Ribble Gravel 725 Pro
£2,899 The sturdy new steel option
Weight 10.5kg (L) Frame 725 Reynolds steel Fork Carbon Drivetrain SRAM Rival AXS eTap XPLR (40t, 10-44t) Brakes SRAM Rival hydraulic disc Wheels Mavic All Road alloy Finishing kit Halo GXC Tubeless ready 27.5 X 1.75 tyres, Level 90mm stem, Level alloy gravel riser bar, Level HM carbon seatpost, Fizik Taiga saddle
RIBBLE’S GRAVEL RANGE NOW
includes three 725 Reynolds-steelframed versions, ranging from the £2,099 Sport to this one, the Pro, at £2,899. This steel is stronger than 531 and 853, and Ribble has further reinforced things by using triple-butted tubes on the frame, and adding a large gusset between the downtube, seat-tube and bottom bracket shell to increase the strength and stiffness in this critical area.
The bike is ready for adventure, with three bottle-cage mounts, full mudguard and rack mounts, plus internal routing and top-tube bento box mounts on the frame. Don’t panic that the weight’s adding up, though: Ribble claims a Medium 725 will tip the scales at 10.8kg, and my Large test Pro model came in at 10.5kg with a carbon seatpost upgrade the only deviation from the standard specification.
The geometry is based on the much pricier Gravel Ti, which impressed me in issue 397. Although the 72° head angle isn’t hugely relaxed, the 725 still feels more stable than a race-focused gravel bike. That’s down to a combination of a long front centre and short (for the size) 90mm stem. The 59mm trail all this produces is what you’d expect from a sporty sportive bike on the road, making steering stable but responsive. In short, the 725 is a quite brilliant off-road companion, even on singletrack. It feels quick to turn, well balanced, and the smaller wheels make short, sharp accelerations and climbs easy. The long chainstays help the tyre bite on seated climbs, too.
The huge 47mm tyres combine with the compliance of the skinny steel frame to take plenty of the sting out of bumpy surfaces. On the flipside, the smallerdiameter wheels and larger tyres can make the 725 feel a little ponderous on long stretches of flat or rolling tarmac.
Longer climbs are efficient rather than rapid, and the stiffness through the bottom bracket means your power is transferred well, but the big tyres, smaller wheels and relaxed position also mean it’s a sit-in-andspin climber. You could use Ribble’s bike builder option to create a bigger-wheeled 700c version, though, and you’d only lose 2mm of tyre clearance.
The build is all good stuff. I really like the Level Gravel riser bar, with a wide flare that spreads the bar from 42cm at the hoods to 51cm at the drops. A 20mm rise from the stem eye with a compact drop and short reach all combine to produce a very
comfortable bar, be it on the tops, hoods, or in the drops.
Fizik’s Taiga mountain bike-style saddle is mid-length and narrow. The slim dimensions make it easy to move around on to deal with more technical terrain. I found it comfortable enough but I prefer Fizik’s short, gravel-specific Terra Argo. The low-slung frame leaves plenty of exposed seatpost and the Level carbon post adds a bit of vibration-damping flex.
All of the 725 range rolls on Mavic’s AllRoad 650b wheels and Halo’s GXC 47mm tyres. The alloy Allroads are tubeless ready and ideal for larger-volume tyres. At 1,840g a pair, they aren’t the lightest but they’re built to last. Halo’s GXD tyres are also tubeless compatible (shame the bike’s not set up tubeless). When I tested them in the summer, the GXDs worked well on the dry, dusty trails. Now, in much damper conditions, the tread pattern can fill rather quickly in sticky mud. The same is true of most dry-conditions gravel tyres so it may be worth buying a set of winter tyres.
The Rival AXS XPLR groupset works brilliantly. The long-cage rear mech comes with a stiffly sprung clutch mechanism that keeps chain bounce to a minimum and, when combined with the shaped teeth on the single chainring, means the chain stays in place no matter what. The wide rear cassette of 10-44 combined with a 40-tooth chainring gives a lighter than 1:1 gear, which should help you up even really steep slopes. The Rival brakes have all the power I ever needed and plenty of feel, and they’ve stayed quiet even in some truly atrocious conditions.
Overall, I’m impressed with the Gravel 725 Pro. The frame is very neatly finished and it’s a good-value package. It can take in everything from forest fire roads to mountain-bike singletrack and not let you down. If you’re looking for a roughstuff-ready commuter, an adventurous companion or just a tough bike to go and play on in the woods, the 725 is a brilliant option.
“Ribble claims a Medium 725 will tip the scales at 10.8kg, and my Large test Pro model came in at 10.5kg with a carbon seatpost upgrade”
Verdict Solid frame, solid spec, solid ride = a good value package
HOT ON THE HEELS OF GARMIN’S solar-screened, premium Edge 1040 (£519.99) comes the Edge Explore 2, which sits between the diminutive Edge 830 and the larger 1040 (and its 1030 predecessor). It’s robust, weighs just 104g and comes with a user-friendly USB-C port. The IPX7 rating for water resistance should see you through any stormy, wet winter rides.
Be aware, however, that it lacks the power-pin connections you get on the rear of the other Edge models so you can’t add on the Edge power-extending battery pack. You can choose to buy a power-mount version for £339.99 (which can even take charge from an ebike battery) instead, but note that this standard model can’t be upgraded at a later date.
At 3” (76.2mm), the screen size is the same as the bigger 1030, and it’s bright and crisp. The touchscreen is excellent and works well with long-fingered gloves. There’s now more information on the standard screen, including weather information from your phone’s app, plus easier location searching (including finding the route that’s most often cycled by Garmin Connect users).
There’s no Wi-Fi connectivity though. Instead, it uploads to Garmin connect and Strava via your phone. This also means no Strava live segment support (though you can use Strava routes). If you’re a KOM/QOM capturer this may not be the unit for you.
It also misses out on the workouts offered by some of the other models, but does come with ANT+ and Bluetooth and can easily connect to power meters to give the basic readings (but not things like left/right balance and deeper dives into FTP).
However, this really is a GPS for navigation and Garmin is still the best in the business at this. The triple satellite support means it finds its position quickly, and it’ll store 100 routes and record up to 200 hours of riding history. The map screen now has more detail and the high-traffic (red dotted line) indication on roads helps you avoid busier routes, working perfectly to reroute you if you stray off course.
Planned routes from Strava and Komoot are compatible and, with pre-planned routes, the device uses the excellent ClimbPro feature, showing a graphic of an upcoming climb and updating as you go, with green to red colours indicating the severity of the gradient.
According to Garmin, the battery lasts 24 hours in standard use and around 16 hours during demanding use, such as navigation. I’m getting (with one or two connected accessories) around 15 hours between charges.
For eBike users with a compatible bike, you can get on-screen alerts of battery status, assist level and more. It will also connect to smart trainers, and I like its recovery suggestions after a particularly hard ride/training session for instance.
“Garmin is still the best in the business at navigation. The triple satellite support means it finds its position quickly and it’ll store 100 routes”