The HD-6 frame looks really amazing now. Kudos to Ibis for redoing the aesthetics and that rear triangle, this looks amazing. That orange/black and the Green/black color look amazing too. Interesting how small the head tube looks.
My 120mm rear, 130mm front, 66.5 head angle norco fluid is my one mountain bike, I live in NZ where we have plenty of steep gnarly tracks, and it handles everything just fine.
You're not wrong. Just a matter of teasing apart the differences. All bikes are pretty capable these days, it's just a matter of figuring out what's best for your intentions. - Dan P.
Excellent job! So many people are going to be curious about the comparison to the Ripmo and this was really well done! Also enjoyed hearing from the engineers!
Although I'm way late on here, I can't leave without saying Great Job! Thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish. Great riding, tons of info and excellent quality. Thank you
This bike is incredible. My son is 15 and about 127 pounds. He rides a large custom Ripmo AF with DVO Onyx and the Jade X coil. If you guys were riding a large Ripmo with coil do you think that would behave more like a enduro bike. The medium is so small. Nice job guys🔥🤘
They did not set up the Ripmo very well for riding enduro. Still the HD6 is designed to out class it on enduro terrain. The best setup HD6 will outperform the best setup Ripmo.
I been riding a V1 Ripmo for over 2 years now. Absolutely love it! I thought the Mullet setup wasn't in demand or ideal according to reviews and vids about it here on RU-vid? Obviously Ibis knows what they're doing with designing a frame specific to a Mullet. Very interested in demo'ing one.
I think that for a bike with this intended purpose it makes sense. The extra clearance to get over the back of the bike, and slightly easier to get through tight and techy trails. The differences don't feel massive, so if this is a bike that fits into what you're looking for, definitely give it a go! - Dan P.
Would love to see a comparo with the now discounted specialized enduro which most people say beats the stumpjumper evo on the up and down and is full 29.
Had both. Enduro is definitely a different beast going down very rough trails. Just has so much in reserve in the rear. But it doesn't outperform the StEvo going up. While the pedaling efficiency is similar, the enduro is just heavier. It climbs fine for what it is but it isn't going to beat the StEvo going up with equal wheel/tire setups.
The problem I had with the Enduro is that it really wanted to be on gnarly trails. Riding it on anything that wasn't at the LEAST a black felt muted and kind of boring. I know that may be a good thing to a lot of people but I feels like you are going to grow tired of your local trails unless you live in somewhere like BC with some serious steeps.
Arrrrrg !!! I have built my dream bike last year based on a Ripmo, now I am not sure anymore it's my dream bike XD Thank you very much for this review and actually comparing the HD6 to the Ripmo
Really need to demo one of these, sounds like the perfect upgrade from a Ripmo. I'm on my 3rd season on my Ripmo and am really starting to feel its limits in the bike park, but still want to stay with a one bike quiver. I cascade linked mine, which helped, but also want to move to a coil but am probably just a little too heavy to run a coil on a Ripmo, but HD6 should work just fine even with a 250lb rider on a coil edit: spring calculator says I could run a 550 spring on the HD6 :)
Was the cascade link a really noticeable upgrade ? I have added two volume spacers to my shock and it is still too linear for jumping big jumps. I would love to use something that would up the progression and ramp up the stroke.
@@michaelmann3636 Yes the cascade link is a VERY noticeable upgrade. I was able to drop from 5 volume spacers to 3 in my DVO air shock. It would provide similar benefit to coil users, though you need to run a linear spring with it.
@@mrvwbug4423 It’s probably in my near future then for the Ripmo it really needs something to up the progression. I just purchased one for my Spire, I will get that one installed and the Ripmo will be next. Thanks
It’s funny how a Lo of enduro guys are going back to shorter and less travel bikes. Take a look at commencals new geo and people like Charles Murray. I also love how everyone talks about stiffness but over a long stage stiffness introduces fatigue.
Thanks for the great review. This told me just what I needed to know. I love my Ripmo so much though, that the HD6 will be an additional bike for me rather than a replacement.
I decided to go with a Norco sight C2 and although it’s a great bike, I feel like I should have invested the extra 2000$ and just gone with the HD6. Instead what I’m gonna do is keep my Sight for another summer (next summer). I’ll buy the HD6 during the 2025 summer. I’m really looking forward to owing this whip. It’s nice, it’s capable, colour schemes are shockingly sexy. What’s not to like, really!
