A seat angle borrowed from a time trial bike, a long reach and a low weight. And yet, at first glance, the new Ridley Falcn RS 2.0 looks almost old-fashioned, with round tubes and not a frill in sight. Behind that understated exterior lies a radical concept: according to Ridley, its the first climbing bike built around progressive geometry. Is this the future of the breed, or a tool made for the pros?Ridley have always had a climbing bike in the lineup. Nothing embodied that ambition more uncompromisingly than the Helium, a bike whose very name sounds featherlight. But when Specialized set the aero all-rounder trend in motion with the Tarmac, Ridley wanted a piece of the action too. And so the first Falcn RS was born: a little heavier than the Helium, but considerably more aerodynamic. Ridley didnt abandon their thoroughbred aero bike, the Noah, though. With its third generation, things got radical, not just in terms of tube shapes but above all when it came to geometry. Picking up on the pro pelotons trend towards ever more time trial-like riding positions, Ridley unveiled one of the first road bikes with progressive geometry. The decisive factor behind it was their collaboration with the Norwegian Uno-X team.Ridley knew just how much the Uno-X team thrives on innovation, and thats exactly the kind of people you need to spark a revolution in road bike geometry. But this revolution came with a catch: suddenly, the geometries of the Noah and the Falcn were so far apart that switching between the aero bike and the climbing bike depending on the route profile was barely an option anymore. Key Facts about the Ridley Falcn RS 2.0 2027 Highs Frame weight of just 705 g (size M) Lightweight Mavic Comete wheels Configurator CeramicSpeed SLT headset Lows No power meter as standard Key Facts Full carbon frame: 705 g in size M, according to the manufacturer The first climbing bike with progressive geometry Minimal paint finish: just 30 g, according to the manufacturer The solution? A climbing bike with progressive geometry! According to Ridley, the new Falcn RS 2.0 is only marginally more aerodynamic than its predecessor, but significantly lighter. The decisive aero gains are supposed to come from the altered riding position anyway. While the market is increasingly betting on all-rounders, Ridley are steering the new Falcn RS back towards the classic climbing bike, at least as far as its underlying concept is concerned.The Ridley Falcn RS 2.0 2027 in Detail A Wolf in Sheeps ClothingWhen it comes to the paint job, Ridley have opted for radical minimalism: raw carbon, a few red accents and a wave pattern on the fork. The look is reminiscent of the Uno-X pros bikes and, according to Ridley, tips the scales at a mere 30 g. For comparison, a conventional paint finish can easily weigh a good 200 g. In other words, the Falcn RS 2.0 lives up to its climbing credentials before youve even turned a pedal. If youd rather something more personal, you can put together your own colour scheme in the configurator for an extra charge, though it comes with a few extra grams. Weight, style or individuality? The choice is yours!Power measurement? Dont hold your breath. Youll look for a power meter in vain.The seatpost is said to weigh less than 100 g. There are no versions with different offsets on offer.At the moment, Ridley only offer the Falcn RS 2.0 in a single frame grade, with pricesranging from 7,499 for our test to 12,499, depending on the spec. Ridley claim a frame weight of 705 g. Thats very light, but it doesnt set a new benchmark: a SCOTT Addict Ultimate frame, for example, comes in almost 100 g lighter still. The finishing kit has also been shaved down to the last gram. The seatpost and cockpit were developed in collaboration with Deda, but designed specifically for the Falcn RS 2.0. The seatpost alone is claimed to weigh less than 100 g. To make that possible, however, the Di2 battery had to give up its usual home in the seatpost and move into the frame.Raw carbon with subtle patterns: the paint job is said to weigh less than 30 g!Ridley shaped every tube in their in-house wind tunnel, yet they say the new Falcn is barely any faster than its predecessor. Instead, development focused above all on one thing: weight. Our test bike, built with Shimano ULTEGRA, weighs just 6.66 kg, and Ridley claim the top-spec model is almost half a kilo lighter still. The real aero advantage, they say, comes from the new riding position rather than the tube shapes. Fittingly, the Nimbus Pro cockpit measures a narrow 36 cm at the hoods.The Nimbus Pro cockpit from Ridleys in-house component brand Forza measures just 36 cm at the hoods.CeramicSpeeds SLT bearings: built to outlast their rider.The Spec of the Ridley Falcn RS 2.0 2027For the groupset, Ridley have opted for a Shimano ULTEGRA Di2 groupset, though without a power meter, unfortunately. Reliable as it is, the groupset doesnt allow the Falcn to make the most of its weight-saving potential. On top of that, with 52/36 chainrings and an 11-30 cassette, the gearing is pretty racy for a thoroughbred climbing bike. On steep ramps in particular, plenty of riders will find themselves wishing for an extra bailout gear.The 170 mm cranks fitted are already relatively short for a size 56 frame. On a bike with such progressive geometry, however, wed have liked to try 165 mm cranks too. If you feel the same way, you can select them in Ridleys configurator. The components developed in