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Does Ridley’s new Grifn all-road bike really put an end to N+1?

We’ve been promised do-it-all bikes loads of times before; has Ridley hit the mark with its latest road-plus model?

Ridley has introduced a new all-road bike called the Grifn with the claim that it puts an end to N+1, the concept that the correct number of bikes to own is whatever you currently have (as long as it’s at least three) plus one more. Ridley’s suggestion of course implies that its new model is supremely versatile, which is a claim made by countless brands in the past, so let’s look at the evidence.

> Do you really need another bike? Find out what n+1 means 

2023 Ridley Grifn Shimano GRX - 13.jpeg

Ridley has had all-road bikes – sometimes called road plus or gravel light bikes – in the past, starting with the X-trail in 2015. This bike was renamed Kanzo Speed three years ago and now Ridley says it has had a proper update before re-emerging as the Grifn – pronounced ‘Griffin’, as in the mythical lion/eagle hybrid. The performance-minded Kanzo Fast and explore-orientated Kanzo Adventure remain in the range.

2023 Ridley Grifn Shimano GRX - 18.jpeg

“With a 990g frame (unpainted, in size medium), the Grifn is a fast and comfortable road bike ready to hit the off-road with its maximum tyre clearance of 38mm,” says Ridley.

“There’s even the possibility to go to 40mm tyres if you run a 1x [single chainring] drivetrain, or add mudguards and dynamo powered lights enabling the Grifn for any use: it’s suitable for road riding and gravel grinding as well as commuting and long-distance riding.”

Add mudguards and you’re looking at a maximum tyre width of 32mm.

2023 Ridley Grifn Shimano GRX - 4.jpeg

“The Grifn is the perfect match for riders who don’t want to have to choose between road and gravel,” says Ridley. “Whether you’re in search of a gravel bike for exploring backcountry roads and enjoying the most scenic and car-free roads or want to occasionally take your road bike off the beaten path to break the habit, the Grifn is the right bike for it.”

That’s quite a claim. We agree that if you’re just going to own one bike and you want something that’s as versatile as possible, a gravel or all-road bike is the way forward, so we’re certainly willing to hear Ridley out.

The carbon-fibre Grifn is built around a new geometry that is said to be suitable for both road and gravel needs.

“The head tube angle of 72° is in between the Fenix SLiC road bike (73.5°) and the Kanzo Fast performance gravel bike (71.5°),” says Ridley. “The bottom bracket drop of 73mm is lower than on a road bike, but not as low as on the Kanzo Adventure gravel bike. Moreover, the chainstays of the Grifn are shorter than those of the Kanzo Speed and both the head tube angle and seat tube angle of the Grifn are steeper than on the Kanzo Speed.

2023 Ridley Grifn Shimano GRX - 22.jpeg

“Ridley’s R&D department made sure the bike is reactive and nimble while providing enough stability and control for off-road riding. The 420mm chainstays play a crucial role in this part of the ride feel. The result is a fast, reactive yet stable and well-balanced all-road bike.”

Ridley says that it hasn’t chased a low weight at all costs but the Grifn is still competitive with that 990g unpainted frame weight (size medium) mentioned earlier, and a 445g fork. It’s said to come in at 8.5kg when built up with a Shimano GRX Di2 spec.

2023 Ridley Grifn Shimano GRX - 29.jpeg

Speaking of specs, the Grifn can be run with a choice of road or gravel groupsets, 1x or 2x drivetrains, or with the innovative Classified Powershift system.

>  Read our review of the Classified Powershift Kit & Wheelset

The Grifn features a clamp-on style front derailleur hanger that can be removed if you want to run a 1x or Classified drivetrain.

2023 Ridley Grifn Shimano GRX - 30.jpeg

The bike is equipped with numerous mounting points that allow you to carry enough stuff for all day or even multiple days in the saddle. You get three mounting points on the seat tube, for example, three on the upper face of the down tube and another three on the underside for bottle cages or toolkits.

2023 Ridley Grifn Shimano GRX - 5.jpeg

There are another two mounting points for a bag or other accessories on the top tube. If you don’t want to make use of these mounting points, they can be hidden with a flush-fitting cover.

