Ridley Kanzo Fast 2.0 review: everything a modern gravel race bike should be – but you don't need to be a racer to enjoy it

I rode the prototype Ridley RSS gravel bike earlier this year and came away impressed by the potential of the new design. Now I’ve had the chance to ride the production version of that bike and it's one of the best-thought-out performance gravel bikes to date. 

In fact, it's so good I've named it as the winner of our gravel category and the overall champion in our 2026 Bike of the Year test, beating the Argon 18 Anti Matter and Giant Revolt Advanced SL in the final showdown.

The Kanzo Fast 2.0 combines aerodynamics with well-considered details to make this new Ridley the ideal year-round gravel machine. 

Like fellow BCF (Belgian Cycling Factory) brand Merckx and Ridley’s own road-going Noah Fast, the Kanzo Fast embraces more progressive geometry. That means a longer reach, taller stack and a steepening of the seat angle. 

On fast gravel roads, it's fast, fluid and comfortable. But where it stands out is in how capable it feels when the terrain gets more challenging.  

Rides fast everywhere 

On wide-open gravel roads, the Kanzo is as fast as any gravel bike I’ve tried, the huge-volume tyres smothering rougher surfaces with ease. What is more surprising is just how good it feels when the terrain gets more technical.  

Ridley’s designers have steepened the seat angle up to 75 degrees on my size-large test bike to give a better over-the-pedals position. At the same time, they’ve kept the top-tube length the same, which means the longer reach (427mm) for a more aggressive position can be had without resorting to using a longer stem.

The steepening of the seat angle also helps with tyre clearance, so while the Kanzo has huge 58mm clearances, the chainstays are still relatively short at 425mm – another element in improving handling. 

The over-the-pedals ride position feels more efficient than a traditionally slacker layout when maintaining pace on challenging root- and rock-strewn surfaces – the sort of choppiness that robs you of speed and efficiency. 

The 44-tooth chainring and 10-46 tooth cassette combination give a great range across all types of gravel, and the Force XPLR AXS clutched derailleur, with its direct-mount connection, offers flawless shifting and chain retention even on the roughest surfaces. There’s no reason to upgrade to Red XPLR AXS, such is the performance.  

The Kanzo’s Forza Skiron RS wheel package, which was launched in conjunction with the bike, has some impressive specs. The 50mm-deep rim features a 27mm internal TSS (hookless) rim profile, with Vonoa carbon spokes and hubs equipped with CeramicSpeed bearings. The claimed weight is 1,350g a pair.  

These are combined with a clever tyre mix that blends the minimal fast tread of Schwalbe’s G-One RS Pro at the rear with the more aggressive tread of the RX version up front.  

It’s rare to see an off-the-peg gravel bike spec with this much thought going into an essential element such as the tyres. Most gravel bikes get the same tyres front and rear. It’s evidence that Ridley has taken its cues from mountain biking, where individual front-rear tyre choice is key to performance.  

Overall, I found impressive straight-line speed and cornering bite in loose-dirt corners – exactly the combination most of us are likely to look for.  

The Kanzo feels nimbler than the similarly approached Argon 18 Anti Matter when it comes to the twists and turns of woodland singletrack.

The forward seated position from the bike's steeper seat angle gives the feel of sitting ‘in’ the bike. It provides a balanced feel and, as a bonus on long, straight sections, it’s easy to stay down in the drops for longer without feeling cramped.  

It also feels much more balanced on rougher terrain; it was confidence-inspiring when pushing speed on descents and when I chose to take the more aggressive line choice through corners. 

On tarmac, the Ridley’s large 55mm tyres can’t match the skinnier 45s on Giant’s Revolt Advanced SL0 for out-and-out speed, but the off-road performance more than makes up for that small shortfall. 

The one-piece Forza Nimbus Pro cockpit is also found on the aero-race Noah 3.0.

On the prototype version of the Kanzo, it came with a narrow 360mm bar, and it wasn’t my favourite. On the production bike, you can use Ridley’s configurator to get your preferred size for no extra charge.

I opted for the wider 380mm option with an effective 110mm stem length. The drop is compact at 125mm with a 75mm reach, and it has a slight backsweep that keeps the steering keen and feels comfortable when on the tops. The subtle flare pushes the width out to 420mm at the drops. 

