BOTCHED bike frame followed by terrible Misdiagnosis | RIBBLE Cycles REAMED

[@Hambini]

Update. Since I sent this video to Ribble, The upset punter got in touch and said he has been offered a new bike from Ribble. More pictures and things available here www.hambini.com/ribble-cycles-cgr-al-multiple-failures-of-qa-qc-and-technical-service/

[@mikefreitas1331]

If this happened during the pandemic i would think It was due to the shortage of parts, but ir wasn't. First time that frame went to Ribble shop should they went for this (much late) solution. TE-RIBBLE ASSINTANCE

[@The_CrackedPot_Christian]

Good news . FWIW, I owned a Raleigh Kellogg's tour Reynolds 501 racer from new as I grew up. It developed a frame break (on chain stays at the formed crank area) after I think 15 years but it was still within the warranty. Raleigh quickly sent me a new frame at no cost, no questions asked, and a local bike shop swapped all the parts over very reasonably. Well happy. It's surprising modern manufacturers/suppliers don't have long warranties as there's no excuse for shoddy work what with automatic welding, superior alloys and weld material, and plenty of money to do it right. I think a trip to Taiwan awaits Ribbles' QC manager. Come on Ribble, improvement! Reputation is easily lost and painfully slow to regain. Ask any hairdresser.

[@MrBoggins1234]

The right response from a UK based company. Important companies step in quickly apologise, fix the cause and make good with the customer. Hopefully ribble pay your costs too.

[@Steven-Sea_gull]

@Hambini the penis mightier than the sword 🤔😂😂

[@AA-ht8pn]

Specialized only took my claim seriously once I had arranged for it to go to hambini. Absolutely shocking customer service from them

[@76booge]

Pretty sad that a public shaming is the only way to get what should have been the expected service from Ribble in the first place.

[@FinalHourMetal]

I live litterally a stone's throw from the ribble factory, and they do (historically) enjoy a reptation for poor customer service.

[@KOL630]

All these companies are the same. They get bikes made in China and just stick their label on. I have a canyon and they’re the same but their quality control is a least decent.

[@davidm-1965tb]

Many tears ago bought a bike from rubble. Flexing frame etc. took months to get acknowledgment from them and eventually only threat of legal action resulted in a refund. Never bought a bike from them again. They were in their old Waterside shop then, hence gives an indication of how long ago. Dreadful then and sounds like they are still dreadful

[@BionicBarneyBoy]

Ribble have a bike "boutique" in Nottingham Victoria Centre. More like a night club with screens and bike displays. Goes to show you where they put the money. Ceratinly NOT in the product!

[@johnmarsh1694]

Their reviews on Trustpilot probably paint an accurate picture of their service.

[@EnidAgnusDei]

As a Yorkshireman, I'd never buy ANYTHING from Lancashire! and after this review,this reinforces my view! Hurrah!

[@fluffycat087]

Ribble really should be thanking you. This sort of feedback should result in better QC and muppets can cause huge amounts of damage to a company. Really enjoyed the breakdown.

[@sirmalus5153]

Muppets working for any company can also kill people in the long run.

[@Mapdec]

Interesting video once again. We see that sort of cracking quite often, but usually on older bikes and we chalk up to metal fatigue or impact damage. I’m going to start cutting things up!

[@Hambini]

It's always something moving. The problem is finding it. In this case, had the frame been aligned properly, the defect or clamp would not have come into play

[@PanaehaliTut]

Cut them preemptively. Before they crack!

[@markwoodger2]

@@Hambini do you think the misalignment was causing the tooling imperfection to become a crack.

[@johnmoody4895]

Thanks Hambini, currently in hospital after a bike crash (luckily not due to dodgy bike welds), so thankful for new content to keep me occupied - great watch as always

[@Hambini]

I hope you get well soon John.

[@31.8mm]

GWS

[@helicart]

All the best to you mate. Heal well. Make the most of your days. Offing into hospital is the polar opposite of why we ride.

[@MrBoggins1234]

Yuck. Get well soon.

[@leslie7922]

Keep going John u got this

[@derekhobbs1102]

It's always interesting when you reveal hints of your previous employments.

[@100dlaing]

I bought a Ribble back in the 90s. Columbus SLX frame. The steerer tube hadn't been braised to the fork crown correctly (at all!) I bumped it (gently) into a curb and the forks snapped. I could have died at any moment! I took it to Chas Roberts to fix and he had some very choice words to describe it! Good to see things haven't changed!

[@n0ch91c3s]

A long time ago, I was working for a Specialized dealer. We got a frame in, a mid range Stumpjumper aluminum hardtail, that would creak when you really pulled on the handlebars. We kept taking parts off trying to isolate the noise until it was just the frame in the stand. It was at the head tube junction. There was a gusset under the down tube, and as far as we could tell, the down tube itself was welded only after the gusset was put in place, leaving a section unwelded. The mitered but unwelded joint underneath would rub and tick.

