Ribble CX5

Ribble's CX5 offers very good value for a full-carbon bike with a quality mid-range specification. We were left a little confused by Ribble's claims that it's "comfort orientated", because of the quite aggressive geometry, but for those who want a cyclo-cross racer they can also use for commuting or mixed-terrain riding, it's a sound choice.

• Pros: Value, tyre clearance, plenty of options to customise
• Cons: Geometry far racier than suggested

This is version two of the CX5, and it now comes with the latest flat mount disc callipers, 12mm thru-axles on the front and rear, and 35mm tyre clearance. It also comes with mudguard mounts for the commute so you can really make the most of this bike.

Using Ribble's Bikebuilder you have a variety of components to choose for your build – ours came with a full Shimano 105 groupset with 50/34t compact chainrings and 11-32t cassette, 33mm Challenge Grifo clincher tyres, Mavic Aksium disc wheels and Deda finishing kit. It's an acceptable build for the money, and although an overall weight of 8.76kg certainly isn't the lightest, it's within the realms of what you'd expect for a cyclo-cross bike.

The CX5 looks like a pretty standard mid-level cyclo-cross build and geometry on first inspection, with a slightly higher bottom bracket than an adventure bike and plenty of clearance for 35mm tyres – until you get to the head tube and stack/reach. Both are pretty aggressive, which suggests a bike more suitable for a racer who wants a do-it-all bike, rather than a commuter who wants something more relaxed than a race bike.

> Cyclo-cross vs adventure/gravel bikes – what's the difference?

Heading towards the back and the bottom bracket area, on this size medium test bike the seat tube is the same length as the top tube for a traditional, quite square appearance, which helps to add some comfort by putting you a little more upright.

The bottom bracket is press fit and oversized – easy to maintain and change, and very stable to help when you're really putting some power down on hills. 

Usefully, the top tube of the frame is nice and flat to help with carrying in race situations, and cables are internally routed to keep things clean.

The ride

Stu Kerton mentioned the firm ride and lack of compliance in the Ribble Sportive Racing disc road bike frame, but I found the comfort offered here acceptable on long mixed-terrain rides. That geometry will potentially be a backache for those who want a more relaxed ride, but you do get a generous number of spacers at the front to give you a more upright position if you so desire. For commuting I kept all the spacers underneath the stem, and then moved two up for a cyclo-cross event to get down into a racier position.

As such, the bike does offer versatility, but Ribble's marketing of the CX5 as a "comfort orientated, all-round bike" seems a little off the mark. I'd say it's definitely best for racers, and if you're expecting a plusher ride than an endurance road bike with wide tyres, this isn't it.

The 33mm Challenge Grifo tyres are designed specifically for cyclo-cross and they eat up the mud, rocks and stones well when you're riding off-road, offering very decent grip. I was happy with their performance, and they're probably the best pure 'cross option available on Ribble's Bikebuilder. Not surprisingly, they're not great on the road, where cornering is compromised, and I would opt for a tyre with a shallower tread such as the Michelin CX Jet if I wanted one set for both commuting and cross.

Mavic's Aksium wheels are solid and light enough for racing and I was happy with this upgrade from the default Fulcrum Racing Sport wheels on the Bikebuilder.

What I would change is the Deda Zero 1 bar, which transmits a lot of road buzz; I felt it especially at higher tyre pressures on my commute. I'd be inclined to swap it for Deda's Zero 100 instead, costing you £67 more but saving you 55g in weight.

Although my rear isn't particularly fussy, it didn't get on too well with the budget Selle Italia X1 Flow saddle. It has what looks like a pressure relief channel, but it's so shallow and a bit harsh so you don't really get any of the benefits. You can get a Fabric Scoop for £30 more, which is what I'd go for.

Shimano's 105 groupset is plenty reliable and, for me, is the lowest spec I'd choose for cyclo-cross racing when you're banking on being able to change gears rapidly and the mud is clogging up underneath you.

If you prefer 1x and want more stopping power than the 105 140mm rotors, you can upgrade to SRAM Rival for another £130.

Value for money?

With all my recommendations you'd be looking at £1,849 for a full build, which still represents very good value for money. In fact there aren't many full-carbon cyclo-cross bikes close to the £1.5k price point, but one that does challenge the CX5 on value is Planet X's full-carbon XLS. These start from £1,299 with SRAM Rival and comparable components elsewhere, though I can't vouch for the performance of the frame or fork. Boardman's CXR 9.4 is £2,299, but this comes with SRAM's highly-rated Force 1x groupset.

Conclusion

Ribble's CX5 is an ideal bike for a road racer who might dabble in cyclo-cross over winter, and who wants to use the same bike for commuting or mixed terrain riding. Likewise, for a dedicated cyclo-cross racer this will do the job and then some: it's possible to get into a very aggressive position, and can be specced highly enough to satisfy serious cyclo-crossers – upgrades to SRAM 1x or a Shimano Ultegra groupset are both options available on Ribble's Bikebuilder, and might be more suitable for racing.

Verdict

Great value cyclo-cross racer that's capable of doubling up as a commuter, but it's an aggressive ride