Ribble’s new steel gravel bike: Gravel 725
The British brand has expanded its all-road offerings and continues to think outside of the box
Ribble Cycles has long been a brand that isn’t afraid to do things differently. For decades, the company has blazed a trail in the cycling world, ensuring that it stands out from the crowded market. As trends in the sport move towards gravel and all-road adventure riding, Ribble has evolved too, already offering an extensive range of gravel bikes. Today, it has further bolstered its gravel focussed platform with the release of the Ribble 725 gravel model.
The standout feature of the bike is that it is made with Reynolds 725 heat treated steel tube profiles, alongside a full carbon monocoque fork with tapered steerer. Ribble says that steel provides a supple and dynamic ride, while the Gravel 725’s specific long and low off-road geometry helps to improve handling and control on tough terrain. Aside from the performance benefits of the Reynolds 725 tubing, it also gives the bike a stunning, timeless and classic look which can be customised using Ribble’s custom colour options. The bike’s internal cable routing also adds to this sleek look (as well as keeping the cables hidden from any dust or dirt when out on the road.)
Also aiding the bike’s compliance on the rough stuff are Ribble’s signature flared handlebars and the option to add wider tyres (the Gravel 725 has a tyre clearance of up to 45mm for 700c or 47mm for 650b wheels). Made for all-day adventures, the Gravel 725 also has multiple luggage mounting options including rear rack mounts, mounts on the fork and multiple bottle mounts. Ribble has aimed to create a bike which you can trust for the most ambitious of adventures.
“Gravel is an extremely exciting dynamic – embraced and enjoyed by the Ribble team from participating in the inaugural UCI World Championships to bike packing adventures, the gravel genre continues to evolve and grow,” Ribble’s Head of Product Jamie Burrows explains. “The Gravel 725 offers greater accessibility to the genre providing a more classic aesthetic and unique ride quality that comes with the Reynolds steel frame. Overall, this addition provides greater choice and diversification across the whole platform alongside an exhilarating enhanced riding proposition for whatever your chosen style of off-road riding.”
The Gravel 725 comes in three options: Pro, Enthusiast and Sport, each with varying specifications. The Gravel 725 Pro sits at the most expensive in the range, coming equipped with a SRAM Rival XPLR eTap AXS 1x12 speed groupset and Mavic Allroad 650b Disc wheels with Halo GXC gravel tyres which RIbble says “offer control across any technical terrain.” The high-performance Pro model retails at £2,899.
Sitting underneath the Pro model is Gravel 725 Enthusiast which comes with a 1x11 speed groupset and the same Mavic Allroad wheels and LEVEL finishing kit as its Pro sibling. It is priced at £2399. Finally, Ribble offers the Gravel 725 Sport version which it describes as “accessible”, it comes with a SRAM Apex 1 groupset and retails for £2099. The Gravel 725 frameset is also available to buy for £1,299.
