Frame Choice Help!

[Briscoelab]

Here is the delima I'm in. I want to get a Ridley CX bike for this season. I can either get a Super Cross for about $1300 USD or a X-Fire for $1500 USD. Is the new Carbon frame worth the upgrade?

I know Ridley bikes run big, becasue of the high bottom bracket..... that worries me a little. As I am 6' 1.5" (186.7cm), but am mostly torso and arms. I am guess I'd ride a 56 and use a little longer stem than normal.

[Guslo]

I think the new x-fire worth the upgrade. Is lighter than the supercross, its top tube is flat so you can put on your shoulder with more comfort, its down tube is bigger so you can catch it more easily even with the hands full of mud. Is really fast and responsive, with lower bb (all the cross line has lower bb -4mm) for a better stability which is really useful in this fast track that we have in the last season. the fork, perhaps not as light as the phyton, is very stiff with alu head and carbon lower legs and steerer tube.
the weight of the frame is 1259 g. as weighted by elmar in another ww thread somewhere around..
It was test by Niels Albert in the last two races of 2007: 2 starts, 2 wins...
"The Palmans rider used a new bike from manufacturer Ridley and was delighted with it. "It’s more stiff and lower to the ground, I knew I could win with it. This boosts my morale regarding next season but now I’m ready to lay at the beach in Egypt," Albert added."
Original here:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/cross.php?id ... ostmalle07

The 56 cm is recommended for this leg measures:
min. legsize 91,2 max. legsize 94,3.

ciao!

[Briscoelab]

My inseam is 86.1cm, so perhaps the 56 is too tall for me? I have read the standover on the 56 Ridley is 85cm. 1cm seems like not much room.

I would normally run a 130mm stem on a 56cm TT for a cross bike. Maybe I should size down to the 54 (54.5cm TT) and get a 140mm stem?

[Guslo]

86,1!! in the new ridley catalogue there is a chart based on the inseam.
the x-fire has this measures:
size 54: seat tube c-c 54cm c-t 58cm top tube 54,5 cm headtube 16,5 cm
size 56: seat tube c-c 56cm c-t 60cm top tube 56 headtube 18,5
size 58: seat tube c-c 58cm c-t 62cm top tube 57,5 headtube 20,5
c-t is center to top, c-c- is center to center
the standover height is
size 54: 840
size 56: 860
size 58: 880

I hope that with this data you can find the corretct size
ciao!

[Briscoelab]

:shock: 86,1!! in the new ridley catalogue there is a chart based on the inseam.
the x-fire has this measures:
size 54: seat tube c-c 54cm c-t 58cm top tube 54,5 cm headtube 16,5 cm
size 56: seat tube c-c 56cm c-t 60cm top tube 56 headtube 18,5
size 58: seat tube c-c 58cm c-t 62cm top tube 57,5 headtube 20,5
c-t is center to top, c-c- is center to center
the standover height is
size 54: 840
size 56: 860
size 58: 880

I hope that with this data you can find the corretct size
ciao!

According to eh US distributor for Ridley, the 54 has 83cm of stand over clearance. That still isn't a lot.... but it might be enough.

My other options would be a Specialized Tricross S-works E5 frameset... or perhaps a Chili Con Crosso. (But I couldn't get as good of a deal on them)

[Guslo]

the x-fire is lightly different from the supercross and the x-night..
ciao!

[Briscoelab]

Thank you for the info.

I settled on a size 56 Supercross... It should arrive by the end of the week! I think this will be much nicer than my Redline Conquest Pro.

The build will be:

Ritcey OS Classic bend bars
Deda Zero 130mm stem
Thomson Masterpiece seat post
Specialized Toupe saddle (Not sure if white or black)
fizik White bar tape

Campy 06 Centaur shifters
Campy Chorus FD
Campy Centaur RD
Campy Chorus UT crank with 46/39 rings (Thanks for the 46T ring Zank!)

Paul's Neo Retro brakes

Various wheels depending on course.

I'll keep my Conquest as a pit bike (All Veloce, plus Campy Alu Record crank)