Ribble 7005 Sportive vs. Specialized Allez Sport

robbo8989

Hi all, long time reader, first time poster.

I'm looking at getting my first 'proper' road bike. I'm currently riding a second hand Vitesse Sprint which I picked up for just £80 and is far too large for me. I've decided to get a bike on 0% finance to spread the cost a bit and have settled on a budget of around £750. I was initially going for the Specialized Allez Sport but have since come across the Ribble bike builder and found I can get a Tiagra groupset on the 7005 sportive frame with a bit of cash to spare for upgrading other components such as the wheels for example.

I'm also struggling to decide on a frame size. I know the best advice is probably to try some out but that's not always possible. I'm a shade under 5'9" with a 32" inseam. My current bike is 58cm which is definitely on the large size. I'm thinking of the 52cm Ribble or perhaps 54cm Allez frame. I'm a bit new to all this so would appreciate any help. Thanks.

Steve236

At least go into a bike shop and talk to someone if your not sure about size. I measured myself and every online guide and calculator came up with 58cm but the first two shops I walked into the two assistants took one look and said you'll need a 56.

Flexisurfer

There is a difference in the calculation for a straight top tube and a sloping top tube. I'm 5'11" and ride a 58cm straight top tube and a 56 sloping top tube. Have a look on the net for calculations and formulas as getting the correct frame size now will reduce a costly headache in the future.

elderone

Im sure i read some where on here that a chap phoned ribble with his measurements etc and the chat resulted in the bike he bought being a great fit.Worth a phone call at least.

centimani

Having measured every tube possible on my existing bike, then comparing those measurements on Ribbles geometry page for the Sportive Racing in my case, I came up with a probable size for me. I then phoned Ribbles, they asked what my top tube was (IIRC) on my existing bike, they then suggested exactly what I'd worked out myself...and having ordered it, it fits very nicely.

robbo8989

Thanks for the advice so far. Going off the advice on Ribble's website it advises to multiply the inside leg measurement by 0.64 for a sloping top tube frame which puts me almost bang on 52cm. It also advises going for a 110mm stem. I'll give them a call tomorrow and see what they recommend.

Definitely swaying more towards Ribble now. It's just a case of deciding on all the other components. All I'm certain on so far is the Tiagra groupset. I live in the Pennines but I hope a compact double chainset will be enough to get me by. Any advice on the other components would be most welcome!

luv2ride

If you think you might struggle initially on the climbs where you are, you might consider going for SRAM Apex compact with an 11-32 rear cassette instead of Tiagra - that gear combination will get you up most inclines. If you went for the 11-32 cassette you'd need the medium cage rear derailleur.

I prefer my SRAM stuff to Shimano (admittedly I only had Shimano 105 5600 previously but it's similar to the new Tiagra I think). It's all personal choice though...

robbo8989

I'm definitely open to all options but the main consideration is price. SRAM Apex works out £81 more expensive than Tiagra which I can still afford but only if I choose not to upgrade any of the other components (I was considering upgrading the wheels and seatpillar). Is it worth the extra money or would I be better spending it elsewhere? There is the option of a triple if a compact double isn't quite going to be enough to get me up some of the steeper climbs.

Gabbo

robbo8989 wrote:

Hi all, long time reader, first time poster.

I'm looking at getting my first 'proper' road bike. I'm currently riding a second hand Vitesse Sprint which I picked up for just £80 and is far too large for me. I've decided to get a bike on 0% finance to spread the cost a bit and have settled on a budget of around £750. I was initially going for the Specialized Allez Sport but have since come across the Ribble bike builder and found I can get a Tiagra groupset on the 7005 sportive frame with a bit of cash to spare for upgrading other components such as the wheels for example.

I'm also struggling to decide on a frame size. I know the best advice is probably to try some out but that's not always possible. I'm a shade under 5'9" with a 32" inseam. My current bike is 58cm which is definitely on the large size. I'm thinking of the 52cm Ribble or perhaps 54cm Allez frame. I'm a bit new to all this so would appreciate any help. Thanks.

If the geometry of the allez suits your build, then buy the tarmac. It is 0% APR after all!

Flexisurfer

I looked at getting a Ribble winter bike but decided on the Allez from my local shop, I don't regret it as its been back a couple of times and I haven't had to pay to get it back. However if you live nearby discount what I just said, I would also add that there's nothing wrong with ribble but if you do have niggles it would be a lot easier to buy from a LBS.

robbo8989

Gabbo wrote:

robbo8989 wrote:

If the geometry of the allez suits your build, then buy the tarmac. It is 0% APR after all!

The tarmac is definitely out of budget, even when paying monthly.

Any more advice on triple versus double? There are a few climbs near me that show gradients over 10% on Strava (which is very steep for me) and I have found myself having to use the smallest of the three chainrings on my current bike. Then again the bike does weigh about the same as a baby elephant...

If a triple is necessary then I'll definitely go for Ribble as the Allez comes with a 50/34 chainset and just a 12-27 cassette. My budget doesn't stretch far enough to swap this out later.