Ribble Evo Pro Carbon

secretsam
secretsam Posts: 5,098
edited February 2013 in Road beginners
They've got a rather attractive deal on at the moment - the above bike with 105 or Veloce (I think) and Aksiums at £1k - anyone know what these are like? Looks like a steal but would appreciate your comments and advice

It's just a hill. Get over it.

Comments

  • mikeouk
    mikeouk Posts: 148
    never heard anything negative about ribble bikes and they do seem to be good value, one of the gang I ride with has one and it looks a nice bike.
    Im slightly biased towards planet x because I own one, but id highly recommend the pro carbon at £999, done 1500 trouble free miles on mine since may, I think they are even better value than the ribble.
    http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/CBS ... _road_bike
  • alihisgreat
    alihisgreat Posts: 3,872
    It doesn't review particularly well... http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/tech/bikes/129311/8/1000-bike-test-2012.html

    "for us we'd rather ride a metal frame at this price as we've found the handling is better"


    In the £1k price range the carbon frames are always going to be a bit hit and miss.

    As above I'd be looking at Planet-X if I wanted Carbon for £1k (or something thats got a nice discount.)
  • I've just bought one, the Centaur build rather than 105. Price was £999.95.

    Not had much of a chance to try it out but so far all I can say is the spec is fantastic for that sort of money - full Centaur groupset, Khamsin wheelset and a carbon seat post. Crazy. I saw the Cycling Weekly review mentioned above but you'll find far more with positive things to say. You'll see reviews that say the frame is stiff and others say it's not, but they tend to have different wheelsets and it's anybody's guess wtf the reviewer felt when they put the power down. I ride about 4 days a week including steep climbs and never feel even my alloy frame bending enough to make a difference. Wheels are a different issue and some do bend an awful lot. Cycling magazine reviews are to be taken with a pinch of salt. Commercial interests and journalism work in funny ways :wink:

    My verdict so far is that I'm really very pleased with what I got. It looks way better in the flesh than it does in photos.

    I've seen the Sportive Bianco, New Sportive Racing and Gran Fondo at Ribble's place. The GF looks great, the NSR looks a bit chunky and the SB is a bit, er, girlie. Spec and performance wise, there's probably not much difference between the frames. The real difference is the Evo Pro summer special price is a massive saving.
  • I bought the gran fondo about 6 weeks ago and think its a steal!
    Gorgeous to look at and I did check out the Planet X bikes but thought the Ribble colour schemes nicer. Not technically important but you've gotta love your ride right??
  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    It doesn't review particularly well... http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/tech/bikes/129311/8/1000-bike-test-2012.html

    "for us we'd rather ride a metal frame at this price as we've found the handling is better"


    In the £1k price range the carbon frames are always going to be a bit hit and miss.

    As above I'd be looking at Planet-X if I wanted Carbon for £1k (or something thats got a nice discount.)

    Actually, the Evo Pro and the previous generation of Planet X carbon bikes are the only ones I've seen not to get convincingly positive reviews at that price range - and in both cases due to being a bit flexy. Which may not be a problem depending on your weight.

    Not that the reviews should in any case be taken with anything more than a very substantial dose of salt.
    Faster than a tent.......
  • nochekmate
    nochekmate Posts: 3,460
    Buy the Ridley Orion with 105 from Wiggle instead for sub 1k
  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    nochekmate wrote:
    Buy the Ridley Orion with 105 from Wiggle instead for sub 1k

    That doesn't look bad (aside from the Shimano thing!) - only medium to extra small though.
    Faster than a tent.......
  • secretsam
    secretsam Posts: 5,098
    Rolf F wrote:
    Actually, the Evo Pro and the previous generation of Planet X carbon bikes are the only ones I've seen not to get convincingly positive reviews at that price range - and in both cases due to being a bit flexy. Which may not be a problem depending on your weight.

    I'm a hefty little chunky monkey, so flex is a real issue :roll:

    It's just a hill. Get over it.
  • SecretSam wrote:
    Rolf F wrote:
    Actually, the Evo Pro and the previous generation of Planet X carbon bikes are the only ones I've seen not to get convincingly positive reviews at that price range - and in both cases due to being a bit flexy. Which may not be a problem depending on your weight.

    I'm a hefty little chunky monkey, so flex is a real issue :roll:

    The question is whether you'll have more of an issue with flex on an Evo Pro than any other.

    I banged my Evo Pro up a 0.5 mile 10% yesterday morning and felt no obvious flex at all. And I'm certainly no lightweight at 72kg.

    Be careful what you read into magazine reviews, and opinions expressed by people who have never ridden the bike in question. I have ridden an Evo Pro, Ribble New Sportive Racing and a Wilier Izoard up the same hill referred to above and can not see any appreciable difference. Except my Evo only cost me £999. The Campag Centaur groupset and Khamsin wheels make it a bargain and with 950grm frame, it's very light even though it has 525grm alloy steerer.
  • alihisgreat
    alihisgreat Posts: 3,872
    Camtheman wrote:
    SecretSam wrote:
    Rolf F wrote:
    Actually, the Evo Pro and the previous generation of Planet X carbon bikes are the only ones I've seen not to get convincingly positive reviews at that price range - and in both cases due to being a bit flexy. Which may not be a problem depending on your weight.

