If your number one priority in a bike is speed then the Ridley Noah is a bike you have to put on your short list. If your are looking for the most well rounded or the ultimate do it all road bike, the Noah might not be what you are looking for.
Ridley made some pretty dramatic claims when they released the Noah in 2009. Ridley claimed the
combined effect of R-flow and R-surface technologies reduce wind drag by 11.5%. I am not able to say if this is true or not but I am able to say the aero advantage of this frame was noticeable. So noticeable that I am a convert. Prior to riding the Noah I was not really getting the whole need for aerodynamics in a road frame. I felt that designing a road race frame for aerodynamics was not worth the drawbacks on weight and comfort. After 2 races and 50 hours on the Noah, I am going to feel at a distinct disadvantage on an other frame. Day one on the Noah I noticed the way I was rolling up on my ride companion. It was very similar to a good pair of aero wheels, perhaps even more dramatic.http://www.glorycycles.com/ridley.html
Racing on the Noah, things felt fantastic at higher speeds - when attacking a group through a dip at 35mph, the Noah gave me confidence to bridge to the breakaway. The aero engineering in the Noah makes a significant difference to speed. Riding a Noah in a road race could be the difference between winning or finishing 2nd. In a fast group ride the Noah could take you from hanging onto the back, to making a few pulls at the front. Sounds like a bit much? Yes riding the Noah is over the top - it really is.
No free lunch. Yes friends there is no free lunch. The downside to the Noah’s huge upside in speed is that it’s not very comfortable. The Noah does not climb very well and in strong crosswinds it gets blown around just like deep carbon wheels. None of these are deal breakers, but if you are looking at a Noah as your only bike you need to examine your priorities and realize there are lighter and nicer riding bikes out there.
The Noah’s geometry made it feel more like a drag racer than a typical Belgium race bike. The slightly shorter wheelbase makes it a bike for criteriums and sprinting but not ideal for all day riding. Wheel selection made significant difference to the ride quality of the Noah. The demo bike came with Campagnolo Eurus and Michelin Pro 3 race tires. Although this is a good wheel set it was a little harsh with the Noah. Most real deep carbon wheels might give a similar feel but would be a fantastic performance combination. Using American Classic Hurricanes for daily riding took some of the harshness out of the ride and made for a great combo.
The Noah strikes me as the perfect bike for a tall, powerful rider who lives in a relatively flat area and does fast group rides and races. The high modulus carbon used in the Noah makes the bike very stiff yet still relatively light. The Noah is made from a blend of 40 and 50 ton high modulus carbon. The claimed weight of the frame, with the intergraded seat post, is 1200grams (allow 180gram for the post) this is light for a bike with such stiffness and aero styling.
All carbon drop outs on the fork and rear reduce weight once again and attest to the engineering that went into the Noah. The fork also has a tapered steerer tube and a oversized bearing at the bottom with the standard 1 1/8th on the top. The fork contributes to the cornering ability of the bike and the feeling of confidence out of the saddle when sprinting.
The integrated seat mast was easy to adjust and with 3 options for saddle adjustment the Noah should satisfy most riders.
For details about what gives the Ridley Noah it’s aero advantage, I suggest looking at Ridley’s website dedicated to explaining the technology: http://www.thefastestbikeintheworld.com
Looks as fast as it is. Yes, if it came down to choosing a bike on looks and speed the Noah is a 10/10 . When you see it up close or when you park your Noah at a coffee shop next to “normal bikes”, it just looks fast and your friends know it cause your coffee is cold by the time they get there.
Thank you for reading, comments welcome.
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6 comments:
Nice write-up Clive. The harshness was the exact reason that I didn't get the Noah when I warrantied the Damocles. The guys @ Sinclair (the Ridley importer at the time) warned me of exactly what you mentioned in the review. Thus, I got a Helium and have been as happy as a puppy with two peters ever since.
That being said, people just don't know what they're missing by NOT riding a Ridley. Maybe that's a good thing for those of us who do know...
What a great write up! I'm on a 2007 Damocles at present and have to agree with MM, riding a Ridley is a sweet ride but the Noah just caught my eye and I was keen to see if it might be the next great ride for me. Given your write up I reckon I'll stick with my trusty Damocles for now. Our rides are on hilly and flat roads so I need some versatility that it appears the Noah isn't best suited too, unfortunately. Anyway, thanks again for the most informative post. When I'm looking to upgrade to another Ridley I'll be sure and drop back to check what you have that might be for me. Cheers.
Seems like a Fizik Aliante might be the right saddle to help smooth out the ride a bit.
Great review. It's bikes like this, the Cervelo S3, and Felt whatchamacalit that really are super bikes.
The Noah is truly FAST!
When I took delivery of mine in Feb09, I was unsure just how comfortable the bike would be for 5 or 6 hours in saddle. I think it is a small myth as although it isn't the most comfortable frame out there, it makes up for it with its responsiveness, and it was still a better ride than my aluminium frame Ridley. Afterall you can have 2 different pairs of wheels that make this bike ride 'harshly' or "softer" for those century rides.
Climbing on this bike in the Alps was a dream, every ounce of power went to the tarmac, and if considering weight it is only approximately 1 lb heavier than the lightest (intergrated seat post must be considered), and lets be honest its cheaper to loose a pound of body weight instead!
Add 90mm tubulars and you have a TT bike too!
Clive, I still love the Noah I purchased from you a year ago. I don't see to many on the road but after your review I'm sure we'll see a lot more. Ridden several centuries on mine and have not had issues with comfort, however you know how Florida is, flat and straight, hills might make a difference.
How can the Noah frameset "not climb very well" if it's a stiff frame? That is like saying, "2 plus 2 does NOT = 4"... while saying at the same time "4 divided by 2 = 2".
And we know it's NOT the weight of the frame causing it to "not climb very well". The marginal weight gain in the frame certainly is NOT enough to make it "not climb very well", combined with the fact that static weight (such as a frameset) is MUCH less a variable in moving upward than rotational weight in wheels/tires.
Maybe YOU should become a better climber and not attribute the lackluster climbing to the Noah Frameset.
By the way, I have the Ridley Excalibur... an excellent frameset in all areas except it's lack of aerodynamics.
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