To extract the best out of the frame and fork you will want to upgrade at some point, but Racing’s 7s will last the distance and wear well meaning you’ll be upgrading on your own terms and not out of necessity. GBP £2,299.00 RRP With all the focus on comfort, don’t be fooled into expecting a soft ride – this is a … It’s responsive. This durability is an attractive feature and means the risk of tube failure in the event of a crash is much lower.The added comfort and durability comes at a slight weight penalty over a superlight frame and fork, but despite this the Fenix SL comes in at very respectable 7.1kg for the complete build you see here.Although unquestionably an endurance platform, the Fenix’s geometry is still within the realms of a race bike, with our size medium having a stack and reach of 573mm and 392mm respectively.For those who like stats, Ridley claims that this all-new frame is 15 per cent lighter, eight per cent stiffer, and five per cent more compliant than its predecessor.The improved front end is more aero than the previous Ridley FenixThe redesigned fork and head tube are also claimed to improve aerodynamics too. Its default setting is to go straight-on, and straight-on with speed. Oval-shaped seatstays on the Ridley Fenix SL Disc help to give the frame some compliance on rough roads.
I should point out that I swapped the saddle for my favoured Fizik Arione for the majority of testing.The bike was put through its paces on some long ridesAn endurance bike needs a suitable test. For 2017, though, the brand has become much more competitive, offering full Ultegra with no omissions for a pound shy of £2,300 (about US$3,010). The top tube has a ‘leaf-spring’ appearance, a theme that continues to the rear stays which are ‘flat’ and spring-like at the seat tube, becoming more rounded at the rear dropout.To further bolster comfort, the frame is also designed to accommodate 30mm tyres. Sign in to manage your newsletter preferences The unerring stiffness from front to back does have an effect on the way the Fenix handles. An 11-28 tooth cassette is … For someone of his stature and putting out the power he does you only need to ride the SL for a few hours to understand why.If all this talk of solidity and stiffness puts you off, then don’t be because Ridley has pulled off a pretty masterly trick here. The Fenix SL had certainly delivered on its endurance and comfort claims.The Fenix SL excels in another area, too.
The 396mm reach and 599mm stack combined with a steep 73.5 head angle and more standard 72.5 seat along with the 1010mm wheelbase suggest a more endurance biased ride position but the reality is of a fast and fluid bike built for speed and very capable over longer distances, too. 1 The Ridley Fenix SL Ultegra Road Bike features a carbon frameset, a Shimano Ultegra 2x11 groupset and Forza RC23 wheels. Finishing things off is decent 25mm rubber from Continental and a nice bit of icing on the cake is the inclusion of two quality cages.In all, the Fenix SL is a damn fine machine at a good price. Handling is easily among the best of any bikes I have ridden, with the Fenix SL inspiring confidence through the corners and particularly when descending at speed.A downside to super stiff, light bikes is that they can be ‘chattery’ when pushed through corners, but the Fenix is beautifully balanced, possessing a secure, planted feel. The bike’s purposeful ride rewards powerful riders and is suited to bigger stature pilots
USD $2,750.00 The durable carbon lay-up makes it an attractive option for people wanting to race with a reduced risk of handlebar impacts cracking the top tube. Its purposeful ride rewards powerful riders and it’s suited better to bigger stature pilots. Sign up to receive our newsletter! The 4Za Stratos saddle isn’t a favourite amongst our testers but neither is it an uncomfortable place to be. You've been subscribed to our newsletter. A Flandrian flag sticker proclaiming ‘tested on pavé’ instantly reveals the frame’s raison d’être. Ridley Fenix SL Ultegra Review Level 5 expert In all, the Fenix SL is a damn fine machine at a good price. Magazines The Fenix SL is the evolution of the bike that Belgium’s Ridley designed to take on the cobbled classics of its homeland. I chose the epic Rapha Manchester to London in aid of Ambitious about Autism.This ride turned out to be 388km in a single day and involved a variety of terrain and just about every road surface imaginable.Comfort was superb with the Fenix doing an excellent job of ironing out road imperfections. You simply can’t detect even the slightest of flex under hard sprinting and all out attacks on climbs. Yes, its all of the above, but this certainly isn’t at the detriment of comfort. By entering your details, you are agreeing to BikeRadar Don't miss out on MBUK – get your next 3 issues for just £5Get the next 3 issues of the UK's number one cycling magazine for just £5 Climbing out of the saddle feels very direct and efficient, but the bike didn’t feel quite as snappy as comparably lighter machines when attacking or accelerating hard.When compared to the likes of Specialized, Trek and Cervélo, Ridley is very competitive on price. Features Although there are more aerodynamic frames out there, I would argue the that limiting factor in descending speed (with regards to bike design) is the handling characteristics.I consistently set Strava PRs descending on this bike.