2015 Ridley Fenix Carbon Frameset

While aerodynamics are impressive, especially in the likes of Ridley's Noah Fast, sometimes the roads you ride require comfort to be first and foremost. A stiff frame is important, but the ability to dampen road vibration keeps two wheels firmly on the ground, creating stability and responsiveness. And it saves your body from the never-ending jarring. Ridden by some of the hardest men and women in cycling, Ridley Bikes has taken the best attributes of its Damocles and Excalibur and created the Fenix -- a frame with an enviable racing pedigree its comfort is what sets it apart from the herd.

As previously mentioned, Ridley's Fenix was borne of the the best attributes of its Damocles and Excalibur lines. But you're probably wondering what exactly these are? Well, starting with strength, Ridley incorporated the same Sharp Edge tube design that was developed for its first carbon frame, the Damocles. Essentially, the engineering ideology at work here is that of form following function. If you've ever taken a gander at Ridley's logo, you'll notice the Ridley "R" encased in the outline of a diamond. This isn't just a bling-ed out logo to impress your teammates, it's a representation of Ridley's design philosophy -- taking cues from natural, proven designs. Accordingly, Ridley has designed the oversized carbon tubing with the shape of the diamond in mind. The "sharp edge" means that the focused areas of the carbon layup are at the edges of the tubing. This not only guarantees a high level of strength and impact-resistance, but it also translates to a lightweight composition. So, like the Damocles, the strength lies at the forefront, but with pages taken from the svelte Excalibur, the Fenix's strength-to-weight ratio goes off the charts.

Like the Excalibur, Ridley placed a focus on lowering the overall weight, while increasing stability and comfort. Accordingly, the Fenix has been constructed from a 24-ton, high modulus carbon fiber. This means that the carbon is designed to withstand 24 tons of pressure-per-square millimeter. So, the stronger the carbon fiber, the less material that needs to be used. And the less material used means a lower overall frame weight. However, the light carbon design also translates to heightened levels of rigidity, which directly lends itself to an efficient power transfer to the rear triangle. Complementing this attribute are the Fenix's asymmetrical chainstays, oversized tube junctures, a PressFit 30 bottom bracket, and a tapered, 1.125 x 1.5in head tube.

For comfort, the Fenix features a tapered design down the seatstays that thin towards the middle before regaining their original size at the axle. Essentially, this creates a forced flex area for shock absorption on rough roads. And further along these lines, Ridley also gave the frame a medium-height head tube for increased vibration absorption and a comfortable position in the saddle. However, this isn't to say that this is a cushy gran fondo design. In fact, Mr. Greipel opted to ride the Fenix at the 2012 Paris-Roubaix. The tall, tapered head tube also permits a high level of stability, maneuvering, and control across the gamut of speed. These features are further accentuated by the use of Ridley's tried and true 4ZA carbon fiber fork.  Available in 3 different colors.