Visually, the Ribble impresses with its conical head tube, which accommodates a tapered fork steerer. The use of plain-gauge spokes keeps costs down but adds to weight. Mavic’s Aksium Discs have 24 spokes laced tangentially in both wheels, those in the front and on the rear non-drive side needed to resist the torsional loads imposed by the brakes. The 10-speed Tiagra-equipped Ribble, contrastingly, wears what look like conventional tangent-spoked wheels, although their specification is largely dictated by the use of disc brakes. The wheels are a candidate for early upgrading with something more forgiving. In an effort to balance spoke tension on the heavily dished wheel, there are two drive-side spokes for every one on the non-drive side.Ī stiff rim ensures there’s no axial wander, but does little for ride comfort. They use a semi-deep section aluminium alloy rim stiff enough to cope with the rear wheel’s 2:1 spoke lacing pattern. This would no doubt have happened with any wheelset, but did point up the rigidity of the wheels, which have surely been chosen for strength and durability over resilience. Unfortunately, the test ride was interrupted by a pinch flat from a submerged pothole. Fat 6061 aluminium alloy frame tubes joined by neat, if beefy, welds give it a sturdy, durable look.Ī shortish head tube means it’s possible to find a tucked riding position without ‘slamming’ the handlebar stem. Riders looking for a more ‘endurance’-style posture may end up with the stem inverted. Tifosi CK7īilled as an all-season commuter/light tourer, the Tifosi has a lustrous metallic blue paint finish set against black componentry. The Tifosi CK7 Disc is £200 dearer, the Ribble Endurance 725 Tiagra (with rim brakes) £100 cheaper.

It’s worth noting, incidentally, that both bikes exist in versions with rim or disc brakes. Frame material and brake technology are largely responsible for their respective characters, although not simply for the usual reasons. But the Tifosi’s rear mech will handle a 32t sprocket if needed.īack to the obvious differences: one uses rim brakes and the other discs, while one has an aluminium frame and the other steel. The Tifosi’s is an old-school 34/27, the Ribble’s a kinder 34/32. There are obvious similarities: both roll on slick tyres in the now-ubiquitous 700×25C format both squeeze under the £1,000 price point and, usefully, both wear full-length mudguards (although they are an optional extra on the Ribble, adding £27 to the price). Within a couple of hundred metres of riding the second of the two, it is clear that, notwithstanding their common goal, these are very different beasts.

It’s an intriguing face-off: steel versus aluminium disc versus rim brakes. Ribble’s Endurance 725 Disc has these and, interestingly at the price point, a frame built using a high-end lightweight steel tube set. While it still fulfils the brief admirably, though, it and others like it are up against a new breed of all-rounder notable for the use of disc brakes. Until quite recently, the Tifosi CK7 tested here would have been typical of the type. Richard Hallett, technical editor of Cycle magazine

Ribble endurance bike