Cross has grown from a fringe sport here in the States to one of the most popular forms of cycling but in Europe, it's always been a staple of fall and winter cycling. Few brands understand the passion and build bikes for cyclocross quite like the Belgians at Ridley. Racing and building competition-worthy bikes have always been in its DNA and along with cyclocross it now builds high-end road and mountain bikes. At the top of its CX category is the X-Night SL Disc Force 1 Complete Cyclocross Bike incorporating all of the modern accouterments needed to go fast without losing some of the traditional Euro touches that makes its bikes so popular. If the thought of finding traction with 33mm knobbies, deftly maneuvering a slick off-camber section, and slogging through mud is enough to get your heart racing, this is the bike that can handle it all. Ridley makes no bones about the fact that this bike is made for a power hour between the tape and over the planks. It has other bikes that are more competent for gravel events. Compared to those bikes, the X-Night is much more compact with a slightly steeper head tube angle and a drastically shorter wheelbase. It also has a taller bottom bracket, which prevents pedal strikes when negotiating off-camber slopes and lets you get back on the power to create a gap on tight turns. When conditions force a dismount, the level top tube offers a generous main triangle for plenty of room to comfortably shoulder the bike on steps or unrideable stretches of sand. It's important to note that the frame is so 'cross centric, it only has one water bottle cage mount on the downtube. The classic European cyclocross geometry gives the X-Night SL a nimble and agile ride making quick work of technical and twisty courses. The bike always finds the right line throughout all the accelerations and decelerations that define cyclocross. The frame is plenty adaptable for fast and dusty early season West Coast races with plenty of clearance for sticky N...