Looking at recent world championship podiums, it's hard to fault Ridley; the bikes have delivered medals by the truckload. Of course, that has more to do with the often Belgian-made engines than the Belgian-made bikes.
Nonetheless, Ridley ’cross machines reflect decades of racing in the sport's motherland. The end result makes for an interesting proposition for amateur riders: the frames ride high at the bottom bracket and top tube, very short on the front end (think: toe overlap, even on big bikes), and slammed up front.
Different strokes…
Whether all this adds up to a good or a bad bike for you depends on your preferences.
ADVERTISEMENT
First, let's quantify the funky geometry a bit. Compared with a semi-compact frame, such as a Specialized Crux or a Giant TCX Advanced Pro, the X-Night has an enormous seat tube, which runs way up above the horizontal top tube. Measured from the bottom bracket to the collar, a 56cm frame has a 60cm seat tube, for instance.
Related: The best cyclocross bikes (US / Aus) / The best cyclocross bikes (UK)
For ’cross, the high and horizontal top tube is a great thing, giving you an even and easily reachable perch for your hand during flying dismounts, and opening up the front triangle nicely for shouldering the bike.
Solid but unspectacular spec
You can read more at BikeRadar.com
via BikeRadar All the latest from BikeRadar.com http://ift.tt/1LWRJlY
No comments:
Post a Comment