Ridley

X-Trail C40 105 Complete Bike - 2017

Few brands enjoy Ridley's dominance on the European cyclocross scene, but those tight geometries and steep angles aren't so necessary in the wide-open landscapes of the new world. The X-Trail C40 105 Complete Bike adjusts accordingly, sitting long and slack for stability across everything from North Western chip-seal to Kansas gravel.

It's built up with Shimano's 105 drivetrain and a set of 105-equivalent hydraulic disc brakes, which—when combined with that big, stable geometry—makes the X-Trail a far cry from the compact cantilever frames that come to mind when we think of traditional 'cross. It's still perfectly suited to the sand pits and run-ups of fall, but it transitions equally well to the weeklong, pannier-fueled gravel epics of spring.

Ridley shapes the X-Trail C30's frame using ultralight unidirectional carbon, equipping the frame to offer quick accelerations and a stiff, responsive ride for everything from pannier-laden weekend trips to off-road grinduro segments. The Oryx Disc fork is reinforced on the left leg to allow it to more efficiently bear twisting forces applied by disc brakes, and with a 12 x 100mm thru axle in front and a 12 x 142mm in the rear, the frame achieves confidence-inspiring stiffness throughout.

The X-Trail is something of a melting pot of frame geometries, but the end result resembles a road bike more than a classic cyclocross bike like the X-Night. It's got a lower bottom bracket, shorter chainstays, and a stack/reach combination that leaves riders in less of a shoulder-intensive, slammed racing position. In contrast to its road racing frames, Ridley extended the X-Trail's head tube by 10mm, bringing riders into a more upright position to accommodate longer training rides rather than racing exclusively. It's only slightly more aggressive than the Fenix, in fact, but unlike its endurance road cousin, the X-Trail is designed to be run with tires up to 40mm.