Ribble Sportive 7005 - yay or nay?

tordis

I've been cycling to work for a while now and doing the odd day trip on my hybrid every now and again, but a couple of weeks back, when cycling in the Cotswolds with a bunch fit people on road bikes, I realised I need one like that, too, if I want to keep up with them. Thing is, I've never had one and not sure what I should get.
I was looking at some big brands at first (Giant, Specialized, Trek), but then I found some really good reviews of the Ribble Sportive 7005. It seems to be great value for money (my budget is around £800, more or less, and it looks like none of the "big boys" is offering Tiagra groupset for that price), but I've also read some horror stories about their customer service. Should I or should I not be tempted by Ribble? What alternatives would you recommend? NB, I'd rather not buy secondhand, as my knowledge on bikes is very limited.

rolf_f

Most people who use Ribble have no problems but occasionally they do occur. Probably down to not having enough staff at busy periods but that's just a guess.

I use them a lot and have bought a bike from them and had to get a frame swap. I've always found them to be fine if sometimes disorganised and sometimes not exactly as fast as they might be.

If you are a relaxed sort of a person Ribble will be fine!

If your budget is "£800, more" then you can get a Ribble Evo Pro Carbon Tiagra for £829. Not that I'm trying to ruin your plans by introducing carbon frames to the pot.......;) The carbon Sportive is a bit more but very well thought of.

Planet X also do similar bargain deals.

PS - welcome to the forum!

tordis

Thanks

Are carbon frames that much better? I do like the Evo Pro carbon, but as a newbie to road bikes, I'm a bit concerned about the riding position. The Sportive 7005 seems to offer a more relaxed one, whereas the Evo Pro is a bit more "racy" and I'm not sure if I'd find it comfortable.

If I decide on the Sportive 7005, is there anything worth upgrading?

snoopsmydogg

If you decide on any ribble you can upgrade it before you buy it.

have a play on their bike builder or summer specials section.

rolf_f

tordis wrote:

Thanks

Are carbon frames that much better? I do like the Evo Pro carbon, but as a newbie to road bikes, I'm a bit concerned about the riding position. The Sportive 7005 seems to offer a more relaxed one, whereas the Evo Pro is a bit more "racy" and I'm not sure if I'd find it comfortable.

If I decide on the Sportive 7005, is there anything worth upgrading?

You would need to go for the Sportive or Gran Fondo if you wanted the more relaxed geometry. The Sportive Bianco starts at £940. You do get less road buzz but I can't comment on the difference as I've never ridden an alloy bike! For me it is steel or carbon.

http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/specialed ... =conf_SERC
(but don't forget to check the Campagnolo or SRAM options too!)

It might be worth trying to get a test ride of a carbon bike somewhere. The good thing is that whilst it adds £140 to your budget, in the long run it might save you a fortune when, after having bought the alloy bike, you then decide you really need to go carbon!

The position is also down to your geometry. I have long legs and short body so there is no such thing as a relaxed geometry for me. Those bikes still give me a racy position. If you have short legs and long body, you might find a sportive oriented frame is actually too upright for you. You can't presume that generic descriptions of frame geometry will match up to your own experience on a bike - unless you are fairly normally proportioned!

centimani

Aha, this is where you start out with one idea and it quickly becomes something else altogether , we've all been there, probably do it all again.
Alloy or carbon ?, carbon is more comfortable, but you're increasing your initial budget by pushing double...
I have the New Sportive...and love it. Its much smoother than my alloy framed bike, but then i had the alloy for years and loved having that...just as you will, either way.

One thing about a sportive frame has occured to me...
I moved from a Bianchi to the Sportive Racing. The Bianchi is a moderately comfortable bike, but the Sportive is noticeably more so. Do you sacrifice anything for that comfort....no, nothing. I ride just as fast as i used to, but i'm more comfortable doing it. It begs the question, why would anyone who's not racing or competetive buy anything other than a sportive frame.

If you did go the ribble route (and i found them excellent BTW) i'd look carefully at the following.
The tyres they fit as standard are....well, pretty standard. I'd spec something better. Cheap tyres puncture easily.

Wheels...the rodi's they spec as standard are by all accounts strong, but they are heavy, noticeably heavy. TBF, if you brought another bike with R500 Tiagra wheels or similar, they're heavy as well. But if you think you want better, i'd upgrade straight away. Why spend money on standard wheels only to upgrade in the short term and spend again.

