8.5Kg Giant Propel or 6.5Kg Ribble SL?

CRAIGO5000

I’m 64Kg, I like riding up hills fast and club riding on the flats and I need a new bike.

I can build a Ribble SL with latest Ultegra, Ksyrium elite wheels which comes in at 6.5Kg for £2k

Now I’ve seen the 2018 disc Giant Propel and it’s an amazing machine for £2.4k BUT it weighs a heavy 8.5Kg!

Given my weight and typical average of 230w on the flats, will the Giant feel sluggish compared to the Ribble SL?

I could eventually add aero wheels to the SL as that’s probably where most aero bike gains are made anyway.

Thoughts?

craigus89

I would go with the Ribble but would be surprised if it were actually under 7kg, I suspect it's closer to 7.5kg in reality once you've got pedals, bottle cages, sensors, mounts etc on it.

That Giant is heavy though.

fenix

why discs then ?

w00dster

One of those is rim brakes and the other disk. Always going to be a weight disparity, also the Giant is an aero bike ( and the other is a lightweight road bike. Worth having a look at the Ribble Bike configurator as you can get a pre built SL with Dura Ace 9100 and Krysium's for £2175.
Weight wise, I'm 67kgs so a bit heavier, one of my bikes is over 9kgs and the other is around 7kgs. It depends on the riding you do, if you spend a lot of time in the steep hills then you may prefer to use the lighter bike. I can climb OK on the 9kg bike, maybe a couple of seconds behind the lighter bike but not really noticeable in real world times. I actually use my heavier bike for when I'm in the mountains, but I prefer the disc brakes and wider tyres plus its got a 32 tooth cassette.
For £2700 you can get a Canyon Aeroad CF SLX 8.0, so Ultegra with Reynolds Strike 62mm wheels and weighing in at a claimed 7.2kgs. I'm guessing there is going to be a new Aeroad coming out soon so Canyon have a good sale going on.

Matthewfalle

£2k for a Ribble? Blimey.

How much is a Planet X aero bike of the year thing?

I'd go for a Palace over either the Ribble or Giant

#youpaidhowmuchforaRibble?

the_jackalcp

What do you ride now?

Having ridden a Propel I can say I wasn't that impressed. Not obviously faster than my Cervelo R3 despite deep section wheels, no where near as comfortable and felt cumbersome up some short sharp hills. It is relatively easy to make a non aero bike, like the ribble, fairly competitive with a propel or similar if you do the research. Aero bars and hidden cables are a great place to start and mid depth wheels are within the same ballpark as deeper section wheels until the yaw angle gets steep. You may still trade a few watts but I'd be pretty sure you couldn't tell.

I own both a lightweight and aero bike. If you really wind it up then the aero bike shifts but I don't ride around like that all the time so limited benefit. My go to bike will always be my Cervelo, there is something about the lightness, the snappy ride and acceleration that I don't get from the aero machine.

Camcycle1974

Matthewfalle wrote:

£2k for a Ribble? Blimey.

How much is a Planet X aero bike of the year thing?

I'd go for a Palace over either the Ribble or Giant

#youpaidhowmuchforaRibble?

Style over substance imo. The Bowman gets a lot of love on here but how many people have actually got one and why is it any better than the Ribble? #bikesnobbery.

CRAIGO5000

The Jackalcp wrote:

What do you ride now?

Having ridden a Propel I can say I wasn't that impressed. Not obviously faster than my Cervelo R3 despite deep section wheels, no where near as comfortable and felt cumbersome up some short sharp hills. It is relatively easy to make a non aero bike, like the ribble, fairly competitive with a propel or similar if you do the research. Aero bars and hidden cables are a great place to start and mid depth wheels are within the same ballpark as deeper section wheels until the yaw angle gets steep. You may still trade a few watts but I'd be pretty sure you couldn't tell.

I own both a lightweight and aero bike. If you really wind it up then the aero bike shifts but I don't ride around like that all the time so limited benefit. My go to bike will always be my Cervelo, there is something about the lightness, the snappy ride and acceleration that I don't get from the aero machine.

