Tech feature: Ridley 2010 preview, June 12, 2009

New mid-range aero road bike and lots of 'cross for 2010 from Ridley

By James Huang in Tessenderlo, Belgium

Ridley for the road - lots of changes for aluminum models

Carbon fiber or aluminum? Now you have a choice.

Consumers who lust after Ridley's recently revamped Noah aero road bike - but can't afford one - will have a less expensive aluminum option for the 2010 model year called Phaeton (our preproduction photo sample was still marked with its earlier working name, Gryphon).

The Phaeton will feature a giant deep-section down tube and bowed top tube like the Noah, along with a deep-section seat tube as well. The cutout on the Phaetone seat tube will be accomplished via a welded aluminum plate though and the Noah's integrated mast is traded for an extended semi-integrated one for the alloy version.

Ridley are also offering the Noah in a team replica paintjob

Phaeton will also borrow the Noah's unique split-blade 'R-Flow' fork leg design (similar to Oval Concepts' JetStream fork), which Ridley say diverts air away from the front wheel's churning spokes for reduced drag. However, the new fork will make do with a straight 1 1/8" steerer and the R-Flow treatment will not be used on the seat stays as on the Noah.

Naturally, all that aluminum will add up though: claimed weight for a medium Phaeton is 1565g vs. the Noah's 1,200g but cost will be a much more attainable US$1,150 vs. the Noah's US$3,450.

In addition, the mid-range Icarus will be reintroduced for 2010 complete with scandium-enhanced and butted 7005 aluminum tubing and a choice of sloping or traditional geometries. Claimed weight for a medium-sized sloping version is 1320g. Women will also get a new Tempo aluminum road frame but Ridley will otherwise cut most of their aluminum models from the range - the Boreas, Heracles, Triton, Triton S, Triton C, Aedon and Scandium are all gone for 2010.

The 'entry level' Orion carbon road frame will get a new R-Blade fork for 2010 but otherwise all Ridley carbon road frames are unchanged for 2010 save for updated paint.

Bring on the mud!

Team Fidea will use the all-new X-Night for this year's UCI 'cross series.

Ridley will continue their two-pronged 'cross approach in 2010 with all-new versions of the X-Night and X-Fire carbon frames.

The US$3,000 X-Night frameset features a more Euro-traditional tall bottom bracket height and drops a substantial amount of mass from last year - claimed weight is now just 1,150g with an uncut integrated seat mast. Even so, stiffness looks to have gone up considerably as well, especially up front with a newly tapered 1 1/8"-to-1 1/2" steerer, bigger crown, and more widely spaced legs on the updated Oryx fork.

In addition, the 2010 X-Night will feature a BB30-compatible bottom bracket shell and internal cable routing for more consistent shifting and braking performance in muddy conditions.

Both dropouts of the new X-Night are fully replaceable

Riders favoring a more conventional bottom bracket height can look to the heavily revised X-Fire, which gets the same tapered Oryx fork as the X-Night for reduced brake shudder and more precise handling. Ridley look to have taken a page out of their road frame design manual here as the X-Fire's chain stay diameter has gone up considerably while the seat stays are noticeably slimmer for a more responsive drivetrain but presumably more comfort on the race course. Claimed weight for a 54cm frame is a svelte 1192g - just 42g more than the X-Night - and suggested retail price is half that of the X-Night at US$1,500.

As Ridley have done with the Noah and Phaeton, X-Fire will also have an aluminum counterpart in the new X-Ride. Weight goes up a bit as well (to 1370g for a 54cm frame) but X-Ride will also use the same tapered Oryx fork and cost just US$950.

Ridley isn't typically the first brand that comes to mind when it comes to mountain bikes but their Ignite carbon hardtail is noteworthy nonetheless. For 2010, the current version's mostly round tubes are replaced with more geometric and angular shapes for additional rigidity and head tube angles are slightly slackened for improved high-speed stability. Cable routing will now be internal and Ridley will offer versions with conventional or integrated seat masts.

Photography

For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here

Images by James Huang/Cyclingnews.com

• Carbon fiber or aluminum? Now you have a choice.
• The new Phaeton mimics the shape of the flagship Noah but in aluminum instead of carbon for a much more attainable price point (this prototype was still called 'Gryphon').
• The Phaeton gets the Noah's R-Flow split-blade fork legs but makes do with a straight 1 1/8" steerer.
• Stay shaping on the Phaeton isn't nearly as radical as on the Noah and they also do without the R-Flow split-stay design.
• There is a lot of welding required to recreate the Noah's slippery shape in aluminum for the Phaeton.
• Ridley are also offering the Noah in a team replica paintjob so even if you can't sprint like Robbie McEwen, you can at least ride a similar-looking bike.
• The Noah uses a tapered front end as well in addition to a rough strip of 'R-Surface' material on either side that Ridley say helps air 'stick' to the sides and trailing edges of the frame, thus reducing drag. Similar strips are used on the seat tube and seat stays.
• Ridley say the split R-Flow seat stay and fork blade design pull air away from the churning wheels to reduce drag.
• Rather than a full-length or overlapping sleeve, Ridley use two separate threaded collars for the Noah bottom bracket shell - hopefully in combination with a very precise alignment jig.
• The Helium continues on as Ridley's flagship all-around road racer.
• The front end features a tapered steerer tube that flares from 1 1/8" up top to 1 1/2" at the fork crown.
• Large-diameter chain stays and slender seat stays presumably make for a stiff drivetrain and comfortable ride.
• The integrated seatmast is topped with a tidy looking head but it looks like it has to be removed in order to make angle adjustments.
• Team Fidea will use the all-new X-Night for this year's UCI 'cross series.
• The X-Night's newly tapered steerer also yields a beefier crown for better steering and braking.
• Newly internal cable routing should make things easier on mechanics and preserve shift quality for a longer period of time.
• The new X-Night's BB30 bottom bracket is well reinforced but we can't help but wonder about mud accumulation.
• The BB30 system will shed weight and add stiffness but also lots of ankle clearance.
• An integrated seatmast on the new X-Night means an end to slipping seatposts when remounting.
• The new X-Night's wishbone stays leave plenty of room for mud to pass through.
• Both dropouts of the new X-Night are fully replaceable in the event of a bad crash.
• Ridley also market their own line of carbon wheels under the '4ZA' label.
• Ridley offer high-end carbon fiber 'cross machines - the X-Night and X-Fire - with two distinct geometries to suit rider preferences
• The new X-Fire gets a substantial upgrade with the new tapered front end.
• Bigger chain stays and smaller seat stays on the revamped X-Fire should presumably stiffen up the drivetrain while also allowing for a smoother ride.
• The Crossbow frame is built with double-butted 7000-series aluminum and comes in a generous 41-60cm size range.
• The widely set stays on the Crossbow provide good clearance.
• The budget-minded Crossbow's Zornyc fork uses carbon blades mated to an aluminum crown and steerer.
• The Ignite carbon hardtail gets new tube shaping and a slacker head tube angle.
• Cable routing on the updated Ignite is now internal.