Most mountain bike brands measure their legacy in decades, but Ribble is bit different.

The company has celebrated its 125-years in cycling by opening a new physical retail store, whilst adding some additional frames to the portfolio.

This impressive new retail store is located in Lancashire’s Ribble valley and offers a deeply immersive experience, using the latest digital information asses with the traditional tactility of in-store browsing.

Read more: best hardtail mountain bikes 

Ribble embraces technology and traditional retail

Across the 2,000sq  of floorspace Ribble’s entire range will be on display, with each bike model having dedicated digital information features.

Touchscreen information stations will assist Ribble customers in learning more about the bike they can physically touch. All components are also on display in the new store, go give a tactile reference to anything a customer might configure on one of the information screens.

Broadening Ribble’s mountain bike offering are the new two new hardtails, one rolling 29er wheels and the other on 27.5” hoops. If you want something more affordable than Ribble’s gorgeous titanium bikes, these new hardtails will appeal.

A proper singletrack carving hardtail

Its new HT Trail AL 29 is the work of Ribble’s industrial designers, who opted to shape a progressive geometry 6061-T6 aluminium frame, finished with tidy smooth welded tube bonds.

Straddling the divide between a trail and hardcore hardtail, the HT Trail AL 29 is optimized around a 130mm fork, which sets it at a slack 64° head angle.

The rear triangle is also generously spaced, enabling 29×2.5” tyres to roll through the muddiest conditions without any clearance issues.

There is a smaller wheeled Ribble HT

Ribble riders who want the same frame specification, but prefer the agility of 27.5” wheels, can opt for the HT AL. Although the smaller wheeled bike has a similar 64° head angle, it runs a longer 150mm travel fork.

Both of these new Ribble hardtail models feature stealth dropper post routing and 44mm head tubes.

Frame only pricing starts at £599, with three build options ranging from £1,399 to £1,999. Those price points correspond to three build grades (Sport, Enthusiast, Pro), using SRAM SX, GX and NX build kits.