2023 Ridley Grifn Shimano GRX - 10.jpeg

Shifting cables and brake hoses are hidden, travelling internally through the stem and into the frame. This makes for the easier attachment of handlebar bags when in gravel mode.

2023 Ridley Grifn Shimano GRX - 6.jpeg

Up front, the Grifn features the new Cirrus Pro Flared cockpit which has a shorter than normal reach (70mm), a shallower than normal drop (120mm), and a 16° flare. Ridley reckons the cockpit, which comes in four different stem length and bar width configurations, offers a comfortable position and plenty of control on all terrains.

> Find out all about handlebar geometry here 

Ridley also says that several practical features make the Grifn extra useful for longer-distance riders and commuters.

“For instance, the Grifn can be used with a hub dynamo,” says Ridley. "The dynamo cables run internally through the fork leg and frame. This is a great option for the more adventurous riders wanting to ride day and night without the need to stop. The dynamo can be used for lights or charging electronic devices. When not making use of this feature, everything can be nicely hidden with rubber covers.”

2023 Ridley Grifn Shimano GRX - 27.jpeg

We’ve briefly mentioned mudguards already, the Grifn coming with the relevant mounts. Ridley will offer a matching mudguard set.

The Ridley Grifn is available as a frameset or in standard builds (see below), and it’s also customisable using Ridley’s online configurator. You can choose the colours and pick the groupset, components, wheels, tyres, saddle and accessories.

Models

Shimano GRX600 2x, £2,909
Groupset
Shimano GRX600 2x (46/30T chainrings)
Wheels Shimano RS171 DB

Shimano GRX800 2x, £3,819
Groupset
Shimano GRX800 2x (46/30T chainrings)
Wheels Forza Norte Gravel

Shimano 105, £2,909
Groupset
Shimano 105 (50/34T chainrings)
Wheels Forza Norte Gravel

Shimano 105 Di2, £4,279
Groupset
Shimano 105 Di2 (50/34T chainrings)
Wheels Forza Norte Gravel

We didn't have the chance to go to the launch of the Ridley Grifn (we're a person down on road.cc for the next few weeks) so we can't give you our thoughts on the ride until one arrives for review, but what do you think of it as a concept? 

The danger of designing a bike for versatility is that it's not specific enough to do anything brilliantly  – Jack of all trades, master of none. What do you think: has Ridley hit the right balance here?

www.ridleybikes.com

Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. We send him off around the world to get all the news from launches and shows too. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.

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33 comments

Avatar
Dhill | 1 year ago
0 likes

To answer the question posed; no. Couldn’t do a bmx race on it.

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Shaun TheDiver | 1 year ago
0 likes

To be N+0 it also has to have a decent commuter capability. Good mudguard attchment and clearance, pannier rack mounts, and a pedelec option as a minimum.

I'll stick to my stable of 3 for now. GT Grade Carbon Elite for gravel days, GT eGrade Bolt for commutes, and Specialized Crux Sport E5 on the turbo trainer and for dicking about in the summer.

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pete666 | 1 year ago
0 likes

The bike looks nice but there is less clearance between seat stay and tyre than on my time trial frame! It looks more suitabe for the road. And as commented previously, a clamp on front derailleur? One would normally find them on cheap steel framed bikes and certainly not on a carbon frame.

With a total of 7 bikes, I feel that I may just have enough? My most used and most useful started life as a Dawes Galaxy but now has a Spa Cycles titanium touring frame as my legs broke the old frame! The rest I use for fun/exercise. I even have 2 spare carbon frames just in case. If I'm not careful, they may end up as an additonal couple of bikes one day!

Avatar
ubercurmudgeon | 1 year ago
4 likes

What happens if someone steals it? It presumably becomes a "Nicked Grifn". Try reporting that to the Met Police, and you may get a funny handshake.

Plus I thought band-on front derailleur hangers on carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic bikes were a mistake the industry had learnt to avoid.

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IanMSpencer replied to ubercurmudgeon | 1 year ago
0 likes

Band on on carbon not really a problem, as long as the frame is designed properly, and a "braze-on" is going to create a weak point anyhow - drilled and riveted. Mainly they went out of favour because of the tube-based sizing of the mounts that couldn't cope especially with the different shaping.

