If you had £4k for a new bike would you buy a Ribble?

They certainly get great reviews and I plan on buying the all road. Not sure what your dream bike is but £4k isn’t going to buy a dream bike these days 

If you have to ask you already know the answer. Spending £4k on a pedal bike is an extravagance so if it doesn't make you excited to ride it then it's not the right one. 

The Ribble has higher spec gears (Force instead of Rival)

Are you looking at a 1x or a 2x build?

Obviously SRAM have just pushed out new groupsets of both types so will these builds be the latest versions?

I just got a good deal on a Giant Revolt [Force build for the price of Rival build] but these aren't the latest groupsets.

Are any of these frames UDH? If not, that may be a decider if looking for 13 speed XPLR...

I'm fascinated to know how a gravel bike costs £4k... 😳 

Posted by: doomanic

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I'm fascinated to know how a gravel bike costs £4k... 😳 

Groupset and wheels. 

And C2W inflation

Posted by: johnnystorm

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If you have to ask you already know the answer. Spending £4k on a pedal bike is an extravagance so if it doesn't make you excited to ride it then it's not the right one. 

Basically this. By all accounts, Ribbles are nice bikes, but they've never really done it for me, either.

Caution!! I am the kind of person who'd choose a Skoda Superb over an Audi A6 as the boot is bigger and the spec for the money is soooo much better in the Skoda. 

On that basis I would buy the Ribble of those 3.  It sounds like the best value bike. 😂

It's hard to believe a £4k gravel bike that fits would be anything less than something lovely to ride.  

That said if you don't think you'll like it because it's a Ribble then keep shopping.  Neither of the other brands stands out to me as "ooh must have" either.  

You didn't say what colour they were 😉

Edit the Propain is the best looking (Terracotta). 

No. I would buy a Diverge STR.  I've had mine for 18 months and begrudge riding my other bikes.

God no. But I’m a bike snob. Overtime, you can replace group set and components with sexier bits. 

Rightly or wrongly, my get reaction to this is that £4k is "nice" bike money but Ribble make value bikes.

Spending £4k means you accept that you're in the space of diminishing returns. The only reason to spend that much is because it speaks to you. A bike at half that will be at least 80% as much fun to ride.

Have you ridden any of these bikes? 

Surely doing that would answer the question 

If I had £4k to chuck at a gravel bike I'd be looking at something like the Look 765 Gravel, not a Ribble.

As a proud Skoda over Audi pragmatist, I've had a couple of Ribble road bikes and they were fine. They didn't set my heart racing though.

I'd be asking myself which bit of the spec I would compromise to get a Fairlight or Camino Ti at that budget.

I'd be looking at a high spec Cotic escapade or maybe a mason or fairlight.

If I was spending 4k then I would have to want the bike, very much a heart decision and a Ribble wouldn't cut it.

Ribble tried to go upmarket a good few years ago now, how much they've succeeded is still a moot point.

Looks like a handsome bike but - as has been suggested - if it doesn't give you a nice warm glow then maybe it's not the one?

I'd also agree that I'd want a decent test ride on something as potentially unforgiving as a gravel race bike. Is that where the Ribble might make sense actually?

30-Day Test Ride | Ribble Cycles

Brand "snobbery" (for want of a better word) is very much a thing. Some people will see Ribble and think "mail order shed in Preston", no matter how much they've tried to split the brand out from that and move it upmarket. 

But then I've just bought a £4000 gravel bike (it was actually on a significant sale) from Canyon and many people will look at that and think "mail order shed in Koblenz".

Even to me it's not a "dream bike" although I will say it's very nice, I like it a lot and I'm very fortunate to be able to buy such a bike. But I would not have bought a Ribble. I just don't really like the look of it. I'm sure it's very nice - these days it's actually quite a challenge to buy something that's crap unless you go off to the realms of £99 full suspension bikes from a catalogue.

It'd be an interesting test though to buy a Ribble, repaint and rebrand it and see what people's reaction to it is if you paint TREK or GIANT down the side of it.

