RIDDEN AND REVIEWED RIBBLE ALLROAD SL R HERO BUILD £6.999

Do aero and endurance make good bedfellows? The SLR has a good stab at it

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Ribble's Allroad SL R is one of a trio of versatile, contemporary all-road bikes the Preston-based brand launched last summer under its Road+ banner. Price-wise, it takes middle honours in the line-up, the other two bikes being the more elemental Allroad SL and the visually striking titanium-framed Allroad TI. All three owe a debt to Ribble's existing Endurance range, but they're genuinely new models developed from the ground up for mixed-surface riding.

The Allroad SL R also clearly borrows design cues from the Ultra SL R, Ribble's hardcore aero race machine. You only need to glance at the uncompromising aero cockpit and thick Kamm-shaped frame tubes to spot the family resemblance. These aero enhancements provide the Allroad SL R with some performance advantages but, as I'll reveal, they come at a cost.

Despite being visually dissimilar, all three Allroad models share one distinguishing feature that shapes their Road+ identity. Bigger rubber. Maximum tyre clearance on the SL R is 38mm on a 700c wheel, which may not be up to modern gravel bike standards but it's enough tread to take on some pretty challenging off-road trails.

CONSTRUCTION

The Allroad SL R's frame is constructed from a blend of Toray T1000 and M46 high-modulus carbon-fibre for increased strength, compliance, stiffness and lightness. It's a step up from the T700 and T800 used for the Allroad SL. Aerodynamic cues are everywhere, from the wide, bladed fork, to the hourglass-shaped headtube with its chunky trailing edge. Most noticeably, the thick downtube flares halfway down its length to better direct air around the bottle cage, which also conveniently makes room for enough internal storage to conceal a spare tube and tool kit.