The New Ridgeback Ramble Bike.........

zanelad

I saw this bike on the web and just popped into my LBS to see it in the flesh. I was rather taken with it. Looks kinda like bikes used to. I'm showing my age here, but then a free bus pass is not that far off :oops: I was close to reaching for my wallet, but then an image of Mrs Z popped into my head and in the words of Fagan "I'm reviewing, the situation".

Anyone use anything similar on the roads? I currently ride a Boardman Hybrid that I use for 20-30 mile rides in an effort to gain some fitness and weight loss. I've had drop bar bikes before, but as I always seem to be riding on the hoods I thought a flat bar would be the way forward.

The Ramble has 33mm tyres which would seem to offer a much better level of comfort compared to the 25-28 mm tyres on most road bikes. The tyres seemed more like a road tyre than I'd expected and looked as though they'd offer a quickish ride rather than the more heavily treaded tyres that I thought it would come with. The gearing is lower than the hybrid 34/34 for the lowest gear. Handy for those hills that defeat me at present.

I'm tempted to buy it as I'd like to up the distance I ride to 40-50 miles and perhaps I should give a road bike another chance.

I'd like the panel's advice before I buy. I like the bike, but there's a nagging doubt that a more road focused bike might be the better bet.

Any advice, and amusing remarks welcome.

I thank you, Z.

Anonymous

I would have thought there were better adventure/cross bikes to be had for £1000, but if you really like it then go with your heart.

Apart from paint job and fact its a steel frame, do disc brakes and disproportionally chunky carbon forks wreck its retro credibility?
It must be pretty heavy I would have thought too.

I do not find cross bikes work that well on the road personally, but if you need the bigger tyres then its probably the only option.

As a comparison, if 28mm tyres are comfy enough on the road, you could get an aluminum (probably a lot lighter) 105 (2 groupsets higher) Pinnacle Dolomite (group test winning frame), with Hydaulic, not cable, disc brakes (so much easier on the near bus pass age digits) for £850.

Still fairly traditional looking really, but maybe not quite as low a gear without changing mech/cassette/chain.
You could possibly get the shop to swap out the bits, or worse case sell them as new (which they are) on ebay.

You have £150 to play with remember.

Lifeforms

Ridgeback are designed by Genesis and made in the same factory . Genesis-Madison's designers also design a couple of other much smaller brands such as Rapide. They have a lot of experience but are not as well known as the big brands. They are definitely built to last and the head designer talked a lot about this in a recent review which I found to be very refreshing on this day and age of inbuilt obscolesence and bikes only ridden for a couple of years before being sold.

Ridgeback are known for making essentially bombproof commuters and tourets with a conservative, traditional design. A lot of reviewers point out " the almost Teutonic efficiency " in their steel framed tourers which is impressive for bikes with longer wheelbases.


Looking at the frame geometry of the Ramble it's the same as the Croix de Fer. The fork makes it quite a bit lighter though as that is normally found on the high end Titanium Croix de Fer, CdA and carbon cross bike, Genesis Datum.

The most recent CdF geometry has moved a little away from their cross bike and more toward road bike.

Tbh, I'd say go for it. I'm sure that in terms of reliability it will be top notch. I have a 4 year old aluminium Ridgeback Tour which is going strong. Never missed a beat so far. My Tour resembles a 60s bike and it's so comfortable and stable with the low bottom bracket and I take it onto gravel and mud so the Ramble will be even better at this!

I know what you mean about the arsthetics. It really is a 'real' bike. Of course, you might like to look at the Genesis Croix de Fer also as that has a steel fork. They too have a retro feel about them.

The tyres I don't know much about. They will be more comfortable than what you currently have I'd guess and enable you to go on a wider variety of terrain. I might however be tempted to replace them with either 32 mm gp 4 seasons or some of the cyclocross models such As clement x plor, continental speedcross or kenda flint. These are even gripper on gravel and dry mud. However, the ones fitted might be really great tyres.

I use continental gp 4 seasons 28s and I can go on light gravel and cobblestones etc. I only ride very slowly on these surfaces tbf though.

Wait a few months into 2017 and the Ramble will become heavily discounted - I am
Sure. It looks like a great bike. It's like a top end Croix de Fer at a much lower price essentially ( if you wait till mid 2017 for deals). In fact I'm sure that that is essentially what it will be - just rebadged.