Ridley

Phaeton T Rival Complete Bike

If you are relatively new to the sport of triathlon or are looking to get into it with the right equipment, you probably aren't wanting to spend the season's race budget on a new bike. Though swimming and running are equally important parts of the race, your technique and times aren't going to improve on a bike that had its heyday when your dad was racing it. Ridley knows the what you need to start your journey to Kona. The Phaeton T SRAM Rival Complete Bike provides all of the aerodynamic and position advantages you need, while offering up unrivaled comfort. With a solid group of components, a sleek, wind-cutting frame design, and a cost-effective price, there's no reason that the bike should be considered your 'weak leg'.

Ridley threw almost every trick in its playbook at the Phaeton T frame in order to provide a sound aerodynamic profile. To start, Ridley used strong and stiff, triple-butted 7005 aluminum to construct the tubes. Aluminum, when shaped correctly, offers a toe-to-toe weight-to-stiffness ratio with carbon fiber, which is why we'll take great aluminum over cheap carbon any day of the week. Now, in terms of aerodynamics, a common misconception is that carbon is, in and of itself, naturally aero -- not true. The truth is that carbon is easily molded into aero-shapes, but with Ridley's use of hydroforming on the tubes, it was able to create a profile that cheats drag without sacrificing comfort. Not only does the frame shape increase laminar flow, but the Phaeton also features internal cable routing and Ridley's F-Surface technology to dissipate wind-resistance. F-Surface is easily our favorite feature of this bike, and you won't find it from anyone else but Ridley. Through the strategic placement of textured surfaces on the frame, F-Surface creates an artificial boundary layer that increases laminar flow, and accordingly, permits air to remain attached while passing around the frame.

Knowing that aluminum can a bit jarring at times, Ridley included its 4ZA R-Blade carbon fiber fork to dissipate road vibration and chatter. And considering that you're going to spending 95% of your time over the front wheel, this suppleness is a welcomed addition to the Phaeton. Further in the comfort department, the Phaeton has a sophisticated positioning system that allows multiple adjustments. Knowing that flexibility is variable throughout the season, Ridley equipped the Phaeton with a full-length aero carbon seatpost with its A.S.A. adjustment system. This allows you to easily re-position the seat angle to your liking, and thus make your reach to the Profile Design T3 Airwing bars as comfortable as possible.

The aerodynamic advantage of your frame is lost if your shifting is slow, or your braking unresponsive. With this in mind, Ridley loaded the Phaeton T with an impressive component package.  The bike rolls smoothly on the reliable Fulcrum Racing 7 wheels wrapped in Continental Ultra Sport tires. A SRAM Rival crank, PG 1070 cassette and PC 1030 chain transfer power to the wheels. Rival front and rear derailleurs are moved by SRAM TT500 shifters, and Tektro RX4.1 brake levers move Rival brakes. 

The Ridley Phaeton T Rival Complete Bike comes in Black/green and is available in X-Large.