I am new to the channel. Is one of the best I ever seen. Unfortunately cause of my age (46) I will make a transition to e bikes. I still enjoy my 2020 Santa Cruz nomad but Damn age shows it's Singh's. Keep the amazing work and hard effort you give for us
Love the bike looks great and from what I see rides great..I just can't get with that price tag..there's very good bikes that will compare really well for under 4k ..even under 3k ..if and when the prices come down id totally get one but not what it costs rn..great vid and bike love it
the only bike i want is a steel or aluminium gearbox downhill bike with room for a big dropper, bottle cages, climbing switches/easily adjusted low speed compression on the suspension, that to me is a true mtb
The HD 6 looks amazing, I loved my HD 5 they nailed it on this one. Thanks for taking the time to test it against other bikes. Strange question, what pants are those you are wearing in the video?
Dear Fanatik, can ask about sizing? I am 5’9”. I ride a medium V2 Ripmo (reach 460mm). I like the sizing. I’ve ridden a SB150 size large with a reach of 480mm a few years ago. I felt it was too long. I see you say your 5’10” riding a medium Ripmo and a medium HD6 which has a even smaller reach of 454mm. Even though ibis would put you on a large at your height. Any explanation there? For background, I ride in Kamloops,BC. Fast flowy trails.
Most medium bikes these days are pretty similarly sized. I can ride size larges, but I don't tend to prefer them. One thing to consider about reach is how abstract a measurement it is. The two points of reference for your body are your feet and your hands, and you're somehow supposed to correlate that to (in this case) a difference of 6mm in reach (which is your hands to a floating point above your feed, up by your pelvis) between your Ripmo and a medium HD6. I personally don't really pay much attention to reach as long as it's in a similar ballpark. The geo numbers I really give more weight to are effective top-tube and wheelbase. Also chainstay length, if you know what you like. But that's wrapped into wheelbase. At the end of the day, aside from trying them, the best way to make a decision is to base it off bikes you have ridden a lot. You say you ride a medium Ripmo, and that the large SB150 felt too big. I'd say a medium HD6 would be the way to go. - Dan P.
I think they came to the conclusion they wanted. They didn't really take this bike to Whistler in the sense that most would assume. Can the HD6 hit the big popular lines? Probably, I mean I have seen Sam Pilgrim hit some pretty insane lines on the weirdest of contraptions and it was the dream. Will the HD6 find itself getting outclassed by a v10 or a demo pretty quick on the bigger lines and rowdier drops? Yep. Compared to the Ripmo it is probably a lot closer of a comparison as the geo is so similar. Given most of the trails from blue to black at a local PNW riding area the Ripmo is probably a bit faster and maybe more fun as it requires more skill from the rider but overall it won't be that noticeable. Can you ride the HD6 at a bike park and on a trail system? Probably unless you are really good and able to push the limits on the DH side. There is no way the HD6 is going to compete with an actual DH bike once you start hitting the big features or the DH race lines. Trail side it won't really matter that much since both bikes are capable and the only thing you lose is a small percentage of time.
@@FanatikBikeCo I just purchased one for my Spire, can’t wait to try it out. The Ripmo even after adding 2 volume spacers it still really isn’t progressive enough. I wish you guys would have tried one, because I respect your take on things. I feel the Ripmo could definitely benefit from one. Cheers ❗️
Sounds great. To help me understand as I do not own a Ripmo to understand how the HD6 differs, how does it compare to the Rocky Mountain Slayer 27.5" and or the Devinci Troy 2021? Thanks
I can't speak for the Devinci, as I've never ridden one, but I have ridden a Slayer. The Slayer is a sweet bike, but felt more like a DH bike that could pedal. On anything that wasn't super steep/gnarly it was pretty slow and boring and didn't pump very well. That being said, it was great on the steeps. Would make a sweet bike for someone that's into freeride, big hits, and gnarly off the map trails. It has a slacker seat tube angle than the HD6, Troy, or Ripmo, so in a comfort sense, I'd prefer to pedal those 3 before the Slayer. I'd say the Troy and the Ripmo are about the same type of bikes. Even though the HD6 has similar travel numbers to the Slayer, it felt more efficient when pedaling, and pumped better. - Logan (video guy) at Fanatik
Thanks for the Vid....wondering what all the racers did to their Ripmos for better ridng? Can someone explain what means a more progressive bike? Cheers and Thnk you
Glad you enjoyed it! I don't know the specifics of what they did, but without a doubt there was some aftermarket suspension tuning going on. As far as progressivity, check this video out, I explain it with examples: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-CROmhTIgH7o.html - Dan P.
Dan, how did you find the sizing of this bike. You are 5’10 and on a medium in this video…what size are you planning to buy for your own? I’m 5’9 and can’t decide which size.