[@tbrowniscool]

On a side note my step-mum was the first person to ever order a XXS bike from ribble in 2019. They rang her up and said if she took some pictures of her next to the bike they would give her some free upgrade like a better groupset and wheels! She went for it and got the free upgrades 😎💪

[@alistairsavoury1074]

One of your best reamings. Thx to Joe punter giving you the opportunity to slice and dice and let us see inside and the importance of good jigs and welds across the construction of the whole frame. Also appreciate that this wasn't just a ripping into shredding affair, but that dialogue has been opened with all parties and the possibility of a sensible resolution may be on the cards. Excellent production, and all the banging of your hairdresser's kept you looking good to the end of the video.

[@peterbee8892]

Well done Ribble for accepting the fault and fixing the problem.

[@BikePappy]

@Peter Bee Bollocks. Your comment reeks of shill-iness. Ribble did accept the fault by passing off a known bad frame, several times, and they should not be receiving praise for that. Let’s call it what it is. Ribble only responded because of Hambini’s massive hammer.

[@stopdropandroll]

Did they?

[@justinsheldon5015]

Be aware of the Uk consumer rights for up to 6 years for the original owner for an item not being 'fit for purpose'. This would be a perfect example to raise a small claims to resolve outside of their so called warranty period. Hambini has seen my Cannondale welding which was done by a welder with 6 thumbs, which failed and after 5 years old and Cannondale said no to a replacement, a quick gov claim filled in and £35 fee later , it woke the supplier up to send a new frame 2 weeks later . So bear that in mind in the UK, should watchers be faced with similar problems. Bikes arent cheap and sure they pay probably £50 a frame on a £1600 bike , see the Chain Reaction alloy frames of past selling for this price ( Brand X) The argument with Ribble for their sake is minimal in cost to replace it, but the impact from the hairdressers rooter can create a bigger financial loss from viewers watching the angle grinder being fired up.

[@LitNews]

If you are buying a frame that costs £50 all-in to manufacture, that might be your problem?

[@NaeMuckle]

I managed to get game to give me £170 when my 3 year old ps3 broke using that law 😂

[@RICHARD.WRIGHT1]

Excellent review and Reveal of the cause! Pretty lucky for Ribble, that 1)Punter was not injured or there was a Fatality. 2) That they did'nt wop a BS sticker on the frame or an ISO sticker, because that would have resulted in a fraudulence investigation. 3) It's an opportunity now for them to go back to the drawing board and kick ass to all those involved that overlooked QA QC on their branded products. In other words do the F'in job right the FIRST time and stop leaving the punter to resolve YOUR problems Ribble! And that goes for all the other corner cutting brands around the industry.

[@Hambini]

I would just add, the training for not picking it up seems to be lacking

[@The_CrackedPot_Christian]

Like he says, apart from the crack, you get what you pay for. Thanks for the BS ISO Info, worth looking for that on a new purchase.

[@MrBoggins1234]

@@The_CrackedPot_Christian do you mean the bicycle company getting what they pay for their supplier of choice (I agree) or the customer (I don't agree)? I'm asking as most of the bikes reamed here are from the consumers perspective have very high prices and are met with at best unsatisfactory responses from the so called top end brands.

[@stephendriver1814]

@@The_CrackedPot_Christian so you're saying if you pay 1600 quid you deserve a poor quality product? If that is what you're implying and I'm pretty sure you are. Then tell me why? Coz in my world 1600 quid is still a lot of money, not like its a 200 quid bike from Halfords ffs

[@rickdoehler502]

@@stephendriver1814 Right, Poor quality refering to paint work or cosmetic details is one thing. Poor quality that can cause a catastrophic failure tesulting in injury or worse is another. regardless what your selling a product for.

[@MrDazP1adv3ntures]

This is a brilliant bit of scrutiny and investigative engineering work Hambini. Thank you for taking the time to highlight all of these failings from a company that turns over so much money based in the NW of England. The cycling world should be ashamed of the rip off prices being charged for a bike these days .

[@archkod]

Thanks, great review. I received my Ribble Endurance Disc SL July 2022 and love it - it is carbon. Ribble customer service has been top notch in getting back t me with questions - so far no problems! Glad your pen is working.

[@nr619]

wait to have a warranty claim and then we see if they are still top ....

[@jonfrderick]

How is the ribble endurance comfortable on long rides, as it is basically a low end race bike. Would you comfortbality be able to do 3000km in 3weeks, given you were fit enough. Or should I got for a endurance bike.

[@tombola4046]

You really need to do a tear down of a 2022 Giant Revolt, I’m now awaiting my 4th frame in 8 months due to frame cracking. Many of us suffering the same issue and a whole FB page devoted to it! Absolute shambolic bike that the cycling media heap so much praise on!

