Ridley R-Flow
The desire to make the fastest bikes in the world led Ridley engineers to unveil the Ridley Aero Project. One key element of the project is R-Flow™ Jetfoil technology. The Dean and Noah incorporate R-Flow™ Jetfoils featured in the fork blades and seat stays. These jet foils draw air away from the spokes and counteract turbulence generated by the wheels. This aerodynamic effect creates a vacuum, resulting in a significant reduction in wheel drag. The Dean and Noah also feature groundbreaking foam molding technology, allowing sharp edges, and difficult shapes to be incorporated into our carbon fiber molding process without adding weight. R-Flow™ technology is the science of speed.
Video from Ridley fully explaining the use of R-Flow in the Aero Range.
AERODYNAMICS
R-Flow™ Technology: Jet Foils, slotted razor-sharp airfoils on the fork blades and seat stays, redirect the airflow away from the turbulence of the rotating wheels and in fact, create a vacuum that further defeats aerodynamic drag. R-Flow is an exclusive Ridley technology used on both the Dean and the Noah for 2009. Oil mapping techniques applied to the frame in the wind tunnel-indicates where the airflow remains attached smoothly around the frame tubes and exactly where turbulence begins to occur. After establishing the frame’s basic aerodynamic profiles, our engineers used oil-mapping to indicate where improvements could be made, and then applied a special surface texture in key areas to reestablish laminar airflow: R-surface.
ERGONOMICS
Inspired by the time trial courses on the ProTour, the Dean’s relaxed head angle balances the rider between the wheels for secure cornering and more precise handling. Maximum watt performance is not possible without a precise fit. To this end, the Dean’s threeposition seat mast maintains a direct line through the saddle to the bottom bracket, thus saddle height adjustments will not affect the rider’s position over the crankset. The Noah takes full advantage of the Dean project’s aerodynamics. The fork blades and chainstays incorporate Jet Foil technology and the frame is profiled to the razor edge of the UCI’s aerodynamic restrictions. Aerodynamics alone, however, cannot claim victory on the ProTour. The Noah’s legacy of stiffness, aggressive acceleration and responsive steering has been integrated into an R-Flow™ sculpted machine that is arguably the fastest racing bicycle in the world.
INTEGRITY
To perform at the highest level, every component of a bicycle, every thread of carbon, the smallest piece of hardware, must be chosen with a single purpose in mind victory. We use a special foam molding process to create R-Flow™’s knife-edge airfoils. Tucked one millimeter behind the seat tube, Microadjust fittings in the Dean’s rear dropout allow the tire to be shaded from the wind. Recessed, 1.5-inch headset bearings and an oversized steerer tube ensure precise communication between the Noah’s ultra high-modulus carbon frame and fork. The monocoque frame engulfs every millimeter of available space in the bottom bracket area to create a direct link between rider, crankset and contact patch. We outfit our frames with components that have earned the right to compete.