Not many bikes stick in my memory long-term, but the previous Ridley Falcn RS was one of them. To cut to the chase, Im sad its gone.But time waits for no bike or brand, and in its place has come the Falcn RS 2.0. It features a complete redesign, to widen the gap between it and Ridleys Noah Fast aero bike, because the old Falcn RS was deemed just that little bit too similar.I was invited to Girona, Spain, to try the new bike on a 60km spin, taking in the Els Angels climb as part of a route popular with local pros, thanks to its steady climbs and sweeping, entertaining descents.Despite my initial reservations, Im encouraged that it now seems a better race-type bike for regular riders like you and me than the Noah Fast or the previous Falcn RS.I lament the old dogs passing, but also accept that the Falcn RS 2.0 is a sensible step in the right direction. We want our pro riders to have options Ridleys Falcn RS 2.0 is a lighter, climbing-focused alternative to the Noah FastRidley Falcn RS 2.0 first-ride impressions The Ridley Falcn RS 2.0 leans more towards the lightweight end of the race-bike spectrum. Ridley The ride position takes a very similar approach to that of the Eddy Merckx 525R, with a very steep seat tube angle and extended top tube to help riders pitch over the cranks without compromising fit. This is perhaps unsurprising, given Ridley and Eddy Merckx operate out of the same Belgian Cycling Factory headquarters and share design team personnel.The new bike delivers an aggressive race-bike position, but is sensible enough that an amateur like me can hop aboard and enjoy it from the get-go. I am certainly not built like a professional rider, but I still appreciate a fast-handling, lightweight-feeling bike. Recent competitive results on the WorldTour under Uno-X riders suggest the new Falcn is no slouch when powered by professional legs, either.The handling is sharp, and the bike feels taut and immediately responsive. Initially, I needed to pay attention to avoid over-manipulating it, such is the immediacy of its responses.Thats down partly to the 36cm (measured centre-to-centre) Forza Nimbus Pro cockpit, which will ship as standard with large-sized bikes. This magnifies the pendulum effect when the bike tilts from side to side and at the onset of suddenly called-for cornering. The cockpit was too narrow for me. Thankfully, you can change it at point of purchase. My size-large bike is roughly equivalent to a 58cm and the handlebar feels a touch narrow. Im built quite broadly, though, so Im not necessarily representative of many Ridley customers.Fortunately, Ridleys bike builder comes in handy here, enabling buyers to mitigate any concerns over cockpit dimensions to get their build as they want it (as well as offering a certain level of flexibility over gearing, crank lengths and, eventually, seatpost setback).Lack of aero performance? My test bike had the SRAM Force AXS-spec build and Forza Skiron wheels with bonded carbon spokes. Ashley Quinlan Despite Ridleys claims of retaining the old bikes aerodynamic efficiency, no specific figures or wind-tunnel charts have been provided to substantiate that.On my first ride, though, the Falcn RS 2.0 felt markedly less rapid on extended descents than a more obviously aero-optimised race bike, which is understandable given its positioning. I can't help but feel the Falcn RS 2.0 lacks a hair of rapidness on flatter roads so far. I tested the Cannondale Supersix EVO on some of the same roads (albeit travelling in the opposite direction) in January this year. In roughly equivalent conditions, save for the temperature, with similar enough builds, that bike felt a step more efficient on flat roads at higher speeds.More surprisingly, I sensed the Falcn RS 2.0 felt a touch less rapid than the previous-generation bike, although I'm relying on my three-year-old memories of it.The bike I tetsed is lighter than the old bike, by a couple of hundred grams if Ridleys ballpark numbers are to be believed (Ill get it on my scales when it arrives in the UK for testing), but that doesnt make it feel noticeably faster just a touch more agile, perhaps. These tyres are fantastic-feeling, but hardier rubber is surely a wise choice for anyone who doesn't have a team car or willing press officers to help fix them. Ashley Quinlan Its early days, and I need to get the bike onto my known test routes before I can verify that sensation. But if it turns out to feel slow when what you crave most of all is speed, that could be a sticking point for some riders, in a similar manner to how the Specialized Aethos might not appeal to some who want the speed of the Tarmac SL9.That said, when I wasnt really pushing myself hard, the Falcn RS 2.0 delivered good levels of comfort over the occasional bit of broken tarmac. The bike was fitted with 30mm Vittoria Corsa Pro Speed tyres a sensible choice of width with a supple cotton 320 TPI (threads-per-inch) casing, albeit most would probably be better off with tougher tyres.It had rained biblically heavily the night before my test ride, drawing grit and gravel across the road in sections, so the route offered an unexpected early glimpse of how the Falcn RS 2.0 deals with less-than-perfect surfaces. I hope this positive impression is reinforced when I ride it on UK roads. Carbon spokes are all the rage right now. Ashley Quinlan My test bike sported a SRAM Force AXS groupset, paired with Forza Skiron RSR 50 wheels. The wheels use bonded carbon spokes, which is an impressive inclusion on a bike costing 8,499 youd normally expect this kind of design to appear on more expensive bikes.Ridley Falcn RS 2.0 bottom line While I miss the old bike, the Falcn RS 2.0 appears to represent a smart revolution for the bike. The original Falcn RS had a point-and-shoot character that Im sorry to see diluted. The Falcn RS 2.0, however, feels like a more rounded and accessible race bike, with an aggressive but sensible ride position, sharp handling and a promising level of comfort.The question is whether the loss of the original bikes character will matter to riders who prioritise outright pace above all else. But, equally, perhaps they would be better off with a Noah Fast.For now, Im reserving final judgement. The Falcn RS 2.0 has the makings of a very good lightweight-leaning race bike, but Ill need to put it through a full test on familiar roads before I can say whether it retains enough of the originals magic and how it stacks up against the competition.An error occurred. Please try again later.Failed to retrieve product attributes: Failed to retrieve product attributes: cURL error 28: Connection timed out after 5000 milliseconds