I have a Ribble Alu frame and given they are mass produced and it has Superstar wheels on it and fairly basic 105 groupset I was pleasantly surprised to find it weighs 8kg on the dot….it’ll probably crack soon but for the price (given I don’t road ride all that often) I can’t fault it.
If/when it breaks, or I just fancy a treat I’ll definitely get one of their carbon bikes. I used the custom bike builder part of the website and they kept in touch via email every step of the way during the build and even phoned when the bars I’d specced were out of stock and gave me the choice of waiting or choosing upgraded bars for the same price as the lower end ones I’d originally chosen….the bike now has a lovely set of Ritchey WCS bars which were unexpected, great customer service.
BTW, rode a mate’s Ultegra equipped Trek at the weekend and genuinely couldn’t feel any improvement over my 105, not sure if this is normal?….I suppose Ultegra is only one rung up from 105 so to speak or maybe I’m not a sensitive enough rider?
On that basis I wouldn’t spend Ultegra money on something that didn’t shift any nicer than my 105 stuff….or I’d go the whole hog and get electronic Ultegra and hope there is a noticeable difference.
Either way, enjoy and post some pics when you get it!
Road bikes are awesome on the right day/road and cover ground so much faster than a MTB which will feel like a tractor when you get back on!