supermario
Dirt Disciple
Can not find any on eBay or gumtree
ribble 531 advice
- Thread starter supermario
- Start date
I had a check and cannot find a similar bike either. I would not like to advise you an how good they are, as i have no experince of them. I have a friend who has a newer Ribble and he says it is good - not that that is much good to you. I still think that £300 is a little expensive and £200 is more realistic. Have a look at the bikes for sale here for £300 and compare them to the Ribble - that might give you an idea or two.
Richard
Richard
torqueless
Senior Retro Guru
If you are going to check it out, take some allen keys with you if you can...The saddle in that pic. is as far forward as a saddle can go, and that's a long stem.. The seller shouldn't mind setting it up a bit more conventionally with the saddle further back... and probably lower the saddle and stem too.. If it was a stretch to the bars with the saddle like this, it'll be worse now, but if the frame is your size, http://www.competitivecyclist.com/za/CCY?PAGE=FIT_CALCULATOR_INTRO you can always get a different stem, if necessary.
Doing that will also reassure you that neither stem nor seatpost are stuck.. If they are, that would be grounds for haggling, or walking away, depending on your willingness to deal with getting them loose!
Looks to be a good 1980s(?) frame from here. Oh, and the skewer on the front wheel is reversed....
Doing that will also reassure you that neither stem nor seatpost are stuck.. If they are, that would be grounds for haggling, or walking away, depending on your willingness to deal with getting them loose!
Looks to be a good 1980s(?) frame from here. Oh, and the skewer on the front wheel is reversed....
Cab
Retro Guru
If the frame's as straight as it looks in pics, £250 would be good. First check for ripples or flaking which may suggest a bent tube. Have a look under that chainstay protector & around the cranks/BB. If owner was 5' 10", he had long legs! that is a weird seat position, or maybe he was a triathelete? Check that seat post & stem are free in frame, they probably won't want you to dismantle BB but see if it's cartridge type ('ll be easier to remove!)Wheels look good, just check for wear on brake surface & feel bearings for wear.Good Luck- it'll be fun!
Iwasgoodonce
Old School Grand Master
It looks quite large for someone who is 5' 9" Is it a 59 or even 60cm frame? As mentioned above check fit. Take a road riding mate with you for a second opinion.
Cab":2g9takzs said:
The position does look a bit iffy, otherwise £250 should be a good price as the bike seems in very good nick cosmetically. Seconded on checking the seatpost/stem, though - best to give all the mechanicals the once-over (chain/BB/hubs/pedal spindles/headset especially although chains & BB units won't cost a bomb to exchange and are easy to fit) to make sure it works as well as it looks.
David
gradeAfailure
Senior Retro Guru
Looks to be waaaaaay too big for someone 5'9" to be honest.
torqueless
Senior Retro Guru
I'm assuming 700c wheels.. If so I'd guesstimate that as 23" C-T, so maybe less than optimal for 5'9", or, more accurately, a bit more than optimal? The top-tube does look long but that could be optical illusion to do with the way the bike is set up, (and photographed)..
torqueless":23uqjqqy said:
Proportions can be deceptive - I was looking at a touring frame on eBay yesterday which looked fine for me (I'm dead on 6ft and ride a 57.5cm frame which suits me no problem). Scroll down to the small print and it's only a 54cm job!
Although as a Ribble owner, and given that the OP's potential buy might well be out of the same Kowal/Autostrada stable (going on that seat cluster design) as my road bike, a 23in (or similar in "new money") frame sounds a reasonable bet.
David
Similar threads
