Great Service from Ribble
So, it all started when I decided to upgrade my old aluminum Boardman bike. I did a bit of research and was initially going to upgrade to a Trek Emonda. However, when I was ready to buy, the colour I wanted wasn't in stock.
I did a bit more research and came across the Ribble Endurance SL Disc. It was the colour I wanted (Red) and after reading reviews and checking out further reviews on YouTube I decided it was worth investigating further.
It looked like a fantastic bike and so I called up Ribble directly to have a chat with them about the various options. I was really impressed with the initial Customer Service and had all of my questions answered efficiently.
It was also suggested that I use the online video option to see the bike and to chat with another one of the Ribble Team in the showroom. I called through and had a little tour of the showroom and had a closer look at the bike. Although I didnt have a great link, I was again impressed with the service provided by the guy at the showroom.
I then made another call in to Ribble to confirm sizing before placing my order. When it came to placing the order, I found the Customisation option really handy and made a few adjustments to suit my requirements. I placed the order and received a notification email and was kept up to date as to where my bike was in the bike build process. Again, I was very impressed.
Having placed my order, I made a late decision to upgrade my Handlebars to Carbon and again Ribble came up trumps. Allowing me to do this without paying an additional service charge which was great. I received my bike around two weeks later...
I had purchased a Torque Wrench and assembled the Handlebars and the seat post and then took my bike to a store so that they could fit the pedals I had purchased to go on the bike. I was then ready to ride and couldn't wait to get on the bike. It looks even better in person than what it does on the website by the way.
The bike is a classy ride and is much more responsive than my old bike. The gear changes are smooth with the Shimano 105 Group Set I chose and I could immediately tell this is a big upgrade compared to my previous Group Set. I also feel as though the aerodynamics of the bike make it easier to ride when heading in to wind. Seeing as though I live in Bournemouth that can only be a good thing.
All in all so far I am really happy with my new bike although it did take me a few rides to get used to my position on the bike. It's named Endurance but it does feel as though I am in more of a racy position when riding. This is probably due to a fairly long Top Tube and Reach to the Hoods. The bike looks fantastic and is great to ride.
I would like to finish my review by thanking the Team at Ribble for their support and for the Service they provided me in helping me to make my decision and purchase. For me, it was a big outlay in buying the bike and I am pleased that in the end I was able to buy from and support an English company. Keep up the great work Ribble.