You need one bike to do it all -to be light, fast, and absolutely bomb proof. The Ridley Damocles is no ordinary workhorse, it's an absolute, all-out war horse, ready for any road, any weather, and any mishaps that may happen along the way. Fully-replaceable CNC-machined dropouts, combined with Ridley's Sharp Edge tube construction make the Damocles a lot tougher than most carbon road bikes could ever dream of being. Lest you think all this toughness comes at the expense of overbuilt, heavy tubi
Strengths: Rigidity
Durable
Quality
Looks
Very responsive
All arounder
Weaknesses: Fork could be harsh if high PSI used.
Bottom Line:
This is the Filipo Pozzato 2010 ISP model. XS Ridley size.
The reason why I got my Damocles is because of Giant, back in May 2010 I was set on buying a Giant TCR Advanced ISP frame but they were sold out for the year due to the crisis, short production run. That June, after some research and bike watching at some CAT 1 races I liked the aesthetics of the Damocles and its pedigree and Euro pro race proven qualities, Robbie McEwen's favorite. I'm so glad fate led me to Ridley, I couldn't have been happier with this bike and for much less money. No wonder Pozzato made this model his while the sponsorship lasted. It has to be ridden to believe it. Ridley's best kept secret, seriously.
I built mine with DA 2011 gruppo (Dec 2010) and Mavic Ksyrium SLs, on very hilly routes with buddies I put on the AM Sprint 350's. I already have about 3,600 miles logged on it. It's a well made frame, durable, strong due to the tube shapes, very rigid without being harsh, although it can be on the front if going over enough road cracks, that's why I now put about 5 PSI less than in the rear, and it's much better on my hands now. But it has taught me to relax more my hands on the handlebar, the way it should be anyway, no death grips here.
I had an old Ultegra/FSA gruppo but I retrofitted it last December. Now with the DA components it makes for a sharper and nimbler ride, bike is lighter, has a far better drive train efficiency, crisper shifting and most of all feels stiffer, especially when climbing due to the outer BB. It has no choice but to jump forward like a scalded cat!
I come from steel, carbon and Aluminum bikes but I'm no racer, and at 165 lbs I can be competitive on fast paced group rides. An excellent all around bike, a rocket on the flats, a mountain goat on the hills. I feel my Damocles glide over the roads. It moves with you when standing on the hills, the headtube doesn't twitch or flexes, wants to go forward and it tracks as if on rails. This bike screams to be pushed. I couldn't recommend it enough for those who want a 'pure bred' at a lower cost.
Strengths: Value plus the balance of weight, stiffness and tuned ride quality.
Weaknesses: Some might prefer the traditional post version over the ISP if they have fit issues that require rotating the saddle from side to side slightly (or if they regularly box and travel with their bike).
Bottom Line:
I have the 2010 Damocles ISP with the Pozzato paint scheme. The bike is built up with a Sram drivetrain and hand built, by me, wheelset (DT 240s hubs 28 spokes and DT R1.1 rims at 1,470 grams). The performance of this bike is fantastic. I have been racing and working in bike shops off and on since the mid-80's and worked for bicycle manufacturers so I have ridden a LOT of bikes over the years. The cornering and tracking of the Damocles is spot-on. Acceleration is blistering and the ride is quite comfortable for a bike that is so strong in the handling and drivetrain departments. As with any high performance bike, wheel choice is the most critical factor in determining ride characteristics. A high tension, low spoke count or other overly stiff wheel would feel a lot more jarring than the carbon clinchers or traditional type wheels that I prefer for this bike on longer rides.
Overall you would be hard pressed to do better for the money than a Ridley Damocles. The bike punches above it's weight in many ways. Plus, it is much more fun to ride a nice Euro bike than a same-old-same old cookie cutter machine.
This bike is amazing, really. It´s a delite to ride this bike where ever you can imagine. Did the Tour de Flanders cyclotourism with it and when the first set of cobbles came i knew this bike is Belgium and that cobbles, bad roads and bad weather it´s what it was made for.
Similar Products Used: Bianchi 928 SL, Time RXR, Trek Madone 5.5
Bike Setup: Ridley Damocles frame and fork, Shimano Dura ace 7800, 3T Dorico seat post, Fisik Arione CX saddle, Deda Zero 100 bar and stem, Time RXS pedals, Mavic Open Pro rims with Dura ace hubs.
Strengths: Moves and accelerates when you throw the hammer down. Strong bike.
Weaknesses: Very stiff and takes some getting used to. Although they say it is the most comfortable of many frames, ... I have not tried many others, ... but ISP is bumpier.
Bottom Line:
I have just built up the 2010 ISP pozzato damocles frame with campy record, fulchrum 0 wheels. The bike is incredible and is truly faster than my last carbon frame bike, which was the wilier izoard. I will say, that it is stiffer and a bit of a bumpier ride next to the wilier, but I am learning more and more how to ride it. Just let me tell you, when you go ISP, you go bumpier. Stiffness means bumpiness and harder bone joltingness. But, it is not too bad and well worth the adjustments. I am 200lbs and descending to a racing weight of 185, so I am sure that will also help with the forces on the bike. Just remember, though, that when you buy a true race bike, ... they are designed for high performance racing and so the bikes are very stiff and demand to be pushed to their limits.
I will end with just this statement, ... the damocles ISP EATS UP THE ROAD! Whatever I can throw at it ... it takes it down and ask for more. this frame kicks arse!!!
Strengths: - stiff, strong
- comfy enough
- great looks, high quality paintjob
- feels very fast
- a rather exclusive bike around here
Weaknesses: - it´s white, needs regular cleaning :)
- there are lighter carbon frames
Bottom Line:
I got the 2010 Damocles frame as a free replacement for my Ridley Heracles frame, after breaking my integrated carbon seatpost. The Damocles is definitely a lot better. It is a stiff frame, but not harsh at all. I am 104 kilograms (230 lbs) and feel very comfortable and confident on this bike. My former bike was much more flimsy, especially in the fast descents and in sharp corners. On the normal roads you hardly feel any bumps when riding the Damocles. On the roads paved with stones it is almost as bumpy as my former frame, that was a alu/carbon hybrid.
Overall I am very happy with this bike: the paint job (standard white with black 2010) is great and very high quality, it is very stiff and inspires a lot of confidence, it is smooth enough for me, and it accelerates like a rocket.
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