Road Bike Of The Year - Best Value - Boardman Elite Endurance Vs. Ribble R872

In their search for the very best road bike of 2017, Cycling Plus collected a few arch rivals in five different categories and pitted them against each other. The best of those will eventually be crowned overall Bike of the Year.
We pit the Boardman Elite Endurance's disc brakes and Dura-Ace against the racy Ribble R872 with Ultegra Di2. Both offer incredible value for money, but which comes out on top?

[@JMise]

Boardman is indeed very good value...if you live in the UK. The current UK price is £2069.99 while the rest of Europe pays €3999.99. Over 60% premium compared to the current exchange rate is absurd.

[@rwood4790]

Got the R872 on sale for £1750 with Di2 in the stealth black, best and fastest bike I've ever ridden.

[@docraid3010]

Unfortunately, ribble is only available in UK, other than that, it should be shipped worldwide.

[@BucketlistFitRunning]

Justine Reyes for that specific bike? Because I got a ribble shipped to me (Canada) last year.

[@docraid3010]

Yes, thats what im saying, what i mean is there is no other store other than in UK only.

[@BucketlistFitRunning]

Oh sorry, re-read your comment.

[@MrAndrew1953]

I'd agree with your decision and upgrade the Boardman with higher grade parts. Can't beat disc brakes for modulation descents, wet weather conditions.

[@MrAndrew1953]

@Immortal__ I’ve used disc brakes on motorcycles since 1974 with no issues and on mountain bikes with cable operated setups. They are now even better using disc brake fluid. Your rim goes out of true with disc brakes,you still have brakes. That’s not the case with rim brakes. Are there any bikes in the 2023 TDF with rim brakes? On those descents in the Alps I know what I’d insist on having on my bike- disc brakes.

[@stevenfoleyuk9404]

Nice bikes , the price range is very competitive and I personally think that Ridley , Cannondale and even colnago C-RS are a better option . Shame

[@that70sschwinn]

Nice rims and group set

[@karvinsunny4199]

Joe's sock game is STRONG

[@mowhugspanda7769]

How much the boardman RB

[@gabrielcaraos8729]

have you guys ever heard of keith bikes? what are your thoughts and/experience??

[@JD2ndcity]

Surely a thicker axle is stiffer no?

[@Lo0NaTik1]

Where can you get kit that Boardman rider is wearing? Anyone know the Brand?

[@tuncaymirik9135]

What's the bike weight?

[@blackchalksounds5278]

That place is lynbrianni reservoir Mid Wales powys

[@gabriel.trainer]

Ribble is more beautiful though.

[@jfvanschalkwyk]

where are the roads where the bikes in the video were tested? I would love to ride my bike through the beautiful scenery....

[@plantfuelled8912]

Some Moor or something. Taken out the back of a van and ridden for 5km or the filming, hence no water bottles.

[@jfvanschalkwyk]

Its a beautiful place.. would love to ride my bike on those roads..

[@blackchalksounds5278]

@@jfvanschalkwyk lynbrianni reservoir Mid Wales powys

[@ShermanSitter]

I just have to say it. I love road bicycles. that's it. :)

[@urlilsolja]

"Value" Yeah, if i was making six figures a year...

[@samleonard1916]

top bikes are minimum 2k now (mostly 5k+)... if you don't want that kind of bike then don't watch the video

[@Guoenyi]

the ribble's extra steer out the top looks super offensive

[@Guoenyi]

Does it matter?

[@TypeVertigo]

+Guoenyi These bikes are loaners. Yes it does matter. Now if you bought the bike, then do whatever the hell you want.

[@Guoenyi]

This is not about me or bikeradar. You are missing the point.

[@Guoenyi]

In plain sight. Looks offensive.

[@Guoenyi]

Super long steer tube = offensive. It is like 1+1=2. What part of this are you missing?

[@brown2666]

Good day bike radar. I need your help plz. I am looking to buy my 1st road bike. I have narrowed down my choice to either a Cannondale caad12 105 or Trek emonda s5 (105) carbon. Could you please advise me on which is the better choice? Thank you kindly for your help

[@eddiepliers1]

Either or is a great bike. One thing to take note is carbon does tend to need to be more taken care of. ie: I can have my aluminum CX bike anywhere and bang it off of anything and it may just dent the frame where with my carbon road bike I can't just throw it around or it will create a crack in the carbon. That crack will compromise the bike's integrity. I don't want to scare you from buying the Trek, but carbon does require a little bit of a tender touch. Trek does offer a lifetime warranty with manufacturer's defects but that does not cover cracks from not taking care of the bike. On that, I would still go after the Trek over the Cannondale on that principal alone. Another thing to note is riding feel. Have you ridden both bikes to see how different the two feel? I rode about nine bikes (Specialized Tarmac, Specialized Roubaix, Cannondale Supersix Evo, Cannondale Slate, Fuji SL, others) and I settled on a Scott Addict. I was very close to the Fuji SL, but it came with SRAM Apex and Doubletap did not work with me for the brief time I used it. Later on with another bike, I got the hang of it and was happy with the performance. Hope this helps.

[@ShermanSitter]

Eddie Smith is spot on! for my 2 cents: i'd go aluminum unless you are really wanting to be super competitive. plus they take racks and commuting weight if desired. much more versatile. good choice on the groupset. 105 is my favorite groupset, btw. just at the bottom end of high end. has all you need, without the high $$$.

[@AK-tl2nm]

"Zero emissions".

[@plantfuelled8912]

Really? These manufacturers are simply the best advertisers in your sister magazine. Try harder.

[@Karlm01]

Would not touch a boardman ever.

[@Endeva09]

How come?

[@Horribulus]

I love my one

[@Moonface00z]

OH my gawd... WHY THIS BRAND!!!!!!!!?

[@tvi82]

what brand?

[@ShermanSitter]

sponsorship? :)

[@plantfuelled8912]

Bikeradar produce a magazine that is available every month in your local UK newsagent. Would you believe that their most loyal advertisers score incredibly well in their bike of the year competitions? What a coincidence! ;-) Of course an FSA crank-set performs as well as a Dura-Ace, said nobody ever before. Of course a weird axle standard that will be redundant shortly isn't a problem....NOT.

[@plantfuelled8912]

You really believe these best bikes are the best because you're being told it by a cycling journalist? These bike frames are all made in the same Chinese/Taiwanese factories as thousands of other brands. Yet these bikes are flawed, one with a crank-set few people like, another with bizarre axle sizes. I was told by computer gaming journalists that upcoming games were fantastic groundbreaking must haves and pre-ordered, but when they were released totally sucked and people had to get their money back by reverse charging their credit card payments. You really seem incredibly naive or just being a troll. I think you need a holiday in a developing country to see the heavily corrupting effects of money 1st hand.

[@plantfuelled8912]

It's not my fault you're a soft headed muppet that believes anything they are told from an industry which is there to make money. Get out of your mum's basement and live a life so you can actually understand the real world and stop sniping at people on the internet that hold different opinions to your weak minded know nothing teenage halfwitted dream-world that you inhabit.

[@davidsbikeride]

NO.... wrong

[@shifty277]

Value bikes.... but no mention of the exact current price at the time of video in the UK... laughable, rookie and unsubscribed

[@NathanTeskey]

What a rip off for the ribble

[@MicroageHD]

Di2 is not an advantage. It's useless and not even better than a mech.

[@OfficerBaron]

It's got disc brakes, get it off the road it's not a road bike.

[@lukef7833]

Officer Baron exactly

[@ShermanSitter]

Thanks for the catch Officer Baron! :)

[@timchen4416]

All the major brands beg to differ