Ribble Cycles has just hit us up with news of a couple of alloy hardcore hardtails with top geometry and premium finishes.
When it comes to a hardcore hardtail, UK brands seem to have it nailed with plenty of choices when it comes to steel, alloy, 29er or 27.5in rigs to choose from. Today though, hardtail lovers have a few more options to add to their list.
Ribble HT AL
The Ribble HT AL is a new alloy hardtail from Ribble Cycles. Designed and developed in the UK for shredding UK trails, the HT is a 27.5in wheeled bike with geometry optimised around a 150mm fork.
Built from 6061 T6 alloy, the frameset has a really lovely clean finish with internal cable and hose routing plus really gorgeous welds that have been smoothed out to give an almost carbon-like appearance.
Designed for shredding around the woods, hitting jumps and general trail fun, the Ribble HT boasts gussets in all the right places and a geometry that promises to be stable at speed but fun in the ruts.
Ribble HT AL Geometry
| FRAME SIZE | Medium | Large | X-Large |
| A – SEAT TUBE LENGTH C/T (MM) | 426 | 457 | 508 |
| B – HEAD ANGLE | 64º | 64º | 64º |
| C – SEAT ANGLE | 74º | 74º | 74º |
| D – EFFECTIVE TOP TUBE (MM) | 630 | 650 | 670 |
| E – BB DROP (MM) | 43 | 43 | 43 |
| F – CHAINSTAY LENGTH (MM) | 440 | 440 | 440 |
| G – HEADTUBE LENGTH (MM) | 110 | 120 | 130 |
| H – WHEELBASE (MM) | 1226 | 1248 | 1270 |
Ribble HT Trail AL 29
If your idea of hardtail fun revolves around larger 29in wheels, then the Ribble HT Trail AL 29 is for you. Again built around a smooth 6061 T6 alloy frameset with internal cable routing, the 29er version of the Ribble HT is built for a 130mm fork for general trail and trail centre duties.
Ribble HT Trail AL 29 Geometry
| FRAME SIZE | Medium | Large | X-Large |
| A – SEAT TUBE LENGTH C/T (MM) | 430 | 457 | 485 |
| B – HEAD ANGLE | 65º | 65º | 65º |
| C – SEAT ANGLE | 74º | 74º | 74º |
| D – EFFECTIVE TOP TUBE (MM) | 628 | 650 | 670 |
| E – BB DROP (MM) | 43 | 43 | 43 |
| F – CHAINSTAY LENGTH (MM) | 455 | 455 | 455 |
| G – HEADTUBE LENGTH (MM) | 110 | 120 | 130 |
| H – WHEELBASE (MM) | 1195 | 1217 | 1239 |
Ribble has already updated its online store with details of both bikes plus build options. Complete bikes start at an impressive £1399 rising to £1999. Each build comes with an SRAM Eagle 1×12 drivetrain, SRAM brakes, RockShox forks and both the mid and high-level builds feature dropper posts out of the box too.
If you already have the parts to build your own bike, then Ribble also offers the Ribble HT Trail AL and HT as framesets only costing £599. We’re planning to jump on one of these UK trails smashers soon so watch this space.
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Can’t argue with that package. 29er with less fork travel would be my choice.
Looks like an impressive quality of finish on the frames. Nice sanding on the welds. They’ll sell a lot of those, particularly the 29er I suspect.
Always like Ribble hardtails, will more than likely be my next and good to see they’re widening the range.
Sorry to introduce a note of negativity, but they have poor quality forks for the money and it’s a bit of a stretch to say “Only £599” for an aluminium hardtail frame.
I know Ribble want to be more of an aspirational brand nowadays, but other direct-to-consumer offerings piss all over these.
The On-One Scandal full build is currently 12sp GX and RS-35 fork for £1400. Compared to these, it’s somewhere mid spec, The choice is do you want a good fork, or move up the SRAM groupsets? people will make their own choices I guess. Certainly don’t think it “pisses over these” though.
Crikey, every week is new bike week at Ribble.
What’s coming next week?
Expensive frame, cheap forks and long CS for a 27.5. Where are the reach and stack numbers?
They do look a bit pricey for direct to consumer jobbies.
I had a look and a GX build with a Pike is £2,200.
A titanium Titus Fireline with GX and MRP fork is £2,300 from Planet X.
An alu Zero AM from Bird with a dropper, Deore and a Lyrik is £1,800.
@nickc
Ribble want £1,700 for NX groupset and a RS 35 fork, the Scandal is £300 less and you get GX.
Vitus ask £50 more for a Sentier with a Fox 34 Performance, SLX/XT drivetrain & SLX brakes.
The Nukeproof Scout 290 is £100 more and has a Z2, Deore 12sp with 4-pot brakes and you can buy it from a bike shop (eventually).
So I stand firmly by my statement.
Could Singletrack be a little more critical with the press release regurgitation, I wonder?
@chapaking, arguably a better quality finished frame, tyres and a dropper post from Ribble though. But agree, there are cheaper bikes with a similar spec.
I went for a look at these this morning based on my lack of mountain bike and desperation for something. I noped right out when I considered the frame price is only slightly less than the current crop of rather nice steel frames out there (Stanton/Cotic/Pipedream etc.)
There’s validity to some of the criticism here. There are certainly cheaper options for a similar spec, or better value options at the same price.
