Ridley

X-Night - 2014

Ridley is Belgium. True to its nature, it never stops developing innovative technology to take its riders to the top step of the podium. The Ridley X-Night is no exception. Even though the original has seven World Cyclocross Championship titles to its name, Ridley never rested on its laurels. 

While we don't think that medals and trophies are everything, what speaks volumes is that Ridley looked at the original X-Night with an eye to make it even better. To do so, its engineers completely redesigned it. The new X-Night bears very little resemblance to its predecessor. Gone are the oversized, flat-bottomed tubes and integrated seatmast inspired by the Damocles road frame. Using 24-ton high modulus carbon fiber, Ridley was able to design a cyclocross frame that draws upon the ultralight Helium SL Road Frame. Why? Though carbon that is able to withstand 24 tons of pressure per square inch may seem like overkill, using such strong carbon means that tubing is made both stronger and smaller. Starting at the top down, Ridley removed the integrated seatmast -- resulting in a sigh of relief from taller riders who try to cram their frames into travel cases -- and replaced it with a removable 27.2mm seatpost. This in turn translated into slimmer seatstays, top tube, and down tube, which means less jarring on hardpacked courses — riding oversized carbon tubing on the road is comfortable, but on a rutted cyclocross course it leads to bouncy rides and pain. More significant, this redesign shaved nearly 350g, bringing the frame in at under a kilogram. The geometry also received subtle changes, with a slightly lower (3mm) bottom bracket — still plenty high enough to avoid rocks — and a shorter wheelbase (9mm) for faster handling. Also, the front end has been given a lower head tube for riders who prefer a more aggressive cockpit position.

Although Ridley redesigned the 2014 X-Night to be disc compatible, many riders still prefer cantilever brakes. Never fear, this version of the frame is cantilever-friendly. To complete the frame, Ridley used a full-carbon 4ZA Oryx fork. This 1-1/8 x 1-1/2in 4ZA fork uses a reinforced lower leg design to reduce chatter. In addition, larger blades also absorb vibration from rough terrain and provide a stiff front end for the micro accelerations needed after barriers. This is a perfect complement to the smaller tubing on the frame itself.

The 2014 Ridley X-Night - Frame Only, is available in 52cm, 54cm, and 56cm in the color scheme Black/Orange.