- Location
- the post-brexit wasteland
pah, probably going to be next week now (can't collect saturday as they're all off to the cycle show). the bike had better be good…
Ribble R872 (Stealth 2012) **REVIEW**
- Thread starter Pedrosanchezo
- Start date
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If its anything like mine, then it will be!!!
Not had a single problem with mine
r872-Craig
Regular
I can say also that the bike will definitely be good. Considering this is my first road bike I am really pleased with mine. I just need to think about a new wheelset for it.
- Location
- the post-brexit wasteland
well i put the tracking number into parcelforce's website this morning and hey presto, the bike was at stoke, a half hour drive away. i called the depot to enquire when it was due for delivery, and was told monday, so i told them i'd come and pick it up.
i had to take it all out of the box at the depot, as the box was too big for even a vauxhall zafira with all the seats down/folded, so put it carefully in the boot and drove home like a vicar.
once home, i set to looking at what i'd collected and starting to complete the build. nothing i couldn't do easily, and i made sure i greased every bolt. the bottle cage was slightly fiddly to fit, but it all went in fine. i put some old look delta pedals on, rather than the keos that came with the bike, as i couldn't be bothered changing the cleats on the shoes just for a test ride. ribble also included all the components' manuals and service guides, you just don't get that with an off-the-peg bike from a shop.
i have to say that i'm very impressed with ribble, for all the delay in building the bike (23 days between order and delivery). i was emailed early on to say that the cheaper itm bars i'd specified were unavailable so would i prefer to upgrade the bars, stem and seatpost to deda, to which i replied yes, if i can have the bars and seatpost in red (which cost more than the black). this combination was an additional £25 on the bike builder, but they put these on at the original cost of the bike as initially ordered. maybe they liked my vision for a red and black bike, but when ribble get the occasional grumble about customer service, i feel that when they do something that goes beyond the line of duty, credit should go where it's due.
the original plan was to eschew the club run (the last two i've failed to even make the café, as i'm just getting back into it), thinking that a shorter test ride on quiet local roads would be a better idea. however, the weather was warm, autumnal sun, and when would i get a better chance to show the bike off to the club and give it a really good test?
so, straight out of the box the bike (and also its rider) was given the test of a 53 mile, flat club run. she got plenty of attention at the meet-up, most of the ribble bikes in the club are the blue alloy ones that you tend to see more of once the winter bikes come out. there was some fairly exotic machinery on show, but the bike held her own well and wasn't the poor relation at all. my only concern was that i would disgrace the bike (and my club jersey, worn for the first time in a while) with a rubbish ride.
the bike was the right size (good job my maths was up to scratch) and was pretty comfy, although padded shorts are a must with the selle italia saddle. it was quite a bit faster than my alu/carbon bike and was a joy to ride. i'm sure it contributed to the fact that i made the café stop in reasonably good shape. it's fair to say that the granny gear was tested more than might be expected during the latter stages of the ride, but all in all, i'm very pleased. no real mechanicals; only issues with the height of the seat and the fact that the old look pedals were a bit squeeky; they've now been replaced with the keo classics (in red) that i ordered with the bike .
i paid 20p over the £1400 budget I had for the bike, and if there's a better looking, nicer riding bike out there for that money, i've yet to see it.
ribble are the only place i found that had full campag groupsets available and that let you specify your own bike's components. most manufacturers, even the high-end ones (i've seen a colnago for under a grand, alu frame with cheap wheels and sora groupset), within my budget, were offering nothing jaw dropping or inspiring. nothing that i felt was much of an upgrade (or at least much different) from my alu/carbon full tiagra bike that has served me so well down the years.
for that reason i'd recommend ribble; they build bikes, not the brand, and offer some excellent frames that can be built up to your own specification. if you're an experienced club cyclist (even an unfit one, on the comeback trail), you really don't want to have to limit yourself to what the big name manufacturers are prepared to offer at any given pricepoint.
the bike:
i had to take it all out of the box at the depot, as the box was too big for even a vauxhall zafira with all the seats down/folded, so put it carefully in the boot and drove home like a vicar.