[@alan-sk7ky]

That's a bike 'name' they might well come to regret I think... 😉

[@tombola4046]

@@alan-sk7ky haha indeed! Over 1k of us just in the uk with cracked frames and most on 2-3rd replacements! Shame the media weren’t interested after making it bike of the year

[@phred.phlintstone]

@@tombola4046 Many of the reviewers' magazines/web sites/youtubers are paid by the major cycling corporations directly or indirectly. Once you get a reputation for being honest, you will fold in no time.

[@tombola4046]

@@phred.phlintstone absolutely agree, no such thing as a bad or honest review in the cycling publications, just a huge advertisement campaign for the big companies

[@ivanboesky1520]

Yeah, unfortunately the fraudster filled “bicycle review” industry is just that. Fraudsters pretending to be independent and unbiased reviewers when in reality they are nothing more than paid marketing shills for the products they supposedly “review.” David Arthur has two glowing reviews on KZbin of that 2022 Giant Revolt piece of trash. And of course if you waste your time and look at either of his so called reviews you’ll see they are both glowing and rave about that piece of trash. I’m amazed that anyone with a 3 digit IQ and a hint of common sense would believe anything Arthur, TheGravelCyclist, GCN, Cycling Weakly, BikeRadar, The Radavist or any of the other paid shill fake reviewers have to say about any bicycle or bike product at this point. But gullible fools abound and they help keep those shills in business. 😀😀

[@marcjarvis3975]

Just about to order a ribble 😮 Such a shame that it has to come down to you outing them in this way to get a result. Love your explanation and am glad it seems to have got the customer a good outcome

[@gordonbarnes8229]

My son in law bought a Ribble several years ago - I immediately noticed that the front changer was fixed to the frame using rivets! I have never entertained the idea of buying one of their bikes since.

[@glennoc8585]

I've seen that before on another brand. If the rivets are alloy you won't get galvanic issue. Of course there's rivets and then there's rivets.

[@stephensaines7100]

I'm an old-timer, and old-school. And I ride an 'Argos Renovated' Reynolds 531 frame. Don't know who built it originally, it's a UK classic, and beautifully made. Needless to say it's lug and tube, and every braze is perfectly finished. That's not just for looks, it's a sign of a successful and strong joint. But here's the lesson, and it paid off in the case of this Hambini investigation: No matter when or where your machine is made, *listen to the machine* when you ride. I'm astounded that many of those who I ride with don't. A creaking or clicking may seem innocuous, but it can also be a warning of imminent and catastrophic failure. Some creaks are accountable, but you quickly come to realize in most cases when it's just the 'bones' shifting in fittings, like handlebar clamps (old school) from drawn tube to casting. But when you hear something not normal, even the smallest 'tick', start looking. Frame cracks can look like scratches in the paint. Scratches don't creak. Some of the problems brought to Hambini are scary...financially scary is one thing, but *safety scary* is quite another. I see a lot of 'modern' bikes that friends ask me to look at (they don't even know which end of a screwdriver to hold) and quite often, I decline to get involved when I see how badly they're made. Maybe it's my age talking, but cycling has changed in a lot of ways. A lot not for the better, albeit 'buyer beware'. It's the marketing to folks to appeal to a 'racing' bravado that gets many consumers into trouble. Hardly any machines are marketed for ease of use, comfort and safety. And then there's the GCN factor...

[@nno7532]

Can you imagine the sound of a chain cutting completely through a misaligned front derailleur cage over hundreds of miles? Bikes come into my shop all the time that "won't shift anymore" with this problem.

[@davemcdonald5981]

Another old-timer here. I bought my first new Ribble frame in 1975, when Ribble Cycles was just a good small local bike shop owned by Hughie Sandiford (well known for selling components to us schoolboy racers 'at the old price'). It was a beautifully made 531 steel frame in pink with white panels and lug lining, together with fully chromed rear triangle and forks. The alignment and quality of brazing was great and it handled excellently. I don't think that I'd get away with a pink frame now.

[@The2808erik]

I have a custom made in Germany aluminum frame from 2007. The welds are absolutely spotless and beautiful, it didn't cost an arm and a leg back then either.

[@norgtube]

You can still get a Nikolai for not much more than any branded MTB frame, and it'll be perfectly welded and stress-relieved every time.

[@The2808erik]

@@norgtube I know they are beautiful. Sadly they have no rim brake frames.

[@robertp7209]

@@The2808erik shame, wouldn’t be interested myself.

[@garymitchell5899]

@@norgtube Branded frames are very cheap to very expensive, which you'd know if you knew anything about bikes.

[@johnparry9636]

Hello Hambini. Love the show and that from an old man of 71, who loves cycling. Not racing but only an average of 13mph on a typical ride of 25 miles. I am fascinated by the high asking price for modern bikes. I noted your praise for the Winspace frame, but that was still £2000. Can you give us some data on what frame prices should be, e.g. materials, manufacturing labour input. I realise this will require estimations, as likely we won’t know throughput per hour or what bike companies pay for their carbon etc. but to repeat myself, an estimate using your best skill and judgment would be very interesting.

