RIBBLE R872 TIAGRA
Racy sportive-flavoured carbon from a British brand
Ribble’s carbon R872 made the top 10 last year with Shimano 105, but by the time the test came out it cost £1100. This year’s R872 is back at a grand, albeit with 10-speed Tiagra. This isn’t that far removed from 105 and while it makes the 2020 R872 a fraction heavier, its 8.9kg weight is competitive and 100g lighter than claimed.
Ribble has radically reinvented its road bikes over the last few years and they’re as up-to-date as anything available – while still retaining Ribble’s renowned value. The frame has the tube profiles you’d expect – a flattened top tube narrowing along its length for comfort, the down tube an oversized, angular affair for stiffness and the large bottom bracket shell for efficiency. And, yes, the R872’s seatstays are slim and dropped for “vertical compliance and vibration absorption, increasing comfort”.
Ribble markets the R872 as a “sportive” or “endurance” bike but there’s no lack of stiffness, and it’s at the racier end of the endurance spectrum. You won’t be riding nose to the handlebar but you’re a little more stretched than on the likes of the Specialized and Boardman, both of which have ‘endurance’ geometry. It has Di2-compatible internal cabling and the threaded bottom bracket will please the pressfit-phobes.
The geometry resembles that of Cannondale’s more aggressive Optimo, with similar 73/73.5-degree head and seat angles that put you in a slightly forward riding position, as well as speeding up the handling. And while the Ribble’s top tube is shorter and the head tube taller, the Ribble’s sub-metre wheelbase and sub-9kg weight make it one you can power into corners on.
Mavic’s Aksiums are at the upper end of what you’d expect on a £1000 bike and I’ve found
“A fabulous choice for fast sportive-type rides, training and fast on-road commuting”
them durable and a reasonable weight for the money. I did have a minor issue, as there was a slightly raised area where the rims are pinned, causing a tiny but annoying click when braking. It’s not serious and it goes away eventually.
Continental’s 25mm GT Grand Prix is a quality tyre that’s handmade in Germany. They contain a PolyX Breaker layer that’s designed to increase resistance to punctures without increasing rolling resistance. Meanwhile, their natural and synthetic rubber BlackChili Compound is claimed to reduce rolling resistance by 26 per cent, deliver 30 per cent more grip and five per cent more mileage. I did have an ‘off’ on one of winter’s slippy surfaces but still trusted them enough to ride the last 20 miles home.
I’ve left the best element until last: the R872’s carbon frame. It’s very different even compared to a model from just three years ago. The new R872 frame resembles the Boardman’s – and the ride isn’t that dissimilar. It nicely balances frame stiffness and a taut front-end with excellent longdistance comfort, the carbon successfully smoothing road bumps. That oversized down tube feels like it delivers the promised “improved torsional stiffness and power transfer”.
The Tiagra groupset did its usual work and I never missed an 11th gear. Plus, numerous build options are available, including 105 from £1299 and a model with mechanical disc brakes and Tiagra for £1100. My Cycle-to-Work-friendly £1000 build has Ribble’s Level 1 6061 stem, bar and 27.2mm seatpost, all absolutely typical at this price.
Ribble has always produced good-value bikes but after its new CEO took over in 2017, followed by former US Postal rider Jamie Burrow as head of product, Lancashire’s finest upped its game further. This R872 is a bangs-for-bucks treat. I’d have it slightly ahead of Boardman’s similar SLR 8.9c in the £1000 carbon bike stakes. It has a wider gear range, different build options and it’s a fabulous choice for fast sportive-type rides, training and fast on-road commuting.
Its quality frameset makes it a great investment for the long haul as it’s ripe for later kit upgrades.