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Ridley X-Fire

For ’cross racers, Ridley offers two all-carbon frames.

Components SRAM Force

Wheels Mavic Ksyrium Equipe

Sizes 41, 48 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60 cm

MSRP $3,399

Component specifications as reviewed differ from picture

Sometimes it’s the small details that really matter. Look at the 2012 Ridley X-Fire cyclocross bike from the front and you’ll notice the inside opening of the fork changes in shape – from wider in the front to narrower in the back. It’s tough to spot at first, and yet a design detail like that makes this one of the best ’cross bikes on the market for muddy conditions. As mud builds up on the front wheel and hits the back of the fork, it’s a small opening to get caught in. Most of the mud will just hit the back of the legs and fall off. But for what does enter the inside of the forks, there’s a much wider opening in the front – allowing that mud to easily shoot out rather than clogging up the wheel and front brake.

It’s just one of the features of the well-equipped X-Fire, a full-carbon, updated-for-2012 cyclocross bike from Belgian-brand Ridley. The company’s bikes are being imported in Canada by Norco, and they’re bringing in an impressive range of bikes from the Ridley stable.

For ’cross racers, Ridley offers two all-carbon frames. There’s the top-end X-Night, which uses a mix of Ridley’s 30- and 24-tonne carbon fibre for a sub-1,300 g World Cup-level frame, and the X-Fire, built only using 24-tonne carbon. Because the X-Night has an integrated seatpost, it’s less popular among North American racers (ISP bikes are tough to travel with) and the X-Fire’s frame is actually slightly lighter, although you’d also have to add in the weight of a standard seatpost for a true comparison.

Completely stock, the X-Fire is a bike ready to be raced. It weighs around 8.25 kg (18.15 pounds), but 3 kg of that is the stock Mavic Ksyrium wheels and Continental tires. The 35c Speed King tires are too wide to meet the current UCI standards, but they perform well in a variety of conditions and corner with confidence. For 2012, the X-Fire frame got a PressFit 30 bottom bracket and a tapered headtube. The new BB style allowed for a massive downtube which is squared off and houses internal routing for the front derailleur cable. Each size of the X-Fire frame has a different diameter downtube to make it easier for gripping based on the size of rider. The toptube is well-shaped for shouldering and houses the rear derailleur and brake cables. The X-Fire also has a tapered headtube, which allows it to use the same carbon monocoque fork found on the top-level X-Night.

The Canadian spec on the X-Fire differs slightly from what you’ll find in other countries and on the Ridley website. Our $3,399 test bike featured a SRAM Force drivetrain with Avid Shorty 6 brakes, a Ritchey Pro stem and handlebar, 4ZR Cirrus seatpost and Fizik saddle. There’s also a SRAM Rival version ($2,799) and a Shimano 105 version ($2,429)

On spec alone, the X-Ride is a race-worthy bike. Fortunately, it doesn’t disappoint when you take it out of the box. The carbon fibre frame takes the edge off of bumpy cyclocross terrain, but the oversized tubes, massive bottom bracket junction and wide headtube make for a solid platform when you push the bike to its limits. Tight, twisty courses are fun to ride and the frame design makes dismounting and carrying the bike less punishing on the shoulders.

The X-Fire is a bike that looks great and performs just as well. Upgrading to the Avid Shorty Ultimate brakes would make this bike even better, but the stock stoppers will be more than adequate in all but the worst conditions.

If you want to get onto a Ridley cyclocross bike, but the price tag of the X-Fire is a bit out of range, the X-Bow is a good option. It’s an aluminum-framed bike built up with a SRAM Apex drivetrain. At $1,769, it’s a good value for a brand that is based in a country where cyclocross is king.