once home, i set to looking at what i'd collected and starting to complete the build. nothing i couldn't do easily, and i made sure i greased every bolt. the bottle cage was slightly fiddly to fit, but it all went in fine. i put some old look delta pedals on, rather than the keos that came with the bike, as i couldn't be bothered changing the cleats on the shoes just for a test ride. ribble also included all the components' manuals and service guides, you just don't get that with an off-the-peg bike from a shop.
i have to say that i'm very impressed with ribble, for all the delay in building the bike (23 days between order and delivery). i was emailed early on to say that the cheaper itm bars i'd specified were unavailable so would i prefer to upgrade the bars, stem and seatpost to deda, to which i replied yes, if i can have the bars and seatpost in red (which cost more than the black). this combination was an additional £25 on the bike builder, but they put these on at the original cost of the bike as initially ordered. maybe they liked my vision for a red and black bike, but when ribble get the occasional grumble about customer service, i feel that when they do something that goes beyond the line of duty, credit should go where it's due.
the original plan was to eschew the club run (the last two i've failed to even make the café, as i'm just getting back into it), thinking that a shorter test ride on quiet local roads would be a better idea. however, the weather was warm, autumnal sun, and when would i get a better chance to show the bike off to the club and give it a really good test?
so, straight out of the box the bike (and also its rider) was given the test of a 53 mile, flat club run. she got plenty of attention at the meet-up, most of the ribble bikes in the club are the blue alloy ones that you tend to see more of once the winter bikes come out. there was some fairly exotic machinery on show, but the bike held her own well and wasn't the poor relation at all. my only concern was that i would disgrace the bike (and my club jersey, worn for the first time in a while) with a rubbish ride.
the bike was the right size (good job my maths was up to scratch) and was pretty comfy, although padded shorts are a must with the selle italia saddle. it was quite a bit faster than my alu/carbon bike and was a joy to ride. i'm sure it contributed to the fact that i made the café stop in reasonably good shape. it's fair to say that the granny gear was tested more than might be expected during the latter stages of the ride, but all in all, i'm very pleased. no real mechanicals; only issues with the height of the seat and the fact that the old look pedals were a bit squeeky; they've now been replaced with the keo classics (in red) that i ordered with the bike .
i paid 20p over the £1400 budget I had for the bike, and if there's a better looking, nicer riding bike out there for that money, i've yet to see it.
ribble are the only place i found that had full campag groupsets available and that let you specify your own bike's components. most manufacturers, even the high-end ones (i've seen a colnago for under a grand, alu frame with cheap wheels and sora groupset), within my budget, were offering nothing jaw dropping or inspiring. nothing that i felt was much of an upgrade (or at least much different) from my alu/carbon full tiagra bike that has served me so well down the years.
for that reason i'd recommend ribble; they build bikes, not the brand, and offer some excellent frames that can be built up to your own specification. if you're an experienced club cyclist (even an unfit one, on the comeback trail), you really don't want to have to limit yourself to what the big name manufacturers are prepared to offer at any given pricepoint.
the bike:
- ribble r872 frameset 50cm
- full campagnolo centaur red/black groupset with carbon shifter option
- deda rc01 seatpost, bars (red) and stem (black), deda black bar tape
- campagnolo vento reaction wheelset
- look keo classic pedals in red
- selle italia saddle
Last edited:
Camcycle1974
Member
Very nice Alec. My 872 is a stealth version. Full 105 and black Archetype rims. The little bit of silver alloy on the seatpost clamp bugs me so will need to be replaced for a black one at some point. Great bike, loving the comfort and speed compared to my old Giant Defy.well i put the tracking number into parcelforce's website this morning and hey presto, the bike was at stoke, a half hour drive away. i called the depot to enquire when it was due for delivery, and was told monday, so i told them i'd come and pick it up.
i had to take it all out of the box at the depot, as the box was too big for even a vauxhall zafira with all the seats down/folded, so put it carefully in the boot and drove home like a vicar.
once home, i set to looking at what i'd collected and starting to complete the build. nothing i couldn't do easily, and i made sure i greased every bolt. the bottle cage was slightly fiddly to fit, but it all went in fine. i put some old look delta pedals on, rather than the keos that came with the bike, as i couldn't be bothered changing the cleats on the shoes just for a test ride. ribble also included all the components' manuals and service guides, you just don't get that with an off-the-peg bike from a shop.
