Ridley

Liz 105

By now, you're probably used to one of two things -- settling for a men's complete bike and gutting the contact points at your own expense, or settling for a sub-par offering because it's simply what was available. Notice that both of those options involve settling. Well, we're here to tell you that Ridley has managed to take this failing paradigm and flip it on its head with the Liz 105. In it, Ridley created a frame with a women's-specific geometry without cutting corners on the production. And because of its identical carbon composition and similar geometry, we actually consider it to be the sister-version of the all new Ridley Fenix.

While the Liz is specifically designed for women, it doesn't mean that it's your typical shrink-and-pink job. 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 flamboyant demonstration of Belgian wealth and prosperity. In fact, 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 poignant 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 classic Ridley Damocles, the strength lies at the forefront, but with pages taken from the svelte Excalibur, the Liz'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 Liz 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 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 Liz's asymmetrical chainstays, oversized tube junctures, a Press Fit BB30 bottom bracket, and a tapered, 1.125 x 1.5in head tube.

For comfort, the Liz 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 tall head tube for increased vibration absorption and a comfortable position in the saddle. Additionally, you'll notice that the top tube has been shortened to better accomodate the morphology of women. Ultimately, the pairing creates a more natural body position that provides a higher 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.

Ridley has also made the Liz to be future-ready. By this, we mean that the frame features all internal cable routing for minimal maintenance, aerodynamics, and an overall clean aesthetic. Additionally, Ridley ensured that the Liz is compatible with all mechanical and electronic shift systems. But, this is only in the case of desired upgrade from the included Shimano 105 group. With it, you get 105 front and rear derailleurs, shift/brake levers, chain, and brake calipers. Driving the bike is an FSA Gossamer crank that's been mated with 50/34T chainrings. At the rear wheel, the drivetrain continues with a compact, 12-25T Shimano Tiagra cassette that pulls the Fulcrum 7 clincher wheels. Rounding out the build is a Prologo Kappa Dea saddle and a full Ridley 4ZA cockpit.

The Ridley Liz 105 is available in the color White/blue and in the sizes XX-Small, X-Small, and Small.