I ride a Ribble Stealth (R872 or whatever it's now called) with Sram Force 10 speed and had Planet X 50mm carbon tubs for flat roads and Mavic Ksyrium SL SSC for hillier ventures. The bike and carbon rims are now all dead - killed by a car knocking me off hence the look for a replacement. I still have the SSC SL's though (probably a 1500gram wheelset).

I appriciate the advice. I also own a Dolan Prefessio for commuting and that thing weighed a lot more in comparision but it has a nicer, more aggressive position compared to the Ribble Stealth.

I get the comments on "a Ribble", but seriously a carbon bike built up with R9000 Ultegra, 2018 Kysrium Elites and it all coming in at way under 7KG for £2000? If I upgrade to Di2, I can take it over the £2500 threshold and with the current offer, they knock off £250.

I also need to budget for a Shimano crank power meter and later down the line, a set of carbon wheels for Summer would be a nice addition so the Canyon Aeroad being a great bike ends up being over £3000 for me and there's none in stock in a Medium until end of Sept - It's also heavier.

Matthewfalle

its snot really bike snobbery- MF thinks that 2k for a Ribble is shocking. jumped on the trendy wagon they have see.

#whowouldpay2kforaribble?

Matthewfalle

CRAIGO5000 wrote:

The Jackalcp wrote:

What do you ride now?

Having ridden a Propel I can say I wasn't that impressed. Not obviously faster than my Cervelo R3 despite deep section wheels, no where near as comfortable and felt cumbersome up some short sharp hills. It is relatively easy to make a non aero bike, like the ribble, fairly competitive with a propel or similar if you do the research. Aero bars and hidden cables are a great place to start and mid depth wheels are within the same ballpark as deeper section wheels until the yaw angle gets steep. You may still trade a few watts but I'd be pretty sure you couldn't tell.

I own both a lightweight and aero bike. If you really wind it up then the aero bike shifts but I don't ride around like that all the time so limited benefit. My go to bike will always be my Cervelo, there is something about the lightness, the snappy ride and acceleration that I don't get from the aero machine.

I ride a Ribble Stealth (R872 or whatever it's now called) with Sram Force 10 speed and had Planet X 50mm carbon tubs for flat roads and Mavic Ksyrium SL SSC for hillier ventures. The bike and carbon rims are now all dead - killed by a car knocking me off hence the look for a replacement. I still have the SSC SL's though (probably a 1500gram wheelset).

I appriciate the advice. I also own a Dolan Prefessio for commuting and that thing weighed a lot more in comparision but it has a nicer, more aggressive position compared to the Ribble Stealth.

I get the comments on "a Ribble", but seriously a carbon bike built up with R9000 Ultegra, 2018 Kysrium Elites and it all coming in at way under 7KG for £2000? If I upgrade to Di2, I can take it over the £2500 threshold and with the current offer, they knock off £250.

I also need to budget for a Shimano crank power meter and later down the line, a set of carbon wheels for Summer would be a nice addition so the Canyon Aeroad being a great bike ends up being over £3000 for me and there's none in stock in a Medium until end of Sept - It's also heavier.

so you don't race at a decent level, you don't ride at a high level (riding with a local club isn't a high level) and you're not a decent level coach but you want to spunk monry and add weight on a power meter.

why?

#savethecash

CRAIGO5000

I could go one further and sit on the couch and save a fair packet more? #whatsthepointinanything

The power meter adds 20grams
Define racing at a decent level - what level do I need to be at to ride a Pinerello with power meter?

I don’t earn a living from racing or riding but does that mean I shouldn’t strive for the most cost-effective bike purchase when I’m looking to buy? I have raced a few seasons back, won the odd BC crit and top 10’s in regional road races. I’ve since broken bones on the bike and more recently been crashed into by a car. I also have a family to look after and so for now, racing is out of the question - enjoy spirited riding with a club and maintaining general fitness on a turbo for which a power meter is required to train efficiently.

I’ve had a sram power meter for years which I swapped around my Sram bikes. I like power because I can track progress, see growth on my PMC, monthly, annually, know how far off in fitness I was compared to the same time last year etc. Used properly it actually motivates me to either get off my arse and ride or take it easy if a block of Winter turbo sessions or the 365 days a year cycle commute is taking its toll.

