UKC

Has anyone on here "built" a bike using Ribbles "bike builder" and then gone ahead and actually had the thing built up ?
One or two of their bikes look cracking and suit my tastes/budget but i dont know much about the firm.

Any reccomendations good or bad for Ribble bikes at all ????

Thanks in advance

In reply to Newbuild100:
Long established with many happy customers, also worth looking at Dolan.

Quite a few on here have bought bikes from both, I haven't, but I did buy a DA groupset from Ribble, no problems.

In reply to Newbuild100:

They are one of the biggest online bike retailers, also generally the cheapest. Their own brand bikes are one of the most popular choices of second/winter bikes for serious roadies which tells you something about their reputation for value. Their carbon bikes are also becoming a very regular fixture on summer club runs. If I was buying a new bike, I'd definitely consider building one with their online tool.

In reply to Newbuild100:

Do it mate!
Got a Gran Fondo of the bike builder a couple of years ago. Love it, brilliant bike, absolutely no quibbles about service or quality from me.

In reply to Newbuild100:

Built my winter bike up in September and had no issues with the order or the bike for that matter.

Always buy bits and bobs from them and it arrives without issue.

Also the Ribble R872 is actually a De Rosa 838 frame which retails for £1799 with Shimano 105 on at wiggle, at Ribble it comes in at £1100.

In reply to Newbuild100:

Yes - I used the bike builder for a winter/audax last October. Been riding it regularly since then and I love it. No quibbles or problems at all. Excellent value and quality.

In reply to Newbuild100:

Highly recommend them. Got a gran fondo a while back using the bike builder and it was great value for value, and a great ride. Really good service too

In reply to Newbuild100:

I've bought a fair bit from them over the past few years, very good to deal with. I don't have one of their bikes but they do look good. There was a bunch of them in the St Jean de Maurienne campsite a few years ago and they didn't look out of place among all the Italian exotica, and they were getting just as many admiring glances from the continentals.

In reply to Newbuild100:

Have a Sportive 365. It'll be 2 years old now and i'm extremely impressed. All day comfy and can do a fast turn on club rides when necessary.

Found the whole Ribble service great.

In reply to Newbuild100:

As stated above, they are a well established make and very trustworthy. I always remember my friends older brother getting one back in about 1990 and it was a fantastic thing. Ever since then I've always held them in high esteem.

The bike builder thing is pretty smart as it cuts out the stage of buying a stock bike that you know you'll want to modify anyway.

I wanted to use them for my cycle to work scheme bike but my employer specified that we use another supplier.

In reply to gethin_allen:

Bought a winter trainer from them 10 years ago still looks like new. They have a shop at Walton summit just off m6 I think its junction after m65 if coming south from Preston worth going to talk to them

In reply to Newbuild100:

I've had some rather poor customer service from them - they were very rude to me on the phone when I called to ask for an estimated delivery time 5 weeks after I'd placed the order. Dealt with sending me the wrong stuff quite badly too.

HOWEVER this was about 5 years ago and word on the grapevine is that they've sorted lots of their issues.

In reply to ro8x:


Friend of mine had one of their bikes, can't remember model, and loved it right up to the point it got stolen.


So have I - sometimes have very good deals on parts.


Allegedly. I have been told on pretty good authority that they come from different factories in different countries and aren't the same at all. I almost bought an 838 last year, until I found this minefield - and then bought a completely different bike that I liked more and fitted me better in a sale.

In reply to Newbuild100:

I toyed with getting a Planet X, until I found that you pretty much had to stick with their standard spec. You couldn't change stem lengths, bar width, or cassette range so I went to Ribble instead. Their bike builder facility - even on their 'special' range allows you to customise as much as you like (or can afford). I've had my Gran Fondo for 4 years and love it. I've upgraded the wheels and changed the saddle a couple of times until I found one that suited me. Apart from that I've changed chain and cassette when they got worn. I have the added bonus of only living 4 miles from their warehouse so was able to pick it up in person. No quibbles with the build quality or service. I live 4 miles away from Merlin cycles as well - who offer great value quality bikes, however the Ribble Bike Builder offers greater flexibility.

In reply to Newbuild100:

Another vote for Ribble. Their customer service skills have never been brilliant but they are no longer a shop; they are now a bike warehouse with a shop tacked on as an afterthought. The staff all ride and are knowledgeable. They offer excellent value for money.

In reply to Lord of Starkness:

You can customise Planet X possibly not 4 years ago and there possibly aren't as many options online as Ribble.

I got a Planet X 2 years ago, I went to the showroom to buy & could have specced pretty much what I wanted.

In reply to Newbuild100:

Another vote for the Ribble bike builder. I like others bought a Gran Fondo using there bike builder, can't fault the system the bike or the service. I have had other stuff from them over several years never had any problems