The Noah platform is a perennial favorite amongst the sprinters on Ridley sponsored teams as its injection of speed, especially on those chaotic run-ins to the finish, can't be denied. Ridley has carefully evolved this aero frameset since it first appeared in the pro peloton a dozen or so years ago. The Noah Fast Di2 R8050 Complete Road Bike is not only an improvement to the design and the fastest Noah to date, thanks to new aerodynamic structures learned from in-house computer aided design, finite element analysis, and wind tunnel testing, along with real-world feedback from its sponsored pros on Team Lotto Soudal, it also proves that rim brake bikes are alive and well and still favored by the pros. And while better aerodynamics is the primary driver with the Noah, we're impressed Ridley is able to boost stiffness and comfort with the new Fast and drop some grams too. The new Noah Fast is a stunning machine indeed. Every line, shape, curve, and detail is designed with aerodynamics in mind. While we're used to seeing Ridley's dedication to aero details in the past stem from integrated seat masts, cutouts at the fork blades and seatstays to reduce turbulence, and hidden, integrated brakes, this new design eschews such features as the engineers have learned how to build a faster Noah thanks to the firm investing in a state of the art wind tunnel (along with a couple of other Belgian brands in a collaborative effort dubbed "Flanders Bike Valley") and the time spent there. What we do notice immediately with this updated version is an ultra-slick seat post clamp, and an all-new fork, designed to work with the intergraded handlebar and stem combo to hide the cables. The key piece to this new fork design is Ridley's new F-Steerer. Instead of a traditional round steerer tube, the profile on the Noah's steerer resembles that of a half-moon curvature, allowing Ridley to route the housing, sans the front brake housing on this model, fully internal. Cables are able to run ...