Ridley Bicycles. Pure Race Bikes. From Belgium.
More Belgian than Poirot. Ridley are hard-edged bikes hewn from the mud and cobbles of bike-racing's spiritual heartland.
You may have heard of Ridley Bicycles, if you are an avid fan of that most quixotic of cycle-sports, Cyclo-X.
Anyone that knows us at Cyclefit will be fully appraised that cyclo-x is literally our favourite sport (there are defaulters - Phil). Barna was in the Hungarian squad, Jules still races cross and Jimmy takes part in the world's hardest cross race - The Three Peaks (pictured bottom).
Mario De Clercq - CX World-Champ 2002
Andre Greipel TdF - 2015?
Robbie McEwen TdF - 2006?
"You may have heard of Ridley Bicycles, if you are an avid fan of that most quixotic of cycle-sports, Cyclo-X."
Ridley Racing Roots
Ridley are Belgian anglophiles (pre-Brexit of course). The company's founder and current CEO, Jochim Aerts, named his race bikes in 1997 after Ridley Scott. We rapidly became aware of Ridley and respected them for their hardline approach to what constituted a proper cyclo-x bike. Ridley quickly become the ultimate racer's bike - they only seemed to want to be judged on how often they won in hostile terrain - mud, cobbles, or sharp elbows of Tour de France bunch sprints. Easy victories just don't count.
Ridley Technology Research
Ridley owns the Belgian Cycling Factory campus in Beringen, which also features The Bike Valley Performance Centre which Jules and Phil know very well as they have worked there a few times. Bike Valley, amongst many other services, features a wind-tunnel, bike-fitting and physiological testing. This makes Ridley one of the few bike companies in the world that has research grade wind-tunnel on site. Hence their unrelenting focus on performance.
Beringen wind-tunnel
Beringen bike-fit studio
not all smoke & mirrors
World Tour, World Class
Ridley rightfully sit at the top-table in almost all cycle sport. for 2025 they sponsor the UnoX mens and women's World Tour squads. As well Ridley Racing Team that specialises in cyclo-x and gravel racing.
"Easy victories don't count"
Joris Nieuwenhuis from Ridley
Leonie Bentveld racing Ridley
"More Belgian than Poirot"
The bike of the hour - Ridley's Noah Fast 3.0 - 8.5 watts faster than its predecessor at 50 km/h!
Clockwise - Jules, Barna, Jimmy, Jules racing cross - couldn't find one of Phil
"For better or worse, Ridley are racing from their boots up"
Are You A Potential Ridley Rider? Some Questions To Consider:
- Is the purity of race heritage important to you? Not something that is bolted on as a postscript for branding reasons. For better or worse, Ridley are racing from their boots up.
- Belgium is the cobbled heart of European racing. Does this appeal?
- Ridley are the biggest bike manufacturer in Belgium but still very small compared to the giants of the industry?
- Ridley frames are customisable like Trek Project One - colour/finish/spec - Ridley Configurator
- Ridley has impeccable credentials in cyclo-x and gravel - maybe that is important to you?
Our sister company 2Pedalz are the most experienced custom Ridley dealers in the UK. They also deliver your custom bike anywhere in the UK.