[@Hambini]

I will take a look and might do a video on it

[@johnparry9636]

@@Hambini Many thanks for reply. Uninformed initial first guess is monopoly powers. As Giant makes frames for itself and major competitors, it could simply set an artificial high minimum price. Non Giant produced frames, simply have to set a price for their product, below that of Giant et al and they appear very competitive. Just a theory.

[@Squizzy05]

Cost to import into Australia for a CGR depending on spec is around $1000 AUD for postage them import cost, Goods and service tax plus Government charges and stuff is another $1000. Puts them on par with other brands so that is why the have reduced sales in Australia

[@cccpkingu]

When both chainstay dropouts are bowing inwards there is less support for the wheel not flopping around. Thus the thing rocks more, and there is a stress-risor at both ends of the tube where it has the transition. When the tubes are bent inwards and twisted to make up for the dropout alignment, they are in tension constantly. Hence the crack.

[@Hambini]

Totally correct.

[@0harris0]

that's what I came to type! (though probably a lot less coherently) well said 👌

[@stevehaynes4327]

Thats really useful thanks for the review and thanks to the punter for sending in the frame. I was actively thinking of a new Ribble bike early in the new year. Not anymore

[@dontyouknow1721]

I was thinking the same, had even gone to get a fit organised at their shop in clitheroe. Not now as it was a similar model I was looking at!!!

[@mikefreitas1331]

I must say that is quit... TE-RIBBLE!!! Another great video... we also get hormonal and dramatic when we have a fresh Hambini video!!! kkkkkkk

[@thomascovenantwhitegoldwie113]

In fairness to me, I was eating a sandwich and watching tv whilst I was welding it at the factory.

[@KillZonePalm]

Thanks for the video! Interesting to see if Ribble writes a comment.

[@Hambini]

They have an opportunity. They are a commercial organisation but there are some serious question marks in this case

[@jeffreymace6357]

I have an aluminium frame Ribble CGR. My frame snapped between the mounting bolts for the rear mech. I had the framed replaced under warranty, although I had to wait a couple of months. I'd only used the bike for commuting to work. It hadn't seen any use other than on the road. It is even stored in the house. I really look after my bikes. After watching this I can now see how mine came to snap. In all my many years of owning bikes (40+), it's the only frame failure I've ever had.

[@james2hackett870]

Hi always a pleasure to watch, you were describing a groove weld not a butt in diagram description , butt end faces have to be damn clean, as you need to push the rod through the puddle on tig setup to get back face fusion , from the welding looked like double pulse mig setup, you should of explained to viewers on T5 and T6 treatment why it's really impossible to repair as it need heat treating again, to relax and change the crystal structure, 😉

[@ssmtb]

I dread the day I wake up to a world where the pen is not working 😮 good stuff ! 👏

[@markstone722]

The punter may have been offered a new bike but will the next be any better ? Had you not got involved I bet they wouldn't have offered anything. Great video saved me from wasting my money on one.

[@Hambini]

I generally judge people and brands by how they deal with matters when the matters go wrong. The man that trained me always advised to stick your hand up and admit fault, put it right and then you'll have gained more respect from that individual. That is part of an honour code that exists in my engineering guild. I have always adopted that philosophy and it has served me well. These days, honour codes for engineering etc are rare. Most engineers don't carry chartered registration and sadly they a lot abuse the title. Most don't care which is a sorry state of affairs.

[@markstone722]

@Hambini what I have always find amazing is. We never have enough time to do it correctly first time around, but we suddenly find time when things go wrong and it takes double the amount of time it would of taken to do it right in the 1st place !!

[@PaulJakma]

@@Hambini I think nearly everyone who's done engineering /does/ care and wants to do right. In my experience it's nearly always pressure from the bean-counters and management types that causes shit.

[@bikerboy4944]

@@Hambini There are too many companies now, not only in the bike trade, who don't give a toss about the customer. All they're interested in is how much money they can bleed from the customer. They don't even stop to think, 'How does the customer feel?'

[@mriguy3202]

Fascinating problem and analysis! May I suggest that you find an attorney or legal expert to come talk with you about legal issues surrounding liability, that would add value to your videos....imagine if an attorney was weighing in on welding and stress analysis....could well be correct but less than ideal. Every organization makes mistakes, the question is how do they handle it? I understand that they will provide a new bike for the buyer, and hopefully the parties within the Company will change their practices. How is it that the local shop apparently did not test the frame when it was in their shop?

[@dazaro3]

Last month i paid £33 for a brand new boxed old stock Voodoo Marasa Aluminium 20in frame on eBay and the welding is great no holes and very uniform, much better than the welding in this video.

