Ribble has forged a reputation for producing quality gravel bikes. Since the AL was released in 2021, refinements have been made and now the British marque provides rough-riding steeds for the Ribble Outliers team whose roster includes Sophie Wright and Jenson Young, both big hitters in the international gravel scene.
While the pros ply their trade on the highly race-focussed Ultra-Grit, I was given the opportunity to try the AllGrit Ti X at the National Gravel Championships in Dalby Forest this year, where I rode both the time trial and the 120km race. I’ve also taken the bike out for a 100-mile spin on the road, given it a work-out on the Salisbury Plains and loaded it up with a full complement of cycling luggage. The term jack of all trades is a horrible cliche and would be very easy to use to sign off this intro. Yes, it does perform well across a variety of terrain and disciplines but, in my opinion, it has mastered one…
(Image credit: Future)
Frame
Being made from 3Al/2.5V triple-butted titanium tubing it would be criminal to finish the AllGrit frame in anything but polished metal, and Ribble have done just this.
The frame is has bottle cage and luggage bosses galore, which announce the bike’s intentions with a deafening whisper. Yes, as well as being light and compliant the understated AllGrit seamlessly weaves a bikepacking and cycle touring focus into its repertoire. I’ve put these to the test, mounting a seat rack and testing its water bottle capacity with the biggest vessel I could get my hands on, but more of this later. Coupled with a relatively slack headtube angle, a long-ish reach and high stack suggests that long days of adventure riding are front and centre here. But it also comes with a kick…
(Image credit: Future)
Specifications
(Image credit: Future)
My AllGrit came with a SRAM Rival XPLR AXS groupset, which has been specced for riders who ‘go deep into the wilderness and push hard every mile’. The highlight comes in the shape of 13-speed electronic shifting with a decent range on the cassette – 10-46T – which in the land of (good) gravel should be ample for most riders. A bombproof, fairing protected, rear derailleur brings up the rear daring anything that thinks it’s hard enough to come and have a go. It also includes an inconspicuous spindle-based power meter adding wattage readings to your head unit.
(Image credit: Future)
DT Swiss provides an alloy wheelset in the shape of its G1800 Spline hoops. They are shod with the very capable Schwalbe G-One-R performance tyres which, at 45mm, is the maximum clearance width offered by the AllGrit’s seatstays.
The full build comes in at 9.8kg, which combined with a very reasonable level of rigidity, makes it a simple to flick round lanes and fireroads as well as some of the more involved ‘gravel’ parcours we have in the UK.
(Image credit: Future)
A rigid carbon fork keeps the build stiff but if you’re planning on more adventurous rides, a Rockshox Rudy Ultimate with 30mm of travel can be specced at the point of sale. I’d personally advise against this however as it will ultimately detract from what the bike really does well…
Performance
As mentioned this bike has been tested over a variety of terrain. My first outing on it was a baptism of fire – an 8.6 mile time trial at the British National Gravel Champs. It was a largely flat course but a series of 90-degree bends made it hard to put down sustained power, and bike handling still remains something that eludes me so it was hard to get a gauge of the bike’s performance.
Fast-forward 24 hours and onto the race proper and I found myself buzzing over champagne gravel with a peloton of my peers. Titanium offers that wonderful blend of rigidity and compliance and while the ground was flat the AllGrit offered up an armchair ride – skimming seamlessly over the loose stones. A 74-degree seat tube angle assisted in sustaining seated power on the course’s myriad ascents while slightly elongated chainstays assisted with fast and technical descents.
(Image credit: Future)
So that’s one type of parcours ticked off the list, now let’s look at the surface where this bike shines the brightest. Dalby Forest is something of an outlier in the UK, as it comprises actual real-life gravel. Indeed it’s a true scarcity on these shores. Significantly more common however, is the ‘Great British Lane’ – simply a road that has been beaten within inches of its existence by tractors, rain and a total indifference from local government to breathe further life into them. Most of my riding, through all four seasons, takes place on these lanes. Carbon is not the best manufacturing material here – if you catch a road divot unawares expect to spend six weeks in traction. Rides become an exercise in avoiding potholes and poor surfaces rather than trying to elicit any kind of training stimulus.
(Image credit: Future)
Enter the AllGrit. This bike is custom-designed for speedy rides on rubbish roads. Its point and shoot prerogative makes outings less fumble and more rumble. Yes, this thing barrels over imperfections and makes an utter mockery of them in the process. I’ve completed a number of endurance rides on the AllGrit, all of them road based, and, although a slicker tyre would doubtless add a few mph to the average speed, I’ve felt nothing but comfort and complacence while ticking off 100 milers. I wouldn’t assign it winter-only duties either. For endurance-focussed outings I think I’ve found the perfect bike. Add this to its capacity to accept a seatpack and bar bags so easily and you have what could be (whisper it) the perfect all-road touring machine.
Value
Because it comes with a dazzling spec sheet, the AllGrit Ti-X gets a pretty dazzling price tag. At four grand, though, you get a lot of bike for your buck, and a bike that can do a lot. I’ve ridden dozens of gravel bikes over the last five years and each has their own character. The titanium frame is the AllGrit’s most endearing personality trait but the SRAM groupset gives it that extra shine. The bike’s capacity to be able to swallow luggage shouldn’t be overlooked either. It was a cinch to add a saddle rack using the seatstay bosses and the frame easily took water bottles of up to 880ml.
It’s hard to compare directly to anything else I’ve ridden, but the Santa Cruz Stigmata I tested back in 2023 was incredibly capable on the road and – complete with a full carbon frame and SRAM Rival groupset – retailed at a grand more than the AllGrit. It’s not quite a case of comparing apples with apples but both the Ribble and the Stigmata have a road bias with the former a lot more versatile. In short, I believe the AllGrit represents excellent value for money.
Verdict
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my tenure with this bike, from balmy September through to the darkest mid Winter, it’s been a boon companion on a variety of riding surfaces. However, it shines brightest on the Great British lane.
Specs
- Frame: 3Al/2.5V triple-butted titanium
- Size tested: M/L
- Weight: 9.8kg
- Groupset: SRAM Rival AXS
- Crankset: Rival XPLR AXS E1 PM DUB Wide
- Wheels: DT Swiss
- Tyres: Schwalbe G-One R Performance 45mm
- Brakes: SRAM Rival hydraulic
- Bar/stem: Carbon Gravel Riser Bar Black 38cm – 47cm
- Seatpost: Carbon D-Shape Inline Seatpost
- Saddle: Selle Italia Model X Light FeC
