Up for anything from a multi day bikepacking epic to flat out singletrack ripping, the new Ripley V5 is an incredibly versatile all round mountain bike. Light and super pedal efficient, but now with angles slack enough to charge on the way back down it's a near perfect partner for any rider who enjoys the climbs as much as the descents.
Completely revised for the V5, the new bike improves on an already brilliant platform in almost every area. Now based round a 140mm fork, the rear travel bumps up to 130mm while the head angle has been slackened out to 64.9'. Now modular, the bike can use either a full 29' setup as supplied or a 650b rear can be fitted thanks to a neat flip chip on the upper DW rocker link.
Seat angles are tweaked by size, as is BB height and the linkage is now re-designed and more progressive for better small bump performance and more bottom out resistance. Standover has been lowered with all frames now featuring a very well executed storage compartment, complete with in frame Cotopaxi pouches to silently store your spares.
As with the V4 bikes, all cables are run tube in tube inside the frame for easy swaps, the BB remains threaded and regular headset cups allow the use of a choice of headsets or even anglesets. Out back a UDH hanger ensures keeps spares easy to find and adds SRAM T-Type compatibility.
One bike for everything? It could be a Ripley.
Fork: Fox Factory Series, Float 34, GripX 140mm, 29”
Shock: Fox Float, Factory Series, 210mm x 52.5mm
Wheels: Blackbird Send Alloy 29" / Ibis Hubs Standard
Tires: Maxxis DHR 2 29” x 2.4” EXO casing Front and Rekon 29" x 2.4" EXO casing Rear
Brakes: Shimano XT M8120 4-Pot
Brake Rotors: Shimano
Cranks: Shimano XT M8100 12 Speed
Bottom Bracket: Shimano MT800
Rear Derailleur: Shimano XT M8100 12 Speed
Shifter: Shimano XT M8100 12 Speed
Cassette: Shimano XT M8100 10-51T
Chain: Shimano XT M8100 12 Speed
Headset: Cane Creek 40 ZS44/ZS56
Grips: Lizard Skins Charger Evo Single Clamp Lock-On
Handlebar: Blackbird 35 Aluminum Riser Bar 800mm
Stem: Blackbird 35mm - S/M: 35mm, XM/L/XL: 50mm
Seatpost: Bike Yoke Revive Dropper 34.9 - S: 125mm, M, 160mm, XM: 185mm, L/XL: 213mm
Saddle: WTB Silverado Fusion, 142mm