Two of the best trail bikes on the market today, which one comes out on top? [Links] Trail Cycles: trailbicycles.ca Pivot Cycles: www.pivotcycles.com/en/ Ibis Cycles: www.ibiscycles.com [Socialize] Instagram: / island.bike.life
Great review, nice to see you testing on some " real trails " with roots, rocks and technical riding. I don't find reviews where they climb up easy trails and descend on bermed, flow trails to all that valuable for the type of riding that goes on in a lot of BC.
I love the way you do a spit screen comparison in the same trail and conditions. I remember when you did this with both the SB 130 and 150 to show the comparative strengths and weaknesses.
You really needed to use the same tires on the 2 bikes. Tires make a very noticeable difference, especially when climbing. Cool comparison though. I have ridden both bikes myself and I ended up with a Ripley. Very happy.
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I appreciate the comments about the stiffness. As a tall rider I am really sensitive to lateral flex. This would steer me away from the IBIS which I had kind of honed in on.
Hi Nick- great review as it shows that modern trail bikes can indeed keep up with the big boys! I'm currently having the chance of buying a showroom 2020 Pivot T429 V2 (the bike you're testing here) at a very good sales price. Do you think this is still a capable bike according to 2023 standards and how does it compare to the New Pivot Trail 429, which seems to be quite different and fully redesigned. I'm primarily riding mountain trails in my region (Pfälzerwald in Germany, comparable more to the US East Coast with lots of roots and rocks, technical bumpy descents, rock gardens) but also the Swiss Alps, also like longer rides of about 40 miles and with fast and bumpy descents. Is the 2029 T429 still very capable of doing this? Thanks a lot and Happy Riding to Vancouver Island!!
@@IslandBikeLife Almost certainly due to the tires. Nobby Nic is a very fast tire (~50w total resistance at 25psi). Whereas Maxxis tires in general are pretty slow -- while I couldn't find any data on the DHR, Maxxis' fastest tires such as the Ikon have 64w total resistance -- 14w more. Then considering the DHR probably has even more resistance than the Ikon (XC) tire, that would more than explain the difference in speed.
I have to agree. I tried the 2.6s on my Tallboy and couldn't wait to get back to the Ardent 2.4"s. Wouldn't think it would make that much difference but it did.
When I first bought my Ripley it wasn't plush at all...tbh it rode like a turd, and after some digging found that there was very little grease in the pivots. Tore it apart and regreased everything and the bike suddenly came alive! It was actually the reason the original owner sold the rolling chassis to me at a massive discount. The reason I wanted chose the Ripley (besides the price I got) was the price in general and the weird 157 standard. I ditched the Fox 34 and went to a DVO Diamond set at 140mm, and it's been an absolute gem. I haven't tweaked the position on the bike in 2yrs. It's one of the quickest bikes I've ever owned, super agile, soaks everything up, climbs like a dream!
@@rennovattio7818 Sorry I believe I conflated two thoughts but only typed one. It was meant to say why I didn't choose the the Pivot 429 Trail was because the weird 157 standard.
I've ridden the Ripley and Trail 429 and agree 100% with your comments here. I totally get what you mean sating the Pivot felt more stout and sturdy. I think the suspension on the Pivot worked better just as you noted for the climbing. The Pivot also fit me better and was more comfortable. I tried them both at the 2020 Sedona MTB Festival. I currently ride a Ripley LS (v2).
I just bought an Alchemy Arktos 29ST with 120/140 with DPX2 and Fox 36. It is a phenomenal bike that is an alternative to both of these bikes. I liked how it rides better than both of these. If you can ride one I would love your thoughts on it compared to these bikes. Thanks for your reviews!
