Bike Reviews

Designed to fit an aero-bike profile, the Phaeton R, little brother to the $3,450 Noah, sports some slippery shapes. The 4ZA Sphinx fork has broad, flattened carbon-fiber fork legs with vertical slits, or as Ridley labels them, R-Flow jet foils, to channel drag-inducing air turbulence away from the spokes. The down tube is an elongated teardrop shape, and the airfoil-like seat tube ends in an a semi-integrated seatpost. It's the same tube shaping found on the triathlon- specific Phaeton T, and it all looks great. Plus Ridley coats the frame with what the company calls R-Surface technology, claiming that the paint reduces drag by 5 percent.

It's a lot of aero tech, and on the road it translates into a fast, efficient ride that lets you feel the pavement—it'd be tough to argue that the bike is made for comfort, but it's not harsh, just constantly communicative. The frame refuses to bend or flex—it exhibits a straight-ahead, no-nonsense character. Ride with your hands on the bar tops and the bike can feel a little twitchy, especially if the wide fork legs catch the wind, but stretch down into the drops and the bike takes on a fast, diesel-like quality that's stable, steady and unflappable. A drawback to the broad, flat tube shapes is that they can catch crosswinds, which require some muscle to handle.

The Phaeton R may be best suited to a rider who can and will power his way to the finish line. It's strong enough to handle an aggressive rider, and once up to speed, holds the velocity well. But if you want to amble along on easy rides, the bike will make you work a little more than you might want.

Buy It: If you like to work hard and go fast—the Phaeton R rewards both
Forget It: If you're all about finesse, not power