Ribble cycles

[derrick]

Thats where OP goes wrong IMO. The ribble will probably be a perfectly fine bike for the money and represent excellent VFM (i have a Sportive Racing, i'm VERY happy with it, stiff, comfortable, good looking IMO, what more do i need ?)
But OP complaining they're old technology and comparing them with more expensive bikes is just ridiculous....if the buyer wants latest technology, he's going to pay a lot more for a different brand. If buyer wants Ribble to use the latest technology...he's going to pay a lot more.
Basic mistake,,,he complains its not latest technology...but chooses to ignore the fact its cheap.

C'mon, 90% of road bike purchasers are weekend warriors....the Ribble will in all probability give them the best bang for buck they'll ever get. The fact it isnt latest tech doesnt matter one iota.

The OP is making no claims, All i said it's the cheapest bike i have seen with Di2, Show me one cheaper, or read the thread properly.

 

[youngoldbloke]

What makes me chuckle more, is that when you spec the wheels in the sales picture, you cant spec it with tyres as they only allow a single tyre choice that are incompatible. The price is with Alu seatpost, as the carbon is a further price hike, and you physically cant even spec it with the White saddle and post in the picture either. If you spec the white bars and stem, carbon spacers and carbon post, it totals at £2,026.49. Add a further £100 for a pair of Continental Tubulars and your up to £2,126.49.

Tell me it compares...

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/fuji/transonic-21-2015-road-bike-ec067762

That's the first bike I found from a Google with the Di2 criteria at this price area. There are plenty more to find too.

Tyres are Yksion Pros with the Cosmics and they are clinchers aren't they? Mavic have been doing this for a while haven't they? - if you buy their wheels they come with their tyres.

 

[vickster]

Admittedly the bike in the Ribble picture is not what you get for £1400 (Ribble are notorious for this, both on the website and in magazine adds, and in my view it should be stopped).

However, the fact remains Ribble will sell you a Di2 equipped carbon road bike for £1399.
The bike you linked to is almost a £1000 more expensive.... for many people that will put it well out of reach,

They do say clearly in red that the picture does not reflect the priced spec...maybe they've been pulled up on this in the past and have mended the error of their ways

I have an ex colleague who has had two gran fondos (he killed the first, ooops) and more than happy for both commuting and weekending. I think another also bought the same bike

 

[MickeyBlueEyes]

Nor the aesthetics in any sort of positive way, still fugly

S-Works Venge with deep carbon rims... my kinda bike

 

[vickster]

Each to their own and that's fine if you race, that's what it's meant for
(but for me ...now give me a gloss red shimmery Parlee and )

The Ribble Gran Fondo is as said for weekend warriors on a sportive or club run

 

[bpsmith]

Admittedly the bike in the Ribble picture is not what you get for £1400 (Ribble are notorious for this, both on the website and in magazine adds, and in my view it should be stopped).

However, the fact remains Ribble will sell you a Di2 equipped carbon road bike for £1399.
The bike you linked to is almost a £1000 more expensive.... for many people that will put it well out of reach,

Not quite £1,000, but that's fair, no question there. My point is solely on the basis of comparing the bike, pictured on the website and in magazines, to what the same money gets you.

The Ultegra equipped basic bike is amazing VFM and is shadowed by the above argument.

 

[Mugshot]

I'm glad the bike brand and the wheel model have been mentioned in the thread, I wasn't sure when I looked at the advert.

 

[derrick]

So is anyone going to buy one.

 

[NeilT21]

I did look at this bike (without the DI2), but in the end I bought the Planet X RT-58 Ultegra which arrived this week. I don't think there is much to choose between the two, but I was put off by the ever increasing price of the Ribble when I specc'd it up, and I much prefer the understated matt black finish of the Planet X rather than the "bling" Ribble - just personal taste that of course ;o)

 

[Smokin Joe]

So is anyone going to buy one.

I would if I was in the market for a bike. The tyres are crap but you have to go well up on price with a new bike if you want decent rubber as standard, they nearly all skimp on that and I've never bought a bike where I haven't quickly upgraded what is only a short life item anyway. Alloy seatpost? When all's said and done, it's only a stick to hold the saddle up and if there's any difference to performance between that and a bling carbon one I've never found it, apart from a minor overall weight saving.

You can spend more and get better, but we haven't all got unlimited hobby budgets.

 

[derrick]

For a starter bike it ain't bad, bit's can always be upgraded later, i can't think of a bike i have had which i have not upgraded, i even upgrades the upgrades .

 

[Hacienda71]

Half of the "high end" bikes come with crap wheels unless you spend a fortune and even then you will get a mid range wheelset. A mate of mine who was buying a Cervelo S5 phoned and asked me what I thought of the spec. Nice frame Ultegra good Shimano r500 wheels wtf, on a bike he was about to spend over two grand on. Told to him to insist on better wheels and the shop stuck a set of Fulcrum Racing 5's on. Hardly outstanding wheels but better than a sub £100 set of Shimanos.

 

[Smokin Joe]

For a starter bike it ain't bad, bit's can always be upgraded later, i can't think of a bike i have had which i have not upgraded, i even upgrades the upgrades .

That's not a phrase I like, "Starter bike". It implies a sub standard machine which has to be upgraded at some point in the future whereas anything above what we term as a BSO is more than capable of taking you from one end of the country to the other, will not put you at a disadvantage in any fish& chipper organised by one of the local clubs that a bit of extra training wouldn't overcome and is all you need for even the most demanding sportive. Sure, an extra two grand spend will get you a gain, but the law of diminishing returns being what it is only a marginal one. If you're a snail on the climbs you'll still be one no matter how light the bike is and if you are struggling to break evens in a 25 a top end TT bike won't put you under the hour.

All this entry level nonsense is a media invented thing in the wake of the "New Golf" boom, when middle aged fashionistas with high disposable income are willing and able to splash out four or five grand on an ego trip. Good luck to anyone who can do that, but it skews the perceptions of what you actually need to compete in and enjoy the sport. As someone once said, it's not about the bike. Something brought home to me last year when a lady on a Tiagra equipped Moda with unbranded wheels and tyres blew me apart on a climb.

 

[bpsmith]

For a starter bike it ain't bad, bit's can always be upgraded later, i can't think of a bike i have had which i have not upgraded, i even upgrades the upgrades .

Totally agree. Except I do it the other way around. I look for a bike with the best frame that I can afford, with smaller items that I can upgrade over time.

Buying with Di2 from the start, leaves you with a frame that's the weakest link...

 

[derrick]

Totally agree. Except I do it the other way around. I look for a bike with the best frame that I can afford, with smaller items that I can upgrade over time.

Buying with Di2 from the start, leaves you with a frame that's the weakest link...

At the end of the day the frame is good enough for what most people on here do.