Endurance SL Disc - Ribble
solarflash
Posts: 102
Here's my Endurance SL Disc. I used this forum a lot when trying to decide which bike to buy so I thought I'd stick up some images and also some impressions of the bike.
My road bike was getting long in tooth after 11 years of almost daily service, mostly commuting but also the odd race and event a few times a year. I was running 28's on wide rims with less than ideal clearance, the BB30 was chewing through bearings, as was the headset. Rim brakes were not for me - lots of all weather commuting - I went through rims almost as quickly as tyres. So high on the list of requirements were, better clearances, standard BSA threaded BB, mudguard fittings.
But I also wanted a reasonably fast frame, so some aero considerations wouldn't hurt. This bike is my only bike, it needs to do everything from duathlons, sportives and commutes.
I considered fairlight strael, mason definition, canyon endurace but ultimately settled on the ribble with some modifications.
I've been using tubeless tyres for years now on the road - won't ever use Schwalbe tyres again! Despite the glowing reviews, the schwalbe pro ones were utter crap, I've never had so many punctures. Lasted less than 1000km. I've since been through IRC's (x-guard 3500km) but settled on Hutchisons. The Sector 28's were excellent, lasted bloody ages - 8901k! Great grip in all conditions and while they did puncture in the last 1000k, slugs and sealant (orange seal regular)reliably fixed the punctures each time. Now I'm trying Fusion 5 All Season 28 on the rear, and Fusion 5 Performance 25 on the front. They've done over 2000km so far and show very little wear which is good. The rear punctured early with a deep cut from something sharp but the dynaplug sorted that and it hasn't been an issue since. Very little cuts on both tyres. Also switched to MilkIt Valves, great not having to worry about clogged valve cores.
The wheels are light bicycle WR56 rims laced to Hope pro 4 RS hubs with pillar aero spokes. Light bicycle built the wheels and honestly the whole process was excellent. Customer service was great, as was product and delivery times. This combo was chosen in the hope that I could get a reliable wheel set that would be good for many miles (love hope components) but also get a wee aero advantage. The 25 tyre on the front makes for a nice transition to the rim, less wide than the rim, on the back the 28 is about the same width. I was hoping for comfort and durability on the back. Wheels together weigh 1644g with tubeless tape installed. Not at all super light but the weight in mostly in the hubs, which I’m ok with.
Swapped the saddle for my Fabric Shallow which works well for me.
Really wanted Ultegra Di2, but couldn’t justify it at the moment. The integrated cockpit from Ribble was a bit of a risk but I used https://www.bikegeocalc.com to ensure the new bike exactly matched my old fit on my previous bike. Sure enough when it arrived it fitted perfectly. The integrated bar cleaned up the front end nicely. I used a K-Edge spoon mount, and I like to use an exposure trace front mounted under my garmin. For some reason the mount threads didn’t go all the way through to the underside of the mount, but I was able to tap them so it worked just fine in the end.
Stuff that hasn’t worked out perfectly – Ribble customer service was really hit or miss. The order got delayed a lot in the beginning, apparently the integrated bars were holding up the build. Ribble were less than great with this and didn’t keep me updated on the delays. In fact, when they finally answered my emails and gave me a build date, it went past and silence resumed. After many phonecalls a staff member who was great at customer service explained the delay and informed me there would be another delay. Out of the blue I was informed the bike had shipped ahead of the lst estimation and it arrived shortly afterwards. I’m guessing it was maybe teething issues but the whole thing wasn’t ideal. After unpacking I noticed they hadn’t sent the mudguard bridge, more phone calls…more waiting…another phonecall after a couple of weeks and finally it turned up. Again not ideal. Also the frame had a few scratches in the clear coat after unpacking.
Rear tyre width:
Front tyre width 28.12:
I went with a 105 groupset and frankly, I’ve been underwhelmed. The front shifter rattles over bumps when on the tops or hoods. If I’m holding the brake lever it doesn’t rattle. Also after checking the chain and reviewing the shimano tech docs it seems Ribble had the chain significantly too long. The shifting had been slow and noisey despite my best efforts to fix it. Shortened the chain and all is perfect now. Brakes are super soft, the bleed from Ribble was woeful - the levers pull all the way to the bar with spongey feel. I’ve yet to fix this as the brakes do function ok, they just feel very underpowered. I’ve since picked up a bleed kit and it’s now on the to do list.
