De geschiedenis van het fietsmerk Ridley

The Belgian bicycle manufacturer Ridley bicycles was founded in 1997 by Joachim Aerts and has built up an international reputation in a short time. They have also become a fixture in professional cycling, including sponsoring the Lotto Soudal cycling team.

Founding Ridley Bikes

Net zoals bij heel veel Vlaamse families is de koers er bij Joachim met de paplepel ingegoten. Al vroeg heeft hij de wielermicrobe te pakken en droomt van een carrière als profrenner. Geïnspireerd door zijn oudere broer die destijds een beloftevolle renner was maakt Joachim op 14 jarige leeftijd zijn wielerdebuut dat 5 jaar duurt.

At the age of 19, however, he realizes that he will not become the new Eddy Merckx and if he wants to make a name for himself in the cycling world, he has to do it in a different way. He starts working as a painter at the Belgian Bio Racer and soon he also starts welding frames. His workshop was his father's garage.

Ridley after Ridley Scott

When the production of bicycles no longer holds any secrets for him, he and his brother and father start their own company in 1994: NV Race Productions that makes custom bicycles for other Belgian bicycle manufacturers.

In 1997 volgt daaruit het merk Ridley, genoemd naar de favoriete regisseur van Joachim: Ridley Scott. Het hoofdkantoor ligt in Bike Valley en de filosofie van Joachim is: creëren van fietsen op maat die perfect passen bij de rijstijl en unieke levensstijl van ieder individu.

In 2017 Race Productions NV, the company behind Ridley, takes over the bicycle brand Eddy Merckx. A strategic move by Eddy Merckx Cycling to grow globally

Emphasis on innovation

Ook innovatie is een belangrijk item voor Ridley en het duurt dan ook niet lang vooraleer een eerste patent wordt aangevraagd. In 2001 wordt het conische balhoofd (met oversized lager in het onderste gedeelte van de kopbuis) geïntroduceerd op de Ridley Damocles. Deze innovatie wordt al vlug de standaard voor alle racefietsen en heeft het voordeel dat de vibratie op de voorvork merkelijk lager is.

Ridley's philosophy from the start has been to work closely with riders and mechanics to optimize product development. For this, the riders ride on stock frames, which allows the products to be tested under the most extreme conditions.

Also in 2001, Ridley starts its own brand of components called 4ZA and Forza (strength) pronounced. This range has since grown into saddles, wheels, seatposts, front forks, handlebars, stems, bottle cages, cyclocross brakes, handlebar tapes.

The first Ridley carbon bike in 2002

Ridley's first carbon bike, the Damocles with diamond-shaped tubing, is released in 2002 and is made for a decade until the model is replaced by the Fenix and later the Fenix SL and Fenix Disk.

A 2005 Ridley Damocles of the Davitamon Lotto cycling team

We have to wait until 2005 for the first cyclocross carbon bike: the Ridley X night

In 2006, designed especially for sprinters the Ridley Noah was launched in the Tour de France and it is an instant success, Robbie McEwen wins 3 stages and takes the podium in Paris with the green jersey. McEwen is so excited about the Ridley Noah that he says it's the fastest road bike he's ever ridden and claims it can sprint a whopping 2mph faster.

In 2009, the Noah evolves into the Noah ISP with the introduction of the aerodynamic F-surface and F-split fork. Sergei Ivanov of Team Katusha wins the Amstel Gold Race 2009 on this model.

In 2013, the Noah Fast IBS is launched with the integration of the F-brakes in the front and rear fork. This model will get a lighter version in 2016 called the Ridley SL.

De Ridley Noah SL from 2016

First sponsorship in cyclocross

Ridley's first sponsorships are in the cyclocross world, notably Tom Vannoppen in 2002 who takes silver at that year's Cyclocross World Championships. This is followed by sponsorships from Telenet Fidea and Sunweb Revor

In 2005, Ridley sponsors a professional cycling team for the first time, namely Davitamon Lotto. This ensures the international breakthrough of the Belgian bicycle brand. In 2009 and 2010, the collaboration with Team Katusha followed, including Robbie McEwen, Filippo Pozzato and Joaquin Rodriguez, and in 2011 with Vacansoleil DCM. The collaboration with Lotto still exists.

In 2009 Ridley enters the world of triathlon with the athlete Rutger Beke

The Fast Concept

In 2008 wordt een extra productie opgestart in Moldavië en start het project Ridley Aero Project, nu Fast concept genoemd (Future Aero Speed Technology). Na 2 jaar testen in de windtunnel en op de piste komen de Ridley Dean en de nieuwe Noah op de markt.

Innovations of the Fast concept are:

F-split fork: front and rear fork have a slot that better dissipates the wind around the spokes
F-surface: rough surface that better blows the wind along the frame
F-brake: de eerste echt geïntegreerde rem