Ribble has launched three ‘all-road’ bikes under the collective ‘exactly what it says on the tin’ moniker of Allroad. The new range sits under the direct-to-consumer brand’s new ‘Road+’ ethos, which combines road-focused performance with the ability to tackle light off-road segments.
The range is completed by the entry-level Allroad SL – the model I was already allowed to ride before the launch – the top model Allroad SL R and the electric Allroad SL R e. All three have a comfortable and sustainable geometry, but there are also striking similarities and also some important differences, not least the price.
Interestingly, Ribble has chosen to cater to the growing all-road market by developing a range of aero road bikes that can go off-road, rather than designing a range of gravel bikes with acceptable on-road performance. I think that’s a perfectly valid approach.
The state of the tarmac – in the UK at least – means there’s demand from cyclists looking to upgrade to a bike that’s fast but comfortable over long distances on poor surfaces. A lightweight, sharp-handling bike that can handle the occasional gravel path but doesn’t suffer from a dulled road performance due to a heavily built frame or 45mm tyres. They want an endurance bike that’s been re-invented for modern riding conditions.
“Many of our customers are struggling financially, they want to squeeze every pound of value out of a bike that they can,” said Jamie Burrow, Head of Product, Ribble. “I believe the competitively priced, versatile Allroad range enables them to do that. These are the road bikes that most riders will be better off riding than a dedicated race machine.”
Allroad SL-R
Top model is the Allroad SL R
(Image credit: Ribble)
In both looks and construction, the flagship Allroad SL R borrows heavily from the Ultra SL R, Ribble’s aero road bike. There’s a similarly deep, truncated head tube, which flows organically into the slim top tube and uniquely profiled down tube. Ribble says the down tube’s shape makes the SL R faster with a water bottle than without it. Every component, from the wide-reaching forks to the slim, aerodynamically profiled dropped seat tube, has been engineered to work as a wind-cheating system.
For the first time, Ribble has used a mix of Intermediate Modulus Toray T1000 carbon fiber and High Modulus M46 carbon fiber in the frame’s layup.
“This allowed us to shed weight and, with the M46, stiffen it up in the key power transfer areas of the bike,” says Burrow. “At the same time, the mix and layup keep it compliant enough in the areas that need to provide the level of comfort that’s important in an endurance bike.”
Ribble hasn’t given a frame weight figure, but the complete bike in the top-spec ‘Hero’ build, size Medium, weighs in at 7.5kg. Not the lightest in road bike circles, but impressive for an aero endurance bike.
The Allroad SL R features Ribble’s new aerodynamic UB2 handlebars
(Image credit: Ribble)
Another first for the SL R is the addition of new, striking UB2 handlebars. “These work as a system with the forks and head tube to provide a completely aerodynamically optimized front end,” says Burrow, “managing the airflow around the rider.” The thick, deep section bars offer a fully integrated, cable-free cockpit with direct mount levers.
Maximum tire clearance for the SL R is just 38c, a clear statement from Burrow and his team that this is a race bike, not a gravel bike. The Geo tells a similar story.
Chainstay length is moderate at 415mm, as is the wheelbase of 985mm for a size medium (54 equivalent). Stack is 568mm and reach is 376mm. These dimensions suggest the SL will be predictable yet agile – great for throwing into a fast corner with a smile, not a grimace.
Tire choice will be crucial. The sample bike I saw was fitted with fast 32c Pirelli P Zero Race TLR road tires, but you can of course further increase compliance and off-road capability by fitting wider, more gravel-friendly rubber.
Allroad SL R e
Ribble’s Allroad SL R e features a Mahle X20 electric hub drive system
(Image credit: Ribble)
At its core, the SL R e is an SL R equipped with a Mahle X20 electric hub drive system. While I’ve seen samples of the Allroad SL R and the SL, I have not seen or ridden the SL R e, so details ahead of its launch are a bit scarce.
Ribble says the SL R e has a range of 140km, which can be extended to a massive 200km with an optional range extender. Let’s hope it’s a comfortable bike! The SL R e weighs a very competitive 11.8kg in a Hero build, size medium, so I suspect the ride feel will remain natural.
Allroad SL
The Allroad SL is the entry-level model in the range.
(Image credit: Ribble)
The cheapest of the bunch, the Allroad SL – the model I’ve been riding for a while – starts at just £1,699 in base Sport trim. Like the SL R, it also features aerodynamically optimised tube profiles, but the bike has more in common with Ribble’s tried-and-tested R872, an endurance bike that Cycling weekly magazine Editor’s Choice award in both 2018 and 2020.
