Ridley have introduced a new model of the Fenix equipped with Shimano’s recently-announced 11-speed Ultegra groupset.
The Fenix is Ridley’s Classics machine and was introduced ahead of the 2013 campaign. Jurgen Roelandts from the Ridley-sponsored Lotto-Belisol team then rode the Fenix to a podium finish at the Tour of Flanders.
It impressed while on test here at RoadCyclingUK, too. “An excellent all-rounder, with an aggressive persona that makes it fun to ride and enough comfort built in to handle rough roads,” was our verdict.
The Fenix combines oversized, sharp-edge tubing, designed to offer the stiffness required to race over the cobbles of northern Europe, with flat sections on the seatstays to absorb road vibrations.
Ridley say the new model is one of the first in the world to come with Shimano’s overhauled Ultegra groupset, which is the beneficiary of trickle-down technology from the top-of-the-range Dura-Ace group.
As well as gaining an extra sprocket on the cassette, Ultegra 6800, unveiled in April, has more positive mechanical shifting with a shorter lever throw and a new dual pivot brake with claims for an additional 10 per cent in stopping power over its predecessor.
The complete groupset also has a new, four-arm chainset but the Ridley Fenix is specced with a compact Rotor 3DF chainset. Otherwise, the machine comes with Fulcrum Racing Quattro wheels shod with 25mm-wide Continental Grand Prix tyres and 4ZA Stratos finishing kit. The bike also has a new matte black finish.
The new model is part of Ridley’s 2014 range but it available from the Belgian brand’s network of dealers now, priced at £2,465.
Website: Ridley Bikes
