RIDLEY X-TRAIL ADVENTURE
£1399.99 › Balloon-tyred Belgian
Named the Adventure, this entry-level UK-spec alloy Ridley X-Trail stands out thanks to its yellow frame and is the only X-Trail to come with 650b wheels and 2in wide tyres.
The X-Trail range is designed with gravel racing in mind, and takes 700c wheels with 36mm rubber, something the Adventure could also do, but its frame and fork easily swallow the 2in/50mm Continental Contact Speed tyres with heaps of clearance to spare. Its credentials are also validated with a third bottle mount beneath the down-tube, and rack and mudguard mounts.
The triple-butted 6061-T6 alloy frame has a relatively short 158mm head-tube on our medium size, a boxy, wide down-tube, slimming top-tube and bridgeless seatstays with a connecting brace behind the seat-tube. Heavily shaped chainstays incorporate the flatmount disc brake, two cable stops, thru-axle mounts, and a massively strong section of plate aluminium that forms a bridge and the forward part of the driveside chainstay, creating extra chainring room.
The carbon fork blades have an aluminium steerer and thru-axle mounts, with mudguard mount below. All of the finishing kit is by Ridley’s in-house brand Forza, including the unbranded wheels with 32 black plain gauge J-bend spokes on 24mmm wide, 22mm tall rims. SRAM’s entry-level Apex 1x groupset handles drivetrain duties, with TRP’s Spyre-C mechanical discs slowing things down. Tidy internal cabling ports keep things neat, and dark reflective graphics on the frame help with visibility.
With almost no carbon fibre present, the Adventure does carry some timber at over 11kg, which isn’t a problem when rolling along. We set out with 40psi in our tyres, on a route that mixed dirt tracks with tarmac, and long gravel stretches.
The X-Trail range is designed with gravel racing in mind
Spinning along the road demonstrated the benefit of big tyres, as they can mask most surface undulations, and increase overall ride comfort more than many other factors can. The first uphill gave a taste of what was to come, as rather than ebb away, speed just evaporated as the gradient kicked in.
Starting a potholed, rocky dirt track cautiously, we were soon travelling faster than we had been on tarmac, as the X-Trail seemed to come alive on the rough stuff. Here the air volume made even more sense, and we could just shift about on the comfortable Forza saddle while threading a line through the worst holes. A far longer, steeper climb meant exploring our lowest gears, and assuring us that the 42x42 bottom gear would be essential with luggage on board. Steep climbs are something to endure rather than attack but they never felt a slog.
With its 71-degree head angle and 1034mm wheelbase, the Adventure is seriously stable, whether laden or not. This makes it a confident descender, if a little lazy steering at speed. We’d spin out in 42x11 at a little over 30mph. The gearing is pitched for all-day cruising, something it accomplishes well, and better suits the mechanical Spyre-C disc brakes. They are effective, but take longer to start biting and hauling you to a stop, and require more hand pressure than a hydraulic calliper. But they’re simple and easy to maintain, which counts too if you’re heading into the wilds.