Ridley’s Astr RS is a lighter, quicker, fatter-tired gravel race bike than the Belgian bike builder has ever made. It’s a premium race-ready carbon gravel bike that I’d even be pleased to trip as my go-to for informal gravel using, too. I’ve examined plenty of gravel bikes, together with the three Ridley gravel fashions that this one mashes up – the Kanzo Quick, the Kanzo Journey, and the Grifn. And the brand new Astr undeniably comes out on high in my e-book.
It’s considerably lighter, far more versatile, and essentially the most snug of the bunch – on par with the ADV on that final one.
2024 Ridley Astr RS gentle aero carbon gravel race bike
Categorised Ridley Manufacturing facility Staff racers demanded a extra succesful gravel race bike for more durable races like Unbound, Traka, Badlands, The Rift & extra the place quick intense racing will get blended up with rougher terrain. They wished all of the aerodynamic positive aspects, a lighter bike, AND a minimal of 47mm tire clearance. So Ridley went again to the drafting board. And so they basically created the all-new Ridley Astr RS gravel race bike by scaling up their newest aero all-road Grifn RS to create a fats tire gravel bike with aero highway race bike inspiration.
The important thing takeaways on the brand new bike embody:
- a body that now weighs simply 890g for a medium Ridley Astr RS, for 369g saved in comparison with the Kanzo Quick
- aerodynamic tube shaping and cockpit integration, similar to on Ridley’s Falcn RS aero highway race bike
- as much as 52mm vast tire clearance with a 1x setup, or 47mm clearance with a highway compact 2x
- gravel race geometry that manages to mix all of that with out sacrificing responsiveness or high-speed stability
Wish to get the complete breakdown of every little thing that’s new within the Astr RS? Learn my in-depth launch protection from earlier this morning, right here.
So, how does the bike really really feel to trip?
Driving Impressions: Sooner on fatter tires
It’s a light-weight race bike, so I shouldn’t have actually been shocked at how fast the brand new Ridley Astr RS felt as soon as I hopped on it. However it nonetheless caught me off guard a bit. Burned into my mind is the thought that fats gravel tires will really feel heavy & gradual, and that you simply solely really want large tire quantity for backcountry adventures or using gravel bikes on mountain bike trails.
However similar to we see using high-end 30 & 32mm slick tires on the highway, these fast-rolling 47mm Vittoria tires helped make the Astr RS really feel gentle & fast. The broader, greater quantity tires meant I may run decrease pressures to easy out even easy gravel roads. They meant I elevated grip in sandy and unfastened gravel corners. And when the gravel roads acquired tough, I merely didn’t must decelerate to really feel like I used to be nonetheless in management.
Race Geometry Assessment: Tweaked for taller tires
And whereas large tires lent some consolation & confidence-inspiring cush, the body itself felt snappy and responsive. Stomp on the pedals and the quick chainstays rocketed the bike in control. Then, leaning it laborious into turns and the steep (for me) 71.5° head angle dove into the corners.
Ridley talks concerning the further 3mm of BB drop being there so as to add extra stability at pace and cornering. However because the axles are already sitting about 7mm greater off the bottom than the Kanzo Quick due to greater tires, weight stability continues to be a bit greater right here. So, it’s extra the longer entrance middle / enhance in total wheelbase that reinforces stability, since it seems that the Astr has extra fork rake to offset the in any other case longer fork Path that comes from greater, taller tires.
The bonus counterpoint to the elevated backside bracket peak, the Astr RS has 13mm decrease body Stack than the Kanzo Quick, which brings weight distribution again down, and reduces the rider’s profile into the wind. Match-wise, I’m fairly versatile, so I appreciated that decrease Stack, and doubtless would have reduce one other cm off the steerer tube if it was my private bike.
Driving Assessment: A quick, however versatile all-rounder gravel race bike
Numerous bikes centered on racing appear to require fixed consideration to maintain them in management and going quick. But, this bike felt very balanced. The geometry on paper seems to be so just like the Kanzo Quick, which I discovered a bit too harsh and twitchy for my liking. However I really feel that the mix of bigger/taller tires, longer total wheelbase, and decrease bar place makes this bike far more steady and comfy to manage.
It’s a noticeably extra impartial dealing with really feel that form of simply disappears beneath you in a great way. Simply pedal and go.
Sure, it is a race bike. And an costly one at that. However it could even be a terrific all-rounder bike for my on a regular basis gravel rides. Quick and straightforward on informal group rides. And a race-ready rocket when it’s time to pin a quantity on and see how briskly you’ll be able to put the hammer down.
Weighing the Execs & Cons
➕ Large 52mm tire clearance means you’ll be able to choose one thing like these fast-rolling 47mm Vittoria Terreno Dry semi-slicks or full knobby 50mm/2″ MTB-style treads with tons of grip.
➕ Fatter tires merely supply higher traction, improved management, and extra all-day consolation. A few years in the past I might have mentioned that 50mm tires have been unnecessarily heavy and stiff feeling, however there merely are so many nice high-volume tires out there now that going wider is a a lot simpler resolution to make.
