A Review of the Ribbon Coil
When it came to suspension, Nobl wheels employee, Ryan Huntley, was looking for the best performance with the least fuss. What he found? The MRP Ribbon Coil.
Read his review below, or if you want the TL;DR version:
All Killer, No Filler
"Modern mountain bike suspension comes with loads of adjustability that can translate to a more capable bike, but only if it’s setup correctly for the rider. Coming from a fork that had independent high and low speed compression/rebound circuits, it seemed like I was in a perpetual state of looking for the perfect settings using a one-click-at-a-time process of trial and error. What I wanted was a fork that was functionally simple with highly responsive small bump compliance and ample support for rougher trail sections. In Essence, the best performance features of more complicated suspension platforms without any of the fuss.
"This fork has performed spectacularly on everything from flowy singletrack lines to chundery rock gardens with zero compromises"
After having a coil shock on the back end of my bike for a season, I started thinking about replicating the same no-frills simplicity and suppleness on the front of my Ibis Ripmo AF. The MRP Ribbon Coil stood out as a main contender for having simplified rebound and compression adjustability, but with added control courtesy of MRP’s Ramp Control technology to dial-in spring progression. On paper, it checked all the boxes and came in at a weight that was significantly less than some other coil options on the market.
Right out of the box, my initial impressions of the fork were excellent in that it was remarkably close to what I expected. In a classic state of frenzied anticipation, I didn’t take the time to fiddle with any adjustments, and just rode the factory settings for the first ride. The fork performed impressively out-of-the-box, and with only a few minor tweaks to the Ramp Control and rebound, I had the fork adapted perfectly to my local trail network on Vancouver Island within a handful of rides. Depending on terrain, I’ve occasionally added a few clicks of low-speed compression on-the-fly, otherwise the fork has stayed where I’ve left it since my initial setup.
Summing it all up, this fork has performed spectacularly on everything from flowy singletrack lines to chundery rock gardens with zero compromises. If you’re looking for a fork that is simple, reliable, and is adaptable to a variety of different trail conditions with minimal tinkering, the MRP Ribbon Coil is a solid choice that I would highly recommend. After my first season on a Ribbon Coil I can say without hesitation that it’s one of the best forks I’ve tried to date."
If you're looking for some rad wheels, be sure to check out our friends at NOBL Wheels.