Lotto-Soudal is testing a Ridley Fenix prototype in Belgium - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
The new Ridley Fenix will abe announced just before the 2015 Tour de France - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
Being an endurance bike, the Fenix sports a sizable headtube - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
Internal routing on the new Fenix - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
Thin chainstays for compliance - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
The prototype Fenix has internal routing for mechanical systems, but Lotto-Soudal has plugged the left port as the team uses Campagnolo EPS - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
Lars Bak had his Paris-Roubaix gear of 53/46 already on for Scheldeprijs on Wednesday - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
K-Edge makes a chain catcher with a magnet extension for use with an SRM power meter. This way mechanics don't have to glue the magenet to their frame - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
Thick chainstays constrast with the thin seaststays - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
Lars Bak was the one Lotto-Soudal rider on the new Fenix at Scheldeprijs - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
A steep negative stem gets Bak to his desired position atop the tall headtube - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
Selle San Marco's Regal is a new version of an old school design - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
The new Ridley Fenix endurance bike stands out from Ridley's race Helium SL and aero Noah SL bikes used by Lotto-Soudal - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
The minimalist seatstay yoke on the new Fenix - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
Lotto-Soudal's 25mm tubular of choice - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
Juding by the gap between the frame and the 25mm Continental, the new Fenix frame looks to have plenty of clearance for wider tubulars - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
Unmarked for now, this will be the new Ridley Fenix model - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
Ridley will launch a new Fenix endurance bike before the Tour de France this year, and the Belgian WorldTour squad Lotto-Soudal is testing prototypes at the cobbled classics of Ronde van Vlaanderen and Paris-Roubaix.
Ridley isn’t talking about the new bike yet, but BikeRadar took a close look at rider Lars Bak’s machine at Scheldeprijs, the Wednesday race sandwiched between the early April classics.
“Ridley made this bike specifically for the cobbles,” said Lotto-Soudal spokesman Arne Houtekier. “We have been testing it for just a few weeks, and the guys like it for the rough roads.”
Compared to the current Fenix, Lotto-Soudal’s prototype has more heavily sculpted tubes. The top tube, for instance, is noticeably flatter on the new frame with an arching curve, the down and seat tubes are less boxy and the curved transitions between tubes is gentler and more organic than the current bike.
The minimalist seatstay yoke on the new fenix: the minimalist seatstay yoke on the new fenix
The seatstay yoke on the new Fenix features a keyhole cut-out, whereas the current machine’s yoke is solid
The new ridley fenix will abe announced just before the 2015 tour de france:
The new Ridley Fenix endurance bike stands out from Ridley's race Helium SL and aero Noah SL bikes used by Lotto-Soudal
For complete coverage of Scheldeprijs, Paris-Roubaix and all the other major races in the world, visit Cyclingnews.
Ben Delaney is a journalist with more than two decades of experience writing for and editing some of the biggest publications in cycling. Having studied journalism at the University of New Mexico, Ben has worked for Bicycle Retailer & Industry News, VeloNews and BikeRadar. He has also previously worked as Global Brand Communications Manager for Specialized. Ben covers all things road and gravel, and can be found logging big miles in the Rocky Mountains that nestle alongside his home in Boulder, Colorado. He has covered the most important bike races in the sport, from the Tour de France and Tour of Flanders, to the Unbound gravel race, and specialises in tech content, showcasing what the pros are riding and putting everyday equipment through its paces.
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