[@georgeserhard5661]

That's a mighty big grinder for such a small tube

[@jpcycleservices3810]

Watching this has been a horror show and yet enlightening…. as I have the same bike with some of the same issues. When it arrive back in 2020, the gears needed to be set correctly then it’s been one thing after another. I only use it for a winter bike so I just put up with the noises etc. I’ve been out and and done a stress test and I too am getting the same noise as the other guy with the ribble. Mine is out of warranty, so I’m just going to look for another frame, NOT ribble. And yes I’ve changed the BB already.🤦‍♂️

[@khalidacosta7133]

Warranty/Guarantee is what the manufacturer offers, which has now expired. However in addition to the warranty, you have the basic LEGAL rights, i.e Consumer Rights Act 2015. Under those laws, the product you purchased must "last a reasonable amount of time" and "be of satisfactory quality". For a £1k+ bike, I would assume 3 -5 years is acceptable. However you have up to 6 years to launch a claim. If you can prove the flaw existed at time of delivery, you are definitely covered, a crack in the frame due to poor manufacture wouldn't be immediately noticeable, however existed prior. I would start by writing a "letter before court action" to remedy the situation first.

[@jpcycleservices3810]

@@khalidacosta7133 thank you very much for that, I will look into whether I can claim, as I don’t fancy paying out a load of money for a new frame.

[@MrPlownds26]

The more I view your cha nnel. The more I like my old 531 frames.

[@cccpkingu]

So they delivered a bike where the rear triangle was welded onto the frame so crookedly that the subsequent welding had to re-align it. Now both chainstains are bowing inwards, and the dropouts are misaligned, hoping for _aluminium_ to take up the slack. At 1699£ bike price, there is astronomical markup, but greed won again.

[@Hambini]

I would say that was a succinct analysis. The frame did ping when I cut it so there was plenty of residual stress left in it

[@shafter164]

Well done once again and thanks. Sadly I had a similar situation with a Sonder frame. An mtb carbon Transmitter. I paid £800 for the frame with a 5 year warranty. In the first 2 years it cracked after I went up a cobbled mtb climb up in the Peak District and the chain stay snapped. They denied any warranty claim and flat out accused me of having crashed the pile of crap. Tried to take it further up the management but everyone said the same thing so I hammered it to bits. To be fair the only weak spot was the cracked chain stay (must have had some voids) as I had a real struggle breaking the thing and in the end got a dremel to it. Moral of the story, stay away from peice of rubbish Sonder/Alpkit.

[@MrJx4000]

Okay, I absolutely will not buy a Sonder/Alpkit.

[@kc3718]

plenty of companies selling crap, look at the warranty they give their frames . Been a cyclist for 30 years and had 4 bikes replaced FOC because i only buy them with a lifetime warranty. Brands like ribble , sonder and co are trash, it's just landfill and a empty wallet.

[@reginaldscot165]

The only thing I would strongly disagree with is your opening statement about choosing budget carbon over budget aluminium frames. Simply because of experience. I have been riding cheap aluminium frames when one of the welds has failed and a tube on the frame has suddenly disconnected from the rest of the bike. The bike did become very flexible all of a sudden but it didn’t collapse in on itself because metal tubes are able to support the weight and welds in general are incredibly strong. I was able to slow down and stop. If you are riding a cheap carbon frame and something fails the problem is the rest of the tubes won’t be strong enough to support your weight because carbon frame tubes are weak when separated. So the bike will totally fail and you will end up kissing the concrete. Also carbon is less durable, you have to baby it, aluminium is more forgiving for day to day bumps and knocks and will mostly dent if dropped hard. Or if it is cracked you can see it and maybe get it fixed. Carbon won’t dent, it just cracks and sometimes you can’t see that damage until it’s too late. So for people on a budget or racers on a budget or everyday riders it’s still got to be aluminium or steel in my personal opinion.

[@ge7sur3nka34]

I actually was about to order their CGR alloy frameset, but the cost of shipping to Japan is around 500 pound while the frame itself is 800 pound. The shipping to nearby countries is like only half of that price. I asked them and they said that the price was set by courier. I just can't understand why shipping to Japan is twice that of other countries. Other companies like canyon only charge $140.

[@KBBMX]

Owned a CGR al for 5 years in feb... Zero issues 🤔👍😎

[@dstroud666]

1 purchase from Ribble in 2008 and I experienced worst customer service ever. Not touched them since. On the plus side, I bought alloy frame, forks and headset from them. Frame and forks still going well.

[@davidm-1965tb]

Same here, bought aluminium ribble to replace 531. Dreadful bike and issues, and only threat of legal action got them to engage and refund. Haven’t bought a thing from them since!

[@BionicBarneyBoy]

Thanks again for a great insightful video. I hate to say it but companies manufacturing lots of products basically do not give a s**t. They manufacture to sell at an overinflated price purely to make money. There seems to be no QA / QC anymore, all because it costs money. It's a shame that companies don't take more pride in what they produce and even "you pay for what you get" isn't true as you have clearly shown in other videos. Keep up the good and very interesting work.

[@robertwevans84]

You are brilliant!

[@larryt.atcycleitalia5786]

Same s__t, different day. Only when threatened with TV or other bad publicity do these mofo's make things right. BRAVO Hambini!

[@Angle-of-Attack]

16:14, "If you do it well you can get around that". What does that mean? What is done well in stress relief and/or post weld machining? What techniques? Thanks.

