I’ve now had the opportunity to use the Allroad Ti Enthusiast for a couple of months and have taken the bike on several long and short rides on different surfaces. I have to say that it has continued to impress. The more I use it and the more opinions I take from other experienced cyclists, the more impressed I have become.
Value
First, let’s talk about price – or more importantly value. In my initial ‘first impressions’ review, I described the TI Enthusiast as having “a serious price tag”. That’s true to a point as we don’t all have a spare £4K knocking around, especially when you can pick up a decent entry-level bike for around £1K.
But if you buy an entry-level bike for £1K, it would likely have a basic spec with an aluminum frame and mechanical disc brakes. In contrast, the TI Enthusiast has a high-end spec with a Titanium frame, Shimano’s 105 12-speed electronic Di2 gearing, Mavic Aksium 1 wheels and 32mm Pirelli P7 Sport tyres, a unisex Selle Italia Model X saddle and flat mount disc brakes.
If all this isn’t enough to convince you it’s worth serious consideration, you might be encouraged to reconsider now that it is priced at £600 less than its original retail price. At £3499 that’s good value for a bike that has the look of a model worth more in the region of £6K.
Ride quality
I’ve ridden the TI Enthusiast on several surfaces – tarmac, gravel, dirt – to try and get a feel for its performance. It is, of course, a road bike, but inevitably you will encounter different quality road surfaces over the course of ownership.
Overall the ride quality was good – certainly good enough for me. Other experienced cyclists who trialled it for me agreed that the Enthusiast was compact, aerodynamic and gave a comfortable ride on both gravel and tarmac.
I found having an electronic derailleur to be a real game-changer. It micro-adjusts every time you set off so that you are in the perfect starting position with no crunching of gears. It’s an excellent movement between gears, too. I loved the ease of shifting up and down with a simple click. The position of the gear change buttons for up and down are well placed and easily distinguishable – making gear changing precise and intuitive.
Motorhome friendly?
Motorhomers with a passion for cycling would do well to consider the TI Enthusiast. For a start, it has a sleek profile with no wires to snag and weighs only 9.35kg making it easy to store in the garages of larger motorhomes, such as: Bailey Adamo 75-4I, Malibu Genius 641 LE and McLouis Fusion 373.
If you elect to use a motorhome bike rack instead, it should also be easy to load on, thanks to that light weight.”
Admittedly, you can find lighter carbon-framed bikes, although in some cases they will cost more. For the committed cyclist allocating 9.35kg of our payload doesn’t seem too much of a sacrifice, but there will be those for whom every gram is an important consideration.
A garage will also come in handy from a motorhome security point of view – you can lock the bike away out of sight and away from pilfering hands.
The TI Enthusiast makes a great choice to get out there and pursue your joint hobbies of motorcaravanning and cycling. It combines an excellent aesthetic with top-of-the-line 3D printing manufacturing, high-quality performance and excellent features.
Manufacturer Ribble describes the bike as being “specifically designed for those who want the ride characteristics of titanium – strength, durability and resilience – combined with a more relaxed endurance style geometry for all-day riding on all road surfaces”.
That corrosion-resistant titanium makes the TI Enthusiast suitable for all-weather cycling, so you can enjoy superb outings at great cycling and motorhoming destinations such as the Yorkshire Dales and the Peak District. The increased tyre clearance (up to 35mm) offers versatility across riding surfaces with concealed mudguard mounts offering year-round riding capabilities.
Final thoughts
The Allroad TI Enthusiast has classy understated good looks, a decent ride experience and is packed with features. It’s versatile too, suitable for a range of surfaces and environments. The corrosion-resistant titanium construction, internal cabling routing and Shimano 105 Di2 12-speed gears make it a great option and at a competitive price.
One of my friends was so impressed he has already made enquiries about buying one.