£300 to add that on the new shimano bike? Yes please.

cooldad

Ignore him. He's a trolley idiot.

Bottom briquettes

The Ribble is going to be an ‘open mold’ frame, using lower spec materials the Giant is going to be a Giant proprietary frame, with higher grade materials. I’d always go for the bike with the better frame, and not worry too much about the weight. There are lots of easy ways of clawing a bit of weight advantage back, it’s much harder to compensate for a gash frame.

craigus89

Bottom briquettes wrote:

The Ribble is going to be an ‘open mold’ frame, using lower spec materials the Giant is going to be a Giant proprietary frame, with higher grade materials. I’d always go for the bike with the better frame, and not worry too much about the weight. There are lots of easy ways of clawing a bit of weight advantage back, it’s much harder to compensate for a gash frame.

That is utter b0llocks in many ways.

ugo.santalucia

No bike is a long term investment, not even a Colnago Master... buying a Ribble or a Giant for the same money is perfectly fine, if you get a similar product.
Open mould, closed mould... who cares? You either get a good bike or a bad bike and as far as I can tell, Ribble are excellent frames/bikes.


To the OP, if you ride on rolling/hilly terrain, 2 kg difference is noticeable... have you had a look at Dolan?

imposter2.0

Craigus89 wrote:

Bottom briquettes wrote:

The Ribble is going to be an ‘open mold’ frame, using lower spec materials the Giant is going to be a Giant proprietary frame, with higher grade materials. I’d always go for the bike with the better frame, and not worry too much about the weight. There are lots of easy ways of clawing a bit of weight advantage back, it’s much harder to compensate for a gash frame.

That is utter b0llocks in many ways.

It’s the sort of nonsense that milemuncher/bikergrovish used to post...

Camcycle1974

Ribble have been trading since 1897, I think they know what they are doing. Lots of companies use open molds, does that make them inferior too or is it just Ribble? As I said #bikesnobbery. I own a Giant as I trust their tech and the quality of carbon frames they make but I have also owned a Ribble and that was a great bike too. You pays your money and you makes your choice but to suggest that one bike is inferior to the other just because it is a Ribble is nonsense.

timothyw

Yeah, I own an entry level Ribble (Blue Audax 7005) and a Giant TCR Advanced. I love them both - probably my favourite two bikes in the stable.

Best way to make the decision would be if you could get a test ride, especially spending that sort of money. At your weight, 2kg is quite a lot to add to a bike - not so much at my weight!

sloppyschleckonds

Always go for the lighter bike, but £2k & £2.4k for mediocre bikes is crazy money.
A reasonable spec Canyon ULTIMATE CF SLX 8.0 is 'only' £2.7k

pamplemoose

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

Always go for the lighter bike, but £2k & £2.4k for mediocre bikes is crazy money.
A reasonable spec Canyon ULTIMATE CF SLX 8.0 is 'only' £2.7k

Ah the classic "it's only X pounds more for Y" logic. That's how people end up with expensive bikes and angry spouses.

ovi

Matthewfalle wrote:

£2k for a Ribble? Blimey.

How much is a Planet X aero bike of the year thing?

I'd go for a Palace over either the Ribble or Giant

#youpaidhowmuchforaRibble?

just looked at the website and they are £700 for the frameset. Seems a bit pricey to me but still cheaper than a caad 12.

looks pretty though

furrag

Have a read of this: https://www.tour-magazin.de/raeder/renn ... 45739.html

Aero trumps lightweight, especially on UK terrain, when you're putting your nose in the wind. You can quite easily shed KG from a bike. A lightweight ~45mm carbon wheelset with latex tubes, or even going tubeless will be a good investment for every day fast riding and racing. Hambini has produced a very good test on 20 wheelsets or so over on WeightWeenies.

The Giant Propel has a much better sell-on value than the Ribble, which is something to consider. If you wait until next month, PaulsCycles usually has some superb end of season clearance deals on Giant models.

That said, I won most road TT's and road races on a Cervelo R3SL, and have just bought a Colnago C60, rather than the Concept. I've had aero bikes before, but found them more jarring, and weren't particularly keen on them in crosswinds, but that may have been an issue with the Soloist.

