Ibis Ripley

My first twenty-niner and the bike that made 29″ wheels the only size I would ever ride again. This is a V1 and as of 2021 is 6 years old. I’ve replaced the XTR drivetrain twice and this bike just keeps going. It’s truly a classic.

The Ibis Ripley in its element

I wish the fork on the Ripley V1 was raked out a little bit more. On steep climbs I frequently lift the front end off the ground. The LS version of the Ripley influenced all subsequent models and now the Ripley geometry is pretty spot on.

Now the quirks. The seat collar is 1 cm too tall for my frame. Ibis fixed that in the V2 and so with newer models you can run a tall dropper post and still get the height adjustment right. I’ve learned to live with the extra height and I manage to stop the seat right before it hits its peak.

My other original complaint was the color. I didn’t like the neon green on black. I’ve 100% reversed my thinking and now I really like the color combination. It’s a beautiful bike.

Latest Ripley posts

  • The best part of waking up
    A bit of climbing and a lot of Autumn colors. The ride – Logan River Trail The bike – Bianchi Cavaria
  • Autumn Vibes
    Just two loops to burn out the quads. Two loops to enjoy the feast for the eyes that is just starting to get underway. The ride – Providence Canyon, Utah The bike – Ripmo
  • Magic carpet ride
    The need to pick up my road bike from the shop prompted me to ride Green Canyon (the two exist in close proximity). I was rewarded with hints of Fall colors and a bike that was not ready for pickup. The ride – Green Canyon, Utah The bike – Ripmo
  • Color hunting
    The colors have started changing in Logan Canyon. The ride – Paradise, Utah The bike – TIME VRS Fluidity
  • Leaf peepin in the rain
    I keep thinking I can delay riding because the Autumn weather is here. I am wrong. It still gets very hot very fast and so I gave up a lot of sweat on this ride. The sky returned the water in the form of rain. The clouds provided welcome relief from the brutal sun. The trails are loose and rocky. I need to adjust my

    Continue readingLeaf peepin in the rain

  • One more for Everett
    The bunch of us used to ride together more often. That was before they closed Wayne’s loop which still pains me. There wasn’t a better family ride in the valley. My nephew, Everett is leaving to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints for the next two years. It will be a while before this crew rides together again.

    Continue readingOne more for Everett

  • Fall leaves and sun flowers
    The air is cooling. There are hints of Fall on the trees and the sun flowers are still in full bloom. The trails are all moon dust and marbles but that shouldn’t stop anyone from doing laps in Providence. The ride – Providence Canyon, Utah The bike – Ripmo
  • Horse pucky and moondust
    Fires have left the valley air thick with smoke. I decided to risk a ride anyway and was surprised to find the air breathable in Green Canyon. I like those kinds of surprises. Also, surprise, the trees are starting to change colors. The ride – Green Canyon, Utah The bike – Ripmo
  • Golden morning rays invite me out for a smoke
    Usually the golden light only lasts a short while as the sun comes up or goes down. The light has been orange all day to day and it’s impossible to see the mountains. Somewhere there is a forest burning to the ground. In the mountains around us Autumn has started. The ride – Providence Canyon, Utah The bike – Ripmo
  • Logan Canyon kind of morning
    It’s starting to feel like Autumn. Logan Canyon is a great place to be when the colors change. The ride – Providence, Utah The bike – Bianchi Cavaria
  • Flying with the boys
    I told the boys we’d ride to the airplane. I then made Brennan ride until he was in pain and started to cry. When we got back to the car I loaded my bike. The boys chose to keep riding down the canyon road. I no longer felt bad about pushing them for 15 miles. The ride – Woody’s, Paper Airplane, and Brim trail Powder

    Continue readingFlying with the boys

  • My skull is OK
    The mountains called and I could no longer resist. Skull Crack started easy, turned into a pretty good climb, rewarded me with spectacular views and then stabbed me in the leg. It’s a very overgrown trail and I’m guessing it doesn’t see a lot of wheeled traffic. The branches from low scrub oak grab and scratch at your arms and legs. One rogue branch caught

    Continue readingMy skull is OK

  • Windy grindy good times
    North Fork Park is a great introduction to the pure joy of riding a trail because the trail is awesome. We started on Spork which is MTB only and directional depending on the day. These guys showed no fear or any drop or switchback. There are climbs but they don’t last so long that they wear out my youngest. After Spork we rode 365 and

    Continue readingWindy grindy good times

  • Going to see a mountain about a tree
    The Tree was lonely. I had time. The ride – Jardine Juniper Trail The bike – Ripmo
  • Cooling off in the canyon
    Morning meetings mean no morning ride which means afternoon ride which still means sweating like crazy in the heat. Logan Canyon is still the place to go to drop a few degrees and prevent baking your buns. The ride – Providence, Utah The bike – Bianchi Cavaria
  • Sometimes I wander
    I had no intention of riding as far as I did but sometimes the asphalt calls to me and my legs are OK with not stopping. The ride – Porcupine Dam, Utah The bike – TIME VRS Fluidity
  • Sunflowers
    The sunflowers are in full bloom. The ride – Providence Canyon, Utah The bike – Ripmo
  • Saturday morning with the boys
    Bren keeps asking to ride. This time he didn’t puke which is a great improvement. The ride – Jardine Juniper Trail The bike – Ripmo
  • Slow burn
    Not a fast ride. I must have been really slow for the vultures to hang around waiting for me to drop. The ride – Porcupine Dam, Utah The bike – TIME VRS Fluidity
  • New tires, closed roads
    My Assegais have seen better days so it was time for new ones. I always forget how nice and grippy new tires are. While enjoying Providence Canyon the road crews closed and started chip sealing my path home so I added some distance to the ride on the return. The ride – Providence Canyon, Utah The bike – Ripmo

I’ve logged a lot of miles on this bike.