Ribble R872 105SE vs Planet X ProCarbon SRAM Rival?

Im pretty sure there is a Ribble pop up shop in Birmingham if you wanted to go and sit on one. They put the aero 883 on a turbo trainer for me so i could at least get a feel of what the type of bike is like. 

Yep, the store is in the mailbox. 

I was hell bent on getting a carbon bike last year (was going for the Ribble Gran Fondo) using their 3 year plan. 

Just as I was about to order a friend offered me his Rose Xeon RS(Alu) for a steal, so I went for it. It rides beautifully and I've got full Ultegra, which after swapping from Sora on my old Boardman is just astonishing. Best part of all is the weight. The Rose weighs in at less than 10kg, and is lighter than another friends carbon Bianchi, which for me being 100kg is another nice bonus when the road goes up.

Personally having had a cheaper groupset, I would invest in that more than the frame. Slicker more accurate gear changes are great, when you put the hammer down, the bottom bracket doesnt feel like it may give out and more precise powerful braking are all part of a better groupset.  

You can get a Cannondale CAADX with discs for a grand or a CAAD 12 for around the same - some of the best alloys on the market, or CAAD 8 with a few hundred to spare.

As said, I've no problem with carbon or either suggestion, they are both tempting, but I wouldn't spend that much on a bike I hadn't Sat on

I have a Ribble bike & so far (touch wood) have had nothing but good experiences with them but I have to say I would be loathe to pay them their admin fee.

I know they say the bikes are built to order etc etc but they do offer a lot more off the shelf builds with just a tweak or 2 here & there than they used to so the fee to me just smacks of extra profit.

I've a PX ProCarbon that's been ridden almost daily for over seven years now either on the road or on the turbo. It's proved excellent value as it still looks immaculate but I did cover vulnerable areas with frame protector on day one. Over those years other than replacing consumables I have replaced the wheels (mine came with PXs own wheels which weren't good) and a couple of saddles.

I'd take the old stories about the ProCarbon as just that otherwise why would they still be selling it after so long. I've regularly ridden it at 40mph+ without speed wobble so who is to say any reports of speed wobble aren't factors related to the rider or their position rather than the bike. As for flex you're more likely to get flex from the bars and stem than the forks and as you're wanting the bike for sportives not racing aren't issues related to sprinting moot anyway?

In addition to those myths my frame hasn't dissolved from either too much rain or too much sun nor has it fallen apart from its regular use on the turbo throughout every year I've owned it.

I'll keep riding mine as long as keeps going although I'm itching for a disc road bike but resisting the urge for now at least.

Depends on the kind of 13/14 stone you aim to be as well - an out and out power for an hour rider or obsessed with climbing may want the quick response that a carbon frame gives you. I've looked at the planet x ones before but strangely their ever changing prices upset me, the lime/orange/pink pro carbon came down to about 749 at one point and then back up, I couldn't justify the higher price after that. Also, be warned, think planet x charge 10% on c2w bikes - there is a small hyperlink at the bottom of their page.

You mention commuting too, carbon may not be the best for this, potentially a gravel bike, good alloy or even steel. This is also an option if you're a Sunday warrior, 50 miler at 15/16 mph. If you're looking one bike fits all then something that'll take bigger tyres, mudguards maybe disc brakes. I've looked at the Planet X Holdsworth Elan at 499 or 599 depending on groupset.

I also have a Cannondale which I love, carbon with 105 on it. Cannondale CAADX 8/10 etc. have had amazing reviews for around the right price point.

I would Google best road bikes for under 1k rather than be too motivated by carbon. Also, fit, feel and heart come into it, ride some and see which makes you smile!

I have just been through the exact same process as you, albeit not C2W. Went for the Ribble in the end, R872 105SE. Customer Service and value for money swung it. I did upgrade the wheels to mavic aksium for £49, might as well get it done now rather than doing it anyway in about a years time. 

The planetX is "old" carbon technology whereas the Ribble is brand new this year.

Im 5'11" and weighing around 100kg, slowly coming down.

Here is my latest ride on the bike and can safely say i dont regret buying it at all. 

https://www.relive.cc/view/1100417407

There is something in what the two gentlemen above have suggested.  A few months ago Cycling Plus magazine tested a dozen popular bikes at your price point.  Only one carbon bike (a Ribble)  made it through to the last six, where it was promptly beaten by the five alloy framed machines.

The test was thorough, prolonged and involved several experienced riders and all sorts of road conditions.  I tend to believe the results.

Aluminium has come on in leaps and bounds recently but remains much cheaper than carbon to mass-produce; this leaves more room for higher spec' groupsets and wheels.

Just a thought.

the Planet X Pro Carbon frame has been around for a while, I recently chatted with a couple of guys on them and they said they were brilliant bikes that had no right being so comfortable at such a low price. One said his boss was so impressed when he tried it that he sold his really expensive bike for a Pro Carbon.

I've recently bought a Planet X Pro Carbon frame to put all my spare parts on. Wonder whether I should have put the upgrades on it instead of the main bike.

I doubt you'll regret going for the Planet X. I'd go with Shimano 105 but I'm really impressed with how SRAM Rival changes gear so directly on my Planet X Stealth Carbon time trial bike. My time trial bike is surprisingly smooth over bumps, and that's also an old frame design using the same Toray 700 carbon fibre.

Go for something alloy framed.