I went to bed planning on mountain biking but woke up cross. Praying I not appear too portly in my Lycra apparel I donned my skin tight skivvies and ventured out on the Bianchi for a trip on the River Trail.
![Gravel road - start of the River Trail in Logan Canyon](https://thebikecrank.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/IMG_2134-768x1024.jpeg)
The Bianchi only weighs about 16.5 pounds and has narrow 35mm tires. It excels at anything that looks like a gravel road. After several days on mountain bikes that come in at around 30 pounds. The cross bike feels like a rocket going uphill.
![The Logan River surrounded by trees and brush with white clouds lit by the eastern sun](https://thebikecrank.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/IMG_2138-768x1024.jpeg)
![Single track, River Trail, Logan Canyon](https://thebikecrank.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/IMG_2139-768x1024.jpeg)
I like the Logan River trail for cross bike excursions/training. The point of biking is to ride the bike so I try not to drive to the trailhead whenever possible. The Bianchi is a quick way to traverse a few miles of asphalt and gives me a quick way to wander some of the canal trails in the city that lead to my destination.
![Bianchi Cavaria](https://thebikecrank.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/IMG_2144-1024x768.jpeg)
The next stop in the journey is this rock slide. If you look closely you can see the Bianchi is a bit of a Frankenstein build with parts taken off my Trek Madone during its last upgrade. There’s a Sram Red crank mixed with a Dura-ace 7800 rear cassette that has 11-27 gearing. The last climb to get here is steep and with road bike gearing I have to push down with my legs while pulling my upper body down to the bike. Sometimes I make it. Sometimes I walk it.
![Blow snake on the River Trail in Logan Canyon](https://thebikecrank.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/IMG_2155-768x1024.jpeg)
Headed home I came across a biker coming up. I thought he had stopped to wait for me, but actually he had stopped to wait for this guy. Turns out he was riding a Ripmo V1 (the rider not the snake). I asked him about it and of course he had nothing but praise for the bike. Ibis makes great bikes. I asked if he had any issues with wheel slop. He said none. I might be jealous of the Ripmo V1.
The ride