➕ It’s laborious to argue with lightness on a motorbike that you simply’ll be consistently accelerating – whether or not up steep terrain, or simply getting again in control after a tough part of gravel. At 890g (claimed) for the body and an actual 7.84kg for the whole medium SRAM Crimson bike with a powermeter with out pedals (8.24kg with my Eggbeaters and a bolt-on toptube bag), this in an undeniably gentle feeling trip.
➕ The identical goes for aerodynamics. Do we want all gravel bikes to be aero? After all not. But when you may get even small incremental aero positive aspects with out sacrificing consolation or weight, I’m 100% on board. At the very least the free watts may offset the marginally wider tire profile into the wind.
➖ However, the excessive value is basically laborious to bear right here. With a frameset promoting for 5000€ and the most cost effective full bikes from 7300€, there merely are many far more reasonably priced gravel bikes which might be nonetheless race-ready.
➖ The dearth of mechanical drivetrain compatibility is a foul factor in my e-book. Name me a luddite, if you need. Certain, the bike world is trending digital and wi-fi. And UDH is sweet. However I favor the dependable simplicity of a mechanical groupset (and by no means having to recollect to cost it), particularly for a gravel bike the place I wish to enterprise a bit off the crushed observe. Plus, you’ll be able to nonetheless construct a lighter mechanical setup, than one with a number of batteries interspersed all through the bike.
➕ It’s a sneaky plus right here for Ridley’s new gravel race household although. However the common carbon Astr is solely a a lot better worth than this Ridley Astr RS, at lower than half the worth. You save 2700€ off a frameset, solely sacrifice 200g in body weight, and acquire a spherical seatpost and that mechanical drivetrain comparability, all on the identical time. The usual Astr is solely a extra logical selection, except you have got a vast finances.
➖ One of many issues I don’t actually like about my Ridley Astr RS check bike was the lengthy 110mm x 400mm vast unflared cockpit, with a kinda deep 130mm drop & 75mm attain. I nonetheless get the sensation that Ridley is a bit old fashioned of their becoming lengthy (digital) stems and longer bars to their dropbar bikes. However this doesn’t actually must be a minus, as a result of…
➕ Ridley’s on-line customized configurator device makes it simple to get the bike arrange such as you need. Patrons can select their ultimate crank size, chainring dimension, and importantly one of the best handlebar match for them. The 4ZA Cirrus Professional built-in cockpit on this bike additionally is available in a flared model that I would like. And have been I to purchase this bike I may choose the proper 90mm stem, 380mm vast on the hoods, 440mm vast on the drops with its 16° flare, and a extra compact 120mm drop & 70mm attain combo.
➖ One other draw back in my thoughts is the proprietary inside cable routing answer Ridley makes use of right here. The bike contains a tapered 1 1/4″ to 1 1/2″ steerer that’s D-shaped to permit the brake traces to suit contained in the comparatively small higher headset bearing. It makes for a slender headtube and clear seems to be as soon as every little thing is in place. However it’s a mechanic’s nightmare to get every little thing arrange with so little further room to work in, and even altering bar peak is a difficult drawback to resolve with little room for error.
➕ Customized colours are an effective way to make your bike distinctive, too! In the event you hold the usual design, selecting your favourite from 37 single colours doesn’t even value any extra. Or for 400-700€ extra you may get much more artistic. The one draw back being that it’s going to barely delay how briskly you get your new bike.
➖ The one different purposeful draw back could possibly be restricted mounting factors. Folks on the lookout for extra bikepacking adventures may need fork mounts. And year-round riders may need fender mounts. However Ridley has the Kanzo Journey particularly for that. Anyway, my very own 3-5-day-long bikepacking journeys often don’t necessitate fork-mounted gear, and I get by well-enough with strap-on fenders if wanted. (I do extremely suggest the Win Wing!)
Parting ideas on the Ridley Astr RS gravel race bike
There are plenty of ups and downs once I dive into what I like and dislike concerning the new Ridley Astr RS. However I really feel like the one one problem that sticks in my thoughts is that value. In the event you can abdomen the associated fee, that is certainly among the finest gravel race bikes you should buy in the intervening time. It feels quick. It feels snug. And it’s simply as pleased taking it simple on informal rides with buddies, as it’s if you end up using all-out as quick as your legs & lungs will enable.
Now, I preface this closing assertion with the truth that I’ve NOT really ridden the far more reasonably priced commonplace hi-mod carbon Ridley Astr.
However I’ve the sensation that it’s going to ship virtually precisely in addition to its RS large sibling. The aero shaping is identical. The geometry is identical. And the tire clearance is identical. So, if I have been seeking to construct up a brand new carbon gravel race bike and I didn’t have an additional few thousand euros to burn (I don’t), I’d give the common Astr a tough look. Whereas the Ridley Astr RS seems to be nice, it virtually makes the worth of the Ridley Astr appear even higher by comparability.
