Déjà Vu Build??? Ibis Ripmo AF becomes a “Budget Baller”
Rebuilding your used mountain bike with some upgraded parts can be a great way to get that old scoot to feel like a whole new trail smashing machine! While my Ripmo AF isn’t even a full year old yet, the poor beast has seen some big hits. My original report about the bike can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXSg7HyJ0RI
Dream build requirements: fancy thumbnail, some sort of classical music, lots of editing, and some sort of beverage. Usually folks are drinking beer. Nate Hills drinks tequila. Me, I usually film these in the morning, and my coffee isn’t often spiked. So a nice bubble water works great! Those coozies are available here.
Well, Inspired by Industry Nine’s new Enduro 315 carbon wheelset, I realized the Ripmo AF deserved a second chance! Yes, time for a new life for the budget baller. The build list is full of high zoot swanky parts, from the Fox 26 Factory Grip2 170mm fork, the Fox DPX2 Factory series rear shock, a full XT M8100 groupset, and finally, the burly I9 Enduro 315 wheeslet. These parts should make for a stiffer bike that has more pedal clearance and some better small bump sensitivity.
The poor AF was HAMMERED! The trip to Mexico this winter really did the ‘ol gal in. She’s missing a rear brake, has two flat tires, a bent derailleur hanger, bent derailleur, worn chain/cassette, and huge 175mm cranks. But I feel like that’s a good thing! This bike is a solid platform, and I see them all over the darn place! I’m looking forwards to getting back on this.Get a good shop stand! My dad got this stand in the late 90s and it’s still going strong today!I might have to put the X2 back on, as my DPX2 is getting a little tired now, but I also want to try a coil. With how heavy the AF builds up. I want to try a slightly lighter valved shock, hence the DPX2 swap. The X2 is great, but it really keeps the bike glued to the ground. My style, clearly for better or worse, is to jump a lot. I’m somewhat small and light, so I have to float rather than smash through trail chunder. The DPX2 makes it easier to take flight. The X2 is nice on the landings though!Quick link pliers are not necessary, but I can’t think of a more satisfying tool. Besides the hammer.Top secret! Shimano makes a quick release axle that fits the Ibis bikes. I LOVE this thing as it NEVER loosens up on me. It also doesn’t require a dang tool! I often have bolt on rear axles loosen, so I do recommend these as a fix.Arrundel bottle cages fit Ibis bikes really well. True story, I once did an entire video on how well they work on Ibis bikes! https://youtu.be/6xC4yvEHjqMThis bike is going to shred!!!
It’s surprising how many 32mm interfaces are on modern bikes. I first bought this hammer in 1996 to tighten the 1″ threaded headset on my BMX bike. Today I use it to remove fork top caps, tighten BBs, and to install chainrings. Everyone needs a hammer!I-Spec is nice in that it’s clean, but what’s really cool is that you get a ton more adjustment. I spec the I-Spec!If you’d like a better bike build experience, the carbon Ripmo V2 has full length internally molded tubes to guide your shift and brake lines. These are VERY easy bikes to build, and don’t need a single zip tie!Spelunking for brake hose.I’ve pulled enough stitches out of myself to have a couple sets of medical grade, clamping tweezers around. Coupled with a headlamp and I can usually get cables fished through these frames pretty quick.A brake bleed kit is a great investment. Also plan on buying a 7mm wrench, which is not normally included in those kits.That gold thing is the brass “olive” that compresses slightly when the brake hose is tightened into place. Don’t put this olive in your salad, but it is covered in oil.I try to keep a few spare barbs and olives on hand for Shimano brakes. These are cheap, and it’s a lot better to have too many than to be short of one the night before a big ride!Thanks to Erik’s Custom Garage for helping me out while in Mexico City!Matchy matchy, or matchy clashy? I do wish the Ripmo AF had a 180mmm rear post mount. The 20mm post to post adapter is simple enough though.I LOVE this custom WTB Volt 142 Team saddle! Buddy Newman was a graphic designer for WTB for years. Buddy always wanted to make some cool, more artistic designs than the standard black. This space inspired style was one of his. Unfortunately, Buddy passed away in a car accident a few years ago. WTB decided to commemorate Buddy by printing a limited run of these saddles, which were then given to all racers at the TDS enduro, held in Buddy’s hometown of Nevada City, CA.The Hydra hubs have 690 points of engagement. That sounds awesome, and it is, but what matters more is how these are designed. I9 uses a 115 tooth drive ring, then 6 pawls that are all just ever so slightly out of phase from each other. This means the design relies on the natural flex to push the remaining 5 pawls into placing, making for a very strong, smooth, and reliable design. Full video about this here: https://youtu.be/13Reqo55xdgI’m running WTB 2.6 tires on this build. And yes, they are (now) installed in the correct direction!The impetus for this build was the new Enduro 315 wheelset by Industry Nine. Using a 31.5mm hookless carbon rim that’s built in Kamloops, BC, by Dustin Adams, this wheelset is the stiffest that I’ve ever seen. The 27.5 version is on my Mojo 4. I expect the 29″ version to help my Ripmo AF feel even stiffer.I have an E13 chainguide on here. It works awesome! The bash guard is more necessary than the upper guide, but the extra security doesn’t hurt.Cassette lockrings need to be TIGHT! I saw the torque spec for these is above 40nm. That’s insane! My clapped out shoulder and hands can’t put out that much force right now. I like to clamp that lockring tool into the vice, then use the leverage of the 29″ wheel to tighten to spec.The sound of the quick link snapping into place could win a grammy.Chain tools are essential. Thanks to Shimano for providing this unit. It’s sized for 12 speed chains. How much that really matter, I don’t know, but I’d like to point out that I do have the right tool for the job. If you’re wondering why I’m doing that, feel free to have a look through the YouTube comments.When setting chain length, expect your possibly broken hands and weakend shoulder to fail to grip the oily chain and lose your cut mark at least 3 times. True story. “Gahh!!”I’m running the 10-51 XT cassette and a 30t front chainring. Old man gearing for this almost-old man.The bike looks better than I do.It’s critical to use proper cable cutters. If you ever try to use regular side cutters, you might cut a few strands of the cable cleanly, but you’ll almost always end up with a few stragglers that frizzle out to the sides making a giant, sharp, and pokey mess. Don’t even ask how many times I’ve got blood stains on new bikes thanks to wayward cable strands.Mmmmmm. I’d eat eggs off that! Shimano XT M8120 brake, 180mm rotor, Industry Nine Hydra hub, alloy spokes, and Enduro 315 rim. YUMMY!My Buddy Newman saddle could use a refresh.SO STOKED! How rad is this bike? Halloween? Factory KTM? Middle manager midlife crisis Jeep? Orange on orange is a fun look! No hair loss or beer belly required!
