Ridley

X-Night Disc 105 HD Cyclocross Bike - 2018

Cyclocross' best racers compete week in and week out across the muddy fields and sandy courses of northern Europe. The courses are brutal and the teams have to have material to get them to the finish throughout the season. Long a staple on the European circuit, Ridley is one of the winningest 'cross brands because it lives up to those conditions, and the X-Night Disc 105 HD Complete Cyclocross Bike is now ready to help you tackle your local series. Used by the pros on the Marlux-Napoleon Games team, the X-Night is always poised on fast and rough courses, and the classic Euro geometry shines best when conditions are at their worst.

This Ridley X-Night frame is constructed from 24-ton, high-modulus, unidirectional carbon fiber. That allows the bike to be exceptionally stiff while pedaling but also mellow the ride when the pace is anything but. This results in a bike with an instant pedal response right after clipping in and makes cornering on rough, bumpy corners manageable. The ultrathin seatstays, like the ones seen on the climb-happy Helium road frame, give the X-Night a smoother ride. A tapered headtube keeps the bike tracking over Flemish ruts and the PF30 bottom bracket adds rigidity to eliminate frame flex and increase power transfer.

The Oryx full carbon fiber disc fork is super stiff with its 12mm thru-axle dropouts, and once pointed to the intended line, keeps the bike between the tape. The fork's flat mounts keep the lines clean and allow for 140 or 160mm rotors to be used. On the frame, internal cable routing helps keep mud from fouling up your shifting and keeps the cables out of the way when portaging the bike on your shoulder on the runups.

The components on this bike are fitting for the intended purpose and continue to add value to the package. Ridley spec'd the X-Night with Shimano's workhorse 105 11-speed drivetrain and hydraulic disc brakes, and pinned the drivetrain with an FSA 46/36t crank. That provides plenty of gear on the race course with Shimano's excellent durability and reliability. The disc brakes provide plenty of modulation and the power comes in handy in all-weather conditions.

Ridley's house brand Forza handles the cockpit duties, and the lightweight saddle, alloy stem, and handlebar get the job done without fuss. Fulcrum Racing Sport wheels are plenty strong for racing and training and the Clement MXP tires work well in a myriad of conditions.