Ribble Allroad SL R e - Pro

The Ribble Allroad SL R e is the company's motorised take on its 'do anything' road bike range, offering decent tyre clearances and middle-of-the-road handling that allows it to be ridden on varying surfaces. On the road, though, it lacks rider involvement, and the handlebar on this Pro model is very much at odds with what the bike is about – in fact, the only thing that excited me was the excellent Mahle X20 motor system.

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Ribble Allroad SL R e - Pro: Ride

If you're a regular on road.cc you may have read my reviews of the other bikes in the range, including the Allroad SL, Allroad Ti and Allroad SL R. Spoiler alert – I didn't really rate any of them.

On its site, Ribble describes the Allroad range as being 'designed to let you take on mixed-terrain routes without compromising your performance on the road'. In my opinion, it doesn't.

Like the others, the Allroad SL R e feels full of compromises, and while it isn't necessarily a bad bike, it's not a great one either. I felt like everything I asked it to do, it did, but to the bare minimum. It never surprised me or put a smile on my face. It's a bike that'll get you from A to B, but without the journey in between being memorable.

I criticised the SL R for offering no feedback or rider involvement, and as the SL R e uses pretty much the same frameset as that bike, it's no surprise that it is the same here. I'm not going to be overly critical with this e-bike version, though, because as soon as you stick a weighty lithium-ion battery inside the down tube you are going to affect the way the tubing behaves, and rarely in a good way.

That said, the front end of the frame feels very firm, bordering on harsh, as you have a lot of material making up what isn't only a tall head tube but a deep one too. This means feedback from the front tyre is lost before it reaches your hands, giving a vague feel. It's not just about the amount of carbon fibre used, though, as I've ridden plenty of comfortable (all things being relative) aero bikes, so I'd say some of this lack of feeling is down to the layup of the fibres too.

This has an impact on high-speed descending, especially when things get technical. It almost feels like there is a bit of lag between your input, the bike's response, and then whatever feedback there is coming back to you.

On the odd excursion onto a hardpacked canal path with a light dusting of loose, small gravel on top, that vagueness was even more evident. I'd class this kind of surface as bread and butter for an allroad bike, but not so here.

That ride feel has an impact on comfort, too. Being able to run 38mm tyres can offset it to a degree, but after riding hundreds of bikes over the last 15 years I can guarantee you that an uncomfortable frame can't be hidden by soft tyres.

The SL R e is a firm bike throughout, and it's noticeable the longer you are in the saddle.

The geometry is kind of weird as well. The numbers don't necessarily give anything away, but this is a large frame and I felt cramped. With the bulk of the drag coming from the rider, an aero bike is only going to be effective if the geometry allows you to get low and stretched out – neither of which I could do comfortably.

It's not all bad – with the SL R e being stiff, climbing and sprinting are two areas where it does do well – but the long and the short of it is that I've ridden many allroad bikes that behave better on the road and away from it.

Ribble Allroad SL R e - Pro: The Power Plant

The main reason you'll be buying the SL R e is because you want a bit of assistance, and for road bikes the X20 system is one of the best motors out there.

With 55Nm of torque it's punchy enough for steep climbs, but never feels overbearing or like the bike is taking control. The smooth delivery means it gives you a natural pedalling feel and a level of assistance you don't really notice unless you are looking at your speed.

It has a certain amount of AI, which Mahle says learns how you ride, to a certain degree, and the torque and cadence sensors in the bottom bracket help it adapt to your input and deliver the assistance required.

I rode the SL R e just like a standard road bike, using the gears as normal, so the assistance below the 25kph/15.5mph limiter was subtle and often barely noticeable, apart from the help with getting a 12.1kg bike off the line from a standing start.

The system also gives no feeling of drag at all, and once over the speed limit I couldn't feel it cut out. It was only on those draggy false flat sections that the weight of the bike made itself known; if you are at, say, 16mph or 17mph, the SL R e can feel sluggish. It was often best to just let my speed drop a touch and use the motor.

The X20 is also a demonstration of why riding an e-bike isn't cheating. Yes, if you are feeling tired or want to be pushed up the hill by the motor you can just put minimal power into the pedals and lightly spin to the top on a waft of power. But if you ride it just like a standard road bike you aren't going to become some sort of pro peloton wannabe dumping out 400 watts without breaking a sweat.