On a do-it-all frame there is a big advantage to a banded mount. On a braze-on you are limited to a few teeth either side of the target chain ring. On a band on, if you start with a standard compact chainset, and want to switch to something for Everesting you don't have to buy a new frame, you can drop the derailleur down to work on a 42. There are other issues due to the radius and what the planned teeth count of the inner is, but you can swap to a proper spec. banded derailleur for the alternate size. So a bike that accepted a banded mount is going to be able to support more set-ups than a braze-on.

Whether there is tyre clearance to allow you to have the band and the bigger tyre without interference is another matter - that clearance already look tight on a less than compact crankset. Is there enough clearance for the bulky SRAM electronic changer which hangs out the back?

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TheBillder | 1 year ago
0 likes

I have an X-Trail and it covers quite a few bases, but could be better as it lacks rack mounts.

But the idea of one bike just doesn't work, as I found when the OEM freehub died and I waited weeks for parts. I bought a spare wheel, but realised that what I really wanted was another bike, so that if ever I have a problem, something else can be pressed into service even if not ideal for it.

Even this gravel and road idea with different wheels isn't great. My X-Trail is configured for winter and commuting. To go gravel riding, I need to own a second set of wheels, tyres and cassette. Then the mudguards get in the way and the chain may be the wrong length for the different gearing. I just can't see how you can cover both winter road and gravel easily with one bike.

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Daveyraveygravey | 1 year ago
0 likes

It might have clearance for tyres, but that gravel set up has zero clearance for wet conditions.  I did a climb in the week that started with crossing a gently sloping field before it went into the woods and proper steep.  By the time I got across the field, there was so much mud and leaf litter clogging EVERY part below my butt, it must have weighed another 5kg.  

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a1white | 1 year ago
1 like

Sorry, it may sound boring, but a "do everything" bike would have to also be capable of commuting in all weathers, for me, so mudguard clearance would be critical. Nope from me

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marmotte27 replied to a1white | 1 year ago
1 like

The real n+0 bike is a randonneur.

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cyclisto | 1 year ago
0 likes

My bicycle as it has evolved is similar to that, albeit much heavier and lazier.

I have tried in past times an extra vintage road bike (horrible experience), a single speed (amazing to look but one size smaller and me being lazy) and an MTB (too much dirt cleaning, much less speed) that were bought all used and all sold a few months ago. Their main problem was that for a predominantly commuter like me with occasional touring, they required too much time and space while if you focus on a single bike, you can better fine tune it.

So is this Ridley the N+1 killer? With 40mm clearance and carbon frame and fork that need hopes and prayers after each fall, definitely not for me.

Avatar
Dicklexic | 1 year ago
1 like

Whilst that's clearly a very versatile bike, the N+1 'rule' can never and will never be made obsolete. There are just too many variables. Whilst this bike (and the many others very like it) could be all the bike that many people will ever need, for others there are such a wide range of uses that one bike could never cover them all. If your hobbies or lifestyle are varied enough, you might need a folding commuter, a cargo bike, a road race bike, a CX/Gravel bike, a downhill MTB, an XC/Trail MTB, even maybe an eBike or two. I currently have three (road, trail MTB & CX/commuter) and if I could afford it (sadly I can't!) I would still find a use for more, particularly an eBike for commuting.

One comment about that specific bike with those tyres fitted, it looks to have VERY limited tyre clearance between the tyre and seat tube.

Avatar
check12 | 1 year ago
2 likes

990g unpainted frame weight (size medium) - quoted twice in this article but no painted frame weight, because can you buy it unpainted? 

no built up weights

Please do your readers a favour and give some buyer insight rather than copy paste

 

 

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SimoninSpalding | 1 year ago
0 likes

I am actually on the cusp of committing blasphemy in that I am planning to reduce my 3 bike stable to 2. I have my summer bike (a restored 2008 Colnago with modernish Chorus groupset) and 2 others (winter bike Ribble Audax and first "proper" bike Kona KonaKona which never gets ridden). No 2 and 3 are being sold to be replaced by a fast gravel/ allroad commuter (using a Ragley Trig frame) which will be panniers and racks in the summer, mudguards in the winter and 30-35mm tyres.

Avatar
IanMSpencer replied to SimoninSpalding | 1 year ago
1 like

My garage is now 2, was six this time last year. Old "useful" bikes, the wife's and a decent hardtail MTB that just got made redundant by by gravel (I don't for scary by intent). 2 bikes, 6 wheels gives lots of options.

