Thorn's idea behind the Ripio is to propose an affordable alternative to a custom-built steel bike, similar in spirit and quality to offerings by close cousins Salsa or Surly. If you’ve upgraded your rig with decent parts but are now eyeing something more repairable for the open road, this frame and the matching, suspension-corrected Mt Tura fork could be just the thing.
All TIG-welded and designed for swapping over your special bits, frame spacing is 135mm, while correctly positioned front and rear brake posts make V-brake adjustment easy. Every braze-on imaginable is in the right place, with critical load bearing eyelets up front taking stouter 6mm bolts rather than the 5mm bolts for the frame.
Bosses for three bottles and a Crud Catcher mudguard maximise versatility. The end result is ergonomically perfect: handling is nippy and agile even when loaded (we used a Shimano Deore LX/Truvativ mix with 26in wheels), with a lovely spring in the overall feel. The frame weighs a reasonable 2,500g and the fork 1,210g.
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Source: BikeRadar.com Road Bikes & Gear
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