# Your thoughts on a Ribble?



## banjoblues (21 Jul 2007)

Hi all. Looking for new bike, and think an Audax type might suit me. I'm late 
40s (overweight) and like the idea of a light sports/tourer. I don't expect to do any full on touring - more credit card touring. I was drawn to the Dawes Audax Sport which I've seen as cheap as £495 (but I'm on a tight budget) and have seen a Ribble on their website at £399. Spec below. Anybody got any thoughts on this bike or suggest a price/quality competitive alternative?

And while we are at it, would a bike like this cope with sustrans/canal path type riding?

Ribble 2006 7005 Winter Training/Audax Tiagra 9 Double

- Horizontal top tube geometry
- 2006 Shimano Tiagra 9spd double groupset 
- Terry Dolan ‘The master craftsman’ Frame design
- Individually hand built wheels. Tiagra 9 on Mavic Open Sport with stainless steel double butted spokes
- Alpina Carbon Forks with Integral Hidden Headset
- Deda Big Piega Oversize bars 
- Deda Quattro 4 bolt oversize stem
- Selle Italia XO Transam Saddle 
- CSN Alloy Seatpillar 
- Continental UltraSport Kevlar 700x23 black Tyres 
- Zefal Competition chromoplastic mudguards included in price

Or maybe the triple?

Ribble 2006 7005 Winter Training/Audax Xenon 9 Triple

- Horizontal top tube geometry
- 2006 Campagnolo Xenon 9spd triple groupset (170 30/42/52) with Mirage 9spd rear gear and triple front gearing. The specification also includes a Mirage 12-23 cassette (there is no choice on cassette ratio) and a Record 9spd chain 
- Terry Dolan ‘The master craftsman’ Frame design
- Individually hand built wheels. Xenon 9 on Mavic Open Sport with stainless steel double butted spokes
- Alpina Carbon Forks with Integral Hidden Headset
- Deda Big Piega Oversize bars 
- Deda Quattro 4 bolt oversize stem
- Selle Italia XO Transam Saddle 
- CSN Alloy Seatpillar 
- Continental UltraSport Kevlar 700x23 black Tyres 
- Zefal Competition chromoplastic mudguards included in price


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## slow down (21 Jul 2007)

Everyone who has one seems to rate them, and the spec does look good for the price. The biggest issue people used to have with Ribble was service, but I think this may improved of late. I have a Ribble 531c I bought 20 years ago - looking a bit tired now, but still a good winter bike.

It should handle towpaths etc no problem.


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## Slowgrind (21 Jul 2007)

Have a look at Freds Treads site. He`s based near Chester. Prices look to be very good. IMHO.


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## Tim Bennet. (21 Jul 2007)

These are very good value and of the two examples, the triple would probably be more versatile and allow for lightweight (credit card) touring in even very hilly areas.

The limitation of them both is that the Open Pro / 23c tyre combination is definitely 'fast road' spec, and although 25c might fit under the mudguards, you would still have to be very clear in your own mind if they were suitable for your 'Sustrans / canal tow path' ambitions. That description covers a wide range of surfaces from our stretch of the Lancaster canal here where the towpath has been surfaced to quite rough tracks. What exactly do you want this bike to do?


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## banjoblues (21 Jul 2007)

Tim Bennet. said:


> The limitation of them both is that the Open Pro / 23c tyre combination is definitely 'fast road' spec, and although 25c might fit under the mudguards, you would still have to be very clear in your own mind if they were suitable for your 'Sustrans / canal tow path' ambitions. (snip) What exactly do you want this bike to do?



Not 100% sure! I think I'm more likely to be road biased. And I don't plan on riding on rough terrain. It's a good point though, I think I'll ask them about clearances. thanks


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## andy_wrx (21 Jul 2007)

I think the difference between Ribble's 'winter' and 'race' bikes is simply that they have/haven't mudguard eyes, but otherwise they're exactly the same.

They're aluminium and pretty stiff (frames and finishing kit like bars/stem), so whilst they call them 'winter/audax', they're not tourers and you really wouldn't want to do a 600km audax on them (but if you do 600km audaxes, you would be likely to be spending more than £400 on a bike !).

As either a cheaper first road bike, or as a second 'winter' bike, they're bloody good value.
Quite a few people I know have them and they're very happy with them.
The finish and build quality seems very good from what I've seen.

Go up towards Preston/Lancaster area and you see lots of riders out on them : we dropped into Carnforth railway station for a 'Brief Encounter' last year and there was a club run in the cafe, about half of them on Ribbles.

Ribble's mail order operation has had lots of criticism on various forums, but I've bought quite a few things from them and never had any problems - I think it's a matter of them not being very organised rather than being out-and-out rip-off merchants.

I see you're in Cardiff, which is perhaps too far, but one of our friends is a bit of an unusual build so rather than just buying over the net or phone he went up to the shop and they spent quite a bit of time on him, fiddling about with measurements, working out what frame/stem/cranks/etc sizes he needed - he got one of these 'standard builds' but all the components were individually sized for him.
When he went to collect the bike, they couldn't find the wheels, so they sorted him out with a pair of Aksiums which come on the build above.
He's happy, although now wishes he'd got lower gears.

His bike is a 9-speed Tiagra triple with 12-23 block.
Perhaps if you're intending doing a bit of light touring or off-road, you'll also want slightly lower gears, so would be worth specifiying 12-25.


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## Smokin Joe (21 Jul 2007)

I've had the winter frame for over a year now and I am pleased with it for the price, £120 inc headset. I've never had problems with Ribble, they are not the quickest in the world (tho' the frame arrived in two days) but in terms of value they can't be beaten.


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## yello (21 Jul 2007)

If I could actually go in to the shop and buy one there and then, then I'd be interested in the xenon. But I seem to have read too many reports of 'issues' with service and delivery times that I personally would not risk ordering from them - and certainly not over the web.


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## TheDoctor (23 Jul 2007)

Got the winter frame and I'm quite pleased with it. It's really a road bike, but seems to cope with towpaths OK. I wouldn't take it through mud. The paint on my one came off a bit easily, but that was probably me getting enthusiatic with my new jetwash.
I've had no problems with mail order from Ribble.


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## fossyant (23 Jul 2007)

Argh, jetwash on a bike - not a good idea.

My training bike is a 653 Ribble frame with Ultegra (some parts 20 years old) but the frame is about 10 years old, and still fine. The usual chips etc, but these have been touched up.


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## Tim Bennet. (23 Jul 2007)

Yes, jet wash and MucOff are the two best ways of killing your bike.

Some car Wash & Wax and a soft brush are quite enough.

In fact, 'dirty and oily' is way better than blasted and chemically cleaned.


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## MsMalfoy (23 Jul 2007)

My other half has had a Ribble 7005 road bike with Veloce/Mirage mix for almost 4 years now, cost about £800 and it's been great, no probs whatsoever. Only recently the frame has started to get tired and the front mech hanger has a crack in. It's been a great hack/commuter bike though.

I've just bought a little over £600 of parts from Ribble to build onto my Mercian frame when it arrives and the service was pretty good. I had to get onto them via the phone a couple of times to make sure the stuff arrived asap but I do that no matter where I order from.


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## TheDoctor (24 Jul 2007)

@ Fossyant and Tim

I realise that now. 
Still, gives me a reason for a new frame. Like I needed a reason, but hey!


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