I’ve ridden the regular Arktos 29 and it’s an amazing bike as well. It’s 140/160 but it’s super playful and climbs really well. I just wish it had an water bottle mount inside the frame and quieter cable routing
Solid review! Currently 50/50 on each of these. I'm 6 3 230 lbs with a long reach. I'm concerned that the stack is too short on the Pivot. I'm coming from a 2019 5010 with 40mm high-rise bars and a +6mm stem. Any input in greatly appreciated. Keep the content coming mate!
I think likely the Pivot would be a better fit for you overall. Though some of that can be customized as you know with a bar/stem swap. The pivot feels like a very sturdy bike overall.
Love this review! ...talk about *exhaustive* - However, what "Feels" better to *you* might not to me, and the extra climbing sweetness of the Ripley might tip the scale in it's direction so I'm still wondering which... lol
Ibis is like a grand more for similar build. No thx that's why I bought the Pivot. Plus the Pivots frame is a lot burlier and should handle more abuse. Great review
I think the only reason the Ripley was faster was because of the 2.6 tires on it. If you put those 2.6's on the Pivot, it would be just as fast, if not faster. BTW, I would be really interested to see a matchup between the 2020 Pivot Switchblade and the 2020 Ibis Ripmo. Thanks for your time, I appreciate it!
Do you think you could test these bikes again with the same tires? I like the threaded BB on the ripley, but I think the trail 429 can fit a large water bottle easier, at least on a medium frame. Do you know which bike has better mud clearance and which one keeps mud out of the pivots better? Also, do you know the weights on these bikes. Thanks for the great reviews!
Getting them again might be tricky. Both had good rear tires clearance and seemed like the would not pack up mud that badly. They were both around the 28.5 lbs mark so pretty light over all. It was shocking how light they felt compared to my everyday bike, it was a nice change. Thanks for watching.
I looked at a few Pivots but to ME seemed too pricey for what they offered like Shimano 11 speed and I think they were about 5500.00 with alloy wheels, etc..I bought a 2018 Canyon Spectral 6.0 AL with Eagle 12 speed for 2400.00 and 100.00 to ship, fantastic bike, VERY durable and climbs great, I am VERY happy with it
Please do a 429 vs. Tallboy test. I’m looking at them both and recently rode both of them. Two beautiful rigs! Tough choice. Loved the stability and forgiveness of the Tallboy but loved the instant snap and pedaling efficiency/climbing of the Pivot. Pivot seems like a better value and was cheaper. Just don’t like that cable hanging from the bottom of the Pivot. What’s up with that?
Interesting. I demo'd both of these bikes on the same trail and found the Ripley to be more comfortable, definitely more capable, a better climber and a lot more fun. Mix of chunky Lake Tahoe trails with some flow areas and jumps. My son felt the same way. For me it wasn't even close, Ripley all the way. Agree that the tires on the Ripley give a different feeling but still an amazing bike.
That's good to know. I was planning on buying a Ripley but this video made me re-think it. Now maybe I'll go back to putting the Ripley back on the top of my list.
@@wasatch0 For me the question isn't 429 vs Ripley, it's Ripley vs Ripmo. We had an Ibis demo day and were able to make shuttled laps on both of the Ibis bikes. The Ripmo was so plush and not that much worse on the climbing. Don't get me wrong, if I had purchased a 429 I would be a really happy guy. Its a really good bike that was pretty impressive. I just loved both of those Ibis bikes so much more. All of them kicked the snot out of my 2017 Hightower.
@@ckcbmrice So I'm left wondering which, Ripley or Ripmo, you ended up buying? And you made me glad I dumped that old 2018 SC HT LT before I got stuck with it!
@@stanner9474 I got the Ripley as I had planned on a lot of marathon races this year so i was looking for that little bit of extra efficiency. Damn 2020. I just got back from Mammoth Mountain and was hitting black diamond trails all day long and it was fantastic. If you dont care about adding a few min onto the 40 mile ride I would get the Ripmo. I haven't ridden the Ripmo V2 though.
