We've always lived by the mantra of "if it isn't broken, don't fix it," which may be a reason why we're better suited talking about bikes than designing them. The engineers at Ibis make it pretty clear to us that you can improve on something that was good from the start with the Ripley LS Carbon 3. 0 GX Eagle Complete Mountain Bike. With a new overhaul for 2018, the Ripley LS is ready to take to the trail with lofty tire volumes for confidence-inspiring grip and a supple feel as you charge down rough and wily trails. Like the previous Ripley LS, the 3. 0 maintains total control and nimble handling that made it a fast favorite in the past, as well as the 120-millimeters of DW-Link travel for quick acceleration with very little in the way of energy-sapping pedal bob. Much like other DW-link rides, we find that the Ripley LS ramps so smoothly into the travel that we're often under the impression that the suspension is deep enough to hang with some of the longer-travel bikes that boost into steep rock gardens and root-latticed aspen lines. Despite those changes, this third-gen version of the Ripley retains the nimble handling that leaves you with an ear-to-ear grin on the trail but with a stiffer rear end that may leave a frown on your buddies' faces while you power away on climbs. The stiffer rear end and increased tire clearance are owed to a reconfiguration of the chassis and its dual-eccentric DW-Link suspension. The upper eccentric link is wider than before for increased stiffness when you're tracking across the rough stuff. There's a new swingarm and clevis mount as well, which is moved backwards and down to clear the 2. 6-inch tires. Despite those changes, we're happy to report that the reconfigured chassis and swingarm don't affect the praised suspension kinematics of the previous Ripley LS. This means you won't notice a difference in the pedaling efficiency or square-edge compliance from the DW-Link suspension. Other than its notable upgrades in rear-end ...