Ribble Gravel AL Sport GRX RX400 review

Major fun without the major price tag, the Ribble Gravel AL Sport is capable on road and off – especially off

Image shows the Ribble Gravel AL Sport
(Image credit: Future)
Cycling Weekly Verdict

If you want a gravel machine that's truly go-anywhere rather than for simply linking up tarmac with the odd hardpack stretch, this could be the bike for you. With 47mm tyres on 650b wheels, and a long, low frame, it's highly capable off-road without feeling like a compromise on it. It'll also take (and can indeed be ordered with) 700c wheels if you prefer. The groupset works a treat despite being a lower-rung option, and if bikepacking is your thing, this bike has all the bases covered. A lack of rear rack bosses does seem like an omission though.

Reasons to buy
  • +

    Highly capable off-road

  • +

    Bike packing mounts aplenty

  • +

    Great value

  • +

Reasons to avoid
  • -

    Not the lightest

  • -

    There are faster bikes for mainly tarmac

  • -

    No rear rack eyelets

You can trust Cycling Weekly. Our team of experts put in hard miles testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

Like many bike brands, Ribble has been expanding its gravel and adventure riding offerings as it becomes clear that this new discipline is here to stay. While it already offered cyclo-cross and 'CGR' machines, Ribble has gone no holds barred with this new Gravel range, which features carbon, titanium, electric and the bike on test here, the aluminium AL. 

Like its gravel stablemates, the Gravel AL comes with many of the features boasted by the best gravel bikes, including flared handlebar bars and myriad mounting points for bikepacking bags. Being a Ribble, it comes in a variety of builds too, with this 'Sport', with its 2x10 Shimano GRX group kicking off the range.

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