British model Ribble has not too long ago launched a glut of Allroad bikes, with two carbon fashions and an e-bike. This Allroad Ti is the fourth to hitch the lineup and is comprised of, yep, titanium. It’s a very good-looking bike, with its silver body and darkish parts giving it a easy however good aesthetic.
Titanium has lengthy been a well-liked materials for constructing frames. It was seen as metal’s posher cousin for its mixture of energetic and forgiving experience qualities, lighter weight, and sturdiness. Ribble has had a lot success through the years with titanium fashions, so it is no shock that it has taken the geometry of the brand new carbon Allroad SL R and re-engineered it within the marvel metallic.
Ribble Allroad Ti Professional construct with Shimano Ultegra Di2
(Picture credit score: Tim Russon)
The Allroad Ti is out there in 4 builds, utilizing Ribble’s acquainted monikers of Sport, Fanatic, Professional and Hero. Sport is the entry-level possibility, at a really affordable (for titanium) £3,499 with a Shimano 105 mechanical groupset while Fanatic presents 105 Di2 for £4,099. Professional and Hero use Ultegra Di2 and Dura-Ace Di2 respectively with worth tags of £5,499 and £7,999 – all properly delineated and comprehensible as a variety. Ribble’s claimed weights run from 9.91kg for the Sport to eight.7kg for the Hero, all in dimension medium while the body alone is 1.7kg and the fork 470g. The check bike was the Professional stage, Ultegra-equipped mannequin at 9.35kg.
Ribble Allroad Ti Professional in its pure surroundings on quiet lanes
(Picture credit score: Andy Jones)
On the level of buy, both on-line or in-store, there are a number of selections to make concerning wheel, saddle and handlebar selection however the steered spec ranges principally make sense and supply first rate worth cash within the present market.
Relaxed, all-road geometry and extensive tyre clearances imply that the Allroad Ti is just not aimed toward racers or Strava KOM chasers, somewhat it’s for riders who worth the flexibility to not fear about poor street surfaces, potholes, grassy lanes and even gravel trails. Riders who head out the door with out essentially having a plan, route or time restrict and who identical to the thought of with the ability to cycle on a wide range of surfaces with none worries. Given the present state of the street community within the UK and far of Europe, this description covers just about each street apart from motorways!
Building
The Allroad Ti’s level of distinction is just not its 3AL-2.5V titanium development, however somewhat the 3D-printed sections of titanium which have been used across the head tube and on the high of the seat tube. These sculpted, smoothed-off areas give the bike the look of carbon with no apparent welds and really un-tube-like shapes. The 3D-printed elements are TIG welded to the tubes with none seen welding patterns, though the junctions aren’t fairly seamless as there are slight however discernible steps within the body the place the sections be part of.
3D-printed seta tube junction
(Picture credit score: Tim Russon)
There are extra usual-looking titanium welds on the backside bracket, rear dropouts and seat tube/seatstays junction while the threaded backside bracket can be welcomed by dwelling mechanics. The fork is comprised of carbon and is notably extensive and modern-looking, barely harking back to the fork on the Hope observe bike
The geometry holds few surprises, with fairly regulation numbers for an endurance/all-road bike; 415mm chainstays, 73° head tube and 73.5° seat tube. Nonetheless, the stack and attain are on the upper and longer aspect at 587.6mm and 391mm respectively, however nothing too controversial.
There are some regular welds and a threaded backside bracket
(Picture credit score: Tim Russon)
As befits a motorcycle of this kind, claimed tyre clearance is spectacular at 38mm, though all fashions ship with extra versatile 32mm rubber. Which means that even when you benefit from the built-in mudguard mounts there needs to be loads of house for tyres over 30mm extensive with out worrying about them getting clogged up with mud or grass.
Clearance for 38mm tyres and built-in mounts for full-length mudguards
(Picture credit score: Tim Russon)
The Professional mannequin is kitted out with full Shimano Ultegra Di2, no sneaky chainset substitutions right here, and the 11-34 cassette and 50/34 chainrings present suitably low gears for tackling steep hills or lengthy days with out challenge. The wheels are carbon Mavic Cosmic S 42 shod with tubeless-ready 32mm Pirelli P Zero Street TLR (true to dimension on the Mavic rims) – each of those parts are strong performers and it’s good to see that Ribble has specced branded merchandise right here. Equally, the saddle is a Selle Italia SLR Increase, so that you aren’t getting short-changed wherever, which underlines the bike’s worth.
Up to now, so regular. Nonetheless, the space-age-looking UB-2 carbon handlebar is certainly not what one would anticipate finding on a titanium all-road bike, even one with 3D-printed elements. Borrowing closely from the design of the handlebar on their Extremely race bikes, albeit in a two-piece somewhat than one-piece format, the bars are extremely sculpted to scale back wind resistance with deep aspect sections and wake-inducing tops. Moreover, the Ultegra shifters are bolted immediately into the handlebars somewhat than connected utilizing a band as is regular and solely the drops have bar tape on them. Cabling is inside within the bars and body however runs externally underneath the stem for simpler spannering.
UB-2 handlebars are very aero, however do not swimsuit the character of the bike
(Picture credit score: Tim Russon)
The Trip
Sitting astride the bike for the primary time, I used to be struck by how lengthy it felt, and the peak of the entrance finish. As somebody who normally rides a 130mm stem by myself bikes, I’m used to different bikes feeling a bit quick, nonetheless, the Ribble got here with a 120mm stem, and mixed with the 36cm extensive on the hoods bars, the place may have felt fairly aggressive aside from the truth that the 180mm head tube (dimension giant) lifted the entrance finish a good bit.
