Ridley Damocles 4 (2017) - Review

The Damocles 4 comes with a 661 alloy frame which is very light in weight. This endurance-focused geometry provides a comfortable riding posture and thus making it perfect for long distance rides. You can feel how light the frame is when you get off the saddle and go all out on the pedals. The carbon fork was bladed and helped keep the bicycle weight in check.

The Damocles 4 is at the top end of Ridley's India range of road bicycles and this is clearly reflected in its drivetrain. Shimano's 15 derailleurs at the front and rear were super quick in transmission, especially during climbs and also for quick accelerations. 15's are considered as the most successful derailleurs in the top end line of Shimano's road groupsets and that is because of its value for money. This is because these 15 groupsets have some characteristics of its superiors while being cheaper than them. The Shimano 15 11-speed integrated shifters were easy to use from the hoods.

The Damocles 4 which I test rode came in a black frame with green and blue graphics. This is an endurance frame geometry but it did look aero and that is mainly because of the shape of the top tube which was a little curved, the thin chain stays and the bladed forks. The bold brand name fonts were visible from a distance and looked refreshing. At a time when matte finish has a slight edge over gloss, this gloss finish paint job on the Damocles 4 was of great quality.

The Tektro caliper brakes were perfect to bring these bicycles to a halt on both wet and dry conditions. During the test ride I had to do a bit of interval braking on some fast turns and the brake pads were balanced and felt safe. The caliper components were also easy to release to take the tires out.The Zoom Alloy road handlebar was wide and felt comfortable to hold on to. The bar tapes were padded enough to provide good grip and cushioning, especially on longer rides.

During the test ride the first thing I noticed was the Kenda Kadence 7x23C tire's low weight. The Kenda website claims 197g per tire. The Kadence is a folding tire, so there's no stiff bead to deal with. The rubber on the tires seemed the same all over, but according to the Kenda website, the compound on the shoulder is slightly softer than the centre. This gives more durability and less resistance when the bicycle is upright, and then a bit more traction when you lean into a corner. The stock Ridley road saddle was ergonomically designed and was good for being on the saddle for longer hours but the material on top felt a little too slippery. The overall ride quality was comfortable and fast on flat tarmacs.