aggressive riders should use lower air pressures and less OTT.
To compliment the rear DVO shock Ibis have spec’d a DVO Onyx D1 fork with 160mm of plush travel.
The DVO Onyx D1 fork includes adjustable six position high speed/low speed compression.
Unlike other brands Ibis ship their bikes to us as a build kit, allowing us to build the bike from frame and fork upwards, fitting the headset, bottom bracket, groupset, dropper post, cockpit and so on. Our workshop technicians love an opportunity like this; there’s no better way to get to know a new bike brand than building one of their bikes from the ground up. Jack was lucky enough to get the gig for the Ibis Ripmo AF build spec’d with a 12-speed SRAM NX Eagle groupset comprising a one-by drivetrain with a 30T chainring upfront matched with a 10-50T GX Eagle cassette to give you all the gear ratios you could need regardless of whether you’ve got your Ripmo AF pointed uphill of downhill.
Ibis have spec’d the Ripmo AF with a good mix of SRAM NX and GX Eagle components.
A SRAM GX Eagle rear derailleur with clutch gives secure and precise gear shifts every time.
A SRAM NX Eagle DUB chainset with 30T chainring combined with the wide ratio 10-50T cassette gives you all the gears you’ll need.
The SRAM NX Eagle 12-Speed shifter feels positive and precise on every gear change.
12 gears via the SRAM NX Eagle mean there’s a ratio to suit every riding scenario.
Braking duties are taken care of by a pair of SRAM’s G2 R 4-piston disc brakes. Aimed squarely at aggressive downhill-focused trail riding the Ripmo AF benefits from brakes that are able to quickly and effectively scrub off speed as you blast off the fire track and drop into tight, technical forest singletrack. Ibis have spec’d a nice big 203mm rotor upfront and a smaller 180mm rotor on the rear helping to keep braking sharp and easy to modulate with just one-finger braking required.
SRAM G2 R brake levers feel positive and powerful allowing for one-finger braking.
SRAM G2 4-piston brakes are super-powerful and scrub off all the speed that the Ripmo AF is guaranteed to generate.
The Ripmo AF comes fitted with Ibis’ own S35 wheelset which is perfectly suited to the type of rowdy riding this bike is built for.
Ibis sealed hubs are smooth and durable.
When it comes to wheels Ibis have spec’d their own S35 aluminium 29er wheelset. These wheels have been built to withstand the sort of forces that your rowdy riding will no-doubt apply to them; with rims that feature a 35mm inner width the tyres will benefit from a more square sidewall profile, meaning that the tyre is less pinched in as it would be on a narrower rim helping to position more of the tyre’s tread pattern in contact with the ground and negating the chances of pinch flats. If you plan on running the S35 wheels tubeless and/or want to run inserts this wide rim makes fitting easier and your tubeless setup perform more consistently.
The S35 rims feature a 35mm inner width to help give the Maxxis tyres a more square, less pinched in sidewall.
A pair of 2.5” Maxxis Assegai tyres with EXO+ Casing are another hint towards how Ibis intend this bike to be ridden – hard! These aggressive tyres were developed with multiple Downhill World Cup and World Champion Greg Minnar and are renowned for their predictable grip, tough downhill casing and all-round versatility when it comes to different terrain and riding conditions.
Ibis have spec’d burly Maxxis Assegai 29 x 2.5″ tyres on the front and rear – another hint at how they see this bike being ridden.
The Assegai tread pattern is balances traction, bite and mud-shedding efficiency brilliantly.
No detail has been overlooked on the Ripmo AF; a pair of lock-on Lizard Skins Charger grips are a welcome addition.
Lizard Skins Charger grips help you feel in control when things get a little loose.
The KS Rage-I dropper seatpost will very quickly prove its worth when you take the Ripmo AF down steep, technical descents.
Cable-activated, the KS Rage-I dropper post is sized comparative to the Ripmo AF frames, growing in length as sizes increase.
The bike that Jack built; all Ibis mountain bikes come as a build kit giving our workshop technicians the satisfaction of a complete bike build.
The Ibis Ripmo AF is a bombproof trail shredder built with the express aim of facilitating fun! The no-nonsense alloy frame boasts active & plush suspension and also happens to pedal very well; tough alloy 29er wheels and a simple, user-friendly SRAM groupset make the Ripmo AF the sort MTB trail bike that you don’t have to second guess or fret over; if you prefer to spend your precious free time riding rather than tinkering in the workshop this aggressive MTB is the bike for you. Once you’ve tuned the suspension to suit your dimensions and riding style it’s just a case of hitting your favourite trails with your mates and getting in as many runs as you can before the sun dips and the light fades.
