Is the Ribble HF83 an out and out race bike or will it be OK for four/five hour rides?
It's a race bike, and it will be fine. It'll go on for ages a 4/5 hour ride won't kill any bike????????????
Ha, Ha. Now any serious answers.
Any help ln this?
How long was the world champs on Sunday? iirc it was over 250km and the riders were all on race bikes.
Erm, do you mean is it "sportive" geometry or "race"? Afterall you can ride any bike for 5 hours if it fits properly
3 or 4 seconds of googling reveals that it's a race oriented frame with a short head tube. The fact that you're asking this question suggests that it's probably not the bike for you. Sorry.
ap, don't be sorry. This is the info. I am looking for. As a new boy to road riding I didn't know that 'short head tube' = race bike. So would the Trek 5.2 be a better bike for a none racer, as it's on offer also?
I'd really recommend going to your LBS and talking to them, asking their advice and trying some different bikes out.
Have a good think about what you want to spend, what you want to do with the bike and what 'brand' you want to project before you go.
All this stuff about "sportive" or "race" geometry is complete guff. You just need to try a few bikes and find what works for you.
My bike supposedly has a pure "race" geometry yet I find it extremely comfortable for sportives and sedate social rides. I've never actually raced it...
All this stuff about "sportive" or "race" geometry is complete guff. You just need to try a few bikes and find what works for you.My bike supposedly has a pure "race" geometry yet I find it extremely comfortable for sportives and sedate social rides. I've never actually raced it...
+1. My commuter/sportive/club run/trainng/JRA bikes is a 'race' bike. I've never raced either.
Just look at Cervelo, they only make race frames and they only make them with long headtubes. There's good reasons why high bars and bent elbows is faster than low bars and straight elbows. The difference is if you're flexible then low bars and bent elbows is possible.
Another +1 on not worrying too much about the race/sportive tags.
Just getting a road bike and assuming that because you don't immediately have the flexibility to get the best of it, you have to buy a bike with a silly long head tube is one of those myths out there. Similarly, those that slam their stems to look pro regardless of anything else are just as silly.
I'd really suggest, trying bikes, seeing what works for you and if you really are inflexible and unwilling to work on it or really just want to pootle around then by all means, get a 'sportive' geometry bike.
No it's not a race bike, it's a ribble.
And yes, some races are 4 or 5 hours long, not many in this country tho.