With that out of the way, the bike feels incredible to ride! Super solid under power, very stable, but still nimble compared to my old bike. I like to go for the odd segment and when sprinting it really comes to life, amazing acceleration and speed. The wheels potentially contribute here too but the frame just feels great. The bars are very comfortable, and I actually really like the default bar tape that came with the bike. The bar taping was also incredibly neat by the Ribble mechanic. Can’t imagine it was the same mechanic that fitted the chain and the brakes! The reviews have talked about how comfortable the bike is but honestly at 173cm tall, 70kg~ and not much exposed seatpost I don’t really notice a massive improvement from my old bike. For reference I am using about 50psi in the front and 55 in the back.
I recently used the bike in a duathlon, the course was rolling hills and the bike felt perfect. A couple of riders with aero helmets and TT bikes went past but I still managed to somehow cling on to a top 5 finish despite having a regular helmet and “normal” road bike. Who knows how much difference the bike and wheels actually made, but it felt pretty decent.
Despite the customer service issues I’d be hard pushed not to order the same bike again. The value for money seems great, the bike has been performing well so far, and it’s handling everything I’ve asked of it. I'll probably upgrade to Di2 at some point but right now its good enough.
My road bike was getting long in tooth after 11 years of almost daily service, mostly commuting but also the odd race and event a few times a year. I was running 28's on wide rims with less than ideal clearance, the BB30 was chewing through bearings, as was the headset. Rim brakes were not for me - lots of all weather commuting - I went through rims almost as quickly as tyres. So high on the list of requirements were, better clearances, standard BSA threaded BB, mudguard fittings.
But I also wanted a reasonably fast frame, so some aero considerations wouldn't hurt. This bike is my only bike, it needs to do everything from duathlons, sportives and commutes.
I considered fairlight strael, mason definition, canyon endurace but ultimately settled on the ribble with some modifications.
I've been using tubeless tyres for years now on the road - won't ever use Schwalbe tyres again! Despite the glowing reviews, the schwalbe pro ones were utter crap, I've never had so many punctures. Lasted less than 1000km. I've since been through IRC's (x-guard 3500km) but settled on Hutchisons. The Sector 28's were excellent, lasted bloody ages - 8901k! Great grip in all conditions and while they did puncture in the last 1000k, slugs and sealant (orange seal regular)reliably fixed the punctures each time. Now I'm trying Fusion 5 All Season 28 on the rear, and Fusion 5 Performance 25 on the front. They've done over 2000km so far and show very little wear which is good. The rear punctured early with a deep cut from something sharp but the dynaplug sorted that and it hasn't been an issue since. Very little cuts on both tyres. Also switched to MilkIt Valves, great not having to worry about clogged valve cores.
The wheels are light bicycle WR56 rims laced to Hope pro 4 RS hubs with pillar aero spokes. Light bicycle built the wheels and honestly the whole process was excellent. Customer service was great, as was product and delivery times. This combo was chosen in the hope that I could get a reliable wheel set that would be good for many miles (love hope components) but also get a wee aero advantage. The 25 tyre on the front makes for a nice transition to the rim, less wide than the rim, on the back the 28 is about the same width. I was hoping for comfort and durability on the back. Wheels together weigh 1644g with tubeless tape installed. Not at all super light but the weight in mostly in the hubs, which I’m ok with.
Swapped the saddle for my Fabric Shallow which works well for me.
Really wanted Ultegra Di2, but couldn’t justify it at the moment. The integrated cockpit from Ribble was a bit of a risk but I used https://www.bikegeocalc.com to ensure the new bike exactly matched my old fit on my previous bike. Sure enough when it arrived it fitted perfectly. The integrated bar cleaned up the front end nicely. I used a K-Edge spoon mount, and I like to use an exposure trace front mounted under my garmin. For some reason the mount threads didn’t go all the way through to the underside of the mount, but I was able to tap them so it worked just fine in the end.