The more you put in, the less the motor helps, so while my average speed was 1-2mph quicker on my commute, my average heart rate would be the same as when riding a standard road bike, so I was still getting the same workout, albeit over a slightly shorter time. And having the motor there meant I often added on an extra couple of miles or took in a steep climb that I'd normally avoid.

Depending on how you ride, and the level of assistance used, the range can be very impressive. Those assistance levels are controlled by the button on the top tube, and you can also fettle them in the app.

I would often just bang it on to the max setting and with the 350 Wh battery fully topped up it would state a range of about 90 miles.

In the real world, my 17-mile commute to the office, with 431m of climbing, used 18% battery life, with the return journey of 19.2 miles and 493m of climbing using 32% – so 50% in total, which I think is pretty good when using the maximum output setting.

Using the lower settings would increase that massively too. On the lowest setting Mahle claims a range of around 140km, or 200km with a 171 Wh extender battery fitted.

Unlike a lot of utility e-bikes, the battery can't be removed from the frame, so you'll need to leave the bike next to a power supply while charging. Charging is quick, a flat battery achieving 80% in less than two hours. On my smart meter, the charger was costing around 5p/hr so pretty cheap in terms of cost per mile.

The drive unit for the system is in the rear hub, which means you can't swap in different wheels as you can with a bottom bracket motor system, but it does allow for a frame that barely looks any different to a standard bike.

Unlike previous Mahle systems, like the X35, the X20 uses Automatic Motor Connection which it says gets rid of motor cables and allows the rear wheel to be fitted in the same way as a standard wheel using a thru-axle. Those earlier systems had a solid bolt-through axle which needed a 15mm spanner to remove, making getting a puncture or putting your bike in the car a faff.

As I said earlier, the down tube houses the battery, and the control panel is integrated into the top tube, so the whole setup is very subtle. You can also pair your bike computer to it, so you can see precise battery life and range rather than just go by the colours on the top tube.

None of the Ribble Allroad bikes are exactly light (the SL R Hero reviewed was 8.3kg with Shimano Dura-Ace and Zipp wheels), so the 12.1kg on this SL R e Pro model is as expected, as the X20 system comes in at 3.2kg.

The weight of the overall bike is kind of a moot point anyway, as anywhere weight would be an issue, you have the motor to counteract it.

Ribble Allroad SL R e - Pro: Frame & fork

As I've already touched on, the SL R e uses pretty much the same frame and fork as the standard SL R, which means it's created from Toray's M46 and T1000 grades of carbon fibre composite. These are its higher end grades, focusing on stiffness and performance at a low weight.

There's a focus on aerodynamics, as evidenced by the varying tube profiles and the fact that everything from the cable and hose routing to the seatclamp is internal to give a smooth overall finish.

The seatstays are also dropped low for aerodynamics.

You have the option to run mudguards thanks to the hidden points on the frame and fork, though you'll need to order a seatstay bridge to fit the rear, which will cost you £30.

Fitting guards means tyre clearance will drop from 38mm to 32mm.

Because of the battery in the down tube, this model lacks the in-frame storage of the SL R.

The model you see here is the standard paint colour for all models in the SL R e range, but you can spec a different colour should you wish. Any solid or metallic paint finish costs £350, or £400 if you want a colour flip paint.

Ribble Allroad SL R e - Pro: Geometry

There are five sizes on offer, starting with the XS and finishing with the XL. Corresponding top tube lengths are 505mm to 585mm. Our large size has a 565mm top tube and a 180mm head tube, both of which give stack and reach figures of 587.6mm and 391mm respectively.

The wheelbase is 1,005mm overall, while the chainstays are 415mm. The head and seat angles are 73 and 73.5 degrees.

Ribble Allroad SL R e - Pro: Groupset

There are four models in the SL R e range, starting with the Sport that uses Mavic Allroad wheels and a Shimano 105 mechanical groupset for £3,999, and topping out with the Hero that's decked out with Shimano Dura-Ace and Mavic Cosmic SL 45 wheels for £8,499. An Enthusiast model has 105 Di2 and the Mavic Allroad wheels for £4,599, while this Pro version, with Shimano Ultegra Di2 and Cosmic SL 45 wheels, costs £5,999.

