Ridley Kanzo Fast [Review!] GRX VS Rival VS Ekart VS Classified

Last Updated on 10 July 2024 by Cycloscope

Ridley Kanzo Fast gravel bike, our review
Classified GRX VS Campagnolo Ekar VS GRX800 VS SRAM Rival 1

Frameset, geometry, tire clearance, weight, speed, groupset, specs

Frame	Advanced-Grade Composite Carbon, 12mm thru-axle, disc
Drivetrain	1×11 / 1x 13
Brakes	Hydraulic Disc Brakes
Tire Clearance	700x42c
Size	XS to XL
Weight	6-10 kg depending upon the size Size M: 8.56KG
Price	from $3,299.00

The Ridley Kanzo Fast gravel bike provides a robust cycling experience on different terrains, gravel, and tarmacs. This allows you to have a comfortable ride on any surface with maximum comfort and resilience to stress. 

The Kanzo Fast for 2022 features a Carbon 30T carbon frame and a fork with a 12mm thru-axle frame, which provides the cycle with ultimate control over different land types. The bike’s frame also includes WTB Venture tires that allow a robust grip over the land regardless of the weather conditions, although they do not offer the smoothest rolling resistance.

The bike has a higher stack and a shorter reach, providing efficient body shape and movement along the ride. The Ridley Kanzo Fast allows you to have a comfortable ride on the roughest patches.

The riding style can be adjusted as per the rider’s requirement. Including different sizes, the rider can adjust the components as per their requirements. 

The bike includes a Kanzo Fast Aero handlebar which provides a proper grip and smooth aerodynamics, with hydraulic brakes and an 11-gear single chainset. 

Ridley Kanzo Fast
Classified VS Ekar VS GRX800 VS SRAM Rival 1

	Kanzo Fast Classified GRX800 DI2	Kanzo Fast Campagnolo Ekar	Kanzo Fast Shimano GRX800	Kanzo Fast SRAM Rival1
Groupset	GRX Di2	Ekar	GRX 800	SRAM Rival 1
Drivetrain	Electronic 1 × 11	1 × 13	1 x 11	1 × 11
Cassette	Classified GRX // 11s // 11-34	Campagnolo EKAR // 13s // 9-42	Shimano XT M8000 // 11s // 11-42	SRAM // PG-1130 // 11-42T
Rims	Forza Vardar db // TA 12x142mm // Clincher-TLR // Classified hub // 17mm Internal Width // 45mm deep	Fulcrum Rapid Red 500 DB // Campagnolo N3W // Clincher-TLR	Forza Norte db // Shimano-Campagnolo 11s // TA 12x142mm // Clincher // Forza 3 Beaufort // 20mm Internal Width // 23mm deep	Forza Norte DB
Price	€6,799	€5,399	€4,199	€3,299

Ridley Kanzo Fast Gravel: Geometry

With the Kanzo Fast, Ridley welcomes in the rooster an aerodynamic gravel bike with race-oriented geometry.

The frame is indeed based on the Noah Fast, Ridley’s aerodynamically-optimized road bike,

With a few tweaks, the Belgian brand has adapted the design for gravel riding. The carbon frameset offers clearances for up to 700 x 42C tires and is compatible with the interesting Classified geared hub.

The bike’s competitive ambitions are ever-present aboard the Ridley Kanzo Fast with an aggressive and stretched riding position.

The 168 mm long head tube though, offers a tad of relief, allowing a relatively more relaxed rider position.

The transition between the fork and frame, the F-Wings at the bottom of the carbon fork, the fully integrated cable routing and the aerodynamic, and the one-piece carbon cockpit are great features that place this bike in a different league.

Ridley offers plenty of customization and configuration options for the Kanzo Fast. All the groupset options you could imagine (for this league), plus 42 colors, and 7 designs. One downside though, is that the frame is only compatible with 1x drivetrains. 

Ridley Kanzo Fast: Riding Experience

Size	S	M	L
Seat tube	495 mm	520 mm	545 mm
Top tube	547 mm	565 mm	587 mm
Head tube	144 mm	168 mm	197 mm
Head angle	71.0°	71.5°	71.5°
Seat angle	73.5°	73.0°	72.5°
Chainstays	425 mm	425 mm	425 mm
BB Drop	72 mm	72 mm	70 mm
Wheelbase	1,017 mm	1,026 mm	1,044 mm
Reach	380 mm	385 mm	393 mm
Stack	563 mm	587 mm	613 mm

The Kanzo Fast is a fast (indeed) and nimble gravel rig with a sporty feel balanced by the right dose of comfort.

Thanks to its compliance and the ability to absorb small bumps and high-frequency vibrations, it’s a comfortable gravel bike for long-distance rides on mixed terrains.

Although larger bumps and rocky roads are not its cups of tea, the Ridley always remains predictable, stable, and stiff.

The Ridley Kanzo is an extremely responsive bike with a great performance in acceleration and a flowing feeling at moderate speeds.

Ridley Kanzo Fast GRX Specs

For our detailed component overview, we’ve chosen to analyze the GRX version among the many build options offered by Ridley.

Weighing in at 8.56 kg in size M, it comes with a 1×11 Shimano GRX RX815 Di2 groupset with Rotor ALDHU aero cranks, a Forza Vardar db wheelset, and Ridley’s Aero G1 cockpit.

Size compatibility is ensured at a component level by the different sizes available for the one-piece carbon cockpit and the proprietary Forza aero seat post.

The brake rotors are 160 mm front and just 140 mm at the rear and it comes with WTB Venture Road TCS tires – not the smoothest and fastest tires.

Wrap Up

For speed-lovers and competitive souls, the Ridley Kanzo Fast ambitious level will deliver an impressive performance on compact surfaces. Its stable handling and decent vibration-damping make it great for well-maintained gravel tracks but it’s not enough to make it a proper off-road machine.

Overall, this is a great bike to go fast on tar and light gravel.

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