Stuff that hasn’t worked out perfectly – Ribble customer service was really hit or miss. The order got delayed a lot in the beginning, apparently the integrated bars were holding up the build. Ribble were less than great with this and didn’t keep me updated on the delays. In fact, when they finally answered my emails and gave me a build date, it went past and silence resumed. After many phonecalls a staff member who was great at customer service explained the delay and informed me there would be another delay. Out of the blue I was informed the bike had shipped ahead of the lst estimation and it arrived shortly afterwards. I’m guessing it was maybe teething issues but the whole thing wasn’t ideal. After unpacking I noticed they hadn’t sent the mudguard bridge, more phone calls…more waiting…another phonecall after a couple of weeks and finally it turned up. Again not ideal. Also the frame had a few scratches in the clear coat after unpacking.
Rear tyre width:
Front tyre width 28.12:
I went with a 105 groupset and frankly, I’ve been underwhelmed. The front shifter rattles over bumps when on the tops or hoods. If I’m holding the brake lever it doesn’t rattle. Also after checking the chain and reviewing the shimano tech docs it seems Ribble had the chain significantly too long. The shifting had been slow and noisey despite my best efforts to fix it. Shortened the chain and all is perfect now. Brakes are super soft, the bleed from Ribble was woeful - the levers pull all the way to the bar with spongey feel. I’ve yet to fix this as the brakes do function ok, they just feel very underpowered. I’ve since picked up a bleed kit and it’s now on the to do list.
With that out of the way, the bike feels incredible to ride! Super solid under power, very stable, but still nimble compared to my old bike. I like to go for the odd segment and when sprinting it really comes to life, amazing acceleration and speed. The wheels potentially contribute here too but the frame just feels great. The bars are very comfortable, and I actually really like the default bar tape that came with the bike. The bar taping was also incredibly neat by the Ribble mechanic. Can’t imagine it was the same mechanic that fitted the chain and the brakes! The reviews have talked about how comfortable the bike is but honestly at 173cm tall, 70kg~ and not much exposed seatpost I don’t really notice a massive improvement from my old bike. For reference I am using about 50psi in the front and 55 in the back.
I recently used the bike in a duathlon, the course was rolling hills and the bike felt perfect. A couple of riders with aero helmets and TT bikes went past but I still managed to somehow cling on to a top 5 finish despite having a regular helmet and “normal” road bike. Who knows how much difference the bike and wheels actually made, but it felt pretty decent.
Despite the customer service issues I’d be hard pushed not to order the same bike again. The value for money seems great, the bike has been performing well so far, and it’s handling everything I’ve asked of it. I'll probably upgrade to Di2 at some point but right now its good enough.
2
Comments
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U forgot to add Ribble in the title, kind of important.
Awesome bike though, I have the Ribble GCR SL, they both look alike but I think yours is alot lighter!0 -
Looks sweet! Enjoy it!0
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Nice review, good detail.
And despite not being Italian, that looks a sweet bike...good work
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I too have been a little underwhelmed with the 105 groups on my month-old CGR Ti.
The front shifter rattles like crazy - I've softened it somewhat by applying a piece of leftover chain stay protector (approx 1.5mm thick, faux carbon effect) between the offending shifter arms at the top of the brake lever but it's still not perfect).
Shifts were slow and noisy at first, but I adjusted the cables and re-aligned the front mech (not installed properly at Ribble HQ) and things have improved - not quick as slick as the older version of 105 on the bike the CGR has replaced though.
As for brake lever reach - I've re-bled both brakes but the levers still come back way to far. Unfortunately it isn't possible to adjust the bite-point on 105. Should have forked out a bit more for Ultegra. Ho hum, maybe an upgrade sometime in the future.