In a big nod towards year-round usability, with Ridley's Belgian heartland sharing much the same changeable weather as the UK, the Kanzo's frame features proper mudguard mounts. This means you can run full mudguards with tyres up to 50mm wide. 

Unlike the lightweight Giant Revolt Advanced SL 0 and BMC Kaius One 01, the Kanzo gets down-tube storage. However, unlike the Argon 18 Anti Matter, Ridley has positioned the storage port below rather than underneath the bottle cage. Ridley claims this avoids unduly weighting the storage cover (with a full bottle and cage), reducing the risk of rattles. 

This build of the Kanzo Fast 2.0 sits one rung down from the SRAM Red XPLR AXS version, priced at £10,999 / €11,699, while entry into the Fast 2.0 range comes with a Rival XPLR AXS model at £4,999 / £5,499. 

The Force XPLR model is priced keenly compared to its rivals. Argon 18’s similarly specced Anti Matter costs £1,200 more at £7,499 / €8,995, while Cervélo’s Áspero 5 aero gravel racer is £8,250 / $9,000 with a comparable spec.  

Giant’s new Revolt Advanced SL 1 is £700 more at £6,999 / $8,000 and the BMC Kaius 01 Two is £1,000 more at £7,299 / $8,999.  

It’s worth noting that Ridley’s online configurator provides lots of options to upgrade or personalise the Kanzo Fast 2.0 – some fit parts such as the handlebar are free of charge, while you pay the difference for other ‘material’ spec changes, such as a tyre, wheelset or groupset switch.  

Ridley Kanzo Fast 2.0 bottom line 

The Kanzo Fast is the best of the new breed of aero gravel race bikes. I’d go so far as to say it redefines the aero-gravel racer – no longer are aero gravel bikes a compromise of big straight-line speed on princess gravel for limited technical terrain ability. The Kanzo Fast 2.0 shows you can have it all. 

The progressive geometry makes for a forgiving ride position; the handling is a match for singletrack and challenging surfaces. Ridley’s choice of maxing out the tyre size pays dividends in bringing comfort and grip, as does the smart tread selection for balanced cross-terrain performance. 

The trade-off is a little less speed on tarmac, but the Kanzo Fast is a thoroughbred gravel race bike and as such its off-road prowess is far more important.  

What we've tested – the full 2026 Bike of the Year shortlist

Race bikes

• Cannondale SuperSix Evo 3 review – £6,995 / $6,999 / €6,499
• Cervélo Soloist Force AXS review – £7,000 / $8,500 / €7,499
• Eddy Merckx 525R review – £6,299 / €6,999
• Factor Monza SRAM Force w/Power Meter review – £6,799 / $7,199 / €8,299
• Giant Propel Advanced Pro 0-Di2 review – £5,799 / €6,600
• Merida Reacto 10K review – £9,500 / €10,199
• Rose Shave FFX Red AXS review – €8,500
• Wilier Filante SLR ID2 Dura-Ace Di2 review – £9,500 / $12,900 / €10,900

Endurance bikes

• Canyon Endurace CF SLX 8 Di2 review – £4,299 / $5,999 / €4,499
• Cervélo Caledonia Force AXS (review coming soon) – £5,250 / $6,500 / €6,499
• Fairlight Strael 4.0 review (custom build) – £3,909
• Ribble Ultra-Road 105 Di2 Aero review – £3,799 / $5,215 / €4,880
• Vielo R+1 Campagnolo Record review – £7,999

Gravel bikes

• Argon 18 Anti Matter Force AXS XPLR review – £7,495 / $8,995 / €8,495
• Argon 18 Dark Matter SRAM Rival XPLR AXS review – £4,500 / $4,650 / €5,095
• BMC Kaius 01 One review – £9,999 / $12,999 / €10,999
• Giant Revolt Advanced SL 0 review – £9,999 / $12,000 / €9,999
• Orbea Terra M21e Team 1x review – £5,299 / $6,299 / €5,999
• Ridley Kanzo Fast 2.0 – £6,299 / €6,999
• Singular Pterodactyl review (rolling chassis) – £3,490 / $3,959 / €3,429.95
• Trek Checkpoint ALR 5 Gen 3 review – £1,700 / $2,099 / €1,999