The Allroad SL’s frame and fork are constructed from a mix of T700 and T800 carbon fiber – a step down from the SL R’s T1000/M46 build – but the bike still tips the scales at a respectable 8.8kg in the top-spec Pro build, size medium. It shares some family roots with the SL R, the same distinctive downtube profile and a fork with a wide, purposeful stance, but this is an altogether more conventional-looking bike.
The Allroad SL’s aerodynamic downtube profile is similar to that of the range-topping SL R, but they are two very different bikes
(Image credit: Ribble)
“We’ve worked really hard to deliver the spec and price point for the SL,” says Burrow. “In the Pro version, which costs £2,999, you get a full carbon T700/T800 carbon mix frame, with Shimano 105 Di2 on Mavic carbon wheels and Pirelli tyres.”
Like the SL R, the geometry is road endurance through and through. The 35c tire clearance, which is surprisingly conservative for a modern all-road bike, has allowed for the same moderate 415mm chainstay length and a similar overall wheelbase of 986mm for a size medium (54 equivalent). Stack height for the same frame size is 562.7mm, which is about 20mm less than a comparable Specialized Roubaix and, interestingly, about 6mm less than the SL R.
First ride
The Ribble Allroad SL felt at home in the Cotswold hills, despite the poor road surface
(Image credit: Simon Fellows)
A few days before the launch, Ribble loaned me a Pro-spec Allroad SL, fully kitted out with a Shimano 105 Di2 groupset and Mavic Cosmic S 42 Carbon wheelset. My time with the bike was limited, but I still managed to squeeze in a decent few hours, riding my favourite short but sweet circuit in the northern Cotswolds.
While no one would mistake the Cotswolds hills for the Alps, or even England’s Lake District, we do have some short but tough climbs here – with grades often in the mid-teens. My 50km route sticks to the narrow country roads that form a loop east of Cheltenham, taking in the pretty villages of Guiting Power, Notgrove, Turkdean, Hazleton, Compton Abdale and Withington.
The road surface varies enormously. There’s the beautifully paved Cat 3 climb of Withington, which has featured in recent stages of the Tour of Britain, but this is an exception. Most roads are in a sorry state, littered with potholes, exposed ruts, broken surfaces and limestone gravel washed down from the local hills. It’s the perfect test bed for an all-road bike.
My first impressions confirm that the SL is a true race bike. The relatively low stack height, perhaps emphasized by my own tall 190cm frame and no time for a proper bike setup, combined with the average chainstay length and wheelbase, make for a liveliness that is often dulled by slack gravel bikes.
The SL is light and nimble enough to climb well. It’s more than stiff enough too, I noticed very little flex in the bottom bracket area, even when I got out of the saddle to really push it. Descending is always fun. The aforementioned Withington Hill has some tight switchbacks at the bottom that can throw some bikes off, which is always a nerve-wracking experience. The SL behaved well throughout – it’s not the fastest bike I’ve ridden down that hill, but it remained both fluid and responsive.
The Mavic wheels, wrapped in 32mm Pirelli P Zero Road TLR tires, weren’t bothered by the broken road surfaces or patches of loose gravel I frequently encountered. I didn’t have time to take the SL further off-road, but would consider swapping the tires for something a little more robust and better suited to looser surfaces if that became a bigger focus.
The Allroad SL proved comfortable over 50km, but honestly that’s not a distance for an endurance bike. I’m looking forward to testing it on much longer rides in the coming weeks.
Specifications
Because every Ribble bike is built to order, customers can personalise their bike with a variety of components at checkout on the brand’s website. Using Ribble’s web configurator, it’s even possible to specify a CustomColour paint scheme.
For this reason, Ribble offers suggested builds rather than specific models with specs set in stone. These follow convention: Sport, Enthusiast, Pro, and Hero. Ribble is a direct-to-consumer brand, so specs tend to be generous. For top-end bikes like the Allroad SL R, Sport bikes tend to come with Shimano 105, Enthusiast with Shimano Ultegra, and Hero with Shimano Dura-Ace.
The Allroad SL Sport is available from £1,699 and the Pro from £2,999.
The Allroad SL R Sport starts at £2,999, while the range-topping Hero costs £8,299.
The Allroad SL R e Sport is available from £3,999, with the Hero version available from £8,499.