The Ribble Ultra SL is as uncompromising an aero race bike as you're likely to find

Aerodynamics have been prioritised over all else, making it great for straight-line speed, but has had some negative impacts on the ride

Ribble Ultra SL in Blue
(Image: © Will Jones)

Cyclingnews Verdict

Exceptionally fast, but uncomfortable on long rides and not the best handling machine

Pros

  • +

    It's very, very fast

  • +

    For the price, you'll struggle to find a more aero package

Cons

  • -

    Bars too wide, though they can be changed

  • -

    Handling isn't amazing

  • -

    Rather uncomfortable beyond 2hrs

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The cycling industry, much like the fashion industry in a lot of ways, comes in cycles. That pun wasn’t intended, but I’m going to claim it all the same. Recently we’ve gone through a number of years of having the best road bikes, the best aero road bikes, the best lightweight bikes, and then there’s all-road, gravel adjacent, the best endurance road bikes, road bikes you can only use on a Thursday, the best pink endurance aero road bikes that are lightweight and also gravel capable... you get the picture. 

While this trend seems to be drawing to a close, with brands like Specialized et al opting instead to produce ‘a race bike’ in an all-round, do-it-all package like the Tarmac SL7, the Ribble Ultra SL is firmly within the aero bike box. It’s so focused I’m loath to put it in a box, as boxes are hideously un-aerodynamic. As we’ll go into, I'm a little surprised it didn’t arrive in a kammtail shipping box.

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Testing scorecard and notes
AttributesNotesRating
Design and aesthetics If you're into aero bikes it looks cool, but there are some bits of design detail lacking7/10
Build105 Di2 is ace, but the in-house finishing kit is second-tier7/10
PerformanceIn a straight line on smooth roads you'll not be caught, but it lacks in handling and comfort7/10
WeightIt's a little hefty, as a result of all that extra material7/10
ValueIf speed is the goal I think you'll struggle to find a bike as fast as this, with Di2 shifting, for such a low price9/10
Overall ratingRow 5 - Cell 1 74%
Will Jones
Senior Tech Writer

Will joined the Cyclingnews team as a reviews writer in 2022, having previously written for Cyclist, BikeRadar and Advntr. He’s tried his hand at most cycling disciplines, from the standard mix of road, gravel, and mountain bike, to the more unusual like bike polo and tracklocross. He’s made his own bike frames, covered tech news from the biggest races on the planet, and published countless premium galleries thanks to his excellent photographic eye. Also, given he doesn’t ever ride indoors he’s become a real expert on foul-weather riding gear. His collection of bikes is a real smorgasbord, with everything from vintage-style steel tourers through to superlight flat bar hill climb machines.