But again, its that green eyed upgrade monster. The standard wheels on my Bianchi were good, but moderately heavy. I rode 2 bikes with standard wheels for 6 years, i didnt suffer unduly. Neither will you. A lot of the benefit of upgrading is psychological and a feel good factor.

The carbon Sportive is lovely, Ribble did me well, if i get back on my alloy Bianchi, it feels so odd already. But it did me so well for years, so it wasnt that bad either.

Definately upgrade the tyres, possibly upgrade the wheels of the budget allows. Alloy is fine, carbon is better but you pay a hefty premium for a better smoother ride.

tordis

snoopismydogg wrote:

have a play on their bike builder or summer specials section.

I will I'm told the wheels are not brilliant and quite heavy, but I think I'll stick with them for now - after riding the hybrid for such a long time, I'm sure I won't even notice the extra weight. I'll upgrade the tyres, too, and perhaps the seatpost.

Rolf F wrote:

It might be worth trying to get a test ride of a carbon bike somewhere.

I'm planning a trip round the bike shops tomorrow and hopefully I'll be able to test one

Rolf F wrote:

If you have short legs and long body, you might find a sportive oriented frame is actually too upright for you.

Good point! My legs are fairly short (but then I'm short, too - 5'3", and female). If I decide to go the Ribble route, I'll measure myself up and call them to make sure I got it all right. Or I'll keep pestering you guys for advice.

centimani wrote:

I have the New Sportive...and love it. Its much smoother than my alloy framed bike, but then i had the alloy for years and loved having that...just as you will, either way.

That's the thing: after doing so many miles on my heavy, sturdy hybrid, I'm sure even one of the alloy frame Ribbles will be a joy to ride and a huge step up from what I currently have.

centimani wrote:

The tyres they fit as standard are....well, pretty standard. I'd spec something better. Cheap tyres puncture easily.

Of the two types available in the special edition (Continental Ultra Sport and Vittoria Rubino), which ones are better?

rolf_f

tordis wrote:

Rolf F wrote:

If you have short legs and long body, you might find a sportive oriented frame is actually too upright for you.

Good point! My legs are fairly short (but then I'm short, too - 5'3", and female). If I decide to go the Ribble route, I'll measure myself up and call them to make sure I got it all right. Or I'll keep pestering you guys for advice.

Oh, you're a girl?! We wasting our time gents. This one won't be daft enough to fall for the 'go carbon and triple the budget' route!

I think Ribble are fairly good at being useful for fit advice. I never bothered when I got my Gran Fondo as the geometry was a very close match to my posh bike so I just ordered the Ribble to match. If you do get a recommendation from them I'd double check against the Competitive Cyclist diy online bike fit page - http://www.competitivecyclist.com/za/CC ... ATOR_INTRO

Centimani mentioned the tyres - he's right. The standard Nitros are dire. It isn't so much the feel (which is actually OK) but the combination of being puncture magnets and the most evil difficult b********ds to get on and off a rim. In the end, I put a hole in the sidewall of one trying to get it back on the rim. As it happens, in the Ribble shop I'd tried to get them to take the tyres off and refund me the tenner they ask for them but to no avail! I was right to try though. TBH, it annoys me that they provide such abominations.

Whether I'd pay for the other tyres is another matter. They are probably much of a muchness but both are rigid wire beaded and therefore heavy and much harder to take on and off. For my money, despite the crapness of the Nitros, I'd be tempted to go with them and buy a set of folding tyres asap. You can get those for less than £20 a time and there'll be plenty of advice here as to which ones. I'd rather spend £30 on some bargain folding tyres than £14 extra on a pair of rigids.

tordis

Rolf F wrote:

For my money, despite the crapness of the Nitros, I'd be tempted to go with them and buy a set of folding tyres asap. You can get those for less than £20 a time and there'll be plenty of advice here as to which ones. I'd rather spend £30 on some bargain folding tyres than £14 extra on a pair of rigids.

