Planet X or Ribble ?

[tpivette]

They both have £999 deals which are seriously tempting me........

Planet X - SL Pro Carbon Dura Ace build
or
Ribble Deda Nero Corsa Ultegra 10 double.


Which would you take? I have no vouchers, no discount schemes available to me, just my hard earned.

Anyone got experience of either or comments?

[tpivette]

Specification for planet x SL Pro Carbon Dura Ace Build.

Frame: Planet X SL Pro Carbon Road (Black)
Fork: Planet X SL Pro all Carbon
Gear/Brake Lever: Shimano Dura Ace 10 Speed STI
Front Mech: Shimano Dura Ace 10 Speed
Rear Mech: Shimano Dura Ace 10 Speed
Chainset: FSA Gossamer Compact
(Small 170mm, Medium 172.5mm, Large 175mm, X-Large 175mm)
Cassette: Shimano 105 11/23
Chain: KMC X10
Brakes: Tektro R720 Dual Pivot
Wheels: Planet X Model B. Aero rim, bladed spokes.
Tyres: Schwalbe Lugarno 23mm
Seatpost: Planet X SL Team Forged Alloy
Bars: Planet X SL Team Constant Diameter Anatomic Oversized
(Small 40cm, Medium 42cm, Large 42cm, X-Large 44cm)
Stem: Planet X SL Team 3D Forged Oversizes
(Small 90mm, Medium 100mm, Large 110mm, X-Large 120mm)
Bar Tape: Cork Black
Saddle: Planet X SL Team Titanium Rails Black

[Mr_C]

Ride both mate and see which you prefer. Bikes are more than the sum of their parts. They're a personal thing

[AbarthChris]

my best mate has a Ribble Nero Corsa and its lovely, I havent ridden it much but its pretty nice.

I was chatting to a bloke the other day who had a Planet X and I have to say I prefer the Planet X's carbon weave visually.

I doubt there will be much between the two but I would have the 'X'

[fergus]

I have the planet X, but have some handbuilt wheels on DA hubs rather than their supplied wheels. You need to remember that both are low modulus carbon (nothing to do with the weave on the top coat by the way), so neither are *that* stiff, even thoigh they are 'carbon'.

The P.X guys are great to deal with , whereas having bought a riblle bike (albeit 8 odd yrs ago) I was very much a.n.other punter.

It's difficult to try the P.X as I think there's only one stockist who keeps the physical bikes in stock. Good VFM though.

Cervelo or Isaac (ex principia team) on the way next I think...

[Hard-Drive]

I was quite tempted by an X earlier this year but was warned off. Full carbon and Dura Ace for a grand? It does seem too good to be true, and I was advised that the carbon frame actually contains a lot of glass, and as it's not top quality production techniques, so to compensate and make it safe and strong it has more material in than you would expect, so it loses some of the weight saving and damping that you would expect from carbon.

However, that is only what I have been told, and it could be a pack of sales patter from a rival for all I know. Just talk to them and ask perhaps?

[foreright]

Hard-Drive said:

I was quite tempted by an X earlier this year but was warned off. Full carbon and Dura Ace for a grand?

Yes this does seem far too good to be true - I had 1K to spend on a bike about a month ago and I narrowed my selection down to the Orbea Onix and Bianchi 1885, both with Shimano 105. The Orbea incidentally is a full carbon frame also - very very stiff though. I went for the Bianchi in the end and am not disappointed - it really is very good looking and much quicker and easier to ride than I expected. The Mavic Aksium wheels have to go in the spring when I get properly back into riding but all in all I can't fault it for the price

[Nick_F]

Planet-X have a very short supply chain; they design frames, have them made in the same Taiwanese factories as most other bike manufacturers, bring them to the UK and sell them themselves.

No importer, no distributor and no retailer to take margin out of the price you pay - hence you can have a 105/Ultegra/DA-build carbon-framed bike for several hundred pounds less than a mainstream brand. With their TT bike they further reduced the unit cost by giving the factory the overseas rights to the frame design, so a certain C Evans rode the TdF time trials on a Planex-X Stealth with Ridley decals on it.

The same is true of many other micro brands; Merlin, Ribble etc. - except for the Cadel Evans bit.

[tpivette]

Thanks for those comments - good and bad - I have gone for the PX sl carbon dura ace build. Hope it all goes as I hope.

[fergus]

tpivette said:

Thanks for those comments - good and bad - I have gone for the PX sl carbon dura ace build. Hope it all goes as I hope.

Make sure you give it a good spanner check prior to riding it for the first time. Better to be safe than sorry. you'll have to adjust various things for fit anyway.