Thanks for all the input guys. I'm glad it's not just me being a brand snob about the Ribble brand.

I should say, I currently have a Planet X Full Monty and really enjoy riding it. And I'm am definitely in the Skoda over Audi camp if the Skoda gives me what I want (actually looking at a new car too and Skoda are coming out on top at the moment). 

I'm going to Birmingham tomorrow so if the train is on time I'm planning to pop to the Mailbox to look at the Ribble in the flesh.

I should say all the bikes in my list are the new 13 speed AXS kit, either Rival or Force. 

It looks really nice and the spec is good. My choices are generally an Audi R8 rather than Ferrari (my gravel bike is a Gradient, not a Bokeh) so one step up from Skoda/Audi, but I'd be happy with that Ribble, although I'd choose the Ti All-Grit. 

I wouldn't buy a complete bike. I'd buy the frame and wheels that you really want and compromise (if needed) on the rest of the build.

For example... buy a Stigmata frame (or similar, but I'd suggest getting UDH and 50mm tyre clearance whatever) and a pair of discounted Reserve wheels from Merlin. That doesn't leave much of your £4k budget, so build up with last year's Rival and cheaper finishing kit. 

You'll have a fast, light and unique bike that is yours. Upgrade at a later date when deals are on.

If I had £4k to chuck at a gravel bike I'd be looking at something like the Look 765 Gravel, not a Ribble  another motorbike.

😉 

If I had £4k to throw at a Gravel bike I would probably be looking to build it up myself,  pick a frameset, wheelset, group and choose my own VFM areas and trade-offs rather than whatever a product manager decided was best. TBF I would tend to do that at most price points, but ~£4k is a nice budget to play with. 

As suggested above, I'd be looking at a Fairlight or maybe a Ritchey, but I suspect  from your candidates OP you're wanting "Aero/Carbon Gravel" rather than "Skinny/Steel Gravel". 

All of that is irrelevant if this is a needed for summer purchase, where time is a factor and a working bike needs to be in your hands within the next couple of weeks(?). In that case I'd probably prioritise delivery over spec, and in that case Ribble probably have an edge... 

Based on a mechanic mate's insta feed. No. He's seen some shocking headset/steerer and BB messes on Ribbles in the last couple of years. For the (premium online) price you're paying I would expect better. As others say - nice frame + GRX820 + nice wheels is likely to come up a similar price.

Beyond the essentials of fit and geometry - which have to be top of the pile when it comes to bikes - I think it really depends what you value most from your bike. 

Ribble will inherently have a better spec; they're a value bike brand, with fewer overheads with dealers, sponsoring teams etc. That money can go back into the drivetrain, wheels etc - and it doesn't necessarily mean that the frame is any worse than the other two. 

But wanting a bike you can look at and go "phwoar" is absolutely valid; if the Ribble doesn't do that for you, and the spec downgrade on the others isn't a major concern, then something like an Orbea would definitely be the right choice. 

When I was looking at road bikes a while back (before I saw sense...), I was looking at the Scott Addict, Cannondale SuperSix and Orbea Orca because they were bikes I lusted after. Even though I already had a Ribble, Ribble wasn't on that list. 

Forgot to mention, my Ribble CGR Ti is a perfectly decent bike. I went for the 105 build, then used the money saved to replace the wheels, seatpost and stem over time. Brought it down to 9kg and in the process made it a better looking bike! 

£3,650k gets you a nicely spec'd Fairlight Secan (GRX 820, carbon wheels). I've got an older gen one and absolutely love it. Though lead times may not be ideal for you depending on when you want it. 

I wouldn't be spending that amount of cash on anything that I couldn't test ride before handing over the cash. Based on experience 18 months back when I was interested in a Gravel Ti frame and wasn't allowed even to ride one round the carpark, (only sit on their sizing machine), I wouldn't.

Yes, in theory you could do the 30 days ride thing, but having just looked at the bumf, there's an £80 refund fee and "Any bike we receive that has incurred damage outside of the wear and tear expected from a limited number of rides will be ineligible for the 30-day test ride policy." Stone chips and marks from chainslap, and I suspect you'll be keeping it whether you like it or not; and if you crash it...?

