Ridley

Fenix SL Disc Ultegra Road Bike - 2019

The Fenix SL is the quintessential all-around endurance machine, exuding race-caliber talent on all terrain types while keeping your savings account looking decently healthy. The workhorse-ready design boasts 5mm longer chainstays and can accommodate 30mm tires, compared to the more racing specific geometry of Ridley's Helium SLX, elevating comfort over rough terrain and long-haul training miles.

At the heart of the Fenix SL is the unidirectional 30T and 24T high-modulus carbon layup, which strikes an ideal balance between stiffness and compliance. Tackling harshly paved, chip-sealed county roads, you’ll notice the benefits of this more compliant design that sacrifices just a small amount of tight, snappy riding characteristics to achieve a more comfortable ride compared to higher tensile strength carbon designs.

The Fenix SL is equipped with Ultegra disc brakes, which offer increased modulation in any braking conditions with feedback that is responsive and intuitive. You’ll know exactly how hard or soft the brakes are being applied and will be more keenly aware of when the wheel is nearing lockup. Moving the brakes into their own space closer to the hub — and thus, away from the rim surface — clears room for larger tires, as well as keeps the pad/rotor interface cleaner than a rim setup ever could. We think it’s one of the most progressive performance shifts for developing riding confidence in recent history.

Ridley checks all the boxes with style-watts on the Fenix SL, and you’ll be onboard a classics inspired cobble-smasher with modern refinement. While the Fenix SL can claim a few aerodynamic advantages with the head tube shaping and dropped seat stays, it stands out with a more traditionally shaped design and appeal. The minimally curved top-tube, functionally shaped head tube, and thin stays conjure up memories of some of the finest ascents of the brutally-cobbled Paterberg of the early 2000s.

The Fenix SL is equipped with Shimano's Ultegra 11-sp groupset. Ultegra’s swift and precise shifting, powerful disc brakes, and some of the most ergonomically shaped hoods on the market make it a race-worthy drivetrain for the self-sponsored cyclist. The semi-compact 52-36t chainrings on the Rotor VEGAST crankset open up terrain options, and the Forza wheels are ready to roll.