Apart from that, the bike is perfect - I'm running 37mm tyres and it eats rough roads and gravel tracks for breakfast. Raod grip is noticeably better with the wider tyres, although saying that, I did hit the deck on my commute this morning on a particularly greasy junction. Smashed helmet, shredded gloves, destroyed (favourite) base layer and various bruises, cuts and road rash. The bike fared slightly better with just some scuffs on the shifters - maybe that Ultegra upgrade will happen sooner than anticipated!0 -
Love these bikes, look great and awesome value and a BSA bottom bracket too! Ticks every box.0
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That is a fine looking bike. Good work 8)Bianchi ImpulsoBMC Teammachine SLR02 01Trek Domane AL3“When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. “ ~H.G. Wells Edit - "Unless it's a BMX"0
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Thanks for the comments! Following the recent weather I've picked up some PDW Mudguards in 37mm. I'm hoping they accommodate the current tyres and fit the frame. For anyone wondering about the hidden mudgaurd adapters for this frame the SKS Direct Fork adapter (£1.99 on amazon) fits the frame just fine. I couldn't get a response from Ribble when inquiring. Hopefully they work with the PDW's, I'll post up after I've tried.
A couple of weeks ago I hit the mother of all potholes, unfortunately I didn't see it all, so totally caught me offguard (dark, lights were set to lowest setting). I hit the straight edge of the pothole so hard my bottle went flying the bell rang! - Shortly followed by hissing and sealant spray. Unbelievably the orange seal regular sealed the hole without a dynaplug, despite it being pretty big, and the rim was completely unscathed. I'm so impressed with the Light Bicycle rims. The tyres are also still doing great, that's only the second puncture and both have sealed successfully without fuss and there are hardly any cuts.0 -
Mudguard Update! The PDWs finally went on a couple of weeks ago. These are the 37mm Full Metal Fenders which seem to fit over the 25mm&28mm Hutchinsons (~30mm measured) nicely. The SKS fittings did not work. I tried modifying them but it was a pretty horrible bodge. Instead I bought the Whiskey Mudguard Mounts from Triton cycles which were expensive at 10quid but work perfectly and seems very nicely made. The guards were a total pain in the ass to fit. This was mainly due to the seat stay mounting point. The guards and the frame played a part here. The frame uses a removable mount which to be honest isn't the best made thing ever. The mounting bolt ended up boring straight through the back side of the plastic which doesn't look right. But the PDW seatstay mount which wraps around the mudguard like a gorilla grip just didn't work. Everytime I thought it was perfect the guards would slide through the mount a rub again. So I got the drill out and fitted the L bracket. I should have done this in the first place. Basically worked first time, and the guards have been absolutely perfect since. The plastic Ribble mount is even working out fine. As you can see from the pics though I could have used a bit more adjustment or drilled further back to allow a wee bit more height, but in the end there is plenty of clearance and they are silent (except when salt is pinging off the underside). I think the also look neat and fit the frame well. I've ridden in ridiculous wind conditions recently and lots of rain and they are working so so well. Very happy indeed. The guards are also totally solid, they basically don't move unlike the plastic ones I've had in the past. On with the pics, bike is basically in winter commute mode here with lights and whatnot attached.
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Very nice looking commuter !0
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I agree, lovely looking bike!1
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I've often looked at PDW mudguards, they look nice, but it sounds like my SKS guards are way easier to use.
But aren't they a bit of a heavy choice for a SL bike?0 -
Thanks! The SL is a bit of a misnomer, this isn't a super light bike, maybe would have been a few years back. Ribble do the SLR frame which is sub 1kg but I think this frame is around the 1kg mark. My commute and most of my riding is super flat, so weight isn't really a concern.
In other news I got launched over the bars on the way home recently. Was not a good time. I've been out for a few weeks with an AC separation but the bike shrugged it off like nothing happened. Those PDWs are rock solid! Worth the setup hassles I had. Some new shifter hoods and bartape and she looks as good as new.. The front wheel is also still completely true and the tubeless tyres remained inflated.0 -
Oof. How did that happen ?0
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Sun had just gone down, invisible, negligent dog owner with earphones in, large dog was hiding in the bushes off-lead, despite ringing the bell and lighting up the path I had no idea there was a dog about. Burst out in front of me just as I was passing the owner. Poor dog seemed to be ok but was terrified. This was on a national cyclepath of course, and it was all my fault of course 🙄. I'd never walk my dog off-lead in that area, especially as the beach is literally 5 meters at the side of the path, but what can you do. Anyway, first proper incident on that path after about 9 years of commuting on it.0
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Bloody people. Glad you're not too badly hurt anyway.1
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Hovering over the button to order the Endurance SL with final decision on whether to splash the cash on the integrated cockpit, it certainly looks the part on your bike and in any Ribble pics, but keen on your opinion after using it for a while versus having a standard bar, stem setup.1
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The potential problem with intergrated cockpits are:
- is it available with the stem length & angle you require when you buy the bike?
