Ribble Endurance

rollingscone

Ahoyhoy,

Back to trying to justify upgrading my decent road-bike (Tifosi CK3, Veloce, alu frame, carbon forks, seatpost & stem, 10spd veloce, rim brakes, approx.set of hand me down Zondas on their last legs, all in all about 10k for a 110kg rider)



As previously issues are that I am not making enough money to just be able to treat myself and also despite a decent mileage this year (a hair over 2k), continue to be a fatcrap.

Since high performance is out of the question my main justification beyond Shiny Kit syndrome is currently to have a “light” bike (my other wife is a Croix De Fer so we’re talking relatively here) that maybe feels a bit more nippy (it definitely seems like the current frame flexes a lot when I’m putting in an effort) so something with a chunky stiff bottom half (hurrr hurrr) and endurancy geometry as I think Audax is about the height of my sporting aspirations.

Also recent experiences on Slieve Mann and the Glen of Imaal with the alu bike have made wider tyres and a more absorbent frame seem inordinately appealing which pretty much means a second bike with disc brakes, which make sense logistically even if I’m still not super in love with discs.



My BTW is due but I can’t see something like a Synapse (Carbon 105, HyDiscs) working out within my budget even with BTW, so along comes the Ribble Endurance which seems to be largely Synapse-esque with presumably a less effective frame design but component parity and a lot of what my alu frame doesn’t offer. (one of the main crits in the bike radar review is that it doesn’t perform well with “on the limit handling” but since I’m a cowardly crapfat this doesn’t seem like a legitimate complaint for me to make.



Is the Ribble Carbon a false economy? (Bearing in mind my Roadbike is a budget Alu frame so may not reflect the best of the material)? Is an Endurance bike when I already have the Tanklike affections of the CDF needless duplication?

I’m hearing that lightweight climbing bikes don’t make a difference to people far lighter and stronger than me so the idea of leaning into a refined version of my current roadbike doesn’t promise much.


My singlespeed is often my favourite bike to ride because of its lightness (it’s what was probably a high end Alu frame in the 90s) but then, it being a single speed it never gets ridden on hills, just in Meath and NCD.



So many thoughts, so little actual justification.

godtabh

For what its worth I have a Ribble R872. I think its a great bike and would before from Ribble again (I have my eye on the Aero 833 disk)

smacl

rollingscone wrote: »

Also recent experiences on Slieve Mann and the Glen of Imaal with the alu bike have made wider tyres and a more absorbent frame seem inordinately appealing which pretty much means a second bike with disc brakes, which make sense logistically even if I’m still not super in love with discs.

Endurance has max clearance of 25mm which doesn't seem to meet the brief here, that aside it looks like a lovely bike.

With slightly relaxed geometry the Endurance Aero is for eating up the miles on long rides or sportives, but it will also perform well as a ‘super-commuter’ and with tyre clearance up to 25mm it will tackle the odd dirt road or stretch of cobbles with ease.

rollingscone

Ffuuuu

That's me back to no new bike so.

Plastik

Not the same bike, but I have an R872 also, which Ribble say will only take 25's max. The clearance is pretty tight but I have Continendal 28's on it.

smacl

rollingscone wrote: »

Ffuuuu

That's me back to no new bike so.

Perhaps, but if its a carbon frame you fancy and wide tyres, how about a Planet X Pro Carbon XLS Cyclo Cross Frameset for £399 (was £799), transfer all your CDF stuff to it, and then sell on the CDF frame?

rollingscone

smacl wrote: »

Perhaps, but if its a carbon frame you fancy and wide tyres, how about a Planet X Pro Carbon XLS Cyclo Cross Frameset for £399 (was £799), transfer all your CDF stuff to it, and then sell on the CDF frame?

Nein!

OleRodrigo

Sounds like a bit of a pickle.

This happens when the fleet expands 'organically'.

Sell them all off ( Net e1500 ) Pocket the cash, lob some extra dosh (e1000) on top from savings.

Buy a:

1. Ribble winter bike.
2. Planet X Summer bike.
3. Genesis flyer fixie on the BTW( Net e500 )

Problem solved.

smacl

OleRodrigo wrote: »

Sounds like a bit of a pickle.

This happens when the fleet expands 'organically'.

Sell them all off ( Net e1500 ) Pocket the cash, lob some extra dosh (e1000) on top from savings.

Buy a:

1. Ribble winter bike.
2. Planet X Summer bike.
3. Genesis flyer fixie on the BTW( Net e500 )

Problem solved.

Excellent, why consider n+1 when you can aspire to n+3. Chapeau sir!

OleRodrigo

smacl wrote: »

Excellent, why consider n+1 when you can aspire to n+3. Chapeau sir!

Exactly.

Just play around with the figures and suddenly n +1 = n +3.

Whats not to like?

rollingscone

OleRodrigo wrote: »

Exactly.

Just play around with the figures and suddenly n +1 = n +3.

Whats not to like?

You guys don't math real good

smacl

rollingscone wrote: »

You guys don't math real good

Yeh but 3 new bikes.....

rollingscone

smacl wrote: »

Yeh but 3 new bikes.....

But -2 bikes that I love

OleRodrigo

rollingscone wrote: »

But -2 bikes that I love

' There's nothing new under the sun (that can't be replaced by something newer and shinier) '

Amen.