Dan, do you generally prefer a shorter bike or do you find the medium is appropriate for somebody like yourself at 5’10”. The Ibis size chart would place you on a large (as I’m sure you know). If you had a suggestion for myself, what size would you recommend? @@FanatikBikeCo
Dan, did you try the size 3 I’m just curious b/c I am in the process of buying one myself and at 5’8.5 I am heavily leaning towards the size 3 and can’t decide if I’m nuts or not LOL@@FanatikBikeCo
@@jsw5387 Hey, sorry, just saw your messages. It's hard for me to make a recommendation solely based off your height. I personally find medium bikes of today to be more fun than size large, which I find unwieldy and harder to move around. If you are comparing the size 3 to other bikes you've owned and know you like, however, you should go with that! - Dan P.
Yep, the Arrival 170 is a top contender. The Spire feels like a bigger bike to me, maybe just because it is soo slack and long. It is fairly light though. I haven't ever ridden a Firebird, so can't comment on that one. - Dan P.
I agree with Dan about the Spire feeling big. It felt a bit less playful, and I actually found the seat tube angle to be a bit too steep/upright. Personally I would choose the HD6 over that for most types of riding. I've ridden a Firebird and absolutely loved it, was considering buying one. The decision between the HD6 and a Firebird would almost be impossible, as they're both some of my most favorite bikes. So from a ride-ability view, I'd say it's a wash between the two, so would just come down to preferences on aesthetics. Maybe the Firebird just because I really like Eddie Masters - Logan (video guy) at Fanatik
@@FanatikBikeCo Great info Logan, so maybe the Patrol might have been a better comparison (mullet). I was just thinking Spire because of the progressivity of it, but I think the Spire was a great attempt to do something different but sounds like it's slotting into that category of shuttle bikes and bike park machines or the person who just loves to ride chunky rowdy rock garden stuff and can live with something less playful. Lastly, would you throw the OG Specialized Enduro in here or the Slash from Trek? I tend to stray away from big brands like Specialized and Trek and support the boutique brands, plus growing up in Edmonds, WA, and being PNW through and through I'm always looking to buy Transition or Evil and speaking of Evil... I think recently they have been going under the radar. Maybe because other brands have finally caught up to them, but I would think Insurgent if you want that MX setup or Wreckoning could compete here too?
Great question, and great comparison. I think the biggest differentiator in my mind (I own an HD6 now) is that the HD6 is only available as a mullet bike, whereas the Arrival is either full 29 or mullet. Also, the Arrival is fully made in Canada, which is a pretty cool thing to support. - Dan P.
It's actually full 27.5 because I built it recently, and the only fork I could find was the 27.5 bomber. Out of stock everywhere for the 29er dual crowns. - Logan at Fanatik.
I wouldn’t buy a MX wheels bike. Not even for free! If I were to get the HD6, I change the for to a longer fork travel (add 10-20mm) and add a 27.5 on the front to match the rear (27.5 front and back).
I tent to look at geometry charts and compare a given bike to another bike (or bikes, I have a running spreadsheet) that I've ridden and enjoyed. The main numbers I look at are: Eff Top Tube -- Reach -- Stack -- wheelbase -- seattube angle --HT angle -- bb height -- chainstay - Dan P.
So funny what he said too about too many people trying to squeeze onto the large which I almosttt did on my ripmo as someone who is 5'7" and so glad I didn't
Selling your car to buy this bike… i think you are w person who truly understands what it means to love mountain biking… I think this is an excellent idea
I was on a full 27.5 tried some friends 29ers then went with a mullet patrol. For me the 29 gets me out of some hairy situations at low speeds with big rocks and roots but the 27.5 in the back means that I can get way off the back without buzzing my butt on the rear tire. It may be because I am 5'9'' with relatively short legs but the mullet is really working for me. Not to mention the short(er) rear end makes slapping corners easier
@@ref498 If mullets are supposedly better, then explain to me why most of the pro racers are riding full 29er setups. Even short guys like Jesse Melamed.
@@meteormedia7021 Because they need to squeak out every advantage on uphill tech sections, flat pedally sections ext? Plus there are plenty of pro downhillers that rock the mullet. I am just trying to have fun in the woods with my friends and the mullet helps me ride how I want to. You should probably go for a ride, you seem stressed about the wheel size of a bike you will never buy.
In Santa Cruz, two crews has been created. One knowing how to make a great bike and Ibis. This brand is just a huge overpriced scam. The guys should get some sort of self-reflection, stop this joke and go home do something better. Like literally nothing... or watching netflix maybe (hoping they will not do it wrong again ! )
I have 10 years on Santa Cruz bikes and 3 on Ibis bikes and haven't noticed a quality or service discrepancy in the two of them. I also take good care of my bikes and store them in a garage ~150 miles away from the Santa Cruz coast and its salt air.