The Ripmo AF is a no-nonsense, playful alloy 29er built ready for gravity-induced fun.
Full Specification:
Written by Johnny Dodgin
Photos by James Vincent
Want to see more fast bikes? You can now see all of our featured bikes in one place over on Pinterest where you’ll find links to each of our Fast Bike Friday Blogs too!
Click the link below and search our archive…
We’ve got new bikes coming into stock every day at WHEELBASE, here’s just a selection of some of our latest arrivals from the World’s best brands…
The all-new Cannondale Tesoro Neo SL EQ and Tesoro Neo SL EQ Remixte (step-through) e-bikes are launched today! Yes, despite their sleek looks they are in fact powerful e-bikes, ready to assist your ride; whether you want to get to and from work in more comfort, plan to carry your shopping efficiently or simply want to explore a little further afield at the weekend the Tesoro SL EQ e-bike is a fantastic, lightweight option.
There’s a powerful 250Wh battery hidden within the downtube of the frame driving an efficient Mahle ebikemotion X35 250W rear hub motor giving you a pedal assist up to 15.5mph. The sleek internal battery gives a range of up to 47 miles on a single charge making this e-bike perfect for your daily ride in and around town.
The Tesoro’s frame is made from lightweight alloy combined with a carbon fibre fork for added comfort; Cannondale’s choice of compact 250Wh internal battery and Mahle hub motor means the overall weight of this e-bike is particularly low making it ideal for commuters who have to negotiate stairs as part of their journey.
Cannondale have spec’d this bike to be a truly user-friendly e-bike with everything you need to make your travel by bike easy. They’ve included a rear rack so you can carry a small load, there’s front and rear lights for improved visibility in low light conditions, full mudguards to protect you and your clothes from road spray and a kick-stand to help you park your bike more easily. When it comes to frame style the Tesoro Neo SL EQ comes in two options – a conventional diamond frame or if you prefer, the Remixte option provides a low step-through configuration.
A 250Wh battery is stowed in the downtube and powers a rear hub motor.
Blink and you’ll miss it. This sleek, conventional-looking bike is in fact a powerful e-bike.
The 38T Prowheel chainset includes a chainguard to help prevent getting trousers getting caught in the drivetrain.
A wide ratio 11-48T 10-Speed cassette gives you a huge range of gears.
Hit that button and enjoy consistent pedal-assist on your daily commute.
The iWoc Trio handlebar remote lets you select assist level and monitor battery life.
The Tesoro Neo SL EQ includes front and rear lights as well as reflective elements for enhanced visibility in low light.
Full specification:
Full Specification:
The all-new Cannondale Tesoro Neo SL EQ is available in-store and online now.
Written by Johnny Dodgin
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It doesn’t get much more basic than this, used as a primary source of shelter, nothing but a raised platform to sleep on and a wood burner on the other side of the room.
Bothies are few and far between here in the Lake District and with bothying being an ever growing past time to many you are hard pushed to find any “room at the inn” in some instances, especially in peak season and on weekends.
On a mid week micro adventure once again. Time to pack up the bikes and head to the northern fells of the Lake District. Let’s be honest, there wasn’t much riding involved in this jaunt however it made getting to our chosen bothy much quicker having been up against the clock at this time of year.
A steep climb up Honister slate mine soon warmed us up from the forever biting easterly wind.
We approached the bothy in darkness, as we looked towards the pitch black abyss that was the backdrop to the bothy, light shining through the windows made this descent down to the bothy comforting and knowing of the possibility that the fire was already burning put me at ease, being reassured we would have a comfortable evening in this primitive shelter.
As we walked in, bikes in hand. Noses running relentlessly from coming from the cold we were greeted by two other blokes and welcomed in.
We cooked our evening meal, ramen noodles was on the menu this evening and soon warmed our insides. Stories were shared of our experiences in the outdoors, past and present.
After putting the world to rights it was time to get tucked up, what I really enjoy the most about bothying is the freedom of space, the ease of just rolling out your sleeping bag and mat without being confined to such a small space like in a tent or bivvy bag, also having a roof over your head just makes everything so, so much easier no matter how long you intend on staying for.
Morning soon came round after possibly one of the best night’s sleep I’ve had outdoors. Packed up and with the bags back on the bikes we were soon sending it down the mine, super super fun especially all before breakfast.
If you’re interested in bothying head to Mountain Bothies to adopt the correct etiquette when visiting these highly valued structures within the outdoor community.
Written by Andrew Barlow
Photos by Andrew Barlow
