Ribble Cycles has joined the stream of brands, organisations and teams taking to Zwift to offer consumers and fans the opportunity to get closer to the brand. Starting tomorrow, Friday 10th April, a nine-week long 'training program' will be available to users of the popular indoor cycling platform.
At 18:00 BST on each Friday for the next nine weeks, riders are invited to ride, train with and compete against staff from Ribble Cycles and the Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling team, the continental outfit based in the UK.
Each ride will take place over a different course with a different leader, with distances varying from a single 16.5km lap of Tempus Fugit led by Dan Bigham, up to a 75km endurance session which comprises three laps of the 25km Watopia Waste Band.
Rides are banded to ensure groups are able to stay together, however, there will be a healthy dose of competition thrown in, with sprint and race points dotted throughout the various courses. Upon joining the ride, riders' in-game avatars will be auto-assigned specific Ribble kit and the Ribble Endurance SL.
The series will culminate in a race up the Alpe Du Zwift on Zwift course 'Road to sky', a 12.4 mile (19.9 km) climb with 3,753 ft (1,144 m) of elevation gain.
The cycling landscape we're used to - in which Ribble Cycles has operated since 1897 - has become almost unrecognisable in a matter of months, and Ribble Cycles, who launched a new bike this week, is looking to offer riders some focus during uncertain times.
“Times change and we have to change with them. The Ribble brand and product range is about inclusivity, whether commuter, fitness rider or World Champion athlete," explained Andy Smallwood, CEO of Ribble Cycles. "Zwift and the new Ribble Spring Series gives all riders, including myself and the Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling Team, the ability to adhere to the Government's current advice, whilst increasing their event-specific fitness with a bit of friendly competition thrown in and continue to prepare for the rest of the racing season or cycling challenge”.
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Riders are invited to join their chosen rides via this link
Josh is Associate Editor of Cyclingnews – leading our content on the best bikes, kit and the latest breaking tech stories from the pro peloton. He has been with us since the summer of 2019 and throughout that time he's covered everything from buyer's guides and deals to the latest tech news and reviews.
On the bike, Josh has been riding and racing for over 15 years. He started out racing cross country in his teens back when 26-inch wheels and triple chainsets were still mainstream, but he found favour in road racing in his early 20s, racing at a local and national level for Somerset-based Team Tor 2000. These days he rides indoors for convenience and fitness, and outdoors for fun on road, gravel, 'cross and cross-country bikes, the latter usually with his two dogs in tow.
