Ridley Damocles

Our new Belgian friends at Ridley sent us cool new 2010 Damocles to play on for a few months and I can say I had no idea what to expect.  In my mind, Ridley is a the ultimate ‘cross bike, so I had no idea what to expect from their road offerings. 

The Damocles is the same frame the Filippo Pozzato road to an Italian National Title and nearly chased down the mighty Tom Boonen in the 2009 Paris-Roubaix on, finishing a strong second.  This bike is has an incredible reputation, but after a year on the mighty Colnago C50, I was worried it did not stand a chance.

The bike hey sent me was a medium, which carriers a longish effective top tube of 56.5 cm.    When you realize that they come in 8 sizes, you find that referring to them by their “alpha” size is not meaningful.  With 8 sizes, we can find one to fit anyone.

The ride on this bike is wonderful, as smooth as my C50, and just as good as a climber and a perfect all day bike, the longer the ride the better.  If you really want to feel this baby excel, peel off on a dirt road and be amazed at the smooth/stable nature of this baby.  This is a must have bike, and when you compare the prized to my prized Colnago C50, this frame is less than ½ the price, it’s a no-brainer.

Ridley – We are Belgium!