Continental Gatorskins, then? They're available via bikebuilder for around £44, which seems to be a pretty standard price for these. A few of my cycling friends use these tyres and they're very happy, so I guess they're a good choice.
I toyed a little with the bikebuilder and this is what I ended up with:

Bikebuilder Summary
Frame: Ribble 7005 Sportive Frame 49cm (C-Top)
Headset: Ribble Headset Branded Ribble 1 1/8" Hidden (ITS) 45 x 45
Groupset: Shimano Tiagra 4600 10 Spd Double Groupset
Wheels: Rodi Airline 4 Clinchers Wheels Pair Black 8/9/10 Shim (I know they're not the best option, but the good ones seem horrendously expensive )
Handlebars: ITM Alutech 6061 (31.8) Bars Black 40cm
Handlebar Stem: ITM Alutech 6061 (31.8) Stem Black 80mm
Headset Spacers: CSN Headset Spacer Alloy 1 1/8'' 10mm Black
Saddle: Madison Prima Ladies Road Saddle Black
Seatpillar: CSN Superleggera Alloy Seatpillar Black 31.6 400mm
Tyres: Continental GatorSkin Folding Tyre 700x23mm Black/Black
Inner Tubes: Yaw Butyl Inner Tube 700x18/25 SV42mm
Handlebar Tape: ITM Cork Embossed Handlebar Tape Black
Price excluding Pedals: £743.80
Pedals: Shimano A530 Clipless Spd Pedals Silver (I'd like to be able to walk, at least on short distances, in my SPD shoes and it seems to be impossible in SPD-SL ones)
Total Price inc Pedals: £775.05

I love the look of white handlebar tape + saddle, but not sure if I'd manage to keep it pristine and clean, so I'd rather go for practical black 8)

Oh, and I found another pretty bike:
http://www.canyon.com/_uk/roadbikes/bike.html?b=2502
This one has Shimano 105 groupset and the wheels seem to be a tad better. Is it worth considering?

snoopsmydogg

the ribble sounds like a nice bike, I was looking at them a while ago but being about 150 miles away I wasn't going to make a decision without trying one first.

canyon seem to get good reviews and if you can find one at an lbs its worth looking at.

tordis

snoopsmydogg wrote:

canyon seem to get good reviews and if you can find one at an lbs its worth looking at.

Thing is, no bike shop seems to stock them. AFAIK, they're one of those companies that only sell online
Anyhow, the Canyon's sold out in my frame size, so dilemma solved

rolf_f

tordis wrote:

Rolf F wrote:

For my money, despite the crapness of the Nitros, I'd be tempted to go with them and buy a set of folding tyres asap. You can get those for less than £20 a time and there'll be plenty of advice here as to which ones. I'd rather spend £30 on some bargain folding tyres than £14 extra on a pair of rigids.

Continental Gatorskins, then? They're available via bikebuilder for around £44, which seems to be a pretty standard price for these. A few of my cycling friends use these tyres and they're very happy, so I guess they're a good choice.
I toyed a little with the bikebuilder and this is what I ended up with:

Bikebuilder Summary
Frame: Ribble 7005 Sportive Frame 49cm (C-Top) etc

Now go and look at the same spec on Special Edition bikes (which I think is the same except you can't spec the Contis (I've also got a friend that rates these. I tend to go for Schwalbe - eg Duranos; http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Schwalbe-Dura ... 53ed934392 but both are good) - anyway

Frame Ribble 7005 Sportive Frame
Groupset Shimano Tiagra 4600 10 Spd Double Groupset
Show Groupset DataCassettte Shimano 10 Speed Tiagra 4600 Cassette 11-25
Chainset Shimano Tiagra Double 4600 10 Speed Chainset 172.5 39/52
Wheels Rodi Airline 4 Clinchers Wheels Pair Black 8/9/10 Shim
Handlebars ITM Alutech 6061 (31.8) Bars Black 42 c to c
Handlebar Stem ITM Alutech 6061 (31.8) Stem Black 100mm
Saddle Madison Prima Ladies Road Saddle Black
Seatpillar CSN Superleggera Alloy Seatpillar Black 31.6 400mm
Tyres Prorace Nitro Rigid Tyre Black/Black 700x23mm
Handlebar Tape ITM Cork Embossed Handlebar Tape Black
Price excluding Pedals: £682.45
Approx Weight ex Pedals: 0.000
Pedals: No Pedals currently selected.
Total Price inc Pedals: £682.45

So I've saved you a few quid there - even with £44 quids worth of decent tyre to add to that you're almost £50 ahead! And you get a pair of crap Nitros to try to flog to some unsuspecting fool on Ebay for a tenner!
Bikebuilder is only worth doing if you want kit that isn't available on the Special Editions.

EDIT - oops - forgot the pedals. That brings it up to £713 on the Rodis so you might only be about £20 up but that still covers most of the wheel upgrade and all of it if you can flog the Nitros. Special Editions used to have a bigger price saving.....

