Evil OfferingvsIbis Ripmo

Evil and Ibis have taken two paths to the 150mm travel category. Evil's Offering V4 sticks to its guns with the Delta-link suspension, now finally ditching the polarizing SuperBoost 157 spacing for a standard 148mm rear end to please the wheel-swapping masses. It remains the more opinionated of the two, eschewing the trend of making every bike a miniature enduro sled in favor of something that feels like a big BMX bike. The Offering is intentionally more active under pedaling to prioritize climbing traction, a choice that reflects its boutique, rider-focused roots. Ibis, meanwhile, overhauled the Ripmo V3 to be a modular platform. By swapping a clevis and shock, this frame can transform into a shorter-travel Ripley, a level of versatility the Offering simply doesn't match. While Evil focuses on a specific, poppy ride feel, Ibis added "Stow" internal storage and custom Cotopaxi bags, signaling its intent as a bike for riders who want to spend eight hours in the woods without a backpack. The Ripmo is the more calculated, broad-appeal machine, but it lacks the "soulful" mechanical quirkiness that Offering fans crave.

Descending on the Offering feels like playing on a trampoline. There is a specific point in its 151mm travel where the bike wants to throw you into the air, making it arguably the easiest bike in its class to jump. It is not a plow; if you try to monster-truck through a root garden at high speed, the rear end can feel harsh and less composed than a dedicated racer. You have to ride it offensively. If you get tired and start riding defensively, the Offering stops helping and starts feeling twitchy in the chunder. The Ripmo V3 handles with a more neutral, intuitive balance that makes it feel like it's doing most of the work for you on the climbs. It earns the "hoverbike" label for its ability to mute square-edged hits while you're grinding uphill, though some reviewers noted the rear end can feel bouncy if you don't spend time perfecting the shock's rebound. On the way down, it maintains more mid-stroke support than the previous generation, yet it hasn't completely lost that "busy" sensation in deep chatter. While it is more stable than the Offering at high speeds, the Ripmo isn't quite the "terrain flattening monster" found in the Ibis HD6. Evil's stiff rear end allows riders to drive hard into corners and compressions, converting trail features into speed. In contrast, the Ripmo V3 has been characterized by some as torsionally softer than the outgoing V2S, giving it a more compliant but less rigid feel when pushing hard into high-load turns. This makes the Ibis easier to ride for longer periods without fatigue, while the Evil demands full commitment and a high heart rate to unlock its potential.