Ribble Sportive Bianco £1,073 Review
Reviewer: Cycling Weekly
23-Feb-2011 | 13 Reviews
Rating:
We ride and rate four bikes that come in at the government's Cycle to Work maximum price point of £1,000
Even before you've straddled it, the Sportive Bianco is miles above the other bikes here in terms of value, even though this build misses the £1k mark by £73. You get a full carbon monocoque frame and full Shimano 105 groupset and it's the lightest by over a pound.
It's a bike with poise, its muscular-looking curved tubes widening or tapering at the points where strength or lightness is required. Ribble says the Sportive Bianco is built with ‘basic race geometry' but has a slightly longer head tube, at 15cm in this case, for comfort on long rides.
The finish is great - Ribble's carbon frames are made in the Far East at the same factories as bikes bearing much more famous names and if you didn't know, you simply wouldn't guess that it was so much cheaper. We certainly don't see any reason why Ribble's frames carbon frames should be regarded as inferior just because they have a Lancastrian name on the down tube, instead of a Milanese one.
The latest generation of 105 (5700) looks striking in matt and polished silver and matches the silver frame decals. The whole bike is impressively coordinated right down to the silver bar tape. The ITM wheels weigh about the same as the Campag Khamsins. A lighter set might be a better match for the sub-kilo frame, but that could be your first upgrade.
Being the only carbon bike here, there's a pleasant surprise when you ride the Ribble. It's not only easy on the eye, but it sounds great too! The carbon tubes resonate and hum on a fast ride.
It is a fast ride indeed - the green shoots of fitness might be reappearing after a hard-frozen winter, but the Ribble felt much quicker round the test circuit than the other bikes (we rode the Ribble last) and the times confirmed it actually was faster under similar conditions.
The ride quality is completely different from that of the other bikes. The back end is much softer - it even had us checking for a slow puncture - but responsive when pedalling hard. It seems contradictory, but the fastest bike here is also the most comfortable.
Verdict
We're not putting the Ribble's good performance down to the fact that it's made from carbon, because there are as many bad carbon frames as there are good ones. It's tempting to go crazy with the oversizing and the stiffness, resulting in a dead frame with rigor mortis set in. Instead the Ribble is just nicely judged so that you really could spend all day on it and cover a lot of miles in the process.
Full specification
Frame
Full carbon monocoque
Group Set
Shimano 105 groupset
Size Tested
Medium
Weight
18.4lb/8.3kg
Wheels
ITM Aero 2.4 wheels
Supplier
www.ribblecycles.co.uk
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User reviews
Add your review
Lee
February 25 13:01
Strange but if I spec up a 105 model with ITM wheels it comes to £1123.45 That's off the website as of the 25th Feb 2011 Not really fair on the other guys I think?
kev
February 25 18:37
To Lee above-You need to use the "special edition bikes" section to get the best price,I made it £1078.
David Morris
March 04 16:57
I have owned a Ribble Sportive (The old red and black colour scheme) framed bike for 4months now. Funds where tight so I purchased the frame and fork only and swapped all of the other components from my old bike. The new machine is OUTSTANDING! it's lightweight, comfortable, fast, stiff, sure footed and beautiful to look at. I can't recommend the frame enough.....go on treat yourself!
Mike Finch
March 23 12:18
I bought a Ribble Sportive (the red one) last October, with a 105 compact Groupset and RS20 wheels. It rides beautifully soaking up the rough Cumbrian roads far more effectively than my previous Aluminium framed bikes. Mine weighs in under 18lb, I recommend it greatly. Only slight disappointment was that the expected 10 day delivery spun out to four weeks.
Paul Solerti
March 23 21:01
Like the reviews on this bike and i have been saving up for this one. Finally bought it last night with blue tape and tyres. Can't wait to see it turn up...
Dave Hewes
April 13 17:05
I bought this frame recently and have been hugely impressed. Fast, efficient and secure delivery of a high-quality, well-made product which is finished superbly. Extremely comfortable ride with enough stiffness to really enjoy putting in a quick burst of power when the mood takes you (which on this thing is seriously often.) The only draw-backs include the impracticality of the gleaming white paint and the american spelling of carbon fibre(er) on the seat-stays. Like David Morris above, I transferred the components from my old bike onto this frame and am already considering upgrading, if only to do the frame justice. The Sportive Bianco performs at the level of a bike at twice the price and the Ribble name emblazoned on the tubing helps destroy the unfounded pre-conceptions of the bike snobs out there. Highly recommended.
Andy Griffiths
April 17 18:47
Bought my Sportive Racing 10 months ago using the cyclescheme voucher. Its my 1st Carbon bike, but my 5th Ribble in 15 years or so. Since it turned up my Ribble Winter Audax bike hasn't been out of the garage!! Incredible bike, frame fits 25mm tyres, its a real eye catcher which goes as well as it looks.
BeSpoke
June 01 13:05
Tempted o buy one of these. Great reviews... However, reported humming sound isn't necessarily a good thing. In fact engineers would normally strive to prevent resonance because the enhanced vibration is generally detrimental to the fatigue life of a structure.
Si
July 24 18:55
Fear not, I have the red version of this frame, and it doesnt hum. However, I do have an aluminium Colnago which whirs in pleasing kind of way! Back to the Ribble, which rides superbly in all respects, and the finish is top notch. For the money, and compared to many other mid range carbon frames that I have looked at costing more, in my opinion the sportive is tough to beat. Get one and enjoy.
Ivo Costa
August 18 18:16
I bought my Ribble Grandfondo last April with Ultegra groupset but 28mm tyres for the pot holes in Fife Scotland. What can I say... it's an amazing bike, light, strong and amazing value for money. My £1200 vs my mates £2100 Trek and the service at the Ribble shop to get properly measured to get the right size frame has been brilliant. Go on get one and clock up the miles.
Rik Slingsby
October 28 09:23
Just ordered my Sportive Bianco with 105 group,and can't wait! Used to be a keen cyclist as a teen, and not really done any miles since then, 20 years plus!, and back then it was a Ribble, Reynolds tubing, with I think the first 105 groupset! Always been great bikes!! Gonna feel a big change!! ....Mainly because I'm just turning 40!!
Neil Jones
December 03 21:40
Just taken delivery of a Sportive Bianco kitted out with Sram Apex and a Fulcrum 5 wheels. An awsome and great looking machine on which climbing is almost a pleasure!
Steve Peters
January 31 21:29
Cinelli the best option here for 1k. It looks a lot classier than the Ribble IMO and looking at the range of bikes out on a typical sportive, far more exclusive! It may give away half a pound in weight but comparing like for like perhaps the £75 you'd save could be spent on lighter wheels as you spec up a bike with fantastic heritage. Carbon ain't the be all and end all and that's before you look at reports of customer service and satisfaction on the'net..