If you can’t beat ’em (ebikes), join ’em? Ridley is probably one of the last companies I would have expected to launch an ebike, but here it is. The news of the new ebike is simultaneous with the launch of their new full suspension Sablo XC race bike, so perhaps it’s just all part of the Belgian brand expanding its reach. Regardless of the reasoning, Ridley’s first e-bike is a Shimano E8000 equipped carbon hard tail with the typical Ridley flair…
Called the Elykx, Ridley’s ebike is based on a carbon frame with 29″ wheels, however the dropouts claim to adapt to 27.5″ as well. It appears that the dropouts move down and forward to make up for the smaller diameter of 27.5″ wheels. Frame details include Boost 148 x 12 rear spacing, internal cable routing, stealth dropper compatibility, and the ability to run mechanical or electronic drivetrains.
Fairly well integrated into the frame for how large the Shimano battery is, the Elykx makes full use of the potential integration with a Shimano XT Di2 group available as an option. Otherwise, it sees the standard XT mechanical with a Suntour Raidon 34 120mm fork.
Based on the press release, the “Elykx represents the first bike in the all new Hybrid range within Ridley Bikes,” so we might be seeing more Ridley ebikes in the future. Offered in S-XL sizes, the Elykx will be available at Ridley shops starting in November, but will also be available with custom color options through Ridley’s PureLine collection, with the assembly and hand painting done in Belgium, as well. Pricing is listed as €5,999 for the black/blue/green XT Di2 build above, or €4,799 for the grey/blue/red XT mechanical build at the top.
