Ribble Cycles - Preston showroom?

Ffish

Hi - I'm new here, so please be gentle with me!

Currently riding a Moda Intro Tiagra road bike, but have just been given the OK from the finance director to buy a carbon framed bike So I've done all the research, all the comparisons and all the what ifs, and have finally settled on a Ribble R872 Ultegra. I live in London, and want to see and play with the bike in the flesh before I part with my hard-earned, which means a lengthy trip up the M6 to Preston to check it out first.

My question is -is Ribble Cycles a shop / showroom that allows you to browse or is it just a warehouse that caters for online orders only? As with everything cycling, I'll probably end up spending more than I bargained for when I get there, as their range of products is impressive, so I would love to know if it's the emporium that it seems from their website? I'd hate to drive all that way and discover that it's just a warehouse on an industrial park, full of boxes!

Anyone else from the Preston area ever been there, and if so, what's it like?

Thanks in advance

HasselHough

They have a showroom with most / all of the range on show, just bikes and some pedals and bits in glass cases, it's certainly not a shop as you'd picture one.
As for purchasing stuff there you generally need to order online then collect.
I'd ring them if I were you.

rolf_f

As above. If you are buying a bike then they will probably be flexible about adding to an order but it would no doubt help to have some reserve and collects already bought before hand. I'm not sure they would dig things out of the warehouse to show you though so really it is best to just use the website for the purchases.

thefd

It's real easy to access (although hard to find in the industrial estate) from the m6. I ordered one from them and was literally passing the week before it was due, so I popped in to test size, and stem etc. they were really helpful. Put my mnd at reast that what I had ordered was going to be good. I was shown everything, from wheels, bar tape, stem, saddle etc.

Oh...and I got the R872 and it is so good, you won't be disappointed.

Litespeed79

As above the showroom is minimal. They used to have a brilliant shop in Preston but obviosuly it became unstustainable. Be careful about hoping to add to an order & collect there & then as they have a second warehouse. I went to collect some wheels & I had to wait for them as they were coming in from somewhere else the other side of Preston.

ianshotton

I went in a week ago to place an order for a Gran Fondo.
They have all the bikes on display each kitted out with a variety of the different wheel, saddles and various other combinations of options.
I spoke to Chris who was excellent and must have spent about an hour going through every choice with me, measuring up for frame/stem etc, and other staff were happily doing the same with other customers. I'm unsure if they can produce examples of every variation on parts but they were doing a fair it of that in response to questions.
They would have taken the order there and then (using the website bike builder) but unluckily their systems were down due to an office reorg. At least Chris noted down all my selections so I could easily place it online once home.

Bookwyse

I have an r872 and am not ht far from you in Kent but work in Chelsea. I don't mnd bringing it in one day for you to look at, play with wtc.

Jeff

Ffish

Thanks for all the feedback and offers of bike viewing guys. I'm going up there next Tues, making a day of it to see some family en route too. Looking forward to seeing them! Cheers

jonny1967

Make a day of it, you wont be far from Merlin cycles, who do the Sensa bikes which are slightly better than the Ribble frames in my humble opinion (others would disagree), and also near to Dolan, bike builder to the stars!!