(Got a Salsa Warbird in the end. Keep Pedalling in Manchester arranged to get a demo bike in, in the correct size,  that I took out for 1/2 hour or so and did everything possible to make an easy purchase)

this is dream bike territory and is my dream bike really a Ribble?

Doesn't sound like it. Personally, for gravel, I'd be going titanium* - it's going to get scratched and 3M pads are cheap. And Titatnium always trumps "Ribbleness". And for that matter carbonness. And Ribble have a few decent options.

Mind you, your budget won't even buy a Dolan DF5 FRAME for my next track bike. So dreams vary immensely.

*Spoiler, mine is Ti - hence the username;-)

I'm fascinated to know how a gravel bike costs £4k...

My 'cheap' custom built Orro from 2 years ago was £5k (included a dynamo front hub and Hope 5 rear but mechanical 2x GRX groupset as it was bought for touring.

mean no offence to anyone from Ribble or who owns a Ribble but is a mail order bike worth £4k?

Isn't Propain also mail order? 

I've a CGR Ti with 105. I like it. Even get admiring looks at the cafe from Italians on their Bianchi and Willier bikes. Might help that it's titanium sans they've never seen a Ribble before.

I find it odd that people lust over a Trek, Specialized or Giant frame.... They seem so generic to me. 

A mate is the one of the main dudes selling Bianchi bikes to all the shops in northern Italy. I'm tempted to see what he's got going to replace the GF's Marin, but she really likes the colour despite it being steel.

If you have to ask you already know the answer. Spending £4k on a pedal bike is an extravagance so if it doesn't make you excited to ride it then it's not the right one. 

+1

In a not to dissimilar, but lower budget situation I ended up getting a Ti Colibri* from Sonder.

Probably marginal where Sonder sits Vs Ribble in the bike snobbery pyramid but ultimately it came down to what I thought I wanted to ride.  I spent ages deliberating and pouring over reviews and spec sheets and the Ribble alternative (the fancypants aero allroad carbon) ticked a lot of boxes, but I found I was just trying to justify it by numbers and buzzwords. I told myself that if the two bikes were in a shop and I was casually browsing, which would I have gone upto and pinged the top tube first, because first impressions are seldom wrong and that one was undoubtably going to be the one I'd walk into the garage and want to ride.   

*It's not a gravel bike, but I wanted a 'road' bike that could take the odd shortcut

I wouldn't buy a complete bike. I'd buy the frame and wheels that you really want and compromise (if needed) on the rest of the build.

Also worth considering.  If nothing else then custom building actually forces you to decide what you actually prioritize. If you're anything like me you'll probably end up spending aged choosing handlebars and the groupset will be an afterthought 😂 which is the opposite of choosing the Ribble based on it having a force group set as it gets really poor reviews of those aero bars.

Ribble bikes generally have dropped seat stays and I think they look ugly, so no, I'd never buy a Ribble. 

£4k on a gravel bike would be Mason territory for me, or something titanium. 

I've not shopped at Ribble, not since they lied to me and then gave a mate the run around with a brand new frame that came apart at the weld. Then it's replacement did as well.

It was nearly 30 years ago and they've changed hands twice since then i think...

I bought a Ribble CGR AL e last year, it's great fun and the small motor and battery helps when cycling home on a winter night.  It's not a dream bike though and never will be. That position has already been taken by other bikes I own in both road and MTB categories 

Posted by: DougD

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£3,650k gets you a nicely spec'd Fairlight Secan (GRX 820, carbon wheels).

La! La! La! I can't hear you!

I'm at the other end of the scale.

Gravel bikes for pukka gravel riding are just tool bikes to me. There's no point in splurging large amounts on something that's going to get thrown down stuff and once it's reasonable quality (105 or 6nn GRX etc), it doesn't matter what you ride. It's not like a suspension bike where more gets you more (to a point).