Fork Offset might be biggest affecting difference??? (Trail w/51mm vs Ripley w/44mm). I own a Trail429 and my shops a Pivot dealer. Had a customer who wanted Tail so bad but with no availability bought a Ripley- especially since nearly identical on paper. But after riding each, he still wants the Trail. Same reasons as this review concludes- plusher, livier, confidence inspiring on DH. I rode the Ripley and concur (But loved how the Ripley crushed the uphill despite having the DHF/R vs Rekons on the Trail429). The only difference I can really think of is the Offsets, shock tunes from fox, and rear hub spacing. The Ibis feels nimble, more XC'ish. The Trail429 feels more DH'ish.
Hi Nick, thanks for the review. You said that you would have preferred the XL at 6'1" tall. What made you think the XL would have been a better choice? I am 6'2" tall and pondering buying the Pivot Trail 429. Thank you.
I have been thinking about getting one of those bikes. Test rode both but they had different tires. I am a novice rider . Western pa. Are trails are rocky roots. Narrow and slow. All short ups and down.hard to pick up much speed Which do you think would be easier to handle on those trails Thanks for the great video
I ride western Maryland, WVa and western (and eastern) PA. I have a house in Deep Creek Lake which is what gets me out there. I would check out the new Santa Cruz Tallboy also. It has a slacker headtube angle than either of these which you will appreciate the more you ride and start getting into steeper downs. I did demo the Pivot in WVa over similar terrain and thought it was good, but the new Tallboy is better. If you want a bike you can grow into and do bike parks and really bomb those trails you could look at Bronson, Mach 5.5 or Mach 6, for 27.5 or Hightower or switchblade for 29er and whatever the similar Ibis bikes are. If you are really just starting out though, I like the idea of starting with a shorter travel bike as it will force you to learn good foundation skills and not just rely on the bike.
I am 5'10" and have a 30" inseam, I fit perfectly on a Large Ripley. The OP should definitely be on an XL and at the very least change tires and add the largest volume spacer in the shock. I felt the Ripley flex as well but it was in the front end, I sorted it by swapping out the Fox 34 for a Fox 36 Grip2 with 140mm. Those Schwalbe tires were junk so I swapped them out right away as well and then added the largest volume spacer to the shock. Fixed almost all my perceived faults with the bike and probably would've helped the OP as well. I have since added a DPX2 shock and this is the most capable short travel (mid travel too) bike I've been on. I now pick this bike over my 19' Bronson for almost all trails except the bike park and some really big stuff.
Scott B Helllo, may I ask you how did you fit a dpx2 shock on the ripley. I though only the dps fits. I know Pivot have a specific dpx2 for their 429, but this shock it not available elsewhere,
@@haribouss I shortened the stroke on a 190x50. Not ideal but I like it. I'm hoping DVO or Fox makes that size commercially available but until then this will do.
@@stanner9474 I had Santa Cruz Reserves with Maxxis Dissector rear and DHR front. I'm a big fan of the dissector in the rear and either a DHR or DHF in the front.
Your time comparison isn't very scientific, but after riding a Trail 429 for awhile this summer I agree with your conclusions. It is stiff in a good way, and it was fun to ride. It was slower by a bit. My goal was a little different that your comparison in that I was testing to see if the new 429 could be a "good enough" XC bike for 11 months out of the year, and then a great trail bike for vacations too. The heavier casing tires, the superboost, and the longer travel pushed it out of competition for me from a performance standpoint. That and the price. I agree that the Nobby Nic tires are not that great, but I didn't consider the new Mach SL because I couldn't upsize to 2.6s when I wanted. Thanks for the review.
I have seen a couple comments now about how scientific this is..... clearly not at all, and I say that. This is simply a comparison ride and thoughts about each bike. But yes, the T429 is a good enough XC bike so enjoy ripping it. Thanks for watching.
Nice review, just curious how many timed runs do you do? Are they done back to back? I’m just an average bike rider and timed runs don’t mean much to me, it’s how I fit on a bike and if I think it’s fun to ride.
