Topic Title

Had a glass or two too much Rioja last night and ended up on the Ribble website. 20 mins later and the 'Bike-Builder' had weaved it's wicked spell!

I am now the expectant father of a soon-to-be-delivered 'Dribble' winter training bike. I've heard a few dodgy tales of Ribble and am wondering if I've screwed up big-time. Anyone got a happy experience to relate to put my mind to rest?

Hope it was a good Rioja!

Ribble are great on price, but can be, erm, "variable" on service. If I need something urgently then I pay a little more and go elsewhere. I've had a couple of bikes from them over the years and I've usually gone across to pick it up rather than have it posted so that I can check it over that they've actually built what I asked for.

One very good story about them from this summer though: I bought an aluminium framed summer bike from them in 2002. Middle of the range affair. I raced on it for 2 summers then it got very little use till this July when I got it out of the garage for the Yorks Alps ride. On cleaning it I discovered a 10mm hole in the down tube. I bounced the bike up and down and a handful of dodgy white powder cascaded from the hole! I wrote to Ribble with photos explaining that I wouldn't expect an Al frame to corrode from the inside within 5 years.

I had to chase them a couple of times but eventually got a letter from the MD explaining that the frame was out of warranty but he'd offer me any frame from the range at half price in replacement.

Pretty good I thought.

I bought my winter training bike from them by mail order this time last year and the bike is great for the price, also I had no problem with delivery etc.

Good luck

Mines ok too. No problems to report.

I've got one of their last steel models...bought when we moved to York 9 years ago and still going strong. Only problems I've had with customer service are that they're sometimes a little slow on delivery. Plenty of good stories though. They once sent me a computer without a sensor. When I rang they simply sent me another complete kit and told me to keep the other as a spare.