- if you ever need to change something in the future such as stem length or angle you need to get all new parts instead of just replacing say the stem.
0 - is it available with the stem length & angle you require when you buy the bike?
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Yes integrated cockpits are V shexy - but bars are basically consumables. Expensive.0
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Hi just a FYI I have a new 105 disc gruppo and have the same rattle issue, I find that a tight wrap of black electrical tape around the hood just before it turns upwards helps and also the right shift lever if you depress all the way down and then glue or tape a small shim at the top of the lever (old inner tube or patch works well) then the problem mostly goes away, I spent ages battling with both shimano and the lbs that sold me the bike about this and they just refused to help so my bodge fixed it for me. Lots of people with the same issue always the right shifter seems like a 105 design fault.
Anyway give it a shot1 -
Hey thanks mr_eddy, I'll give that a try. The forum doesn't seem to be notifying me when there is an update to this thread so apologies for the late response. The integrated cockpit has been great, honestly for me it was one of the main considerations. Now that I've straightened my derailleur hanger and bled the brakes I've got no complaints. I'll be updating to Di2 at some point later in the year, we'll find out how much of a pain the bars are then.
As for the length and fit, I used bikegeocalc.com to make sure the fit absolutely matched my previous bike (which I'd been fitted to) before purchase. Here's a screen shot of both bikes overlaid in bikegeocalc
You can see the small difference at the levers (the slight change was intended) So long as you can make sure they match the fit of you bike or your bike fit before purchase I don't see the issue. I've been cycling regularly for many years now and honestly I don't fiddle with the stem length ever, and rarely have I made adjustments to the bar angle. Usually only to fix a rotated bar after hitting a massive pothole!
Today the on the indoor trainer I noticed a massive rattling noise coming from the rear of the bike. I thought it was the trainer but in the end it turned out to be dried orange sealant from the tubeless setup. Breaking the tyre bead to come away from the rim turned out to be a total brute of a job. One thing is for sure the rim and tyre combo isn't burping anytime soon and flatting at speed certainly isn't going to cause concern. After searching youtube and forums I unseated the bead by standing on the tyre and pulling up on the rim (with help from the step on my deck outside). Cleaned out the dried sealant and used the Beto charge pump to reseat the bead. Rattle is gone and the tyre is back up. Might have to replace the rim tape at some point though, I think the tape came too close to the bead which is why it was so difficult to get back off.
This video and this video were helpful for those that have a similar issue in the future!0 -
Thanks for the detailed review and notes on sizing. It’s a gorgeous looking bike - I’m looking at one of these myself currently and was hoping for some info from a current owner!
Basically I am stuck between two sizes with regards to stack height. I see from pictures there is a fixed top cover to the headset when the integrated bars are used which sits on top of the head tube and appears to be quite thick. I was wondering whether this headset cover is taken into account on the Ribble geometry charts. Therefore would you possibly be able to let me know the height of this cover and whether the head tube measurement includes/excludes it. I have asked Ribble customer service but no response so far so I’m getting a bit impatient!!
I see from the picture of the geometry you used for sizing that you did not include this element though....
Any help gladly appreciated!0 -
Hey, my bike has just arrived back (20mins ago!) From warranty for paintwork cracks - suspected carbon crack at seat clamp. So it's not unboxed yet but I asked Ribble something similar ahead of my purchase, here's the response:
"Stack height of the Level 5 carbon bar from top of frame to top of the stem is 90mm including spacers.
Height stack of the spacers is 30mm standard." Hope that helps. If not I can measure tomorrow.
I'll update this shortly with info on the warranty replacement but Ribble were fantastic this time round. Excellent service and communication.0 -
Thanks for getting back to me so quickly and as a prospective buyer I’m pleased to hear you got a good warranty response
That’s really helpful thanks. A measurement would seal the deal in my mind, but if not I think that is plenty for me to calculate with!
Thanks so much!0 -
I've starred this thread as I'm seriously considering picking up a Ribble SL or SLR.....prepare for inane questions, Solar.