[@jayeomans]

I had a Focus Arriba that creaked like that. Cheaper bike, mind you, and probably 15 years ago. Thought it was BB or cranks but never did get to the bottom of it despite replacing parts on several occasions. Suppose I was less bothered by it. Probably did 7-8k miles on it. Some local scrotes nicked it a while back and were apparently seen by a neighbour trying to ride it, despite the Shimano mountain SPDs. Miss that bike, although having it nicked probably saved me from riding it until it broke in two!

[@hawkman1833]

I've had a bike from Ribble 8 years ago not one single problem with it still using for commuting, I would buy from them again.

[@johnreekie992]

Absolutely the bollox. Right on that man manufacturers have to be listening to customers problems and sort it out

[@PeakTorque]

Big up Preston Asda

[@Hambini]

Dogging site?

[@norgtube]

Love the inclusivity of "boys and girls and anyone else" combined with the constant swearing. perfect.

[@andreemurray7039]

Another great show what is wrong with quality control

[@RBlakemore]

Owner of this exact frame in a gravel specific build, slightly worrying now. Fair to say Ribble weren't great, bike needed a full set up once it arrived with brakes rubbing and gears set up poorly. Picked it up on the cycle to work scheme for a winter/gravel bike and a few months after the cycle to work scheme window had closed, the bike was discounted so I have my suspicions that they inflate prices around this time. Bike seems to ride great though!

[@sheilastallard]

Pretty happy L cancelled a Ribble ebike for my husband after seeing this video. Stay Safe !! xx

[@metatron007]

The alignment may be a lot worse due to Mr.H flexing it on a work bench as we all witnessed. Sorry H, not trying to put you down. Mr. H here did a funny sketch on how to re-a-line the frame, bit like an alignment table. Nice approach....

[@NikCan66]

Excellent advice 👌

[@DavidCulshawmer-r]

i had my doubts about this company a few years ago when i nipped up to bamber bridge to check a bike out on the industrial estate there , couldnt find the place ( sat nav telling me "you have reached your destination" ) , went to the bike show at the NEC and saw their stand and looked at some lovely bikes but my doubts about them continued , great vid mate and i'll stick with merlin ;)

[@mattysrides]

This was fascinating - great stuff! I've just bought a bike from Ribble - I'm a bit concerned now...

[@demand61]

The design of the downtube/BB junction is real interesting. If it does not contact at the underside because it is open, and at the top it is indirect, through the seat tube, then how much is left to make a solid connection? In the hands of a qualified welder it might be OK, but for cheap massproduction, why not pick an easier solution?

[@joules531]

I've simply got to the point now where I don't think I'd be confident in buying a new frame these days.

[@chaosflower4892]

Chinese quality is still highly variable.

[@EngineRebuilder]

I’m the same.

[@johngoldenbritt5112]

I'll stick with Klein for now.

[@merckxy54]

I have to admit as well that if you spend 500 or 5000 on a frame you can still end up with shite! But some of the chinese frames that are being sold in the west now are excellent quality for the money you pay for them!

[@kc3718]

there are many companies that stand behind a lifetime warranty on their frames. I 've had several bikes replaced FOC during my 30 years as a cyclist, and one frame was 12 years old had crossed Europe several times, yet Ridgeback gave me a new frame straight away and even upgraded it. Choose wisely.

[@Śiśna3633]

Can you compare a cup and cone bb from a standard Raleigh bicycle? I don't know why the bbs are so much complicated now. I bet the old style will spin more prolonged than any modern bb and be accessible to service.

[@Bikecampcook]

Ribble's main man is floating about in a Lambo he won't give 2 shits.

[@JordyJayHomer]

I had a top tube crack on an old-ish Cannondale fixed. It only lasted a few months before cracking again in a different spot right near the weld, and it was in what I reckon was a low-load spot

[@Saints66]

Well done Hambini. The pen is working 🎉🎉

[@sgtgrash]

I still cherish fond memories from the late nineties, early noughties [sarcasm module OFF] of my regular duels with Terry(?) from Dawes Cycles in order to remind him that a 'lifetime frame guarantee' should mean what it says. They were epic battles... 🖖

[@dimebarcocker]

I've had an aluminium Ribble frame a few years ago that cracked at the bottom bracket. So what did they do? They said they repaired it and repainted it. The crack reappeared. It took all sorts of escalation from 3rd parties for them to finally replace the frame.

[@rollingnome]

Blood Sweat and Gears is a shop run by truly authentic, passionate & caring people. A rarity these days.