collaboration with Deda also stay true to the progressive concept: the seatpost only comes without setback, and the cockpit is only available in narrow and very narrow widths. As standard, it measures 36 cm at the hoods and 40 cm in the drops. If you prefer a little more width, you can choose a 38 cm version at the hoods in the configurator.Ridley Falcn RS 2.0 2027 7,499SpecificationsSeatpost Falcn RS aero seatpost D-ShapeBrakes Shimano Ultegra R8140 DI2 160/140 mmDrivetrain Shimano Ultegra R8140 2x12Chainring 52-36 TStem 4ZA Nimbus Pro 100 mmHandlebar 4ZA Nimbus Pro 400 mmWheelset Mavic Comete Pro 12 x 100 / 12 x 142Tires Vittoria Corsa PRO Speed tyres 700C x 30c Cranks Shimano Ultegra R8140 170 mmCassette Shimano Ultegra R8140 11-30 TTechnical DataSize XXS XS S M L Weight 6.66 kgThe Mavic Comete 50 wheels feature a 50 mm rim depth, classy carbon spokes and ceramic bearings. Weighing 1,315 g with a 23 mm internal width, they promise a well-judged balance of aerodynamics and low weight, on paper at least. Could this be the start of a comeback for the cult French brand?They roll on 30 mm Vittoria Corsa Pro Speed tires, which offer the lowest rolling resistance in Vittorias range, at the expense of puncture protection. Want more volume? The frame clears up to 35 mm, enough for the cobbles of the Tour of Flanders, or for the braver amateur prepared to subject a bike this expensive to winter roads.Mavics return? The Comete Pro wheels feature carbon spokes and ceramic bearings very impressive!All Falcn RS 2.0 models come with CeramicSpeeds SLT technology as standard. In theory, these headsets last forever, and theyre backed by a lifetime warranty to boot. At a time when systems are becoming ever more complex and integrated, we think thats exactly the right move.The Geometry of the Ridley Falcn RS 2.0 2027: Steep Angles for Steep Climbs!Line up the geometry of the new Falcn RS 2.0 against the old bike and the family resemblance all but disappears. The seat angle jumps from 73 to 76, reach grows by 28 mm and stack by 9 mm, and the wheelbase extends by 25 mm to 1,022 mm. The chainstays stay at 410 mm, so the front triangle accounts for every millimeter of extra length, and the bottom bracket sits 8 mm lower. It looks like a recipe for a long, stretched position, but that isnt Ridleys aim. The idea is to put the rider further forward without stretching them out. Because the steeper seat angle shifts the saddle forward, the distance to the handlebar doesnt grow, even with the extra reach. Thats why the stack-to-reach ratio of 1.43 suggests a racier fit than the bike delivers in practice.The logic behind it is simple. The steep seat angle shifts you over the bottom bracket and opens up your hip angle, but at the same time it shortens the distance to the handlebar. On a conventional frame, youd compensate with a longer stem and pay for it with front-heavy handling. Ridley put that length into the top tube instead, and it follows that theres no setback seatpost at all. The low bottom bracket is part of the concept too: if you run short cranks, you have to raise your saddle, which shifts your centre of gravity upwards. The lowered bottom bracket brings it back down and is meant to make the bike more predictable in corners.SizeXXSXSSMLTop tube500 mm520 mm545 mm565 mm590 mmSeat tube460 mm480 mm495 mm515 mm540 mmHead tube85 mm100 mm125 mm150 mm165 mmHead angle7373737373Seat angle7676767676Chainstay length410 mm410 mm410 mm410 mm410 mmBottom bracket drop78 mm78 mm78 mm78 mm78 mmWheelbase954 mm975 mm1000 mm1022 mm1048 mmReach375 mm392 mm411 mm425 mm446 mmStack500 mm514 mm538 mm562 mm576 mmThe trend has its roots in time trialling. Where Tony Martin and Jonathan Castroviejo once had to be careful not to bite their handlebars, Stefan Kng has recently done the term spacer tower proud. After more than 50 years of long and low, a new rule suddenly applies: higher is sometimes faster, simply because you can hold the position for longer. The principle has since made its way into road racing, but not yet into most frames. If you want to ride it anyway, youll end up with absurdly long stems and seatposts pulled way out, on bikes designed to do the exact opposite.The concept does have one catch, though, and on a climbing bike it weighs heavily. Climbers in particular tend to sit a little further back on average, because they dont need as open a hip angle on the climbs as they do in an aero position. If thats how you ride, youre unlikely to get on with the Falcn, as its simply too long and too steep. Which brings us back to the question we started the test with: are Ridley reinventing the climbing bike here, or are they building a bike for a handful of pros who want to switch between aero and climbing machines?The Ridley Falcn RS 2.0 2027 on Test: Redefining the Hill Climb Time TrialWe tested the Falcn in the position it was built for: far forward over the bottom bracket, with an open hip angle and yet a long reach. On a conventional frame, youd need a 140 mm stem to achieve that, which makes even well-balanced bikes front-heavy. If your riding position is more traditional, you may well come away from the Falcn with markedly different impressions.The first surprise came from the cadence sensor. Instead of our usual 80 rpm, our cadence on the flat settled almost by itself at around 95 rpm, while it stayed the same on the climbs. Wed already noticed the same effect on the Eddy Merckx 525R, which also features progressive