So, now that I've given you £50 for nothing, you can use it for the wheels. The Rodis weigh 2.1kgs according to the Ribble site (though you need to check this because some of the weights they put on there are a bit random!) - for £28 extra in Special Editions (they charge £42 for this upgrade in Bikebuilder), you can spec the ITM Aero 2.4s which weigh under 1.9kgs the pair. Over 200 grams for less than £30 is quite cheap and weight saved where it makes most difference. Unless the ITMs are poor they are probably well worth the extra.

southdownswolf

Regarding the wheels, I would go for the Shimano R501 for the extra £10. You will be shaving 200gms off the wheelset by doing so, which always helps! The r501's are a reliable budget option for not much more money and will last you until you can afford to upgrade.
Regarding the tyres, Gatorskins are probably the best option for you without pushing the budget even further.

FSR_XC

Rolf F wrote:

Now go and look at the same spec on Special Edition bikes (which I think is the same except you can't spec the Contis (I've also got a friend that rates these. I tend to go for Schwalbe - eg Duranos; http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Schwalbe-Dura ... 53ed934392 but both are good) - anyway

Frame Ribble 7005 Sportive Frame
Groupset Shimano Tiagra 4600 10 Spd Double Groupset
Show Groupset DataCassettte Shimano 10 Speed Tiagra 4600 Cassette 11-25
Chainset Shimano Tiagra Double 4600 10 Speed Chainset 172.5 39/52
Wheels Rodi Airline 4 Clinchers Wheels Pair Black 8/9/10 Shim
Handlebars ITM Alutech 6061 (31.8) Bars Black 42 c to c
Handlebar Stem ITM Alutech 6061 (31.8) Stem Black 100mm
Saddle Madison Prima Ladies Road Saddle Black
Seatpillar CSN Superleggera Alloy Seatpillar Black 31.6 400mm
Tyres Prorace Nitro Rigid Tyre Black/Black 700x23mm
Handlebar Tape ITM Cork Embossed Handlebar Tape Black
Price excluding Pedals: £682.45
Approx Weight ex Pedals: 0.000
Pedals: No Pedals currently selected.
Total Price inc Pedals: £682.45

So I've saved you a few quid there - even with £44 quids worth of decent tyre to add to that you're almost £50 ahead! And you get a pair of crap Nitros to try to flog to some unsuspecting fool on Ebay for a tenner!
Bikebuilder is only worth doing if you want kit that isn't available on the Special Editions.

EDIT - oops - forgot the pedals. That brings it up to £713 on the Rodis so you might only be about £20 up but that still covers most of the wheel upgrade and all of it if you can flog the Nitros. Special Editions used to have a bigger price saving.....

So, now that I've given you £50 for nothing, you can use it for the wheels. The Rodis weigh 2.1kgs according to the Ribble site (though you need to check this because some of the weights they put on there are a bit random!) - for £28 extra in Special Editions (they charge £42 for this upgrade in Bikebuilder), you can spec the ITM Aero 2.4s which weigh under 1.9kgs the pair. Over 200 grams for less than £30 is quite cheap and weight saved where it makes most difference. Unless the ITMs are poor they are probably well worth the extra.

I think Rolf F nearly has it with this.

I would buy the ITM wheels with Rubino tyres, Ladies saddle (of course), in white, with Carbon White bar tape - £724.40 I believe.

As for pedals, you can pick up Shimano M520 on eBay for less than £20.

Tiagra equipped bike for less than £750


Here's a bit of a curve ball - 105 equipped bike currently less than £700

Mike67

How about this one?
http://www.deensgarage.co.uk/products.php?plid=m1b0s6p3077
Nice looking, comfy sportive type bike from the 'big boys' with a semi-decent wheelset and only a 48 left...might be room for negotiation

If you really wanted to push the boat out then this is at a great price for a, carbon too:
http://www.scotbycycles.co.uk/bikes-c19/road-bikes-c32/cannondale-synapse-carbon-105-compact-road-bike-jet-black-2011-p344
Also only a 48 left.

