Ribble Sportive Racing Black review

At £1500 this is what Ribble can produce and it looks like a classy bike but does it live up to its comfort and racing claims? Not quite

Ribble Sportive Racing Black
(Image credit: Cycling Studio)
Cycling Weekly Verdict

Ribble has rebranded and wants to be less cheap and cheerful and treated more like a serious and worthy purchasing option. It has achieved with the Ribble Sportive Racing Black, I've been impressed, it feels planted and predictable as an endurance bike should, though its claims of comfort feels exaggerated to me.

Reasons to buy
  • +

    Looks

  • +

    Spec for the price

  • +

    Ride

Reasons to avoid
  • -

    Comfort

  • -

    Tyre clearance

  • -

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Ribble has been looking to change its image over the last few years and with new paint jobs, new bikes, a logo change and of course a new UK Pro team, it seems to be working. The Ribble Sportive Racing Black encompasses all of that and on face value looks to be a winner.

The Sportive Racing Black is an endurance bike, although Ribble says that it is a mix of both racing and endurance style geometry to offer comfort yet fast paced riding. Looking at the geometry it really is a mix!

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