I have an old Cannondale CAADX which has maybe 15k miles on it, mostly off road. I build it for gravel touring or winter road depending on what I'm up to. 105 in the main with Hunt 4 Seasons. It cost less than a grand new but is a bit Trigger's broomy as most has been swapped save saddle, seatpost, stem and bars.

The other is a Sonder Camino bought end of season frame only for £275! It's a proper bitsa and I built it with whatever I had lying around though again, it's got 105, Hunt 4 Seasons and a motly collection of other bits n bobs. Has maybe 10k miles on it.

Both unfashionable alloy, both QR but saved from total oblivion by being set up tubeless. 

They don't know they're old hat and they handle gravel (or road) touring impeccably.  

You could check with Bird as they were due to launch their gravel offerings and seemed decent specced

Posted by: branes

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Based on a mechanic mate's insta feed. No. He's seen some shocking headset/steerer and BB messes on Ribbles in the last couple of years. For the (premium online) price you're paying I would expect better. As others say - nice frame + GRX820 + nice wheels is likely to come up a similar price.

Literally as a mechanic also, what I was going to post.

The headset and wheel bearings are utter shite and the number that I've replaced I in the first few months of customer ownership has been substantial. One lad who owns the TT bike has had the headset done and the hubs plus freehub. This is a bike that gets used but not hammered..Cgr's have the same bearing issues also 

What about 'used' ?  I purchased a used Colnago World Cup a couple of years ago. All 105. Not worth having much better than that on a gravel bike as you are getting into expensive chain ring eating category. And it's a Colnago, not a Ribble, TREK. etc etc.

I do own a Ribble, nice bike too - old skool 653 with Shimano 600/Ultegra. They were jolly good value then, and you got a handbuilt frame.

If you're asking the question in your head, let alone on here then don't do it 😀

I'm a firm believer in buying the bike you want rather than the bike you think you should buy (and I think so are lots of people, or we'd all be riding Cubes most likely).

So I'd get the frame that you like the look of the most and compromise on (almost) everything else especially on a gravel bike where frame, contact points and tyres are really 99% of what matters, and spec/level of groupset above the point where you get hydraulic brakes is almost irrelevant to rider enjoyment.

p.s. I do have a CGR Ti I bought a few years ago so I'm not anti-Ribble at all, I love the way it looks/rides & I bought frameset only (and before the prices jumped) so no issues with bearings or other build kit that some seem to have.

Also like to add that I've not had any problems with my CGR Ti.

If someone told me they'd bought their dream bike for £4k and then said it was a Ribble I'd be confused 😂

I'd buy two second hand bikes.

If they were nibbles they would have depreciated a bit faster so I'd get more for my money.

I would be completely unsurprised to find the same carbon frame with different paint jobs from brands that charge more and less.

If you want the Ribble and it's right for you, go for it. A mate has an alloy Ribble road bike and it's a lovely, well built bike for an excellent price. What's not to like?

No - they don’t want to know about warranty issues and direct their customers to bike shops expecting them to do the work for free (This was Mahle related, but perhaps indicative of their general approach).

Specialized Crux is about the be all and end all when it comes to gravel bikes. 

I've almost retired my road bikes since owning one. 

Unsure as to what you'd get for £4000, but it looks like the comp model is available for £3500, leaving you £500 for some Chinese carbon wheels. 

My only other recommendation would be SRAM over Shimano every day of the week. 

I had a Ribble CGR 725 for a while and it was a very nice bike. If I were getting a new bike my budget would probably be up to £2.5k and I'd definitely consider another Ribble, but if I had £4k to play with I'd be looking for something a bit 'nicer' in some intangible way that to me is nevertheless important for that sort of money. 

You're unlikely to get a pup for that money (regardless of spec) so go with whichever bike give you some feelings. There's no reason it coldn't be a ribble, but if it isn't then the badge on the derailleur won't make up for that IME.

I've got a few bikes that were very pragmatic builds that I love riding, but there's something about my roadbike that just makes me smile and that has a lot of value.