geometry, so the more open hip angle seems the likely cause.Get into position! The progressive geometry is designed to make riding in an aero tuck easier.On the straights, the Falcn is noticeably faster than its round tubes and 50 mm wheels suggest. The position is what makes the difference: long, but not excessively low, so you can hold a fast aero tuck on the hoods for considerably longer. A test in Ridleys wind tunnel showed what thats worth: at 36 km/h, the gap between a low aero position on the hoods and a relaxed posture came to almost 50 watts. Thats a figure hardly any tube profile is likely to match.On paper, the handling looked like a concern. With a wheelbase around 30 mm longer than a Specialized Tarmacs, we expected a bike that would resist changes of direction. In practice, the long top tube means a 100 mm stem delivers the same reach to the bar, and that pays off in weight distribution. Loading the front wheel through corners becomes more precise and more intuitive. The Falcn may not turn in with the immediacy of the sharpest race bikes, but sluggish it isnt.Quick off the mark: thanks to its low weight, the Falcn gets up to speed in no time!The frame itself offers comfort on a par with a good race bike, but here too, the real gains come from the geometry. On long rides, our thighs felt fresher thanks to the higher cadence, and our hands carried noticeably less load than on a frame that has this position forced upon it. Tuning tip: the 165 mm cranks from the configurator make even more of the geometry.Uphill, the geometry loses its edge, but the stiff, lightweight frame and Mavic wheels weighing just over 1,300 g take over. The Falcn translates every effort on the pedals straight into forward momentum, and thats precisely the point of the concept. If you want a progressive position on the flat, youll have to live with it on the climbs too, so the weight had better be right there at the very least.Pull a wheelie and you wont notice the long wheelbaseWho Is the Ridley Falcn RS 2.0 For?The Falcn RS 2.0 is aimed at ambitious racers who ride a progressive position and want the lightest, most direct bike possible for hill climb races or fast laps through rolling terrain. Those wholl benefit most already ride a progressive aero bike: with the Falcn, they get the perfect climbing companion without having to change their position. The choice is trickier if you only have one road bike in the garage. If you ride a progressive position, an aero bike is likely to be the more versatile option.The Right Bike For:Racers whove had to force their progressive position until nowIf youre fighting front-heavy handling on your current bike with an extra-long stem, youll find the balance here that conventional frames simply cant offer in this position.Weight weenies with racing ambitionsSpecced with Shimano ULTEGRA, our test bike weighs 6.66 kg. The stiff frame and light Mavic wheels with carbon spokes deliver acceleration that thrills even without the geometry advantage.IndividualistsColours, crank length, stem and handlebar width can all be customised in the configurator. Whats more, the CeramicSpeed headset with its lifetime warranty is meant to make the Falcn a bike youll keep for many years.Not the Right Bike For:Traditional climbersIf you like to sit further back on the saddle when climbing, theres no way to adjust the bike to suit: theres no setback seatpost, and the geometry is simply too long and too steep for that.Leisurely riders in the AlpsWith 52/36 chainrings and an 11-30 cassette, the Falcns gearing is on the racy side. On long, steep ramps, youll be missing a bailout gear.Data-driven racers on a budget 7,499 without a power meter is a bold ask, and if you train with power, youll have to dig deeper into your pockets.What remains is a small target audience for which Ridley currently have a near-monopoly. If youre looking for a progressive climbing bike, or already ride a progressive aero bike and want a climber to go with it without changing your position, theres hardly any way around the Falcn RS 2.0. A bike for everyone? Certainly not. But for the right riders, it might be exactly what theyve been waiting for!Helmet Sweet Protection Tucker III Mips | Glasses Oakley Kato Cavendish | Jersey Pas Normal Studios Mechanism | Shorts Gonso SQlab GO Cargo BIB | Shoes Quoc M3 | Socks Swiss Side Aero Socks | Vest Pas Normal StudiosMechanism Stow Away GiletConclusionsIs the Falcn RS 2.0 the future of the climbing bike? For pros like Uno-X, absolutely. For amateurs, only if they ride a progressive position. Paradoxically, the geometry shines on the flat, but what goes up must come down, and it works the other way round too: if you want to ride a progressive position on the flat, you need a light bike for the climbs, and Ridley deliver exactly that with lively acceleration. If your position is more traditional, on the other hand, youre unlikely to be happy with the Falcn. And 7,499 for ULTEGRA without a power meter is a bold ask. Ridley havent reinvented the climbing bike, but they have filled a real gap.TopsFirst and only progressive climbing bikeVery light frame thanks to minimal paint finishPlenty of options to customise the configurationFlopsNo power meter as standardProgressive geometry wont suit every riderFor more information, visit ridley-bikes.comDer Beitrag New Ridley Falcn RS 2.0 2027 in Review: The First Progressive Climbing Bike erschien zuerst auf GRAN FONDO Cycling Magazine.