And no, I don't work for Cannondale

tordis

Thanks for all your advice, I'll give them a call on Monday and see if they're willing to bend the Special Edition rules a little so I can make the adjustments I think would benefit me.
I just came back from my trip round the bike shops. I tried a few bikes, ruled out most of them, but found one that seemed just right: a Jamis Ventura. It's 105-equipped, fits me like a glove, gives me a comfortable riding position and I like the understated look of it. Oh, and it's not expensive, which is a huge bonus 8)
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/jam ... e-ec031776
What do you think? Worth considering?
Mike67, I love both of these, but they're a tad over my budget - I still need to buy pedals, shoes etc.
FSR_XC, the Sensa is a lovely bike (and 105-equipped, too), but the smallest available frame size is 52, while I need 48-49

freezing77

tordis wrote:

Thanks for all your advice, I'll give them a call on Monday and see if they're willing to bend the Special Edition rules a little so I can make the adjustments I think would benefit me.
I just came back from my trip round the bike shops. I tried a few bikes, ruled out most of them, but found one that seemed just right: a Jamis Ventura. It's 105-equipped, fits me like a glove, gives me a comfortable riding position and I like the understated look of it. Oh, and it's not expensive, which is a huge bonus 8)
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/jam ... e-ec031776
What do you think? Worth considering?
Mike67, I love both of these, but they're a tad over my budget - I still need to buy pedals, shoes etc.
FSR_XC, the Sensa is a lovely bike (and 105-equipped, too), but the smallest available frame size is 52, while I need 48-49

The pluses! for the Jamis Ventura are
1. It fits
2. It fits
3. Its local ish to you
4. You like the look of it, very important for you and despite what people will say its important for many others too.
5. The equipment spec looks very reasonable for the price, but at the top end of your budget. Maybe evans will give you some pedals at a discount.!!
6. Full carbon fork and stays.
7. The same frame gets a good review by a female cyclist.
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/jamis/ventura-comp-2012-womens-road-bike-ec031778#BVRRWidgetID

Minuses
1. Not a full 105 groupset.
2. Maybe an 11-27 cassette as opposed to an 11-25 but this is just a maybe.

Definately worth considering.

rolf_f

freezing77 wrote:

Minuses
1. Not a full 105 groupset.
2. Maybe an 11-27 cassette as opposed to an 11-25 but this is just a maybe.

definitely worth considering.

Indeed - you do get the full groupset with Ribble but the Jamis does look worth a look. If you like the geometry, compare it with the Ribble and others to see how they match.

http://www.evanscycles.com/product_docu ... y-data.pdf
http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/assets/im ... ometry.jpg

FSR_XC

tordis wrote:

FSR_XC, the Sensa is a lovely bike (and 105-equipped, too), but the smallest available frame size is 52, while I need 48-49

It's worth checking the geometry. Some frame sizes are misleading because of the way they measure things like a sloping top tube.

HOWEVER, if you like the Jamis and it fits, it looks to be a very good buy and it is designed for a woman. If you are buying it from the shop (as opposed to online), I reckon you will be able to get them to throw in pedals and a bottle cage FOC.

tordis

I think I'll pop in to Evans tomorrow again and take the Jamis for a spin.
Speaking of spinning, trying to compare the geometry of these two bikes makes my head spin. BB? TT? HT? Sounds like a completely foreign language. The only thing I noticed is that Ribble recommend size 44 frame for my height. Never thought buying a bike could be so complicated!

freezing77 wrote:

1. Not a full 105 groupset.
2. Maybe an 11-27 cassette as opposed to an 11-25 but this is just a maybe.

1. This may sound daft, but what does the full groupset consist of? :oops: The shifters, front mech and rear mech are all 105.
2. The description says it's 11-25
Oh, and Evans said they could do a price match if I find cheaper Gatorskins in another bike shop. If I decide on the Jamis, I'll try to make them throw in a bottle cage + pedals, too.

freezing77

tordis wrote:

I think I'll pop in to Evans tomorrow again and take the Jamis for a spin.
Speaking of spinning, trying to compare the geometry of these two bikes makes my head spin. BB? TT? HT? Sounds like a completely foreign language.
BB=Bottom Bracket
TT = Top Tube
HT =Head Tube
The only thing I noticed is that Ribble recommend size 44 frame for my height. Never thought buying a bike could be so complicated!

freezing77 wrote:

1. Not a full 105 groupset.
2. Maybe an 11-27 cassette as opposed to an 11-25 but this is just a maybe.

1. This may sound daft, but what does the full groupset consist of? :oops: The shifters, front mech and rear mech are all 105.
What you have said + chainset and brake calipers, generally, may also include chain and wheels(hubs)
2. The description says it's 11-25
Being slightly presumtious I was suggesting an 11-27 cassette as opposed to the 11-25 specified to give a lower bottom gear
Oh, and Evans said they could do a price match if I find cheaper Gatorskins in another bike shop. If I decide on the Jamis, I'll try to make them throw in a bottle cage + pedals, too.