My first couple of rides on the Allroad Ti have been solo affairs across the lanes of Derbyshire, the place the cossetting experience high quality was instantly obvious. Regardless that the Pirelli tyres weren’t arrange tubeless and usually are not their most supple providing, the body was clearly doing a rattling tremendous job of muting the various cracks, holes and bumps of the tarmac. Using bikes like this it’s all the time noticeable how a lot much less focus is required when it comes to line selection; there’s far much less requirement to keep away from each little imperfection than when using a race bike because the bigger tyres and compliant body take in a lot extra of the bumps. After all, over shorter rides, it doesn’t matter a lot however on lengthy days within the saddle, the distinction actually does add as much as much less total fatigue.
No want to fret about poor surfaces on the Ribble Allroad Ti Professional
(Picture credit score: Andy Jones)
It was good to be pootling alongside the street after which dip off onto a disused railway with none worries, thus spending a stunning few traffic-free miles on the Monsal Path mid-ride. After all, you could possibly do that on many bikes, however the mixture of robust, paintless titanium body, extensive tyres and cozy experience made it completely pain-free; that is the very essence of an all-road bike – vastly elevated freedom.
I additionally used the Allroad Ti on my weekly membership runs and right here I discovered that it (and I) struggled slightly. It’s unfair to count on it to combine it with Cervelo S5s, Canyon Aeroads and Pinarello Dogmas, nevertheless it did really feel each little bit of its 9.5kgs as I attempted to kick on up steep rises and longer hills; I’ve little doubt that its energy switch lags behind the carbon race bikes too, as is simply to be anticipated given its broader remit. This isn’t its pure enviornment, so it could actually’t be criticised too closely for it – if you want to sustain with the large boys then the Ribble Extremely SL R could be a much better selection.
Over in Mallorca for a number of regular days, issues bought quite a bit higher once more – the Allroad Ti sailed alongside the quiet again roads and lumpy lanes on longer rides while additionally drawing a number of admiring feedback and questions at cafe stops. The low gearing proved ultimate for an amiable ascent of Sa Calobra and the Ultegra brakes have been implausible when descending. The body’s stability and planted really feel made for a calming experience whichever means the street pointed.
Traditional titanium appears to be like with a contemporary twist
(Picture credit score: Andy Jones)
My bum wasn’t totally at one with the saddle on rides of greater than a few hours, however that’s simply private desire and simply modified both on the level of buy or afterwards. The aero bars weren’t ultimate both, because the untaped, extraordinarily extensive tops weren’t a very comfy place to carry onto while climbing or cruising. They’re clearly designed to assist the rider obtain a slender, low place while hammering alongside at race tempo and so they did certainly work very effectively for that however have been much less appropriate for gentler using. Moreover, except you personal a GoPro-compatible entrance mild that may sit underneath the pc mount, it is vitally onerous to seek out wherever to connect a light-weight because of the bars’ non-standard form.
Personally, I’d save £350 by speccing the far more standard-looking Stage Alloy handlebar and spending that saving on upgrading the wheels to the lighter Zipp 303 Firecrests out there from Ribble. I feel that this change would swimsuit the bike higher and presumably assist it experience extra evenly too. Don’t get me fallacious, I appreciated the lengthy, slender place and form of the UB-2 bars and would definitely contemplate them on a racier machine, however I don’t assume that they finest served this bike’s said objective. Equally, while there’s nothing fallacious with the equipped Mavics, at over 1,600g they don’t seem to be the lightest possibility and the couple of hundred grams weight saving on supply by swapping to the Zipps is a worthwhile change for my part. The 303 Firecrest rim can be 4mm wider than the Cosmic S internally, so would assist any tyre to open out extra for better quantity and suppleness.
Worth and conclusions
I’ve not too long ago ridden three bikes which might be nominally labelled ‘all-road’ – the Pinarello Dogma X, the Cervelo Caledonia-5 and this Ribble Allroad Ti. The Ribble is the least costly of the three by far, probably the most ‘all-road’ and comfiest. However it is usually the heaviest and least energetic.
Ribble’s personal carbon Allroad SL R Professional shares all the identical parts and geometry with the Allroad Ti Professional and undercuts it by £900 and over 1kg, so it’s important to be utterly satisfied of the advantages {that a} titanium body can supply to decide on the metallic possibility. Nonetheless, in case you are out there for an all-day, all-road titanium bike then the £5,499 price ticket for an Ultegra Di2 geared up, 3D printed body with carbon wheels doesn’t sound unreasonable in any respect.
Made for exploring quiet lanes and trails
(Picture credit score: Andy Jones)
Specification
Ribble Allroad Ti Professional
- Body and fork: 3AL-2.5V titanium with 3D-printed titanium and carbon fork
- Backside Bracket: T47 68mm Shimano 24mm threaded
- Groupset: Shimano R8100 Ultegra Di2 12-speed
- Cassette: CS-R8101 Ultegra 12-speed HG 11-34T
- Chainset: FC-R8100 Ultegra 12-speed 50-34T
- Brake rotors: RTMT800 CL 160mm
- Wheelset: Mavic Cosmic S 42 Disc Carbon tubeless-ready
- Tyres: P Zero Street TLR Black 700x32mm
- Handlebar: Ribble UB-2 Carbon
- Stem: Ribble RS-2
- Saddle: Selle Italia SL R Increase
- Claimed weight for dimension M: 9.35kg
- Precise weight for dimension L: 9.5kg