[@TheRokko66]

Once again it shows how good it is to ride a steel frame

[@nathanb101]

@Advanced Driving you have to use more Titanium to get the strength of steel. Most manufacturers don't do that thus many Ti frames are weaker than steel

[@lyndonhudson5859]

That was cracking video especially when you consider it ended on a positive note or at least until the next crack! I wonder if said punter would have been better fighting for a refund rather than another possibly defective bike, though it certainly keeps you in business🤣

[@RReese08]

I don't think it would've been necessary to apply any physical pressure or tweaking to the bike to detect the creak. When you set the frame down on your bench, the frame made an audible a *cracking* noise to show that it was definitely unwell. By comparison, a well built alloy or steel frame will make a sort of ringing noise or tone like a tuning fork. This doesn't leave Ribble off the hook as far as the shoddy quality of this frame. I think such problems could be avoided if Ribble had assigned somebody from their HQ in the UK to be present at the frame supplier's factory to prevent, or at least reduce, the chances of these things from happening. But that probably would've meant spending actual extra money for some guy to sit around all day and either read newspapers or inspect frames after they come off the assembly line. Other than that, it goes without saying that everybody desires good penetration, because it's always most satisfying for all parties involved.

[@denlsgoulden2307]

I can't understand why there is this misalignment issue with stays etc, surely jigs would be used to secure and align these frame components prior to TIG welding. Also " brazing" was mentioned, isn't this whereby the filler material used in the welding rod is of a dissimilar material to the parent metal, i.e. mild steel parent and a bronze alloy rod using a flux ? What would be used for aluminium? I always assumed only steels could be brazed as opposed to welding where the "filler" material is the same composition as the parent metal ??

[@nigelliam153]

Are you doing a follow up video putting it back together?

[@Hambini]

it would be a good advert for superglue.

[@nigelliam153]

@@Hambini super glue and string, that would be a bamboo bike😀

[@davidburgess741]

@@nigelliam153 Just paint the frame in JB Weld after cold straightening those horrible dropouts! It might not even break. I wouldn't ride that brick!

[@richardhaselwood9478]

I know this makes me a small, small petty little man, but watching metal frames get a proper reaming makes me want to grab my Princess Blanket and make a unscheduled hairdresser appointment. The wailing from the usual "Plastic bike" blow hards gives me a proper tingle. That said, I don't mind my alloy bikes, they're more off road focused and certainly cheaper than carbon. My roadie is carbon and it will always be my favourite however. You just can't beat the ride quality and general excellence (no, steel is not real).

[@Will-ub8od]

Steel is infact real. But if you want to be really fly, get some Ti.

[@Altimis]

Hambini you should do more of cutting like this more often! :D

[@stepheneaston8354]

I have a Ribble. Happy with it. Except there was a persistent noise from the front axle. Originally thought it was disc brake rub, which is a common issue, but it was not. Took it to Balfes in Kingston and they figured out that the wrong nut had been fitted. It was rubbing. Must say this shocked me so will not prioritize buying from Ribble again.

[@GregLanz]

I have a cgr aluminum frame and while it's not a great frame I thankfully haven't had any cracking or creaking. I've abused it a fair bit as I take in on some trails where most people ride mountain bikes. Like I said mine has been good but I really doubt I'd buy another

[@ronasaurus74]

I knew those welds were horrific a few seconds into the video, they looked worse than what you get on the cheapest 1:1 scale models of an aluminium bike you get from bloody Sportsfart! What the actual? Glad Ribble finally came to the party, let's hope the new one is better, hopefully they've got their act together somewhat better now!

[@muzzmacc6411]

I’d love to hear Hambini’s opinion of specialized’s ‘Chisel’ framesets. Revolutionary welding tech means near carbon weights from aluminium. Tgtbt?

[@nu_Ken99]

If this were a rim brake bike would that flare in the seat stay be necessary?? Thus a rim brake version of this bike would be less complicated to make and less likely to suffer this sort of failure?

[@pigeonpoo1823]

So, during C19, orders worldwide shot up (doubled), but workers were ill / quarantined, so lots lots more work for many fewer workers. So, QC has suffered as everyone is rushing? I'd argue that a larger percentage of bikes made during 2019-22 could be of an substandard quality, so if you've bought one during this period, be extra vigilant

[@MrBoggins1234]

💯% great point. Year of manufacturer will be one of the questions we should all be asking.

[@petetrundell5454]

The rear dropout area of the frame is a pre-formed unit with a specific angle between chain and seatstay. This angle varies between frames of different size. The builder has either used the wrong dropout for the size of frame or all the frames of that size have that additional kink in the chainstay. That said, it still could have been joined better so there’s really two misalignment issues at that joint as well as the awful welding.

[@Hambini]

I think and I would stress *think*, the BB was welded first and the chain stay on the nDS was welded slighlty high, then then the correction was made at the dropout. But your could be totally right, there is a bit of an unknown surrounding it.

[@Twisty1024]

A common red brick weighs about 1.9kg, so that frame is about 89% of a brick

[@glennoc8585]

Let's call it a brick

[@bikerboy4944]

Mr Hambini, you should do a review on Oakley glasses next! See if you can find out why they are all so crap and poorly made now, and why the coating flakes from all their polarised lenses, and why the arms rub on the inside of the lenses, scratching them, and why the frames snap whilst you're wearing them. After 30 loyal years, I will never buy another pair of Oakley's, Luxottica have destroyed the brand.

