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.
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
- Misty mountain morning meditationA morning canopy of clouds cooled the air and produced a few rain drops that struggled to calm the dust. This was just a quick run up Green Canyon to the wilderness boundary. All the creek crossings are dry. The dirt is dry. The dust is dry. Any tears from the heavens would be welcome to help cement the rocks and dust back into the
- Pushing against the deafening roar as the canyon exhalesI was tired and wanted to just stay in bed. Then I remembered that a visual buffet lay just a little bit of time and a few pedal stroke away. Days that start with nature are better days. The ride – Providence, Utah The bike – Bianchi Cavaria
- Rock and roll, slip and slide, the dust of summer is here to stayThe trails are dry and dusty with the rocks rolling free. I also found myself rolling free and sliding all over the place. Trail conditions dramatically affect the ride experience. I found that I need to use a bit more caution in spots I used to take for granted. The ride – Paradise, Utah The bike – TIME VRS Fluidity
- Canyon wind cage fightWoke up so early this morning. I really wanted to sleep but the thought of riding in the crazy heat kept me awake so I and the Time took a bit of time and haunted our usual routes. The ride – Porcupine Dam, Paradise and Blacksmith Fork Canyon. The bike – Ripmo
- Antelope Island 30thDevin and I braved bugs and the stench of the lake to participate in the 30th anniversary Antelope Island ride. This was Devin’s first large group ride. It was probably my largest group ride ever. That line of lights stretching out for a mile or so is all cyclist filling the full width of the road. The ride – Antelope Island, Davis County, Utah The
- Building bridgesProvidence City was giving the road up Providence Canyon a fresh coat of something nasty that is mean to hold down the dust. I didn’t feel like riding through whatever the stuff is so I took the round about route down the Bonneville shoreline trail. Lucky for me the gate right at the mouth of the canyon was closed with multiple padlocks. That added a
- A thousand rain drop tattoos erased by the sting of piercing rays of sunDark cloud provided welcome relief from the heat and a bit of an early morning soak. Not to worry, when the clouds broke and the sun emerged any water on my skin or jersey quickly boiled off. There’s a deer in the last photo. The ride – Porcupine Dam, Utah The bike – TIME VRS Fluidity
- Going places that I’ve never beenAt first I was like, “Do they have a miniature hippo?” Devin and I managed to get a few miles on gravel on a connector road between Paradise and the Mt Sterling area that I’ve never ridden. Turned out to be very pretty and very hot. The ride – Paradise, Utah The bike – Bianchi Cavaria
- No I don’t know where I’m goingDevin and I meant to ride up Smithfield canyon. We were on gravel bikes so I insisted we find gravel. We found it but then got lost trying to take the Bonneville Shoreline trail from Green Canyon north. We managed to ride bits of trail. We also found parts of other trails, dirt roads straight up the hillside, wild horses and an ATV dirt park
- Crank brothers you have failed me againI’ve lost count of the number of Egg Beaters I’ve replaced. I noticed my left pedal was making some strange noises on the descent but I assumed it was due to the loose rock flipping up and banging against the Ripmo. I was wrong. I flew off a rock and upon landing the platform detached from the spindle. This was not my first Egg Beater
- Chipseal is the new gravelBear Lake was calling and I was going to be lazy and not ride at all today and instead focus on paddle boarding. However, Devin loves his new Cannondale Topstone and had other plans that involved us riding a lot of chip sealed roads in some record breaking heat. Who am I to resist father-son bonding time? The ride – Paradise, Utah The bike –
- Surfing the moon dustMoon dust covered both trail and sky. If it wasn’t brown you would be forgiven for thinking the forest was on fire. Devin and I both came home caked in a light mud made from a mixture of sweat and infinity small particles of trail. The creek in Green Canyon has run dry but the thick greenery provides ample defense from the stinging rays of
- Must get back to AC before the excessive heatThe heat wave is hitting Utah later today but mountain mornings are hard to beat. Devin joined me in a quick excursion into Logan Canyon. We’re lucky to have this kind of beauty just a quick 20 minute ride from the house. The ride – River Trail, Logan Canyon The bike – Bianchi Cavaria
- A river runs through itThe water is still flowing free in Providence Canyon. It usually would have dried up by now. The flies are thick thanks to plenty of cow manure and it is getting hot fast. The dropped post on the Ripmo randomly stopped working mid-ride then started working again then stopped again. I thought it was the battery but a replacement doesn’t seem to help. I’m a
- Another dam MondayI chose a different route to Hyrum hoping to avoid the chip seal only to find that route chip sealed as well. On the way to Paradise the road was clear but there were trucks full of gravel standing by which was an indication of the horror to come. My return trip was dammed by hot tar and and road crews preparing to turn asphalt
- Going bi-directionalThe Juniper Jardine trail is a magical summer ride. Everyone thinks so because everyone was there this morning. I rode clockwise out of habit and because riding the top loop clockwise means more shade during the climbing bit. I crossed paths with someone going the other way and wondered what I was missing so I also rode it counter-clockwise. I freed from my usual habits.
- The cows are gone but their memory remainsDev and I braved the summer heat for a quick visit to Providence Canyon. The scars and fertilizer from a couple of weeks of our bovine friends remain but the canyon heals pretty quickly. The ride – Providence Canyon, Utah The bike – Ripmo
- Happy Independence Day!Took a super short ride up Providence Canyon before the festivities of the day begin. The cows are gone. I will celebrate independence from being splattered with poop. The ride – Providence Canyon, Utah The bike – Ripmo
- Chip Seal. Ruinous Curse From Satan.My connection between Nibley and Hyrum has been totally ruined by the road ruiners who dump tar and loose rock all over the road in the name of “maintenance”. What we get are crappy gravel roads that shatter windshields, chip paint and ruin otherwise perfect bike rides. May the shame of these terrible practices haunt all those who continued this cursed disgrace while they rot
- Dev breaking in the new TopstoneDevin has been researching the perfect gravel bike (for him) for months. REI put the Cannondale Topstone on sale for $400 off which trigger a trip to Salt Lake to go pick it up. He put in his longest ride ever on it yesterday and his second longest today. Today’s ride was quite a bit of dirt so we’ll call today his toughest ride yet.
I’ve logged a lot of miles on this bike.
