Mountain biking and Belgium, do they go together? We think so! – With the new Ridley Sablo, the Belgians wanted to combine their knowledge of cyclocross and racing in a race fully. The bike is specially designed for modern cross-country racing and is a real eye-catcher with 100mm suspension travel and the sporty SRAM Eagle X01.
The heart of the Ridley Sablo is a high-quality full carbon frame that weighs around 2000 grams. The geometry is rather compact, the aim is to achieve maximum agility and mobility. The steering angle is rather steep in all model sizes, the reach is moderate, but the chainstays are not the shortest. A lot of value was placed on longevity and performance in order to be able to withstand even the most adverse conditions. Therefore, particularly resistant bearings and double-lip seals from Enduro Bearings from the USA are used. The rear wheel suspension is designed with an integrated carbon rocker and main swingarm as a supported single-pivot. But here it has to be said that the entire rear end is very wide, which means that we rub it slightly with every step.
The equipment of the Ridley Sablo is quite impressive, the top model comes with SRAM Eagle XX1, Fox 32 SC fork and DT Swiss XR 1500 wheels. Our test bike, painted green and orange, was equipped with a SRAM Eagle X01. This worked perfectly and with 1×12 is exactly the right choice for real racers. Due to the wide gradation of 10 - 50 teeth, you can play to your strengths on (almost) any terrain. The external BSA is also used for the bottom bracket for reasons of durability.
On the trail you could quickly feel that the seating position of the Ridley Sablo is rather short for a race fully. But this is reflected in great maneuverability and agility. You can therefore act well in winding passages. On rough ground, you notice that the Sablo is a bit lacking in smoothness. Otherwise it's really fun: the low weight is almost noticeable and the rigidity also ensures that the bike goes straight forward, even when pedaling out of the saddle.
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