The first step in creating the Kanzo Fast was to pair the aero features and sublime power transfer of the Noah Fast Disc with our Kanzo gravel knowledge. Next our Ridley engineers spent hours in the wind tunnel and on gravel roads for further development and testing. What we created in the end was the perfect, aerodynamic gravel bike to win gravel races! Its geometry and aero handlebars are designed entirely according to the gravel standard.
No gravel bike is as responsive as the Kanzo Fast. It combines NACA profiles with a very stiff bottom bracket to propel you forward with every pedal stroke.
To ensure for optimal comfort, we set the seat stays extra low and used the vibration-damping D-shaped seatpost. Aerodynamic, yet comfortable!
Our Kanzo Fast has been voted the best gravel race bike of 2023. The Gran Fondo jury agrees: “Kanzo Fast bike offers a majestic combination of aero optimization and comfort, not just allowing professionals to fly along the gravel roads of this world, but also gravel beginners”.
Gran Fondo cycling magazine is very appreciative of the performance of our Kanzo Fast: “No other bike seemed to encourage us to push ourselves quite as much as the Kanzo Fast”.
We are very proud of this award from Gran Fondo cycling magazine.
The tire clearance of a frame is determined by the use and terrain for which the frame is designed. An AllRoad gravel bike is designed for mixed use on paved and unpaved roads. Adventure gravel bikes have to be able to tackle more extreme terrain as you never know what trails you will encounter. This means that different frames will have a different tire clearance.
Our carbon is manufactured by world market leader: Toray. The Japanese manufacturer is leader in every aspect of carbon development and supplier to absolute top world brands in many industries. For the Elite Series, we use every type of available carbon: 60T, 50T, 30T and 24T.
The higher the 'Ton', the higher the tensile strength of the carbon fibers and the more intensive the development and processing. With 60T, you may need fewer layers of carbon to achieve the desired stiffness as well as the lightest possible bike, but if you built the whole frame with 60T you'd have a very uncomfortable, over-responsive ride. Hence, a mix of 24T, 30T, 50T and 60T carbon is essential as each carbon serves a certain purpose in perfectly balancing stiffness, weight and comfort.
Each bike's unique carbon mix is dependent on its purpose, such as climbing, endurance, etc. In addition, each area of each frame requires its own unique mix depending on its function such as to provide comfort or stiffness. It is here, in the unique carbon compositions, where Ridley makes the difference!
With the Kanzo Fast gravel handlebar, our engineers combined their Noah Fast integrated handlebar knowledge with the unique characteristics of a gravel handlebar. Needless to say, round tubing was never considered as it causes an anti-aero strong pressure drop. And much effort was put into avoiding that flat, angular feeling where off-road riding is painful.
What they created was the ideal gravel handlebar, where responsiveness and aerodynamics are at an unprecedented level.
Its redesigned carbon layup absorbs more vibration, making the handlebar even more comfortable. We also added more flare to the drops and reduced both drop and reach to allow for swift changes in hand position.
The details:
-Drop: 120mm
-Reach: 70mm
-Flare: 16°
-Stem: 10°
Ridley launched its first gravel bike in 2016, kicking off the European gravel market. The Kanzo Fast geometry is therefore the result of five years of focused research and evolution.
Even though our gravel geometry has evolved, its essence remains the same: "off-road confidence." Helping to deliver this strong feeling of stability is a lower bottom bracket and fork angle that's slightly more 'open'.
The Kanzo Fast has a stack that's 22mm higher than our Noah Fast (across all sizes). While its geometry is still very aero, this extra height allows for a slightly more comfortable overall position, and a much more comfortable position while in the drops.
Further adding to its comfort is a shorter reach of 5-9mm (XS-XL) compared to Noah Fast.
The Kanzo Fast contains lots of exceptional technology such as our F-Tubing, F-Wings, lowered seat stays, D-shaped seatpost, Kanzo aero gravel handlebar and the 1x Only.
Another remarkable feature is its seamless integration of fork and handlebar with the frame.
Most developers thoroughly test each part for aerodynamics, but forget to test the bike as a whole. Our testing method, in contrast, ensures that all aspects of the bike are tested as well as the perfect integration of all essential components.
In addition, the massive bottom bracket and dropped chainstays play an important role in converting every watt into maximum speed. You'll feel it from the very first pedal stroke, and especially when getting back up to speed after every turn.
Cables at the front of your bike have a major impact on its aerodynamic performance. On the flipside, getting rid of cables at the front has an aero advantage of a whopping 10 to 14%, depending on the bike.
