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Looking at this with 105 or Ultegra
As per a previous post this week is for 1-2 Training/club rides per week and the odd sportive.
I'm interested in any general experience of Ribble bikes and / or comments regarding "cheap" carbon.
I had a chainstay seperate from BB at 40mph down the Pen-y-pass, thought I had a flat to start with 😯 Didn't seem too much fibre but an aweful lot of resin in that area had a warranty n'mare too so I for 1 wouldn't touch another. Plant X are the better of the budget frames imo or go Boardman
Not sure about them with builds, but I ordered a 105 groupset from them last week as they were the cheapest I could find - prompt dispatch and arrived next day. Well packed. No sweeties though, so minus 1 point. 😀
Grea thread [url= http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=40042&t=12732405&sid=657a32b2f1ae1d708cfa8a08b65d79a2 ]here on Bike Radar [/url]which explains the origins of and differences between the various Ribble frames.
I have a Sportive Bianco frame & fork that I built up a few months ago.
It's very nice to ride, beautifully finished (if that's important to you) and 'efficient' feeling - by which I mean you don't feel like it's beating you up or that it's flexing all over the place. Based on my experience of it, I recommend it wholeheartedly. I took it up (and down) Mont Ventoux in April and it was terrific.
Do remember that all carbon frames will explode and kill you and your loved ones.
SRAM RED Pro Carbon no frills, "RyanAir" style £999.99 bike - it's back 45 bikes only.
planet x
mate broke 2 of those I think. got the Sram red deal at planet x instead
Depends on your budget, westbrooks are selling 2012 Cannondale SuperSix 105's for £1499 (or pauls are doing 2011's at the same price). Overbudget by about £300 but possibly a nicer frame and wheels?
Depends on your budget, westbrooks are selling 2012 Cannondale SuperSix 105's for £1499
Can't find that on thier site 'Spoon?
Mates had a ribble for twelve months more than happy with it, got him round the whitton fine, also bit cheeky calling that Planet x Sram Red, could just have easily called it Sram Apex!!!
You were talking about a £2K bike yesterday, as an upgrade to your 1.5 - a £900 bike? why not spend some time researching?
No way I'd buy a badge-job carbon bike, from a cut-price supplier, without research.
Pointless. Not an upgrade over your current bike. Buy some new wheels, tubes and tyres. Money far better spent.
If you want a new bike, do it proper, you'll only regret it. Spend £2000 and buy a Canyon or something. Awesome bikes.
as above - this feels like a sideways step, not an upgrade.
you need to decide what you're looking for in a new bike that will be better then the current one and focus on finding soemthign that provides it.
The price is probably the last thing to consider.
From cynic-al onwards - I've just returned from a ride on the old bike and TBH I'm now realsing thats the best advice, cheers.
Fools gold eh? Best keep saving and not rush.
I could do you a Willier Izard with a campag Zenon build at £1299 (shipped)should be £1400 with compact groupset. For two hundred quid more its a better build bike and a more reponsive ride IMO.
Just out of interest, how does the construction and design of the Willier frame differ from the Ribble one?
Can one said to be definitely better than the other?
I've got the plain xtra small Sportive that the Bianco is based on and run a 105 triple groupset (duff knees) and I love it!! Far better than my previous road bike which was a Cannondale.
But then again that's what suits me and my type of riding!
One niggle I do have about the frame is that some of the cable routing is very tight, but that's probably down to it's size!
velopete - Member
I could do you a Willier Izard with a campag Zenon build at £1299 (shipped)should be £1400 with compact groupset. For two hundred quid more its a better build bike and a more reponsive ride IMO.
A Willier! *quivers*
I'd like an answer to Rusty's question though as there was some question of there Carbon frames lower quality from '10 to '11 onwards?
Carbon frames differ in how the carbon is layered, how the glues and resins are mixed, how much of and how it is applied to the different layers. Then there is how much carbon is used in different areas of the bike etc. All of these add time to the construction of the frame and therefore its cost. A huge amount of Cost is R & D as this dictates all the above. All these manufacturing processes greatly affect the ride and feel of the bike. Areas that you can feel the difference in cheaper carbon bikes are the amount of flex in the bars when out of the saddle, due to skimping and poor construction around headset/ headtube, and bottom brackets (less common now). I hope that helps
Thanks for that, it does help, but only if we know the detailed specs of each frame, which seems to be almost impossible.
How does the average Joe compare frames?
Do the bigger/more well known companies use 'off the peg' frames for their lower end carbon bikes?
[url= http://pedalforce.com/online/product_info.php?products_id=18479 ]This [/url]is the manufacturers spec for the PedalForce RS3.
How can I tell if it's better than [url= http://www.competitivecyclist.com/frame/2012-Wilier-izoard-xp-10354.html ]this, [/url]the Iozard frame?
This is a third party link as the Willier site gives very little info.
Can't find that on thier site 'Spoon?
They sent a series of discount codes to their e-mail list that applied the discounts at the checkout, give them a ring and they might give them to you, saying that I vagely remember the 2011 had a slightly better spec but it was probably marginal (RS10's Vs Askiums rings a bell)
Do the bigger/more well known companies use 'off the peg' frames for their lower end carbon bikes?
There's also the issue of how you layer it within the mould. Two bikes could leave the same factory, under different brands but identical shapes, but one's been layered up completely differently. Think of the moulds more like the jigs used for metal frames, the same jig could make an appollo xc.26 or an IF Delux.
I think the big international brands (trek, cannondale, Ok so I really meant ammerican)probably make all their frames 'in house' as they have the scale and budget to do so. But I suspect a lot of smaller brands outsource everything but the paint (which they probably outsource to, but to a different factory).