The crux is, stick a deep wheelset on both bikes, use as narrow bars as comfortable with to reduce frontal area, train yourself producing watts in an aerodynamic position, and the difference in real world terms is minimal.

ayjaycee

Furrag wrote:

I've had aero bikes before, but found them more jarring, and weren't particularly keen on them in crosswinds, but that may have been an issue with the Soloist.

If you had deep set wheels on your 'aero bikes' then I suspect that they were the main culprit in the crosswinds (that and the human being on top, that's any human being and not just you!).

angry_bird

Of those choices I'd go with the Ribble to be honest, but that's mostly because I think the Propels look hideous.

Bottom briquettes

Aero trumps lightweight, unless you’re only ever going up steep hills, and not coming back down again, and don’t ride on flat / rolling courses. You expend over 80% of your effort pushing air out of the way. Aero frames take a bit of getting used to in gusty cross winds, but despite the fact they all look a bit wonky/ fugly, the aero frame always figures larger in my choice of frame. The dropped seat stays are really there primarily to disrupt the shock pathway between the rear of the bike and your spine, they also help by keeping more of the frame out of the airflow, so they are ‘function over form’ in that respect.

Nolberto78

I'd be sceptical of the weight on the Ribble. Similar frame weight to mine but I have Dura-Ace, FSA carbon cranks, carbon bars/saddle, a light stem and 1400g wheels and it comes in at 6.7kg with pedals/mounts/cages etc. I also wouldn't choose that Giant either - at your weight discs aren't a massive plus in the dry, and if you want to ride in the wet alot I would suggest a Propel is not the most practical starting point.
I do think the Propels look nice though and depending on your height you could get the 2017 Propel SL2 in medium for £2,100. Still won't be crazy light but would fall closer to the Ribble's real weight than the disc Propel.

cougie

Furrag wrote:

the difference in real world terms is minimal.

This x1000

Get the prettiest one.

minnnt

I was looking at a Giant Propel and asked (albeit on a FB group) for advice on it and ended up buying a Giant TCR Advanced Pro 1 I was swayed by the aero looks of the propel but my main riding is hills so after someone suggested a TCR I did a little more research and decided that was the one to go for. In someways though I wish I’d gone for the disc model. There was minimal noticeable weight difference although it was more money. The new Ultegra R8000 is a fantastic groupset and the brakes are great but if you get caught out in the rain with the carbon wheels, it’s quite literally a slippery slope all the way home. The braking just disappears.

Bike snobbery is massive, I know, I used to ride Boardmans (I still do for the commute/winter). They’re excellent bikes for the money. Have you looked at the Boardman Pro SLR? A lot of bike for £1350 (with BC discount).

At the end of the day though, just go for the one you like the looks of. You’ll probably ride it more if you like it more!

vinnymarsden

I’ve had a Ribble Pro Carbon... excellent bike, a Scott Foil... another nice machine but my current bike is a TCR Advanced Pro 0 with lightweight kit and it trumps both the others by a long margin... if I were the OP I would just go with what he wants.... NOBODY on here will agree with him!
This is Bike Radar forum for heavens sake!!!
(That is tongue-in-cheek humour btw )

minnnt

VinnyMarsden wrote:

I’ve had a Ribble Pro Carbon... excellent bike, a Scott Foil... another nice machine but my current bike is a TCR Advanced Pro 0 with lightweight kit and it trumps both the others by a long margin... if I were the OP I would just go with what he wants.... NOBODY on here will agree with him!
This is Bike Radar forum for heavens sake!!!
(That is tongue-in-cheek humour btw )

Couldn’t agree more Vinny. My TCR rides beautifully. It’s the perfect bike for my style of riding... It does sound pretty ideal for the OP too. The Giants also come setup tubeless which has been noticeably more comfortable so far!

I’d be after some guarantees from Ribble on the weight you’ve quoted.

minnnt

Is this the one you’re looking at?

https://roadcyclinguk.com/gear/reviews/ ... ke-review/

The review says it weighs 7.32kg for a 56cm.