Whether your quest this week is to battle with the mighty pave of Belgium, or to log another hundred training miles, the Ridley Excalibur Flandrien will be the mighty steed your quest requires. Full-carbon construction smooths out bumpy roads while keeping the Excalibur Flandrien exceptionally light. Matte black paint with Lion of Flanders accents quietly tell the world that you're no spindly climber -you're a big, strong, diesel engine of a rider, ready for any kind of road in any kind of weath
Strengths: stiffness combined with comfort; acceleration; ability to hold a line; steadiness at speed.
Weaknesses: Nothing stood out. there was not one thing about it that I found offensive.
Bottom Line:
This review is for a 2009 Excalibur that I purchased new on ebay. I recently built it up using Campy Chorus 11, and have had a chance to put about 250 miles on it so far. The two things that stand out at initial inspection are its’ low weight and aesthetics. It is a good looking bike without being overly flashy. Add some loud wheels and it looks like it stepped off the pages of ‘Procycling’. Dress it down with a basic setup and wheels with conservative graphics, and you won’t raise any eyebrows at your club rides. It is also rather light. I’m not a gram counter and don’t know its’ claimed weight. However, one lift and the only conclusion that you can come too is that it feels darn light.
Despite its’ weight, on the road it tracked straight and was not bothered by rough surfaces or big jolts. Well, the stability was not compromised by big jolts, but you can definitely hear and feel them.
The bottom bracket is rock solid, the front end has supreme stiffness, and power transfer is excellent. All of this is accomplished while keeping me comfortable. My longest ride on it to date was 3 hours and I had no problems at all with comfort. There is something to be said about the thin seat stays. They really do seem to do a good job of offering the right amount of compliance in the right place.
The frame’s compact design is also a winner with me. This is my first compact frame, so I may just be learning what others already know, but it seemed that I was able to accelerate and really put the power down on climbs. I know stiffness has a lot to do with this, but having that back end tucked in under you cannot be overlooked.
While standing it climbed well, but it seemed to distinguish itself when going through the gears from the saddle. It was also very good at taking rolling hills and short power climbs. The combination of bottom bracket stiffness, a compact rear end, and the campy 11 drivetrain seemed to make powering over rollers in a seated position efficient and fast. The setup definitely rewarded sitting, clicking through 2 or 3 gears, and cresting rollers without losing too much momentum.
Handling is stable and predictable. My informal, riding with no hands test would lead me to characterize it as having a decent balance of stability and quick handling attributes. It is not twitchy at all, but not as stable as my Merckx, Pegoretti. That said, it holds a line well, did well in switchbacks, was nimble, and was not upset by having to change a line while in a turn. Put another way, it rails turns and does not mind getting aggressive. Yet, you don’t have to babysit the bars when just cruising along.
As I’ve read in some reviews, Ridley’s sizing is not typical. I’m 6’2”, typically ride 61 and 62cm frames. On the Ridley I ride a size large. This leaves plenty of seatpost exposed (which I kind of like), but provides me with a top tube length that is where I need it to be. So, I think that means they have long top tubes. My advice, match yourself to the top tube length when selecting a Ridley. And, don’t be afraid if this results in a shorter than optimal headtube length. The stiffness of the fork and front end means that having to slap a few headset spacers on is not going to compromise the ride.
Now, I just hope that it scores high in longevity. I’m a heavy rider (245Lbs.) and that is a concern for me with carbon. By the way, the Excalibur is ‘Big boy’ approved. It handles my size without a qualm.
Strengths: Light, very responsive to the slightest power input, durable construction leading to excellent shock absorption and comfortable rides!
Weaknesses: A double crankset on the climbs! It was something of a weakness for me and so I have now instead started using the double crankset as a training mechanism for that race day finish ;)
Bottom Line:
This is a review for the 2008 Ridley Excalibur with Shimano Dura Ace 7800 components! Boy oh boy, is this impressive or what :) Light, very responsive, stiff, and once you get the hang of it...it climbs like a cat! The build quality is spectacular and the bike is quite stiff and it almost mocks you to be as stiff as it is :P
Bike Setup: Shimano Dura Ace 7800, Mavic Cosmos wheelsets, Vittoria Open Corsa Evo Cx tyres, Mavic brakes, Thomson Seatpost
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
paddlesurfer
a Recreational Rider
from
Date Reviewed: April 13, 2010
Strengths: light
Excellent response
Great cornering and handling
Bottom Line:
2008 frame set built up with Shimano DA components. Awesome bike, light, stiff frame, yet responsive. Big BB helps transition pedal power to the wheel fast and strong. Comfortable for 125+ mile rides, but strong in crits and Road Races. Very confident feeling.
Strengths: stiff, geometry is not too extreme, comfortable, fairly light. the frame geometry (after changing stems) suits my build
Weaknesses: none a this point
Bottom Line:
My first full carbon frame, stiff, very Like a rocket, very fast, it feels that every ounce of energy exerted moves you forward. combined with the Campy Record gruppo and the Campy Eurus wheels puts this at about 16.5 lbs. These high end campy components are not out of place on this frame. workmanship is excellent and the frame at this point seems quite durable after about 1500 km.
Strengths: Great geometry
Stable handling
Stiff drivetrain
Mostly comfortable ride
Weaknesses: Not particularly light at 1100g
Doesn't use the latest bling BBs
Bottom Line:
I got this frame to replace a crashed TCR. Technically, it's a couple of generations older in layup and design, but it barely shows once you throw a leg over it. Yes, the TCR Advanced probably felt snappier and was a little bit faster handling, but the Excalibur still feels like a rocket ship. I can't say the bike has been a limiter in anyway, and it's low slung but longish wheel base geometry is great for a whole day riding in the mountains. Given that the MSRP on the frame is >$1000 less than the TCR, I was happy to save the money and buy a light set of wheels that can travel with me in the future. I really enjoy sprinting on this bike - any sway is in the wheels for sure; when this bike is shod in deep dish goodness it'll go as fast as you can make it go.
Probably its biggest limiter is the weight. It's 200 g heavier in the frame, and the fork is an additional somewhat weighty item compared to uber frames like the R3 and TCR of yore. However, it is cheaper and still makes a fantastic race bike. As built up right now, it's about 16 lbs (57 cm), which is certainly light enough for even me at ~135 lbs.
I give it the highest rating because I think it's both one of the best values on the racing frame market, and its performance has got to be >95% of any frame out there.
Hi All,
I'm about to buy a new bike and cant decide between two different models. I'd greatly appreaciate any input or comments any of you can provide...
Currently riding to Read More »
[URL="http://www.competitivecyclist.com/za/CCY?PAGE=PRODUCT&PRODUCT.ID=3294"]http://www.competitivecyclist.com/za/CCY?PAGE=PRODUCT&PRODUCT.ID=3294[/URL]
From the competitivecyc Read More »
I've read all the reviews and posts about these two bikes, and both seem to be great rides.
Besides having identical geometries, there seems to be a lot of overlap in these two Read More »
Have been thinking about an "over the counter" carbon bike and really love the look of the Flandrian Excalibur that Competitive Cyclist has. The fit looks to be very close to what Read More »