Is the only difference between the SLR and SL frame about 300g in weight due to different carbon? Seems like £2.60 a gram....Giant TCR Adv Pro Disc 0 2021
Nukeproof Digger Comp 2021
YT Capra Pro Race 29 2018
Genesis Tour de Fer 2018
All City Big Block SS 2020
Giant Defy Adv 1 20160 -
I popped into the Bluewater store yesterday to have a look at them and bombard with questions about stack height, frame colours, tyre clearance, etc.
Yes there is a slightly different carbon mix - more T1000 - but also weight savings from use of a BB86 press fit rather than a BSA bottom bracket which I believe required a metal threded shell inside the frame. I am uncertain about whether BB86 is actually an improvement as I've never had a press fit before!0 -
The answer is no. No it's not. Sorry!john_beardsworth said:I popped into the Bluewater store yesterday to have a look at them and bombard with questions about stack height, frame colours, tyre clearance, etc.
Yes there is a slightly different carbon mix - more T1000 - but also weight savings from use of a BB86 press fit rather than a BSA bottom bracket which I believe required a metal threded shell inside the frame. I am uncertain about whether BB86 is actually an improvement as I've never had a press fit before!
Fat chopper. Some racing. Some testing. Some crashing.
Specialising in Git Daaahns and Cafs. Norvern Munkey/Transplanted Laaandoner.1 -
Never had a press fit in a mountain bike that wasn't made of spreadable cheese.
Bound to get more life out of one on a roadie (in the dry) and I assume its lighter. Not a deal breaker for me.Giant TCR Adv Pro Disc 0 2021
Nukeproof Digger Comp 2021
YT Capra Pro Race 29 2018
Genesis Tour de Fer 2018
All City Big Block SS 2020
Giant Defy Adv 1 20160 -
This was one of the reasons I went for the heavier frame, really wanted a standard BB. Old bike had bb30 and while I do have the tools to do maintenance, it was a pain and it creaked relentlessly. A quick visit to hambini on YouTube will reveal that standard BB's aren't a sure bet either though. There's also potentially some merit in having a heavier more durable carbon rather than the lightest.0
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I got my frame back from warranty. I've attached the picture of the cracks around the seatpost clamp.
After discussing this with the Ribble team they were fairly confident it was paint cracking and not carbon, as the carbon runs perpendicular to the crack direction, however as a safety precaution they wanted it back to look at. They switched the frame out for a new one and the turnaround was about a week including shipping both ways. Communication from Oli and James at Ribble was excellent throughout via email. There were a couple of minor issues getting the frame back - it didn't have a seatclamp, they sent a parcel out super quick 24hour delivery but it was the wrong part, so they did they same again with the correct part! A minor hold up but not a problem at all really. First pedal on the bike after re-assembly I noticed a knocking sensation while pedalling - the crank arms hadn't been torqued up. I think the mechanics are under quite a bit of pressure at the moment with the surge in demand. All-in-all though the bike is running great and it was a good warranty experience especially given the circumstances with COVID-19.
Felt soooo good to be back on the bike after using a temp old bike (giant defy rim brake) for a week or so. What a difference.
Couple of small changes - bartape Fabric silicone reverse wrapped so no finishing tape needed! Looks nice n clean on the tops. Was using this for a few months before the frame went back and the tape came off easily and went right back on once the bike came back.
Kapz topcap with the Ribble logo. Standard top cap is really cheap looking and spoils the level 5 bars, this looks much better I think!
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Hey Solar, so did you come from a Giant Defy to the Ribble?
I'm looking to do that jump and I want the integrated headset so need to get the length right
I saw the link you posted to the geo set up tool which is cool, what are the main dimensions you matched up? Reach? Top tube? etc.
If, for instance, I am happy with the feel of my Defy on the hoods and want similar, is it as simple as matching the length from saddle to hoods?
If you can be arsed and have the time I'd appreciate the advice. Cheers!Giant TCR Adv Pro Disc 0 2021
Nukeproof Digger Comp 2021
YT Capra Pro Race 29 2018
Genesis Tour de Fer 2018
All City Big Block SS 2020
Giant Defy Adv 1 20160