The groupset I’d not be so worried about as it can be gradually upgraded as parts wear out. But there’s no getting away from the big-hit cost of upgrading a fork, and to a slightly lesser extent the wheelset. It looks like an RS Revelation is the highest spec they offer in their customiser, which is a bit disappointing. It’s not a bad fork, but not as supple or well controlled as a Pike.
There’s an option to upgrade to a Hope Fortus 26 wheelset for £250. Nice to have some quality hubs, but I doubt they’re much lighter than the stock wheels, and the rim is narrower which will affect tyre shape and potentially ride quality. So I’d save my money and stick with the stock option there.
I just think of Blackadder the 4th saying ‘wibble’
Ah, on the 27.5 version there’s a Pike and a Fox 34 upgrade option. So I suspect the lack of options on the 29er is down to lack of current availability, which is understandable.
Frame price isn’t far short of a chameleon!
Why no reach figures?
Doesn’t seem the most cost conscious build build spec for the price.
The 150 Recons on the 27.5 will be a bit flexi at 64deg.
Some of the ‘upgrade’ prices are eye watering!
455mm chainstays!
“Nice sanding on the welds.”
Polyfilla then sanded and painted – that’s how most of them that are as smooth/filleted as that are done. Nothing wrong with it, looks good. If not filler they’ve done a particularly good job of a smooth weld process.
@chakaping
I don’t disagree with your general sentiment but in STW’s defence I read their pricing comment not as “the frameset is only £599” but that the “Frameset only” was £599.
As others have said I expect the spec is somewhat down to what they can get rather than what they’d necessarily like. I’d also shy away from comparisons to on one as their prices pogo all over the place and their spec seems to depend on who went bankrupt the week before rather than having been planned.
I think you are right Nigel, apologies to Andi the writer for misconstruing his words.
Where’s the shimano / fox option I don’t want any shite sram or rockshox anywhere near my bikes
2001 called and they want their bottom bracket drop and seat tube angle back.
+1 robyoung.
I want Shimano and anything that isn’t SRAM or RockShox.
‘I think you are right Nigel, apologies to Andi the writer for misconstruing his words’
It’s sloppy subbing. The ‘only’ is pretty much superfluous, if it read:
“Ribble also offers the Ribble HT Trail AL and HT as framesets costing £599” there wouldn’t be any ambiguity.
It would still cost twice as much as a Sonder Transmitter frame though 😉
@TheGhost SA would be close to 76 at sag remember this is a hardtail it all steepens up as you sit on it.
@BadlyWiredDog Sorry yes I wasn’t trying to say the frame “is only £599” I meant “the frame alone is £599”. It’s a good looking bike, but as already pointed out a Sonder is only £299.
@dirkpitt74 I also wondered about the reach figures, but to be honest I think a lot of people use reach too much when deciding on their next frame. With steeper seat and slacker head angles on modern bikes, the ETT is a better indicator of size (or which size frame suits you and your riding) along with ST height.
I’ve mentioned this in a few reviews over the past year, for example, the latest Commencal Meta AM 29 has a reach of 495mm (L) whereas the previous bike was around 460mm (L), but while there’s a 35mm difference in reach the difference in ETT is just 7mm (longer on the new bike).
This all said, there’s no reason not to have reach and ETT both listed here. More info means a better-informed choice.
As one of the earlier posts – costs are all over the place. I did try to get a price for some Ultegra pedals the other day but the supplier 1/ didn’t have an availability date or 2/ a defined $ exchange rate in which to pay for them as I am told that Shimano wants paying in US $ for kit. I’ve some sympathy with Ribble and folk of bike land – they can only sell what they can get and that appears to mean limited options.
@hillsplease Yup, it’s a volatile time for the bike industry. I’ve seen RRP prices change from week to week by significant amounts due to shipping costs, delays, lead times and new import rules. There is also a serious lack of product for brands and customers at the moment. We can only hope that it settles down, but I imagine prices will settle higher than they once were.
+2 robyoung
@Andi Sykes It was more chakaping who was confused. I was just being picky about subbing. But the Transmitter is awesome value at only £299 for a frame only 😉
@BadlyWiredDog yup, and it rides really well too
@Andi Sykes Yep, I’m on my second Transmitter. Sold a mk1 frame, then missed it, so bought a new one. Ridiculously good, particularly at that price 🙂
Never liked green frames but throw some orange bits on it and I’m kinda liking it, not at £600 though. When I see ribble I just think roadie bike shop, is this their first MTB, excuse my ignorance if not, but thats big brand name and pedigree pricing.
@robo89 if green isn’t for you did you check out the custom bike builder on the Ribble site? Some pretty cool custom paint options available.
For me the perceived value of a Ribble bike bike depends on how long you’ve been into bikes. If you took up cycling post 2010 then you’ll probably see Ribble as a mid to near high end road brand and you might hold some prestige to the brand. If you were riding pre-2000 Ribble is the road version of Merlin or CRC.
While Merlins Malts and CRC’s Vitus are good bikes I wouldn’t buy one if they were the same price and spec as a Trek or Spesh equivalent.
I suspect there lack of Fox forks and Shimano groupsets options are down to global shortages of appropriate kit. Ribble have got what they’ve got at the price driven by today’s market. The days of wandering in to a store and just buying a bike are gone. You and your dealer need to plan and order for 6-12 months+ in advance in this brave-new-world. Anyone waiting for delivery an Orbea Laufey, or similar, will probably be aware of this right now. I already have a Cannondale and a Marin on order for 2022 delivery! Madness but it’s what I have to expect if I want new bikes to ride next spring!