@@IslandBikeLife I agreed with Jafo and I think it would be cool to see what would be the results if they were ridden similarly but in reverse order. Was the Ripley or the 429 the first one ridden that day?
It sounds like you found the Pivot more comfortable than the Ibis. Can you describe what made it so - was it more upright, less stretched out, more balanced, etc? I'm wondering how much "passe" geometry plays into it, and if there's a tipping point on the long and slack trend.
It was more of an overall better fit. The numbers on it were just comfortable for me. I didn’t expect that was going to be the case so it was an interesting surprise.
I own a Ripmo and demoed the 429. The 429 seems more balanced on flat ground. The steep seat tube of the ibis’ are a little better for up and down trails.
You are the first person to mention anything about a flexy Ripley frame. Im not that that heavy of a rider (170 lbs kitted up) and don't feel any flex. Also I am running the IBIS Carbon S35 wheelset, not sure if that is the difference. I just heard you state that in both videos and found it strange.
It isn't flexy to a fault; it's just not as stiff as the Pivot. Every Pivot I've ridden is kinda boring unless you're getting close to pushing the limits of speed, then they really come alive.
Yes they do! It appears they're trying to set a new benchmark standard for the most expensive bikes around. $1500 more than the Ripley frame, just because it comes with a crank? Is the crank Titanium with Gold & platinum inlays?
I’ve been trying to decide between the Trail 429, Evil The Calling, and the Mojo 3 for my fun bike. I really want a 27.5 to play with or the Ripley would be a choice. 😞
I've been riding the t429 for a year now and really love the stiff feeling I think super boost helps with this, I was gonna try a v4 Ripley, but there just is no need the t429 is just a kick ass bike, not that the ibis is not, but I'm happy which is all that counts
Anyone had any issues/thoughts with over forking the ripley? Want to put a Fox 36 at 140 on a new build but unsure if the slight bb increase and Ht angle change are worth it
Depends on what you mostly ride. For me it was the best decision I've ever made. I loved the way it sprinted up hills but it felt loose going really fast or on technical trails. Was going to ditch the bike but now I love it.
I'm shocked that you called the V4 Ripley frame Flexy and prefer the Pivot!...LOL. I been riding a V1 Ripley for almost 5 years and always seem to have a smile on my face after each and every ride! Of course my V1 could be a bit more stable but it climbs like a freakin' rocket! Although I haven't ridden the V4 yet, I would imagine it's near perfect for a Trail bike! But what does an average Joe such as myself know, I'm no expert like yourself! As you can see I'm a bit biased toward Ibis. Since I recently visited their HQ, even more so! Great video though, as always!
Considering the fact that with the same build the Ibis is lighter and keeping in mind that he's a bigger rider, I can understand why the Ibis is probably a lighter layout of Carbon and thus more flexy.
5:20 The rub is your "Same perceived effort" comment. Since you'd already used up some energy reserves during your first hour of riding, your probable lesser effort on the 2nd ride *seemed the same* but likely wasn't. An "Adequate rest period" should've been 24 hours. Done in reverse order I believe the Pivot would be about a minute quicker, mostly due to the more flexy Ibis wasting power in the climbing portion of your ride.
Hmmm, a difference of 7 seconds out of 3,692 seconds (which I find interesting because I believe the Pivot was ridden 2nd after *over an hour* of riding the Ripley on the same day) is less than 2/1000 or 2/10 of 1% - and I'm to believe he used less than 2/1000ths of available *non-replaceable energy for the day* during the first climb on the Ripley? If anything I consider the Pivot the winner, unless he rode it 1st on the climb, as I doubt I'd have anywhere near as much glycogen & ATP in reserve for the day after an hour of climbing. Between these two I'd have to choose the Pivot anyway because I weight in the 250lb region and the inherent noticeable flex of the Ripley would be a major negative factor.