centimani

Full groupset usually means shifters, front and rear mech, chainset and brake calipers...al matching from the same manufacturer.
Some bike manufactureres 'compromise' by mixing the groupset by substituting (usually) the calipers and chainset for 'lesser' components. The bike wont fall apart fr the sake of a FSA Vero chainset...but its not as good (IMO) as having the full and complete groupset. I'm not a lover of cheaper FSA chainsets, the BB bearings are ok, but they dont tend to last as long as others.
At the end of the day, if you study bike specs and prices, its all about compromise. Manufacturers can keep the price down by fitting mixed groupsets or lesser wheelsets, as said, the bike wont fall apart, but you cant have it all. If they put better spec components on, it increases the price.

rolf_f

tordis wrote:

I think I'll pop in to Evans tomorrow again and take the Jamis for a spin.
Speaking of spinning, trying to compare the geometry of these two bikes makes my head spin. BB? TT? HT? Sounds like a completely foreign language. The only thing I noticed is that Ribble recommend size 44 frame for my height. Never thought buying a bike could be so complicated!

If the Jamis really does feel right (and you need to be careful here because what feels right for a few minutes might not feel right after a couple of hours - yes it is really complicated!) all you really need to do is make sure the key dimensions match between the Jamis and any other bike you want.

There are two main dimensions that you must get right - the top tube and the head tube. The top tube defines the length of the bike and the head tube the height of the bike. Angles and other things matter too but if you are in reasonable proportion then things should work out. Some bikes will have a tall headtube relative to the top tube to give a slightly more upright ride to suit less racy, more distance oriented riders (ie Sportive geometries).

So, if you take the top tube and head tube dimensions of the Jamis you tried and see if there is a Ribble with very similar dimensions, then that will probably fit too. But note that the differences inbetween sizes aren't that large so small differences make a big difference (if you see what I mean).

One thing that is handy about Ribble is you spec everything - eg you can select your crank length, get different length stems to adjust your reach to the handlebars and you can select handlebar width to match your shoulder width. Ready made bikes often just assume standard proportions.

tordis

Thanks again - I think I'm closer to understanding all those confusing numbers now
There's 2 cm difference in the top tube lengths (unless "effective TT length" refers to something else) and, if I'm reading the tables right, just 1 cm difference in head tube length, which probably means the two bikes are quite similar in terms of geometry.
I'll give it until tomorrow anyway, as I need to call Ribble and see how flexible they are when it comes to changing over some bits and bobs to ones not included in the Special Edition options, and I'll make my decision
(At the moment, though, the Jamis sounds very tempting. Probably because next weekend is the Dunwich Dynamo weekend and I would prefer not to do it on my hybrid again )

tordis

So I've just spoken to a very nice and helpful chap at Ribble - and I have a dilemma again: he told me that I'm going to need a 44 frame. Is that possible? I mentioned to him that I tried the Jamis in a 48 and it seemed a perfect fit, but he said that sportive frames are a bit different, hence the difference in size. Should I take his word for it? I don't really want to wait for 2-3 weeks for the bike to arrive and then find it's not the right size for me.
Any advice?

freezing77

Every bike I have ever had has been either a 56 or 23". A ribble sportive 54 is the correct size for me.
As regards your dilemma!!!

Generally from what I have read ribble frames usually come up large for their stated size. I suspect the guy at Ribble has far more experience on sizing than most people on here.

NITR8s

Another curve ball for you, Winstanley cycles are currently selling the 2011 Eddie Merckx AFX-1 for £699. That comes with a full Tiagra groupset and Shimano RS10 wheelset, not to mention an excellent aluminium frame. Thats a £999 bike for £699

rolf_f

tordis wrote:

So I've just spoken to a very nice and helpful chap at Ribble - and I have a dilemma again: he told me that I'm going to need a 44 frame. Is that possible? I mentioned to him that I tried the Jamis in a 48 and it seemed a perfect fit, but he said that sportive frames are a bit different, hence the difference in size. Should I take his word for it? I don't really want to wait for 2-3 weeks for the bike to arrive and then find it's not the right size for me.
Any advice?

