Moreover, Ribble claims the angular and relatively slab-sided tubing is efficient at cutting through the air, and the race geometry is designed so you yourself can fold away into an aero tuck position with ease.

At the back you’ll also find seatstays verging on the impossibly thin for added road buzz elimination when you’re not just KOM hunting, but want to spend a good few hours on the SL.

Ribble’s traditional high value is also present with a cheapest build of £1,599, and you can customise it with your ideal level of groupset and finishing kit at a competitive price point, which means not only can you have a featherweight frame, you can build it up with kit consummate with the bike’s (and your) strengths.

By the time you read this, we’ll have already taken the Ribble SL out for its first real spin (and put it to work as a commuter too), and while it’s too early to make a definitive judgement on its character and rideability, what’s absolutely clear is that this is first and foremost a stiff, stiff, stiff machine.

Look out for our full review in the coming weeks, where time will tell if it can marry this headline quality with ride-balancing compliance and finesse too. And, for now, check out more in the gallery below.

Website: Ribble Cycles