[@SethJayson]

I bought an alloy frame one time to cut up and use the parts. I started removing paint and found more than half a dozen cracks, most near welds, and most hidden under paint and nearly invisible. I lost some faith in alloy then, at least thinner wall Can't believe this thick-wall tubing cracked so quickly.

[@swakemudi8682]

would you be able to analyze a unique minivelo frame (e.g alex moultons or tyrells) ?

[@kookamunga2458]

I have a Giant ,Trek and Khs and had a Norco ,Raleigh and cheap brands like Supercycle and they all have near perfect welds .

[@thebikepackingadventurer]

If anyone buys any other bike than a Time after watching all your videos, you are mental 😂. Wish I watched your channel long before buying my Cervelo R5 3-4 years ago. Although I think I have a lucky one. Your bb is still running perfectly in it btw. Highly recommend it to anyone and 2 friends since have bought.

[@dosgos]

Dump the Cervelo and put your money where your mouth is!

[@VeselenyiVlado]

anyone that has more than 3 grand to spend on a frame :/ maybe after kids grow up :D

[@paulhartzer10]

does anyone have experience with the ribble gravel sl? I might buy one but dont want them to fuck it up like this bike. Its carbon so it feels like the risk is even greater for them to botch the layering if they cant even weld, price is unbeatable though.

[@boriss.861]

You're right that TIG welding was done by a blind man asleep! and I'm only 1:35 in. You absolute star Satchin!

[@bobabout256]

Any idea why the crack is angled or spiralled or parallel to the fork end

[@r.davies2702]

Honestly, if you hadn't said the customer had taken it back twice, I'd have sworn that was a cheap Chinese copy. A lot of people would've put up with that creak, thankfully this owner was a bit fussy and saved himself from injury.

[@evelghostrider]

I've been welding over 40 years, and I've seen shocking welds on high performance aluminium motorcycle frames, especially in critical areas. It's what I call glued welds, as there is little to no penetrative weld put down. Looks ok on outside, but when split, it's awful. In minor accidents I've seen really strong areas snap and split. I never imagined worlds biggest manufacturers would allow this.

[@krisjones74]

Good bit of engineering analysis there. Thanks 1x10^6

[@costelloandsilke7321]

I owned a scandium Bianchi back in the late 90's. Super light frame and very nice to ride. Unfortunately, it and all the others I saw cracked -all over the place as it happened. That was more to do with the alloy than the actually manufacturing quality. Still - alu does take quite a bit of skill to weld properly - and that's hard to deliver at a downmarket price. PS. If the bike had had caliper brakes, it wouldn't have needed that stupid welded in and misaligned section. Vosprung durch technik - not - or whatever the Chinese equivalent is.

[@Sills71]

For decades people have accepted bikes built in China. The Chinese COULD build great bikes but the system they are built in, lends itself to crap frames. As manufactures go to China to have their frames built, the Chinese are happy to make frames at the lowest cost (highest margin) and the corresponding quality. As the bike manufactures have become corporate owned, they are only interested in the highest margin. Everything has changed from the days the manufactures actually made the frame or at least the name of the frame actually represented the company selling it.

[@Bikey_McBeardface]

This ^^^ is why I think a lot of the Chinese branded (and even unbranded) frames are out shining their branded rivals, they sell directly to the customer often with a simple, not great but adequate paint jobs, No middle man, no flashy finish, lower overheads, The Chinese aren't stupid they saw an opportunity to churn out mediocre/crap for the big brands and let them take the flack for it, while simultaneously building up their own products, even starting to see a lot more complete bikes available direct form China . The big brands aren't stupid either, they are likely well aware of this, but what can they do? It's not like they have the skill, tooling, or cheap work force to make their own frames that us mere mortals could afford to buy.

[@smileydogger]

I suppose it doesn't matter who makes your frame as long as it is done to spec. Operations such as Pro-Lite have European designers in Taiwan overseeing production. I had a Piemonte scandium frame, geometry and weight were faultless, it was sublime off road. I'd certainly trust them to deliver a good weld in tricky material and wish they made something similar today.

[@alan-sk7ky]

Go and find a book called 'Poorly made in china' by a bloke called Paul Midler. It explains how quality fade is tied to manufacturer lock in/dependancy. An uncomfortable read.

[@ficchiala3492]

Hi, sorry for my english... I'd like to know if this, in practice, is completely sh*t: Could giving an aerofoil shape to frame's tube by covering it with soft/flexible material reduce drag by "adapting" to the unstable flow? Or even help in creating a minimum trust like a fish tail when oscillating the bike? Thanks😁

[@laytondrjones]

Have been trying to decide between a Ribble HT AL and a Whyte 901. This has put me right off Ribble. So are Whyte 901 bikes any good?

[@fernandodisola6675]

Great in depth video👌

[@gregtaylor6146]

Why does 'keep banging your hairdresser' never fail to make me laugh??