You put a lot of thought into this. Clearly this is not a scientific comparison, it is simply another metric to the idea of a ride comparison. Thanks for watching anyway and putting your mind to it.
@@IslandBikeLife Yes, thank you, and it would be good to see you do another identical test of the two, but in *reverse order* to see the difference in climbing time.
@@IslandBikeLife Well you know there's always going to be people who think the Ripley is faster because it won in your test ride, so I can see jafo's interest in keeping a clear and balanced perspective, especially if he owns a Pivot
Suspension settings and tires both make a significant difference in efficiency. These suspensions have a range from more Xc to more trail oriented. At a minimum you really should have explained how you had them vs the range so we could see that they were at comparable settings. Also you should have had the same size and model tires on both bikes with the same psi. Also considering how close these two were perceived effort is not very scientific. A power meter pedaled at a static power number on a gravel or paved road would be a much more legitimate way to compare climbing efficiency. I do really appreciate the way you do side-by-side video but as this was done it’s a fairly inaccurate comparison.
I appreciate the work you did here, but I just find it odd that in every instance, your sense of feel seems to miscalculate the bike that is, from an objective standpoint, performing better. Also, neither of these bikes is set up with a Fox 32, they're both running 34s, but you've got a decidedly better build kit on the Pivot. I can see your point about the fact that having dissimilar drivetrains shouldn't make a whole lot of difference, but having different tires decidedly would, and you even mention the Schwalbes in the review. It just seems to me that had these bikes been set up nearly the same (drivetrain, tires, cockpit) it would have been a more even test of the frames (which is what's really being tested here).
Yup that is a fair point. However, I am just a guy making videos and can only deal with what bikes a shop gives me. I am not sponsored nor do I have access to media bikes direct from companies. Everyone should be trying bikes for themselves, this is just one persons opinion on a very subjective topic.
Most of these tests are a joke.. with fully adjustable suspension how can one big be sooo stiff and the other bla bla bra... adjust the damping, volume reducers, air pressure. But no talk of that, just a one ride test, just how the bike is set up does the trick.
They are setup the same for a reason. Sure you could change spacers and get everything dialed in perfectly over time. They are setup to the same sag to keep it consistent. Chill out.
@@IslandBikeLife Sorry for sounding to so negative. However these Companies toil over their designs for years, just to have mini tests down and classify their designs with no talk of efforts to address non optimal riding characteristics. Read a good Dirt Motorcycle test to see how they make efforts to be fair and try and do at least a minimal amount of tuning to address issues with how different bikes ride. You made a great video.
If you doh't know already the Ibis is the frame that has the steeper seat tube 76 vs 74.6. Ibis frame only is not $3800 its $2833.00nd you rattle off a 429 frame and crankset price is $5300 with no further comments, The price is $3990 which is a rip off enough to be saying, What the hell Cookockless??? Pivot's are heavy overpriced copies of Ibis designs with$1000 added to their price so they can some how be the best bike in every MBA etc's... tests
I have also wondered about Pivot's higher price but almost every time they are pitted against another brand they win or tie and that does say something about the overall quality, built on that Pivot frame.
@@stanner9474 Pivots are HEAVY bikes. and they advertise with the Magazines the most so they win the tests. They are cobbi looking bikes, and they play the marketing game by tweaking the geo and frame specs superficial amounts and the payed off media shills swoon over them like they are something special. overly stiff and bulking and overbuilt because after they overcharge you they don't want any warranty claims to impact their giant gross profit margins!
@@markr5132 ...Except everyone who rides a 2020 Pivot Switchblade *loves it* and many even buy it after riding it. I had a 2019 Switchblade and it was excellent but I hated the Santa Cruz HT I rode, really wiggly feeling by comparison. Pivot feels tight and snappy plus confident and I didn't get that on a Canyonsnail, Trek, Specialized, Rocky Mountain, Santa Cruz or Marin. I haven't yet ridden a Yeti.