I've covered the latest Di2 version of Ultegra many times before, so I won't go into the full details here (you can read our thoughts on the complete groupset in our review), but suffice to say it is very good indeed, bringing near Dura-Ace performance with a slight weight increase but at a much lower price point.

Ribble specs a 50/34-tooth chainset with an 11-34T 12-speed cassette which is sensible gearing for all kinds of riding. You have enough top end there, along with some lower gears if you find yourself in a hilly area or away from the tarmac.

With 160mm rotors front and rear, there's also plenty of stopping power. I would have preferred Ultegra spec brake rotors, but the six-bolt requirement for the wheels, as opposed to Center Lock (which Ultegra requires), means Shimano's RT66s have been fitted and they lack a bit of bite.

Ribble Allroad SL R e - Pro: Finishing kit

Being one of the two top-end builds, the Pro comes with Ribble's UB-2 handlebar. It's a narrow (38cm), swoopy shaped carbon bar designed for aero performance. It's okay in terms of comfort but very slippery in the wet, and on an allroad bike it's just too narrow, making the steering feel quicker than it needs to be (not ideal with the vague feeling you are getting from the frame). It just doesn't sit right with the versatility you expect from this kind of bike.

The bar is designed to be used without tape but ours came with some fitted, which definitely helps from a comfort point of view.

If I was speccing the bike I'd opt for a Level 3 carbon bar with a standard shape – which would also save you £250.

The stem is aluminium and funnels the brake hoses (and gear cables on mechanical builds) underneath into the frame via the top of the head tube. It's functional, shall we say, and not the most aesthetically pleasing component out there.

The Selle Italia SLR Boost saddle was a good shape for me and felt really comfortable for both short and long rides.

Ribble Allroad SL R e - Pro: Wheels & tyres

Mavic's Cosmic SL 45 wheelset is a decent performer thanks to a 45mm rim depth that brings a few aerodynamic benefits to the overall package. The inner rim width is 19mm, which is slightly narrower than many on the market but still wide enough to work with the range of tyre sizes that the SL R e will run.

With 24 spokes front and rear, the build is stiff, with the rear being more than up to the job of coping with the torque and power of the hub motor.

Pirelli's P Zero Road TLR tyres are a welcome addition, as they offer plenty of grip and are quite supple, too. For a lightish tyre they're quite durable as well.

Ribble Allroad SL R e - Pro: Value

Many of the brands I've spoken to over the years have said that road e-bikes haven't really taken off, so there isn't a massive amount of competition out there.

Giant has its Defy Advanced E+ Elite models, which look very similar to the standard Defy Advanced but with a bulkier down tube. With everything integrated, it's a smooth-looking bike, and the SyncDrive Move Plus motor system delivers 75Nm of torque.

Models start at £6,499 for the SRAM Rival AXS-equipped Elite 2 with aluminium wheels, while the SRAM Force AXS and carbon-wheeled model, the Elite 1, comes in at £7,999. We'll try to get one in for review for comparison.

One bike that we do have on order is the Argon 18 Subito, which is available as either a road or gravel bike. The road version is available with Ultegra Di2 for £5,800, although that is with a set of alloy Vision Team 30 wheels and the older Mahle X35+ motor system, which isn't as torquey or responsive as the X20 on the Ribble.

Dolan offers its Atreus Carbon Road, which is – surprise, surprise – a carbon road bike with 32mm tyre clearance and the ability to run full mudguards. With an Ultegra Di2 groupset, carbon wheels and a carbon handlebar upgrade to make the build similar to the Ribble, it'll set you back £5,619.94.

Ribble Allroad SL R e - Pro: Conclusion

The Ribble Allroad SL R e is an odd bike, and one that I don't think really fulfils its brief as being a versatile machine like an allroad bike should be. It's heavily focused on being an aero road bike with the ability to run wider tyres, and if I take it solely on those merits, then, well, it's not really that good.

It feels full of compromises, and while it looks to represent good value for money alongside some of those mentioned above, I still wouldn't buy it, as I just didn't find it fun or enjoyable to ride. In fact, its only saving grace for me is that excellent Mahle motor system.

Verdict

Average bike that feels like it misses the mark everywhere, but a great motor system