INFO:

The Ibis Ripley is a 120-millimeter travel, 29er uber-trail bike. The Ripley is capable of rocking a 140-milimeter fork up front, yet boasts a frame weight of just 5.2 pounds. This is not, however, the bike that Ibis originally planned to build. Ibis had intended to design a cross-country 29er with just 100-millimeters of travel. A kind of switchblade of a bike for the XC racer crowd. So they went to Dave Weagle (he of DW-Link fame) and asked him to create the simplest, lightest version of the DW-Link. They wanted the lightest and stiffest bike in class. Weagle surprised Ibis by suggesting that they use two small eccentric links housed in the seat tube, as opposed to external linkages. There'd be several benefits: the eccentrics themselves would be light and small, plus they'd allow for a shorter rear end, more tire and front derailleur clearance and they'd keep the swirly suspension bits from getting coated in mud and muck. For the full story, go to www.bikemag.com