The trick with the Noah SL Disc Aero+ is the complete absence of cables and hydraulic hoses. Ridley’s engineers have paid particular attention to the front of the frame, given it has the job of cutting through the wind, and took to the company’s wind tunnel to develop a new fork, which has a D-shaped steerer tube to make room for the shifter cables and brake hoses.

Paired with a one-piece handlebar and stem from component sister company Forza, the Noah SL Disc Aero+ has an incredibly clean appearance, with the only exposed cable coming from the rear derailleur.

That brings the claimed frame weight down to 850g for a size medium, making the Fenix SLX one of the lightest disc-specific frames out there. However, the frame still comes out of the same mould as the existing Fenix SL – the weight savings have come via a more advanced blend of high-modulus carbon fibres – so you still get the dropped and skinny seatstays. Though designed for endurance riding, the bike balances both performance and comfort.

The Fenix SLX Disc will be available in the UK in two builds: with Shimano Ultegra Di2 for £6,099.99 and with Shimano Ultegra mechanical for £3,899.99.

Further down the range, the entry-level Fenix Carbon has also been redesigned, so the geometry now matches the Fenix SL and Fenix SLX, while also borrowing the same tube profiles of its more expensive siblings. Plus there’s a line-up of aluminium Fenix bikes. In fact, you can check out the full Fenix range below.

Ridley Fenix SLX Disc Ultegra Di2 – £6,099.99
Ridley Fenix SLX Disc Ultegra – £3,899.99

Ridley Fenix SL Disc Ultegra Di2 – £4,099.99
Ridley Fenix SL Disc Potenza – £3,899.99
Ridley Fenix SL Disc Ultegra – £3,099.99
Ridley Fenix SL Disc 105 Mix – £2,499.99
Ridley Fenix SL Disc frameset – £1,599.99

Ridley Fenix SL Ultegra Race – £3,699.99
Ridley Fenix SL Potenza – £2,499.99
Ridley Fenix SL Ultegra – £2,399.99
Ridley Fenix SL 105 mix – £1,899.99
Ridley Fenix SL frameset – £1,399.99

Ridley Fenix C Ultegra mix – £1,849.99
Ridley Fenix C 105 mix – £1,649.99
Ridley Fenix C Tiagra – £1,549.99
Ridley Fenix C frameset – £1,349.99

Ridley Fenix A Disc Tiagra – £1,499.99
Ridley Fenix A Disc Sora – £1,199.99
Ridley Fenix A frameset – £749.99
Ridley Fenix A Ultegra mix – £1,299.99
Ridley Fenix A 105 mix – £1,199.99
Ridley Fenix A Tiagra – £1,099.99
Ridley Fenix A frameset – £699.99

Ridley X-Trail in bike-packing mode

Finally, here’s something a little different – the Ridley X-Trail in bike-packing mode. It may not appeal to your inner speed demon like the Noah, or have the cobble-crushing credentials of the Fenix, but it certainly ignited our adventurous side when we saw it at Eurobike.

If you’re not familiar with the X-Trail, it’s Ridley’s ‘all-road’ platform – so it’s right at home with bike-packing bags strapped to the frame. That frame is available in carbon fibre and aluminium but, regardless of what material you choose, it’s designed for disc brakes and thru-axles, with 36mm tyre clearance and mudguard mounts, too.

The top-of-the-range build we saw at Eurobike came dressed in a SRAM Force 1 groupset, DT Swiss R23 DB and Clement XPLOR MSO 36mm tyres. And the blue and fluoro yellow paintjob was spot on, too.

UK prices for the 2018 X-Trail range are to be confirmed, but the Ridley website also lists spec options with Shimano Ultegra, SRAM Rival 1 and Shimano 105, as well as the alloy frame dressed in SRAM Apex 1, Shimano 105 and two Shimano Sora builds (with hydraulic and mechanical disc brakes respectively).

Website: Ridley Bikes