Buying a new bike is exciting – but with so many categories, it can feel like you’re learning a new language. Road, Gravel, Allroad, CGR, SPORTFIT… what’s the difference? And more importantly, which is the right one for you?
Let’s break down each category so you can match the bike to your riding style, your terrain, and your goals.
Road – Fast, Light, Purpose-Built for Tarmac
If speed and efficiency are your top priorities, a road bike is your weapon of choice. Built for smooth tarmac, road bikes use lightweight frames and aerodynamic frames to slice through the air with minimal effort.
Key Traits:
- Geometry: Aggressive and race-tuned for a low, aerodynamic position.
- Terrain: Smooth roads only – it’s about speed, not mixed-surface versatility.
- Best for: Racing, sportives, fast group rides, big-mileage tarmac challenges.
Road Bike Pick
ULTRA-RACE
A race bike should never force you to choose between aerodynamics, lightweight efficiency, or stiffness. The ULTRA-RACE delivers all three.
Engineered using MT65 carbon fibre, it's stiff, compliant, and light, transforming every watt of power into explosive acceleration and forward momentum.
Gravel - Go Beyond Your Expectations
A gravel bike is your go-anywhere passport. Bigger tyre clearance, relaxed geometry and rugged frames let you take on forest tracks, bridleways, towpaths and more – without losing the ability to cruise on the road.
Key Traits:
- Geometry: Stable and confidence-inspiring on loose surfaces.
- Terrain: From tarmac to trails – thrives where the road ends.
- Best for: Off-road exploration, bikepacking, all-weather riding.
Gravel Bike Pick
ALLGRIT AL
The ALLGRIT AL is built for adventure without limits – from daily detours to cross-country escapes. With all-day comfort, 50 mm tyre clearance, and mounts for racks, mudguards and bags, it’s as ready for your commute as it is for your next big escape. Stable handling, durable alloy construction and adventure-ready versatility make it a gravel bike you’ll ride anywhere, any day.
ALLROAD - Ride Without Limits
Think of an ALLROAD as the sweet spot between road and gravel. It’s an endurance-focused road bike with more tyre clearance and comfort features, so you can take on a mix of surfaces without giving up road speed.
ALLROAD Bike Pick
ALLROAD AL
The ALLROAD AL takes carbon-inspired design and blends it with advanced aluminium engineering for year-round, all-surface road riding. With tyre clearance up to 35 mm, endurance-fit comfort, and the toughness to handle everything from smooth tarmac to broken back lanes, it’s built for every ride, every season.
CGR - Commute-Gravel-Road
Commute-Gravel-Road. However you ride, CGR is ready when you are - from tarmac to towpaths, commutes to café stops. Available in aluminium, carbon, titanium and electric models.
CGR Bike Pick
CGR TI-X
The CGR TI-X blends timeless titanium with the CGR’s do-it-all versatility. Smooth, tough and built for life, it handles commute, gravel and road with equal ease. With 50 mm tyre clearance, all-season mounts and a ride that’s as comfortable as it is capable, it’s the one bike you’ll never want to replace.
SPORTFIT
SPORTFIT bikes take our most popular drop-bar platforms and reimagine them with flat bars and an upright position. You get the same high-quality frames and components, but with extra confidence and control – especially useful for newer riders or those who prefer comfort over aerodynamics.
SPORTFIT Bike Pick
CGR E CARBON-X SPORTFIT
The CGR E Carbon-X adds smooth, natural-feeling electric assist to the CGR’s all-surface versatility. With a lightweight carbon frame, upright comfort and the near-silent MAHLE X20 system, it’s built for commutes, gravel and road rides that go further, faster, and with less effort.
There’s no wrong choice – only the one that best fits your riding life. Whether it’s the all-out speed of a road bike, the rugged freedom of a gravel machine, or the everyday versatility of a CGR or SPORTFIT, the right bike is the one that inspires you to ride more, explore further, and enjoy every mile.
Ribble Across Africa: 3,200km. Four Countries. One Bike.
From Namibia’s deep sand and relentless corrugations to 210km days across Botswana and the steep, muddy climbs of Eswatini, Phil Freeman put his ALLGRIT TI-X titanium gravel bike through 3,200km of some of Africa’s toughest terrain. One bike, 23 days and not a single puncture.
Gravel Bikes - Which frame material is right for you?
More cyclists than ever are seizing the opportunity to take their rides off-piste in search of freedom and adventure. But to do so, you need the right tool for the job - a gravel bike. The Ribble gravel range consists of four frame materials. Each of these offers something a little different in terms of ride quality, longevity and performance characteristics. So how do you decide which frame material is right for you?
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