# First bike, a 2013 Ridley X-Ride 105 disc



## miahallen (Dec 4, 2013)

Hey fellow riders.

Back in the 90s I rode a lot on an old Rayleigh Capri "hybrid" (on/off road) a lot while I was in high school. I had bought it used and it served me well while I was young.

I just recently moved back to the PNW after being in Japan for the past 8 years and I decided I wanted to get in better shape and save some money in my commute. So I decided to buy a bike.

At first, I was looking at "urban" or "city" bikes with only a few gears and setup for comfort. But my commute has plenty of hills and I was concerned about the lack of gearing. I looked at electric hybrid bikes quite a bit, but it seemed that in order to get anything of reasonable quality, I'd be spending as much as an used car defeating the purpose of saving money on my commute.

So, I started looking at road bikes with a trip to my local Performance Bike shop where I learned quite a bit about the current market and road a Scattente CFR LE road bike which seemed to be a very good buy. Afterward I did quite a bit of reading online and learned that there was a lot of positive aspects about this choice. But I also discovered that the largest frame offered for this build was 56cm and I really needed a 58-60cm frame for best fit (I'm 6'3" and have a 34" inseam).

So I had to cross that one off my list, and the more I read online, I more I kept hearing that I should ride as many bikes as possible to find something "comfortable"...which I found to be quite an odd suggestion as I don't understand how anything with a seat the size of a pencil (and just as hard) can be described as "comfortable", but there you have it. Over the next two weeks, I visited 6 local bike shops and rode about 10 different bikes. I really found myself drawn to the Cyclocross style because I'm planning to ride year round in all weather, and the disc brakes seemed like a smart choice for riding in the wet. I also like the idea of being able to hop a curb or cut across a median when the situation calls for it, and I think this would be pretty compromising on a strict road build.

The fourth shop I visited "Element Cycles" in Redmond, WA carried the "Ridley" brand and they took me to the 2013 Ridley X-Bow disc (link to the 2014 version) which they had on clearance for 30% off. I rode the bike and was presently surprised, I really liked the way it felt, and I could see myself riding it on a daily basis. At $1200 it was still over my original target ($1000), but it had a decent component set (Tiagra with 105 on the rear), and disc brakes.

Still I wanted to look around a little more, and then I came across the website Road & Mountain Bikes | Apparel, Accessories & Parts | Competitive Cyclist and they happen to have the exact same bike for $200 less, right in my budget ...but, they didn't have my size available :cryin:

I went back down to Element again to see if they would price match, but they would not  (which makes sense since it was out of stock on the website anyhow, but I had to try ). But I went back to Road & Mountain Bikes | Apparel, Accessories & Parts | Competitive Cyclist again and realized that they had the next model up (the X-Ride) for only $1400. :thumbsup: PLUS A $250 in store credit with purchase...enough to cover my pedals, helmet, backpack with hydration pack, chain lube and extra taillight. So, that is where my shopping journey ended 

I should get my bike in the next week or two and I'll be riding shortly thereafter  Thanks to those who helped steer me away from a couple used bikes I had considered on CL


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## obed (Jan 12, 2014)

nice ride, congratulations and enjoy


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## expatbrit (Oct 16, 2013)

As another recent Ridley CX purchaser -- very cool and sure you'll love it.

Sure you went thru' this with the shops, but be aware the sizing is ... different, for sure! My 56cm Ridley was sized comparably to a 61cm Tarmac, for instance, though with a shorter ETT.


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## miahallen (Dec 4, 2013)

But the X-Bow and the X-Fire have the same basic geometry right? Because I felt pretty good on the same size X-Bow.


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## expatbrit (Oct 16, 2013)

Honestly, the fit was why I was prepared to pay more and buy local. I was looking at the cheap prices on-line, but the shop was really good. I wasn't prepared to pay $700 more, but it actually ended up cheaper locally AND I got a (basic) fit. 

It's really tough when there is a budget and the store can't deal though, since they have less bulk buying power and more overhead. That overhead is how I got to ride, though! Local stores can rarely price on-line.

All that said -- I think the geo is the same; check the charts. If you fit onto one at the LBS, I'd expect the one you bought to fit!


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## miahallen (Dec 4, 2013)

Hey guys, I got the bike last night...put it together in about 20 minutes and it feels pretty good right off the bat. I want to take it out right away, but there is rain in the forecast all week (Seattle), and I would like to put fenders on it ASAP. But, I'm at a loss for where to start....can somebody point me in the right direction for adding fenders to this bike? Thanks


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## chemical_brother (Oct 10, 2011)

Congrats on the new purchase! What are your thoughts on the X-Ride 3 weeks into ownership?


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## miahallen (Dec 4, 2013)

Love it! I've only done about 100 miles so far (starting slow  ). I'm planning to get fitted this coming week, hoping to eliminate some lower back pain/stiffness. I started using mapmyride recently, and I've logged 42 miles with it.
JeremiahA36's Profile

I only rode a few bikes, and I didn't really spend any quality time with any of them. But based on my brief experience with various options, I'm very happy with the X-Ride. I have only been doing sub 10 mile stints...and I think that is optimal for me ATM. My lower back gets pretty stiff after about 40 minutes....I'm hoping a pro fitting will help with that problem, but we will see.


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## chemical_brother (Oct 10, 2011)

Keep it up, man!

I had a similar issue with the stiff/sore lower back after getting my singlespeed. With some help from my LBS, I switched stem/bars/seatpost and have enjoyed the results.


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