That's why our R&D department dedicated much time and effort into developing the D-shaped steerer tube, which integrates all front-end cables.
This uniquely shaped steerer tube allows all cables to pass through the handlebar and stem, along the flat front area of the steerer tube and down into the frame. Here the cables are completely hidden from the wind - and from your eye, leaving you with a clean looking bike that wins you speed.
Download the manual here to find out how to properly guide all cables through all components.
The D-shaped seatpost on our aero bikes has a dual function of aerodynamics with a strong emphasis on comfort. Its aerodynamic influences are clearly seen as its profile and groove are both features of our F-Tubing. The cross profile of the seatpost is also shorter than that of the shortened NACA profile of, for example, the down tube.
While very aerodynamic, we certainly built much comfort into this unique D-shaped seatpost design. The flat backside filters out a lot of shock by incorporating flex into the seatpost. This is an important extra feature that we added to our aero bikes as comfort can certainly improve performance, especially during those extra-long rides.
The rear end of a bike is crucial for both adding comfort and maximizing power transfer.
For added comfort, the seatstays are connected lower down on the seat tube. Due to this lower point of contact, both the seat tube and seatpost can more effectively filter out vibrations. In addition, the seatstays can provide more vertical flexibility. All this results in a more comfortable bike ride.
As for winning watts, the shape of the seatstays is oval with the widest side on the horizontal axis. This is key to maximizing power transfer. By placing this wide side horizontally, every watt produced is converted into speed, without losing power on the way to the rear wheel.
The frame and fork have mounts to assemble mudguards to protect you against the rain and dirt of the road. The mudguards will convert your bike in a perfect winter bike or commuter bike. In our online shop, we offer suitable mudguards that you can order together with your new bike.
With any bike development, you have to make decisions. Do you opt for the standard? Or dare to innovate? When designing the Kanzo Fast, we were faced with this very crucial decision. Do we configure the seat tube for a front derailleur, thereby reducing possible tire width and aerodynamics? Or do we ditch the front derailleur? With the development of 12-speed and 13-speed groupsets, and new technology such as Classified, we were able to successfully do away with the front derailleur.
Since we no longer had to consider dual chainrings, we could design the chainstays to our liking, while still having plenty of room for 42mm tires. As proven by extensive wind tunnel testing, removing the front derailleur also had a major effect on aerodynamics.
How can you ride faster without pedaling harder? How do objects "cut" through wind? While researching ways to improve aerodynamics, the bicycle industry began to gather knowledge from the aviation industry. From this, well-known NACA flight profiles, for designing wings and other components, began to be applied to the tubes of a bike frame.
With further research, our engineers found many additional potential optimisations. By shortening the end of the NACA profiles (F-Tubing), we discovered that drag was reduced. We also created a groove in the frame called the F-Surface Plus. By applying this technique, we created an airflow that flows more efficiently along the tube.
Want to know more about aerodynamics and NACA profiles? Read this blog!
At the bottom of the bike’s fork there are small, aerodynamic “wings” – hence, the name F-Wings.
Our engineers developed these fairings after extensive testing in the wind tunnel, where they noticed that the hub and its connection to the fork were causing turbulence. These F-Wings fairings ensure that this turbulent airflow flows smoothly again.
You can compare the F-Wings with the modern wings of an airplane, which are also referred to as 'broken wings' because their tips fold upwards. The tips allow aircrafts to save a lot of fuel because it significantly reduces turbulent air behind the wings. Now you see how our F-Wings have a significant impact on your fuel economy!
| XXS | XS | S | M | L | XL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | - | 760 | 785 | 810 | 835 | 860 |
| B | - | 470 | 495 | 520 | 545 | 570 |
| C | - | 522 | 547 | 565 | 587 | 601 |
| D | - | 115 | 144 | 168 | 197 | 221 |
| E | - | 74.5 | 73.5 | 73 | 72.5 | 73 |
| F | - | 71 | 71 | 71.5 | 71.5 | 72 |
| G | - | 425 | 425 | 425 | 425 | 425 |
| H | - | 74 | 72 | 72 | 70 | 70 |
| I | - | 1001 | 1017 | 1026 | 1044 | 1053 |
| J | - | 789 | 816 | 841 | 868 | 893 |
| S | - | 537 | 563 | 587 | 613 | 638 |
| R | - | 373 | 380 | 385 | 393 | 400 |
Can’t decide between a few colors or designs? Would you like to see a certain design in more detail? Then check out some of these cool designs, selected to help you choose. Let us inspire you!
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