New Products: Ribble SLe Bike

Road based electric bikes are one of the new big things in cycling and Ribble Cycles have their SLe bike, weighing just 10.8kg and ‘stealth’ looking

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New Products: Ribble SLe Bike

Updated: SLe with Tiagra option at £2,499 – https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/ribble-endurance-sle-shimano-tiagra/

I remember having a conversation with a former stage winner in the Tour de France in the last year or so who these days is a little older (well a lot actually) and wants some assistance when going out on group rides.

But he didn’t want to stand out from the other riders and to do that he needed a stealth looking road e-bike. It’s a market that the manufacturers are investing in and at the cycle show, such bikes were proving to be popular.

One brand that is known for delivering quality at an achievable price point is Ribble and there ‘e’ bike takes a very different approach to the others in that the engine is in the rear hub.

CEO of Ribble, Andy Smallwood says of the Ribble SLe, “as soon as the electric road bike started to emerge in the market, we saw the advantages it would offer a multitude of different cyclists like those who are put off by group rides because there are hills where they can’t keep up or the rider who just wants to go faster. It was important to us it was a stealth E-bike; looked like a normal road bike, handled like a normal road bike and there wasn’t a big weight penalty.”

The Ribble SLe is such a bike.

The person behind the design of the SLe bike and the others in the big new range of bikes from Ribble is a person who knows how to go fast without an electric motor – former pro with world tour teams, Jamie Burrows.

In an interview on the Ribble Cycles website –  Jamie says his best result was winning an Under 23 World Cup road race. This included winning on the French climb of ‘Plateau de beille’ in the Ronde de L’isard stage race, beating Marco Pantani’s record for the climb set in the previous years Tour de France.”

So going fast up hill was and still is Jamie’s speciality and his design for the SLe will do just that for the riders of this new bike. Speaking to Jamie at the Cycle Show when the bike was launched, he told VeloUK, “the bike the SLe is based around is the SL Endurance platform with a slightly reshaped down tube for the battery”.

The motor, says Jamie, is in the rear hub with 250 watts output and the whole E-system weighs only 2.5 kg, so the bike itself is a tad under 11 kg. Jamie pointed out the motor is limited to 17mph and it isn’t designed to be a bike that does all the work. “You still need to pedal it” says Jamie which is something this bike shares in common with other e-bikes I’ve ridden.

The ‘engine’ has three power settings, slow, medium and fast with the slower setting giving the rider a long battery life. Where a rider will find the engine most useful is going uphill. On a climb used in the Chorley Grand Prix, Jamie gave his CEO at Ribble, Andy Smallwood, a few minutes on this testing climb and Jamie closed him down and passed him before the top.

“On a climb like that, normally you may only be doing 11 or 12 mph” says Jamie “so to suddenly be doing 17mph relatively easy was amazing”.

The SLe Bike
Weighing as little as 10.8kg, the SLe has positioned itself as the lightest e-road bike range in the World say Ribble, offering the rider up to 40NM of smooth and controlled power assistance on climbs and up to 26km/h through 3 power settings combined with a 250w internal battery capacity (or up to 750w with the additional external battery packs) all of this is built into a superlight chassis that has all the attributes of a cutting edge high-end road bike.

Whatever your level of riding, the SLe will give you a significant performance boost to get you over previously unimaginable mountain passes, keep up on hilly group rides and smash the ride that took you way outside your comfort zone.

SLe Power Assist Key Features:
• 3 power settings up to 40NM with easy to use integrated button, no handlebar accessories required
• 250w internal battery capacity with the option to increase to 750w
• External charge, diagnosis and additional battery point
• Lightweight and compact rear hub motor enables all standard chainset options
• Full internal cabling routing between switch, battery and motor
• Bluetooth connectivity with system specific APP with system, ride, GPS and performance functionality and information
• 3.5 hour full charge time
• Zero drag motor for maximum efficiency when riding without power assist

SLe Road Frame Detail
Based on the new superlight Ribble Endurance SL frame platform, the SLe has been designed around a carefully considered geometry resulting in a frameset that offers stability, comfort and great handling with enough adjustability to suit both endurance riders and those looking for a more performance optimised riding position.

The SLe frameset is manufactured from a carefully selected blend of Toray’s T1000 and T800 carbon layered to an exacting specification using an advanced monocoque mould technology incorporating an EPS inner core system which ensures complete consistency of the structural integrity of the fibres and resin throughout the frame. This system also eliminates excess material on the inside of the frame.

The profiles and shapes designed into the frame are all there for a specific performance reason, from the box section down tube and chain-stays enhancing torsional stiffness to the seat post and seat stays designed for vertical compliance and vibration absorption, this frame is the epitome of design and attention to detail.

With a multitude of component, wheel and finishing kit specification options, the SLe can be built into your dream bike tailored to your style and level of riding.

Key Frameset Features
• Optional carbon integrated cockpit with full internal cable routing
• Tyre size compatibility – Up to 30c
• Bolt through front axle for improved stiffness
• Disc brake compatible – Powerful, controlled braking in all conditions
• Internal cable routing and Di2 compatibility
• Mudguard fitments and clearance – For all weather riding
• Seat stay profiles designed for vertical compliance and vibration absorption enhancing comfort
• Oversize box section down tube and chainstays for torsional stiffness and power transfer

To find out more, click here: 

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