Did you try the competitive fit link I posted - it is a bit of a pain but it should answer the question.

Sportive frames are taller and shorter for the same size - but the number effectively relates to your leg length. So if Ribble are recommending a 44 then, irrespective of the type of frame, it implies that they think a 48 is too large for you. But there are differences in how the numbers are measured between different manufactures so you need to compare the overall geometry. So I'd go back to the geometry data for the two bikes and note down the seat tube, top tube and head tube measurements of the 48 Jamis and the 44 Ribble and see how they compare.

It's aggravatingly complicated but the worse thing you can do is get the wrong size bike. And the even worse worse thing you can do is get a wrong size bike that's too large for you (I was on a ride on New Years eve and there was a girl out on her first big ride of her first road bike. It looked a bit big and after 10 miles she realised it was) - at least too small gives you a margin for forcing a fit with long stems etc.

Personally, my instinct more favours the Ribble recommendation than the Evans test ride which will have been far too short and the staff probably not knowledgeable enough.

tordis

NITR8s wrote:

Another curve ball for you, Winstanley cycles are currently selling the 2011 Eddie Merckx AFX-1 for £699. That comes with a full Tiagra groupset and Shimano RS10 wheelset, not to mention an excellent aluminium frame. Thats a £999 bike for £699

Lovely bike, that! Would like to see it live. Evans seem to have the 2012 model available, I'll see if I can pop in to my local one tomorrow, have a look at it and see what frame size would suit me.

Rolf F wrote:

Did you try the competitive fit link I posted - it is a bit of a pain but it should answer the question.

I did - and you're right, it's very complicated. I've never been very good with numbers :?
Jamis have something called "effective TT length" in their table. Should I compare it to C or C+ in the Ribble table? (If it's C+, then the numbers are very similar, with just 2 cm difference.
Head tube is 5 cm shorter on the Ribble. As for seat tube, it's 44 cm long in the Ribble. Can't find any info on the Jamis.
Oh, and I've just noticed the little table underneath the big one in the pdf file you sent me a link to. Why, oh, why didn't I see it before? According to it, a traditional 48 cm frame = a sportive 44 cm one, which confirms the Ribble chap's recommendation

NITR8s

tordis wrote:

NITR8s wrote:

Another curve ball for you, Winstanley cycles are currently selling the 2011 Eddie Merckx AFX-1 for £699. That comes with a full Tiagra groupset and Shimano RS10 wheelset, not to mention an excellent aluminium frame. Thats a £999 bike for £699

Lovely bike, that! Would like to see it live. Evans seem to have the 2012 model available, I'll see if I can pop in to my local one tomorrow, have a look at it and see what frame size would suit me.

Rolf F wrote:

Did you try the competitive fit link I posted - it is a bit of a pain but it should answer the question.

I did - and you're right, it's very complicated. I've never been very good with numbers :?
Jamis have something called "effective TT length" in their table. Should I compare it to C or C+ in the Ribble table? (If it's C+, then the numbers are very similar, with just 2 cm difference.
Head tube is 5 cm shorter on the Ribble. As for seat tube, it's 44 cm long in the Ribble. Can't find any info on the Jamis.
Oh, and I've just noticed the little table underneath the big one in the pdf file you sent me a link to. Why, oh, why didn't I see it before? According to it, a traditional 48 cm frame = a sportive 44 cm one, which confirms the Ribble chap's recommendation

The only difference between the 2012 and the 2011 model is the fact the 2012 tiagra is a 10 speed instead of 9 and the 2012 model comes with FSA Handlebars and stem, instead of Eddy Merckx. I had a look at the 2012 AMX-1 (mens version) and have fell in love with it. It was unbeleivable light. Size 45frame(add 6 on to frame to get normal size) weighs in under 9kg with pedals.

rolf_f

I can't actually see the other table!

I'd be careful here though. A sportive bike differs from the standard geometry by having a shorter top tube and taller head tube. This results in your back taking a slightly more upright position on the bike. What I assume they are saying here is that if you start from the top of the head tube, assuming they are the same height on each bike, you end up with a shorter seat tube - hence the 48-44 thing.

If you compare the three important dimensions you get Jamis 48-Ribble 44

Size 480-440, Top tube 515 - 513, Head tube 120 - 115

So they are effectively pretty close - I think the Jamis has a pretty short top tube for a supposed race geometry but this all does my head in so I may be wrong! But I think you should fit both OK.....