The Falcn RS is the newest road offering from Ridley, and it’s ready for much more than smooth tarmac. The Falcn RS was developed for the World Tour as a bike that can take on the Ronde van Vlaanderen to Paris-Roubaix, a Grand Tour stage, and Strade Bianche. How? The bike is aerodynamic, lightweight, and focuses on little details to improve rider experience.
Ridley Falcn RS — What is it?
The all-new Ridley Falcn combines the best of both worlds: an aerodynamic bike that is as light as possible. If you’re a Ridley fan, think of the Falcn RS as a combination of the Noah Fasts’ aerodynamics with the weight of the Helium SLX.
Ridley Falcn RS Frame Details
It’s light — how light? The new Ridley Falcn RS frameset is only 110 grams heavier than its flagship climbing bike, the Helium SLX. Ridley says the frameset of our review medium review bike is only 825 grams. But Ridley put most of the effort into making an aerodynamic and efficient fast bike.
Our Ridley Falcn RS Force review bike weighs in at 16lbs on the dot without pedals or water bottle cages. Our build features DT-Swiss 1400 wheels and Vittoria Corsa Pro tires — 28mm front and 30mm rear.
The new Falcn RS underwent extensive aerodynamic research with the Ridley team using CFD analysis and wind tunnel testing. The result is a front end that is super aero-focused and a main frame that is focused on weight.
Ridley claims the new Falcn RS weighs just 825g (size M) compared to the ultralight Helium SLX climber’s bike, currently at just 715g.
The Falcn RS has an aero tube profile, keeping the tube joints as sleek and straightforward as possible. The head tube is deeper to make the Falcn RS more aero. Every cross-section of the frame is aero-optimized with carefully chosen airfoils. The shape of the top tube is even adjusted to enhance the bike’s stability under crosswinds.
The fork is new and includes the Ridley diffuser. Ridley says this diffuser design induces turbulence in the airflow before the down tube. Making it easier for the airflow to go over the down tube and increasing the pressure behind the head tube. Resulting in a bike that has 10% less drag at 50KPH compared to the original Ridley road fork design.
Removable Front and UDH Rear Derailleur Hanger
The Flacn RS can quickly transform into a single front chainring. It’s as easy as removing the chain and then the front derailleur. The removable front derailleur hanger keeps the frame looking clean and the swap simple.
The rear derailleur hanger is UDH and is the same mount as others in the Ridley line, making a bent hanger a simple fix and fewer hangers in the toolbox.
To make the Falcn RS even more efficient, the Ridley uses the F-steerer technology and a fully integrated cockpit. The Falcn RS features a Forza Cirrus Pro Integrated Road cockpit with a short-ish 75mm reach, 130mm drop, and a 5° flare. This bar stem combo is just the right amount of aerodynamics and control.
The Forza Cirrus Pro Integrated Road cockpit has four different stem/width sizes: 90/380, 100/400, 110/400, and 120/420.
Road Racing — Now with Larger Tires
The Falcn RS is a multidiscipline road bike, which means pavement, cobbles, and what have you. The new frame design, clear-up to 34mm tires, and geometry allow category jumping without drawback. In fact, the Falcn RS is designed around 28mm tire use, so there is no need to guess second bringing out the big tires for the big day.
Ridley Falcn RS Geometry
The Ridley Falcn RS is an entirely new design for the company, so it gets a fresh geo. The design combines the two popular Ridley road designs but adds a fresh perspective to make the Falcn its machine. Ridley’s R&D department carefully designed a geometry that provides riders with the perfect balance between speed, stability, and reactivity.
The head tube length of the Falcn RS is slightly shorter than that of the Noah Fast and Helium for a more aggressive riding position. The bottom bracket is also slightly lower than the Noah Fast and Helium because it is adjusted to accommodate bigger-volume tires without raising the center of gravity. This lower bottom bracket gives the rider excellent control, especially on uneven terrain.
Ridley Falcn RS Sizing
The new Falcn comes in a size that should suit everyone; we are talking XXS to XL, but remember that the Ridley sizing can be slightly different than some US companies, so choose mindfully. The Ridley design team took time to ensure that each size offered would maintain the same performance characteristics across the range.
Ridley Falcn Build Options:
Ridley offers electronic shifting drivetrain options only for the Falcn RS, with Shimano Ultegra Di2, Shimano 105 Di2, and Sram Force AXS available as standard options. Additional options, such as Sram Rival AXS, SRAM Red AXS, and Shimano Dura-Ace Di2, are available in the Ridley online configurator.
Ridley Falcn RS Builds and Pricing
Ridley Falcn RS SRAM Force AXS
- Groupset: SRAM Force AXS
- Wheels: DT Swiss ARC 1400 50mm
- Price: $10,245 / €9,552
Ridley Falcn RS Shimano Ultegra Di2
- Groupset: Shimano Ultegra Di2
- Wheels: DT Swiss ARC 1400 50mm
- Price: $10,245 / €9,552
Ridley Falcn RS Shimano 105 Di2
- Groupset: Shimano 105 Di2
- Wheels: Forza Levanto DB, tubeless ready
- Price: $8,000 / €7,459
Look back for a full review of the Ridley Falcn RS this fall, and for more information, check out Ridley-Bikes.com
