Surosa Audax Update

Just after I returned from Holiday I decided that having 2 road bikes, the same spec, was a little pointless, So I stripped and sold the Ribble, why not the Surosa ? Well the Surosa is actually the better bike.

I decided that I wanted to upgrade the Surosa, its a great bike yes BUT its not perfect, So I purchased 2 good quality , strong hand-built wheels and a full Shimano 105 Group Set.

The weekend before my RTC I started the upgrades, I was intending to go out, buy he part I needed for the cranks, get some good quality cables and finish the job at during the week, however the impact of a van hitting me left my hands far too weak to be able to do it myself, that and the fact that you cant upgrade while you are passing out !

So I took it to Crown Point Cycles in Denton and paid the man £69 to finish the job for me, that was £69 that I wouldnt have needed to pay, if I wasnt hit by a WVM, while he did a good job, I was a little gutted I didnt finish what I had started.

Surosa Upgrade

So  not does it have a better group set I have also gone from a 50 chain ring to a 53 and from a 13-27 cassette to a 11/23 cassette and a new set of “Nuke Proof Rims”.

Now I just need to find my bottle and learn how to ride again.

Surosa Toledo Pro Vs Ribble Audax Review .

Today I decided to write a review of 2 popular Audax bikes, Allow me to start with a bit of backgroud that explanes why I have both of them in my stable.

2 weeks ago,after hitting an unseen dirt track on my Ribble and breaking a spoke I was forced to use my Townsend while the Ribble wheel was in for repair.

This caused my commute home to take 45 mins (I Can do it in 27 mins these days)

This was because I didnt have brakes, or gears, or wheels that didnt wobble, I was forced , because of how bad a shape it was in to avoid the main roads. I decided then that it had to go and I had to get myself a new “Back Up” Bike.

I set about looking on eBay for another Ribble, however the only ones at a decent price were either REALLY old, or poorly specc’ed. Almost giving up I searched Surosa, there was ONE listed, however it was just 2 miles from me, the only downside was the seller was asking £480 for it !!!!!! It didnt sell and after some hard negotiations he agreed to sell it to me for a little over £350, and here it is.

Surosa Toledo "Pro"

It stunning and pretty much brand new, its the same spec as my Ribble but has much more recent components, this blog post is designed to review both bikes and give an idea what they are VS each other.

Ribble Audax Review:

Ribble Audax

I have rode the 2007 Ribble Audax for approx 3500 miles since I purchased it in August 2009.

It has been a great bike that I use every day, the Mavic Open Sport wheels are not the best, however have taken my 20+ Stone pretty well with just 4/5 broken spokes in 3500 approx miles of riding. It has the older style shimano tiagra groupset and while its been reliable its felt at times, clunky and industrial,

I am at the stage now where I can cruse along on the flat at 20/23Mph on this bike all day without any problems.

When I stand up to accelerate it feels livley, however the back end does sometimes feel a little too lightweight and has at times lost traction when I was stood up and cornering at the same time.

I fitted a Fizik Arione Saddle and I have to say its the single most comfortable saddle I have ever used (I have even owned a brooks saddle and didnt enjoy that)

For £300 ( Although was an eBay purchase it was BRAND NEW !) its been an fantastic BARGAIN and really is a great bike.

Looks 4/5

Comfort 3.5/5

Performance 3.5/5

Durability 4/5

Surosa Toledo Pro Review:

Surosa Toledo "Pro"

WOW This bike was purchased as my “Back Up” but riding just the 2 miles home I knew it was FAR too good for that.

The Toledo has a slightly sloping top tube. The geometry gives the bike a more upright and relaxed riding position for better long distance comfort.

Equipped with the 2009 shimano tiagra groupset shifting is smooth, quiet and precise.

The wheels not only look good they also feel pretty good too.

It often felt today like the Surosa was under geared vs the Ribble as I felt I was going slower but spinning the cranks at the same cadence, however every time I looked down at my Garmin Edge I was doing between 19 and 22 Mph, It wasnt under geared, it was just a much more relaxed ride, so much so that I rode 15 miles with a 16mph average.

The first 13.5 Miles were done with a 17.8 MPH average, however it was a bloody hot morning and I didnt bring a drink, so I had to stop for one, by the time I was done I had cooled down and took it easy the rest of the way.

The Surosa doesnt look as light as the Ribble thanks to the oversized tubes, however my average today was quicker than ever (Until I had stopped that is).

Those oversized tubes give it an AMAZING look.

Looks 4.5/5

Comfort 4.5/5

Performance 4.5/5

Durability ??/5

Surosa VS Ribble:

The Ribble inspires you to sprint more. The Surosa allows you to ride faster for longer and harder, between the 2 the clear winner is the Surosa, more comfort, better  geometry and that Black finish looks the DOGS !!!!.

The other issue is that the Surosa feels more agile yet sure footed when you do feel the need to sprint,

I will be using my Ribble as my new Back Up bike and the Surosa will get a beating every day, that actually saddens me a little, as I had lusted after a Ribble for so long and while I had it, it was the best bike I had ever rode.

The Surosa now takes that title and I suspect a Surosa, not Ribble, will be my next bike purchase when the time arises.

Providing that the Surosa’a durability lives upto that of the Ribble’s……

Gaz