    I'm a hefty little chunky monkey, so flex is a real issue :roll:

    The question is whether you'll have more of an issue with flex on an Evo Pro than any other.

    I banged my Evo Pro up a 0.5 mile 10% yesterday morning and felt no obvious flex at all. And I'm certainly no lightweight at 72kg.

    Be careful what you read into magazine reviews, and opinions expressed by people who have never ridden the bike in question. I have ridden an Evo Pro, Ribble New Sportive Racing and a Wilier Izoard up the same hill referred to above and can not see any appreciable difference. Except my Evo only cost me £999. The Campag Centaur groupset and Khamsin wheels make it a bargain and with 950grm frame, it's very light even though it has 525grm alloy steerer.


    72kg is pretty light.. especially if you're not putting out much power...
  • Bought an Evo-Pro Carbon about 6 months ago. Am very, very pleased with her. She is spectacularly light and far stiffer than the Aluminium bikes I had ridden before. You can spend more and get a much stiffer bike, but then it wouldn't be a £1000 bike, would it.

    Compared with my previous 6000 and 7000 series Aluminium frame bikes, this one absolutely leaps forward. It wants to go fast and rewards your efforts handsomely.

    My Evo-Pro Carbon is specced with Mavic Comsic Elite wheels and a few other bits and bobs which takes her to £1350. She is much lighter and nearly as stiff as my mate's £2000 Cannondale Super-Six and would say it certainly holds its own. If I could have afforded the R872 (an exta £150) it would have been super-stiff as well as light, but that would have broken the bank!

    Only criticism is that the laquer on the black paint is quite soft (not unusual with this kind of paint job) so make sure you stick on some clear patches (like the Lizard Skins) to protect the frame from cable-rub.

    But really, for this money, I don't think there is much to touch it. Buy one, and have tons of fun!
  • Referring to a bike as a female but then saying she's stiff doesn't quite work for me :lol:

    Mind you, I agree entirely that the Evo Pro is great ride ;-)
  • secretsam
    secretsam Posts: 5,098
    Camtheman wrote:
    SecretSam wrote:
    Rolf F wrote:
    Actually, the Evo Pro and the previous generation of Planet X carbon bikes are the only ones I've seen not to get convincingly positive reviews at that price range - and in both cases due to being a bit flexy. Which may not be a problem depending on your weight.

    I'm a hefty little chunky monkey, so flex is a real issue :roll:

    The question is whether you'll have more of an issue with flex on an Evo Pro than any other.

    I banged my Evo Pro up a 0.5 mile 10% yesterday morning and felt no obvious flex at all. And I'm certainly no lightweight at 72kg.

    Be careful what you read into magazine reviews, and opinions expressed by people who have never ridden the bike in question. I have ridden an Evo Pro, Ribble New Sportive Racing and a Wilier Izoard up the same hill referred to above and can not see any appreciable difference. Except my Evo only cost me £999. The Campag Centaur groupset and Khamsin wheels make it a bargain and with 950grm frame, it's very light even though it has 525grm alloy steerer.

    72kg is pretty light.. especially if you're not putting out much power...


    F**k me, I don't know what 72kg even feels like - I'm more like 90kg on a good day :oops:

    It's just a hill. Get over it.
  • adz999
    adz999 Posts: 19
    I've been riding the evo pro since December, bearing in mind that i'm a 100kg rugby player who really has to pull my ass up hills, I can honestly say that I have noticed no significant flexing. All in all I was shocked to find it a comfier ride than both my £1000 MTB, and the £700 hybrid that I got rid of in favour of a more focused machine.The only annoyance I have are the bike snobs at cake stops, Although that may be more to do with a larger build gent on a carbon machine than the actual bike itself!
    adz
  • SecretSam wrote:
    Camtheman wrote:
    SecretSam wrote:
    Rolf F wrote:
    Actually, the Evo Pro and the previous generation of Planet X carbon bikes are the only ones I've seen not to get convincingly positive reviews at that price range - and in both cases due to being a bit flexy. Which may not be a problem depending on your weight.

    I'm a hefty little chunky monkey, so flex is a real issue :roll:

    The question is whether you'll have more of an issue with flex on an Evo Pro than any other.

    I banged my Evo Pro up a 0.5 mile 10% yesterday morning and felt no obvious flex at all. And I'm certainly no lightweight at 72kg.

    Be careful what you read into magazine reviews, and opinions expressed by people who have never ridden the bike in question. I have ridden an Evo Pro, Ribble New Sportive Racing and a Wilier Izoard up the same hill referred to above and can not see any appreciable difference. Except my Evo only cost me £999. The Campag Centaur groupset and Khamsin wheels make it a bargain and with 950grm frame, it's very light even though it has 525grm alloy steerer.

    72kg is pretty light.. especially if you're not putting out much power...


    F**k me, I don't know what 72kg even feels like - I'm more like 90kg on a good day :oops:

    Lets be fair now, he may only be 4ft nothing ;)