ImprezaDrvr

Our team got new frames this year and we ended up going with Ridley as opposed to any of the others that offer a pro type deal. Got the frames last week. Being a paint shop, we expected good paint, but they're beautiful. Fit and finish is as nice as, and a bit nicer in terms of some of the details, than my Orbea that this frame replaces.

(About the Orbea- it's a 60c Ultrafoco Carbon. Steel with carbon seatstays. Smooth as smooth can be, especially under my 190 pounds. A bit heavy, but again, I'm 190 so an extra couple of pounds is no biggie. But I won't miss it on the new bike.)

Got the frame, fought to take old, seized or cross threaded parts off of the old ORbea, and rode the Ridley for the first time on Saturday. Rode it like I stole it. Training with some Cat II's (I'm a V). On some short but steep climbs in southern OK. Chip-seal roads, occasionally sketchy asphault and some dirt. Great 3.5 hour ride and a great opportunity to test everything that the bike can do.

And it can do a lot. Holy crap. I was a mile into the chip-seal before I realized that I was on chip-seal. Like butter this bike, but quicker and stiffer in the BB. It sounds like marketing crap, but the bike rides like those cyclingnews reviews say every carbon bike rides. Stiff, compliant, climbs like a scalded cat chasing a nap, descends like a lead-encrusted rock, handles like it's glued to velcro rails and the whole thing. I am truly amazed. It's not just the material, I know, but it does speak very well to Ridley's design. Not a crazy light climbing bike, either, which is great for me. But, with my regular old Record/Velocity wheels, it comes in at 17.65 pounds. Race wheels will knock it under 17. For a large frame (58.8 top tube, basically a 60c).

The thing about the ride is that I'm running the same bars and stem, same wheels and tires, same saddle and pedals that I was before. That's about as much as I can hold constant to compare this bike to my old one, and it's incredible to me how smooth the Ridley is. It handles the high frequency stuff better than the Orbea, and I was steering into asphault ridges and bumps to feel it soak them up.

Going up the climb, it was solid. Coming down I ended up behind a truck, and even on a just over 2 mile descent they were taking it very, very easy. I didn't get a chance to push it as much as I would have liked, but if I was in better shape than I could have climbed it again and tried the descent unimpeded. But, cornering was as good as everything else with it.

I haven't seen too many reports on Ridleys, so I thought I'd throw this out there. All in all, and especially for the price (even at or near to MSRP) it's a great bike.

Coyote2

Thanks, that's good to know. I may get one next year. Can get it (built with anything) at wholesale, so it's pretty hard to resist.

ridethecliche

Cool review!
Enjoy the new frameset!

gfrance

Sounds great.

I just went to full carbon from steel. While I loved the steel to no end, I'm enjoying the carbon too, for many of the same reasons you state.

stealthySL2

i'm between that bike, a damocles and thinking of maybe waiting it out for a helium...built up with fulcrum race 3s, FSA and either Force or Dura Ace. switched my mind from campy...although i love it...just like the bigger hoods to be honest.

love this excalbur. can get a full Dure Ace and FSA build below cost. (i work in a shop) but the 17+ lb price point is scary. i was originally going to build up a sub 15 lb Tarmac SL2..but my cohorts at the shop sold it out from under me after waiting since July for it to arrive.

would love to hear more feedback.

damocles1

H-e-l-i-u-m...

stealthySL2

got a photo off yours?

cat4ever

Please post photos and for love of God people, quit saying that your bike climbs like a cat. Mine doesn't, that's why I'm mad.

damocles1

There you go...

It may climb like a cat, but I still climb like I have a Buick tied to my ass.

It does sprint like it's shot out of a cannon though...

ImprezaDrvr

Hey, I said it climbs like a scalded cat chasing a nap. That's very different.

The Helium wasn't worth the extra money. I don't want, or need, a 900 gram frame under me. Well, I like the idea, don't get me wrong. But for the money, this Excalibur is great. It's great regardless of the money, actually.

I've got another cosmetic change to make before I get any pics of it. And pictures really won't do it justice. Example: Our team is abbreviated as CRRC. Well, we have a small CRRC logo at the top of each fork leg. The fork leg is red where the logo is, and the CRRC is outlined in nude carbon instead of having a black outline to set it off from the red. It's the little things, right?

Der

I love the design of Excalibur.. And I guess Ridley makes very stiff frame. I riding 2006 Ridley Pegasus and it stiff like hell, got to change the contact points to carbon before it become ridable. Well, I just a poor student and can only afford aluminium anyway. zzzzz

macd

I've been on an Excalibur for a year now and it is by far the best riding bike I've ever owned (and I've owned a lot). The fit and finish on my Excalibur is much nicer than the Treks I've owned. Not to mention Ridley has been doing the 1-1/8 - 1-1/2 headset design for years and now other manufacturers are jumping on that design. Makes for a very stable front end.

NYJayhawk

Picked up my Excalibur in Sept with all Campy Centaur components. It's the '07 black (dark grey) carbon weave frame, but I was lucky in that the Centaur crank upgrade was available in carbon as well (pleasant suprise).

Coming from a 28 lb. Trek 7300fx hybrid to this thing was like changing sports. Sweeeeeet ride.

oilman_15106

They do have great paint jobs but what would you expect from a company that started out as a paint company.

SilentShifter

Thanks for the report - good information to know. I am considering picking one up as a secondary bike.

nescafe

congrats on the new bike! and couldnt agree with you more on your report. it does handle very well, esp while on the drops. picked up an excal as well as few weeks ago and have been loving it to bits since. where it really shines for me is when you shift to the big ring, on the drops, and hammer down out of the saddle...see ya...

enjoy the new bike...and pics buddy pics...