Uno-X is testing a new prototype lightweight race bike, which – before any modifications – weighs 6.9kg in a size small.
The bike represents a refreshing departure from the aero bike hegemony, with relatively traditional tube shapes used throughout.
That said, the head tube features some aerodynamic profiling, as does the upper portion of the seat tube.
An aero seatpost is also used, but topped with a lightweight clamp design. This features a hollow carbon cradle fastened in place by two bolts.
Below this, the seat stays are strikingly slim, a common tactic used by brands to lower weight while increasing frame compliance.
Tyre clearance also appears competitive with the growing number of race bikes with space reaching into the mid-thirty millimetre region, albeit the team mechanics wouldn’t confirm the frame’s official limit.
This bike, belonging to Tobias Johannessen, was running 28mm Continental Grand Prix 5000 TT TR tyres. These are said to be an optimal size for the 38mm-deep DT Swiss ARC 1100, while the choice of a 28mm tyre will be lighter than the increasingly normal-choice 30mm rubber.
Up front, the fork crown is notably U-shaped with prominent shoulders. Alongside offering increased tyre clearance, this could be assisting with shaping airflow before it hits the rider’s legs.
While less impactful when climbing a mountain at slower speeds, aerodynamics will have a role to play in descending speed – should a competitor (or Johannessen) attack over the crest of a climb, this efficiency will surely be appreciated when countering.
It’s unclear what this new bike will be called – both the UCI and Ridley’s stickers stat “prototype” – but the family resemblance to the existing Falcn RS all-round race bike is strong.
The relative lack of deeper-section aero tubes would suggest Ridley is looking to keep this new bike and the Noah Fast set distinctly apart from one another, rather than looking to merge the Falcn RS and Noah Fast into an all-in-one platform.
We’ll deliver the official word from Ridley on this new bike when have it.
