Product Description
Brand |
Ridley |
Category |
OTHERBIKES |
Seller |
Backcountry |
Ridley's brand pedigree lies in cyclocross. A Belgian brand creating bikes for a sport where the obsession has no equal must produce a frame that is competition-worthy and the brand's flagship 'cross model, the X-Night SL Disc Cyclocross Frameset is shaped by traditions at the heart of European cyclocross and some modern features too. If you're after a gravel bike, then the X-Trail has the geometry and demeanor you're looking for. The X-Night SL, on the other hand, is pretty much as Euro' 'cross as it gets.Still on the fence between the X-Trail, a gravel adventure sled, and the X-Night SL the cross thoroughbred' Let's break it down. The X-Night is much more compact with a slightly steeper head tube and a drastically shorter wheelbase. It's also got a higher bottom bracket, which aids in preventing touchdown of your pedals on snot-slick off-cambers and allows you to get right back on the gas after braking ever so slightly to initiate a turn. The frame's generous main triangle, with provisions for only one water bottle cage, provides plenty of room to comfortably shoulder the bike on steep run-ups or relentless stretches of sand. The classic European cyclocross geometry gives the X-Night SL a fast, aggressive feel and it still has plenty of room for mud. This adapts it for tackling everything from sticky Northeast mud to dry West Coast dirt.As with the previous generation, Ridley builds the X-Knight SL from a mix of 30T and 24T high modulus carbon fiber but the frame went on a diet and now comes in at an unheard-of 850g. This is similar to the blend found in the cobble-stone conquering Fenix frameset ridden in Roubaix and Flanders, so it sops up fatiguing vibrations and tenaciously transfers every watt into forward motion for a fast yet cushy ride worthy of even the harshest race conditions. Its internal cable routing makes for a clean, streamlined look, with the added bonus of eliminating pesky cable pinches when shouldering your bike up a steep wall of limeston...
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