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Langsam | 1 year ago
1 like

Alternatively buy a rim-braked CX bike and two wheelsets for a few hundred quid and have all the fun and 'adventure' of this overpriced tat. 
 

Dear oh dear. 

Avatar
mark1a replied to Langsam | 1 year ago
5 likes

Langsam wrote:

Alternatively buy a rim-braked CX bike and two wheelsets for a few hundred quid and have all the fun and 'adventure' of this overpriced tat. 
 

Dear oh dear. 

I guess you're down as a no then?

Avatar
IanEdward replied to Langsam | 1 year ago
1 like

This! Recent experiments using my CX bike as a winter gravel bike have been brilliant fun, but my god, the state that 80km of mixed mud, gravel and tarmac has reduced my disc brakes to, by the end of the ride I was death gripping corners rather than have to brake and unleash the hounds of hell 😡

Refitting the rim brakes tomorrow, happily I have probably the last production frame on the market (Kinesis CX1) which can take 40mm gravel tyres (JUST) and rim brakes.

Avatar
quiff | 1 year ago
3 likes

Don't understand why brands quote the unpainted frame weight, given that Ridley doesn't seem to be selling it unpainted. If you follow some of the custom painters (e.g. Fat Creations) then the factory paint jobs they strip off often weigh hundreds of grams, so add significant percentage to that unpainted weight (particularly when brands over-paint this year's colours on last year's unsold stock).         

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Dicklexic replied to quiff | 1 year ago
0 likes

My thoughts exactly!

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Miller | 1 year ago
3 likes

This looks great. At the start of the year I built a bike of similar concept for myself and I've loved riding it. It has 40mm tyre clearance so I've been able to swap in knobbly tyres for gravel events although I've mainly run 34mm Pro One road rubber. I think the one bike concept is valid especially with a second pair of wheels. That said... I have more than one bike. Well why wouldn't you?!

//live.staticflickr.com/65535/52033321227_dc586a5bde_b.jpg)

 

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Dhill replied to Miller | 1 year ago
0 likes

Miller wrote:

This looks great. At the start of the year I built a bike of similar concept for myself and I've loved riding it. It has 40mm tyre clearance so I've been able to swap in knobbly tyres for gravel events although I've mainly run 34mm Pro One road rubber. I think the one bike concept is valid especially with a second pair of wheels. That said... I have more than one bike. Well why wouldn't you?!

//live.staticflickr.com/65535/52033321227_dc586a5bde_b.jpg)was going to congratulate you on the Bluebells but the bike holds it own in a beautiful setting..

 

Avatar
chocim | 1 year ago
0 likes

GRX on a bike that can barely take 40 mm tyres? Seems pretty pointless.

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kil0ran | 1 year ago
0 likes

Nope, the Domane did that a couple of years ago. And it's more versatile than this in terms of tyre clearance.

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IanMSpencer | 1 year ago
3 likes

The trouble is you end up with N+2 wheels as you want different tyres on different days.

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Secret_squirrel replied to IanMSpencer | 1 year ago
4 likes

Its me!  You say that like its a bad thing.  4

Avatar
OnYerBike | 1 year ago
4 likes

If it puts an end to N+1, why are Ridley still selling no fewer than 15 other models? 

Avatar
jh2727 replied to OnYerBike | 1 year ago
0 likes
OnYerBike wrote:

If it puts an end to N+1, why are Ridley still selling no fewer than 15 other models? 

I suppose for someone, somewhere, 15 is less than N+1

Avatar
mark1a replied to jh2727 | 1 year ago
0 likes

jh2727 wrote:
OnYerBike wrote:

If it puts an end to N+1, why are Ridley still selling no fewer than 15 other models? 

I suppose for someone, somewhere, 15 is less than N+1

 

Not far off as it happens...

Avatar
janusz0 | 1 year ago
3 likes

That's a very silly question!  Nice as this may be, it's not a cargo bike, a folder, a tandem, ....  We all still need more than three bikes , including at least 2 kinds of cargo bike:)!

Avatar
Secret_squirrel replied to janusz0 | 1 year ago
3 likes

Plus another one of each with a motor  3

 

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