The Fenix SL Disc Ultegra Complete Road Bike from Ridley represents a cost-effective way to get into a professional level frame along with the precise shifting and powerful disc brakes of Shimano's stalwart Ultegra group. Everything you need and nothing you don't, this build packs equal parts value and performance. Ridley designs the Fenix SL as its do-it-all endurance machine, ideal for fondos and fast group rides where comfort and efficiency shouldn't be mutually exclusive. Its stiff unidirectional carbon construction helps with power transmission while still offering compliance for more comfort over those miles of rural roads. The endurance/race-ready geometry, honed from the feedback of its sponsored team Lotto-Soudal during the spring classics, blends stability and agility for a bike that's fast on the group rides and smooth on all-day efforts. While this Fenix is more than capable in Flandrian sprint finishes and animated road race tactics, its combination of powerful disc brakes and artful layup of vibration devouring unidirectional carbon fibers expand its capabilities beyond buttery smooth pavement into roads (and paths) less traveled. In comparison to the super-stiff featherweight frames in Ridley's line that use up to 60-ton moduli, the Fenix SL utilizes a blend of 30-ton and 24-ton carbon to strike a balance between road-smoothing compliance, rigid efficiency, and race-worthy weight. Poorly graded gravel, cobbles, and other road hazards that would otherwise feel like jarring punches on a 60-ton carbon take on all the disagreeability of crosswalk paint, though the stiff, tapered head tube does provide responsive steering to dodge unrideable obstacles and skillfully dissects a winding canyon road. Compared to the original Fenix, the Fenix Disc also has a slightly longer wheelbase, stretching 2mm longer for a size medium. While this difference is more pronounced in the smaller sizes, even the bigger frames benefit from a more stable footing over packed...