To Ribble or not to ....

Bigphillyb

Hi guys ,

Looking at getting a custom bike (6ft5 -17st) and Ribble keep coming up as an option.

Can you recommend anyone else I can look at as a comparison ?

Thanks for any help

P

southdownswolf

May as well ask as someone else will....

Budget? Type of riding? How long have you been riding? How often do you ride?
Enjoy the pies or powerful rugby player? (a bit too heavy or all muscle?)

Without knowing a few details it is impossible to suggest...

Bigphillyb

Sorry guys, more info

Budget £2k, road riding, just starting out, I do enjoy pies but ex rugby is spot on, 43 yrs, hoping the cycling will shift a stone or 2
Cheers
P

navrig2

If the £2k is just for the bike you'll get better frames than Ribble but with a lesser groupset.

If the £2k includes for peripherals (clothes, shoes, tools, helmet, pedals etc etc) then Ribble would be a good choice. (I have 2 Ribbles so have balanced view, I think).

For your first bike it may be better getting your local bike shop to size and fit the bike to you (my first Ribble is a size larger than I need but I didn't know that until I bought the second one).

thefd

I have a Ribble R872 and I have a Spesh Tarmac. Both full carbon, both running 105. Which do I prefer and would I choose to ride?

The Ribble!

Both are great but the Ribble is my fav!

Pituophis

I've also got two Ribbles.
An ally Sportive 7046, and a carbon Gran Fondo. They both share the same geometry, which suits me perfectly.
I just bought the frames and then all the components to put on them at my leisure. It probably didn't save me any money this way, but did spread the cost out. :oops: I could have got more or less all the same parts from Ribble, so it would have been easier to specify a built bike, but not as interesting.
I have fairly nice, light wheels on the Fondo and it still came in at well under 2k. But the sky is the limit I guess.

I think they are both great bikes and I am totally happy with them, but I guess there will be a few people who will say they wouldn't touch one with a barge pole.

CYCLESPORT1

Nowt wrong with a Ribble !

defycomp2

We have a carbon Ribble "best" bike in the garage alongside an aluminium Dolan with full mudguards for this time of year so both Lancashire brands get our vote.

crescent

£2k will buy you an awful lot of bike from Ribble, they are currently offering the Gran fondo with Ultegra for £1000, for another few hundred quid you could put some cracking wheels on it and have an excellent bike for well under your budget. I can't fault Ribble and would heartily recommend them as a company and the Gran Fondo as a bike.

cougie

If you're just starting out - theres no need to splash 2k on a bike. Anything over oooh 500 will get you started.

My advice - buy a cheaper one and see if you like it. Don't get anything too racy and if I were you I'd get something like the blue ribble winter bike. Thousands of club riders have them. Full guards so it will be comfortable for the cold and wet rides to come. If youre joining a club - most will insist on full guards thru winter anyway.

http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/bbd/road- ... BRW&bike=1

Save the rest of your budget with an eye to getting a best bike maybe in the summer or next year when you know you're enjoying yourself.

Kit is a big cost too - so you need to budget for that too. I'd have thought £500 to £1000 easy !

vinnymarsden

Hi,

I had a Ribble evo carbon Pro for year as my 1st road bike for many years…I can confirm what others have said…a LOT of bike for not so much dosh!!
But with your budget, have you considered a Canyon? They sell direct, so you need to know your size, but their size calculator online is usually very good.
As for the people telling you to use part of the budget on kit etc…NO WAY!!!
Always buy the very best your budget will allow…the kit is just surplus on top…if the chancellor (wife in my case asks) just tell her everything was in a sale!! Just make sure you are there for deliveries etc…sorted!!!

Enjoy…and persevere….don't let someone on here be bagging bargains in 6months because you didn't like it….lol!!

fatsmoker

Ribble have a carbon something on sale now I think. Looks like a bargain.