i have to say that i'm very impressed with ribble, for all the delay in building the bike (23 days between order and delivery). i was emailed early on to say that the cheaper itm bars i'd specified were unavailable so would i prefer to upgrade the bars, stem and seatpost to deda, to which i replied yes, if i can have the bars and seatpost in red (which cost more than the black). this combination was an additional £25 on the bike builder, but they put these on at the original cost of the bike as initially ordered. maybe they liked my vision for a red and black bike, but when ribble get the occasional grumble about customer service, i feel that when they do something that goes beyond the line of duty, credit should go where it's due.
the original plan was to eschew the club run (the last two i've failed to even make the café, as i'm just getting back into it), thinking that a shorter test ride on quiet local roads would be a better idea. however, the weather was warm, autumnal sun, and when would i get a better chance to show the bike off to the club and give it a really good test?
so, straight out of the box the bike (and also its rider) was given the test of a 53 mile, flat club run. she got plenty of attention at the meet-up, most of the ribble bikes in the club are the blue alloy ones that you tend to see more of once the winter bikes come out. there was some fairly exotic machinery on show, but the bike held her own well and wasn't the poor relation at all. my only concern was that i would disgrace the bike (and my club jersey, worn for the first time in a while) with a rubbish ride.
the bike was the right size (good job my maths was up to scratch) and was pretty comfy, although padded shorts are a must with the selle italia saddle. it was quite a bit faster than my alu/carbon bike and was a joy to ride. i'm sure it contributed to the fact that i made the café stop in reasonably good shape. it's fair to say that the granny gear was tested more than might be expected during the latter stages of the ride, but all in all, i'm very pleased. no real mechanicals; only issues with the height of the seat and the fact that the old look pedals were a bit squeeky; they've now been replaced with the keo classics (in red) that i ordered with the bike .
i paid 20p over the £1400 budget I had for the bike, and if there's a better looking, nicer riding bike out there for that money, i've yet to see it.
ribble are the only place i found that had full campag groupsets available and that let you specify your own bike's components. most manufacturers, even the high-end ones (i've seen a colnago for under a grand, alu frame with cheap wheels and sora groupset), within my budget, were offering nothing jaw dropping or inspiring. nothing that i felt was much of an upgrade (or at least much different) from my alu/carbon full tiagra bike that has served me so well down the years.
for that reason i'd recommend ribble; they build bikes, not the brand, and offer some excellent frames that can be built up to your own specification. if you're an experienced club cyclist (even an unfit one, on the comeback trail), you really don't want to have to limit yourself to what the big name manufacturers are prepared to offer at any given pricepoint.
the bike:
- ribble r872 frameset 50cm
- full campagnolo centaur red/black groupset with carbon shifter option
- deda rc01 seatpost, bars (red) and stem (black), deda black bar tape
- campagnolo vento reaction wheelset
- look keo classic pedals in red
- selle italia saddle
Andrew_Culture
Internet Marketing bod
- Location
- The People's Republic Of Suffolk.
- Location
- the post-brexit wasteland
apparently the same frame is used by planet x and de rosa, and probably a few more…
Andrew_Culture
Internet Marketing bod
- Location
- The People's Republic Of Suffolk.
Wouldn't surprise me, the sweeps on the front of the frame are quite recognisable.
OP
OP
Pedrosanchezo
Veteran
- Location
- Perthshire, scotland
The frames are defo Chinese and rebranded as Ribble. As with probably around 90% of mass produced carbon bikes these days. Cutting out the middle man is a sure fire way to save some £££ but it also comes with zero warranty (or one worth zip) and goes through a hefty amount of travelling.
If it gets to you in perfect condition and then has no issues through the warranty period then it has been a bargain. Big if though.......
The DeRosa 838 is also considered to be a near carbon copy
of the R872 by Ribble. That frame is double the price of the Stealth/R872.
Some claim though that there are different grades of carbon used and that the Chinese ones are mere rip offs of a particular design without going through nearly as much of the safety tests and checks that the mass retailed frames go through.
If it gets to you in perfect condition and then has no issues through the warranty period then it has been a bargain. Big if though.......