I'd be looking at a custom painted Chinese frame (and am currently for a road bike) and building it up with parts of my choosing. My old Ribble R872 has been great but it was bought before they'd gone premium and if you're buying a Chinese carbon frame now it's much easier to go direct. 

A couple of years ago, I had a Ribble on my gravel bike shortlist. I was going to spend around £2.5k. There was nothing about the brand that put me off, I just didn't like their choice of groupset and the undetermined lead time. I got a Cannondale Topstone (in stock, at a bargain price) instead, upgraded the wheels to carbon and haven't regretted it. 

I have a similar budget for a new a gravel bike. My list is down to Vielo v1, Fairlight Secan, Ventum GS1

If you like the value of a Ribble then the new 3d printed ti gravel bike looks.much more special that the carbon one.

It's weird how some brands (and even models) attract that "dream" bike cachet and some don't. It's like reverse nostalgia; will I still think this bike is cool and want to ride it in 20 years time?

I looked at Ribble, but went for a Fairlight Secan, phwaor. 

No regrets 

Fairlight do look right.  I'd swing a leg over one of their bikes and smile every time I reckon.

I've never seen a Fairlight I didn't like, and I rode with two on last night's club ride. I didn't notice any ribbles.

Vielo have some offers on such as v-1-alto-sram-rival-xplr-e-tap-axs-12-speed knocked down for £4k-ish to £3k-ish. I think they are clearing out current non-UDH series frames as they have a new UDH frame. Seem to be plenty of colours and sizes available at this price and you can spec alternatives like Zipp 303s at £650.

IMO when spending that much on a bike its not just an objective decision.  its will it make you happy, will you love owning it?

I had Rival on a charge plug titanium gravel bike. It was ace, absolutely bomb proof and none of this leaky Shimano caliper stuff. Force is a bit lighter I guess but Rival is really good. 
Orbea is sexy, Ribble is just not for me.

Buy a great frameset, one that has great ride quality, fit and handling. The gears just don't make any difference to the ride experience, imo/ime. Brakes can, good wheels do (good not necessarily meaning carbon - just 'good'). 

The Fair light frames do look nice but I think I'm really after a carbon frame. I changed from a steel frame to a carbon one on my hard tail and whilst the steel was a good quality steel frame, the carbon is just that bit nicer.

Horses for courses I suppose. 

I looked at the Ribble in the flesh the other day. It looked really fussy actually, probably too fussy for me to like it. The colour was lovely though. 

"Recommend what you have" - what about a Mason? I admit that a major selling point for my Bokeh was the colour (shallow? moi?) but I do love riding it.

Mason Bokeh is a good call... very nice bikes... but aluminium not the carbon the OP wants.

You only live once... Enve Mog frameset with very cheap build? That would give you the ultimate frame, fork and finishing kit. Or stretch the budget and slap on some Reserve gravel wheels. Loads of cheap 12 speed Rival stuff at the moment. Upgrade to Force 13 speed later?

Yeah, the Mason bikes look lovely but the upgrade I'm looking for is carbon really. And as I've said before, I've experienced upgrading to carbon and think it's for me. 

Enve might not be within reach. Maybe it's a dreamers dream bike, but not for me. 

Don't think so, I just don't find them to be a very interesting brand tbh. Bikes look nice enough and good value, but they're boring. The Ti one would maybe persuade me, but then I'd probably still rather have the Stanton Ti gravel bike.

No, I would go to my LBS, possibly buy a Cotic frame and build up with LBS.

I didn’t realise Stanton were still going?

I have a Ribble that cost more than that. Rides nice, custom paint, it's lovely. However I'm more of a value for money purchaser than liking specific brands so your milage my vary. For what it's worth id buy the same thing a year later.

It's interesting op that you say the upgrade you are looking for is carbon. When I bought my first mountain bike steel was the generic option, that then over the years changed to aluminium and in gravel and road bikes at least it seems to me carbon is that now. I've got steel, aluminium and carbon bikes now and they are all really great but I think nice metal now feels a bit more special than carbon. 

I'd be tempted by both the Fairlight and the Mason but would probably go for the Mason if for no other reason than they are just down the road from me