Ribble launches new Gran Fondo Disc

Ribble has added disc brakes to its Gran Fondo carbon-fibre long distance bike, and here are the four most important things you need to know about it.

1. Flat mount disc brakes

Like the vast majority of other brands that have added disc brakes to road bikes lately, Ribble has gone with flat mount disc brakes.

We won’t go into the pros and cons of disc brakes here; I’m sure you already have your views on that.

“The addition of the very latest flat mount disc brakes makes the Gran Fondo Disc future-proof and ideally suited to wet or extreme riding conditions such as those found in the hills and high mountains,” says Ribble. “This disc-equipped bike will give greater confidence and safety when descending or riding in big groups.”

Check out the Ribble Endurance that has just arrived at road.cc for testing.

2. Relaxed geometry

“The new Gran Fondo Disc benefits from a slightly longer head tube design for a less aggressive position on the bike,” says Ribble. “In addition, the head tube angle has been relaxed in conjunction with increasing the wheelbase of the bike to provide a more stable ride.

“Combined, these changes ideally suit riders looking for an all-round more relaxed ride experience for epic days in the saddle who don’t want to compromise on braking ability.”

There’s a lot of ‘epic’ riding around these days.

If you want to put some figures on it, the large sized bike comes with a 554mm top tube, a 173.9mm head tube and a 71.4° head angle. The wheelbase is 1,005mm.

The stack (the vertical distance from the bottom bracket to the top of the head tube) is 572mm and the reach (the horizontal distance between those points) is 382mm. 

3. Reasonable tyre clearance

The Gran Fondo disc has enough clearance for 30mm tyres. The default tyre width for a road bike is 25mm these days with more and more people going up to 28mm for a little more comfort. 

The ability to fit 30mm tyres will come in particularly useful if you fancy taking on rougher road, perhaps including gravel and/or cobbles… anything off smooth asphalt, essentially. 

Ribble reckons that the S-shaped seat stays and slim 27.2mm seat post add more comfort.

4. You can choose your own spec

As usual with Ribble, you can choose a build that suits your needs and budget.

Ribble does offer a £1,503 recommended build with a Shimano 105 groupset and RS505 hydraulic disc brakes, and Mavic Aksium Disc wheels. You can change any or all of that and get a complete bike priced from £1,199 upwards.

For more info go to Ribble's website.