The DeRosa 838 is also considered to be a near carbon copy
of the R872 by Ribble. That frame is double the price of the Stealth/R872. Some claim though that there are different grades of carbon used and that the Chinese ones are mere rip offs of a particular design without going through nearly as much of the safety tests and checks that the mass retailed frames go through.
Camcycle1974
Member
The frames are defo Chinese and rebranded as Ribble. As with probably around 90% of mass produced carbon bikes these days. Cutting out the middle man is a sure fire way to save some £££ but it also comes with zero warranty (or one worth zip) and goes through a hefty amount of travelling.
If it gets to you in perfect condition and then has no issues through the warranty period then it has been a bargain. Big if though.......
The DeRosa 838 is also considered to be a near carbon copy
Some claim though that there are different grades of carbon used and that the Chinese ones are mere rip offs of a particular design without going through nearly as much of the safety tests and checks that the mass retailed frames go through.
The chain stays on the 838 are different. I had a close look at the bike show. Also saw a Planet X RT-57 on Sunday and the frame is remarkably similar. There are subtle differences though. Whatever the origin these are great frames that make an excellent bike. Can't see any downsides except warranty maybe.
Camcycle1974
Member
Have you bought one yet? Read earlier in the thread you were contemplating getting an 872. £250 for the frame is an absolute bargain. I was happy to buy mine complete off Ribble, not having the time or experience to build one up from scratch.
Andrew_Culture
Internet Marketing bod
- Location
- The People's Republic Of Suffolk.
I'm still skint. While I'm sure this frame is the same as the Ribble frame I'd still be inclined to buy local, I know from experience that import quality consistency can be a bit hit and miss. It's not the lack of warranty that worries me, it's the chance of the frame coming apart when I'm travelling 50mph down a hill
Last edited:
Andrew_Culture
Internet Marketing bod
- Location
- The People's Republic Of Suffolk.
Hee hee, there's a Dogma frame for £600!
http://www.alibaba.com/products/F0/carbon_frames/CID122203.html
http://www.alibaba.com/products/F0/carbon_frames/CID122203.html
Camcycle1974
Member
Which is probably the Ribble Gran Fondo!
Mike Watson
Active Member
I took the plunge and bought an R872 frame and forks for a self build. There's no denying that it looks very nice. Matt black is not my favourite finish but this looks quite smart. I started out with the purpose of creating a light bike (6.8kg to be exact) and chose Mavic Kyserium Elites, SRAM Force 22 and various 3T components with a super light saddle. But, when building the bike it gives you a chance for a much closer look at the frame and I started to see problems from the start.
There were aluminium shavings snagged in the bottom bracket and the general finish around this area was really poor with the powder coating (or whatever the paint was) very messy. The bottom bracket plate used to access the internal cable housing and drain water had issues with the screw fixings. They simply spun in their holes with no 'bite' at all.
I then noticed the rear wheel was off centre. I removed it and refitted thinking it was just a skewer fit problem but time and again I tried it would not centre. Measured at 3.6mm difference from one side to the other at the brake callipers but the base of the wheel near to the bottom bracket was dead centre!
That aside it does ride well. Quick and very easy on my regular climbs. I chose a 52.5 frame which I was told was ok for a 5'11" but I find it a little stretched but still fine. I think I could easily have come down a size.
But the finish quality of the frame really worries me for it's future and I hope that Ribble will respond to my emails and give me some kind of decent resolution as I really want to get out and ride it but can't incase it needs to go back.
There were aluminium shavings snagged in the bottom bracket and the general finish around this area was really poor with the powder coating (or whatever the paint was) very messy. The bottom bracket plate used to access the internal cable housing and drain water had issues with the screw fixings. They simply spun in their holes with no 'bite' at all.
I then noticed the rear wheel was off centre. I removed it and refitted thinking it was just a skewer fit problem but time and again I tried it would not centre. Measured at 3.6mm difference from one side to the other at the brake callipers but the base of the wheel near to the bottom bracket was dead centre!
That aside it does ride well. Quick and very easy on my regular climbs. I chose a 52.5 frame which I was told was ok for a 5'11" but I find it a little stretched but still fine. I think I could easily have come down a size.
But the finish quality of the frame really worries me for it's future and I hope that Ribble will respond to my emails and give me some kind of decent resolution as I really want to get out and ride it but can't incase it needs to go back.
