Review: 09 Ridley X-Ride

By Scott Mares | Published Apr 7, 2011

Right Out of the Box

So we got the Ridley X-ride as a frame set and then built it up as a complete bike. When we pulled the Ridey frame set out of the box it made a big impression on me. The fork is super trick and is over built and light as a feather. The frame was this bright white with black and blue accents that gave it a very crisp appearance. I noticed right away that the frame had this massive down tube. Right away I knew that this was going to be one stiff bike. I could easily see that the head tube was tapered from 11/8 to 1 1/4 so it as was massive as well.

Road Test Ride

Just as I suspected this bike is super stiff when you put the power down. Now before I go any futher keep in mind that this frame set is a 2009 and for 2010 Ridley has changed their sizing a little bit. This X-Ride kept true with the tall and short reputation that the Ridleys' have been known for. And what I mean by that is that they had a high bottom bracket with out shorting the seat tube. The Ridley also have a short top tube. So you have a very quick handling bike. This bike was just that. Very very quick. And I want to clarify what I mean by that. You need both hands with this one. The bike requires very little input to change directions. One hand if you on the road and both if you are off road.

Dirt Test Ride

So we took this bike off road for a bit and if you get one you need to be careful because the Ridley X-Ride is like a bumble bee. Its fast and very, very responsive. So much so Its probably the most maneuverable bike we have tested to date. Now before we get all excited about its maneuverability and run out and order one remember this, there's a trade off. The more maneuverable a bike is the more unstable it is. We found that we had to adjust to the X-Rides lighting quick handling to prevent us from over steering the bike through corners. However, quick adjustments to miss a rock or tree root were not a problem at all and were taken care of with a slight flick of the wrist. The bike begged for the whip, wanted to go fast and at times was a little too fast for our liking. I guess I would have to describe the experience like being on a roller coaster that was going faster that its suppose to. What a fun ride though.

Trainer Test Ride

The bike is very stiff as it has a very large down tube that feeds into a large bottom bracket and large chain stays. The front end of the bike contributes to this as the head tube is 1 1/8" and goes larger to 11/4" making it Uber stiff. we did not get hardly any flex from the bike on the trainer so we know that all of our effort is going into the wheels getting us closer to the finish line.

Race Test Ride

We took the Ridley X-ride out to the local crit series here in Portland and just like on the dirt the Ridley X Ride was the same on the road. I had to dial it down a notch so I would not crash as the handling is razor sharp. For my taste it was a little much and I would recommend some extended saddle time before getting into some races with this Belgium crotch rocket.

We Liked

There were 4 things that we liked about the Ridley x Ride. To sum it up in short phrases I would have to say that the bike has great graphics, was super quick, super stiff and light weight. the final thing that we liked about the Ridley X-Ride was the fork. This is one cool looking fork and its super stiff too. I guess the things that impressed me about the fork was its weight shape and the carbon weave.

We Didn't Like

We would liked to have a frame with a little longer top tube. We found that the shorter top tube for our size was a little much. But Ridey changed that in 2010 and so now all of the current ones have longer top tubes. However, in all fairness this bike would probably fit people with longer legs and shorter torsos. I have a longer torso than I have legs.

Upgrades

None

The Final Say

The 2009 Ridley X-ride is one great option for the committed female cyclocross racer. The shorted top tube with a standard seat tube fits right with the longer legs and short torso that most women have. However if you are a guy with the typical long upper body and shorter lower body this may not be the right frame set for you. However, Ridley has changed their set up so this now will fit most men now. This bike was light and responsive and a lot of fun to ride. The Ridley X-Ride is not for the inexperienced as it is a hand full and can easily get away from someone. The cool paint and graphics give the X-Ride its euro flare which will no doubt send a message when you roll up to the line and may even cause concern to your competition after they notice the name and the Uber cool carbon fork. Need comfort? Go somewhere else as the Ridley X-Ride is all business. The thing that holds this frame set back from a high score is the sizing. Otherwise we were very happy with what we had.

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