RIDLEY GRIFN SRAM RIVAL AXS

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ONE BIKE. EVERY ROAD.

The Ridley Grifn SRAM Rival AXS is built for riders who refuse to let the surface dictate where they can ride. Combining the speed and responsive character of a performance road bike with the comfort, tyre clearance and versatility of an all-road machine, the Grifn is designed to move seamlessly between fast tarmac, broken country lanes, light gravel and long-distance adventures.

This SRAM Rival AXS specification gives that versatile platform a distinctly performance-focused edge. Wireless electronic shifting is paired with a wide-range 2x12 drivetrain, while deep 50mm Forza Skiron carbon wheels, DT Swiss 370 hubs and 32mm Vittoria Corsa N.EXT tyres create a bike that's ready to move seriously quickly straight out of the box.

Whether you're heading out for a fast Sunday club ride, taking on a Gran Fondo or finally exploring that gravel road you've ridden past a hundred times, the Grifn doesn't ask you to choose between road and gravel. That's exactly what this bike is all about.

TWO WORLDS. ONE BIKE.

The Grifn sits deliberately between Ridley's pure road and gravel platforms. Rather than taking a conventional road bike and simply squeezing larger tyres into the frame, Ridley developed the Grifn specifically around the all-road category.

On smooth tarmac, it retains the reactive and nimble character expected from a performance road bike. When the surface deteriorates, its additional tyre clearance, slightly more relaxed geometry and increased stability allow you to keep pushing.

That balance is what makes the Grifn special. Fit fast road tyres and chase the local road group, or move to wider all-road rubber and link together tarmac, gravel tracks and forgotten country lanes. One bike can take on multiple personalities depending on how you choose to set it up.

Ridley describes the Grifn as its attempt to break cycling's famous N+1 rule, and it's easy to understand why.

ALL-ROAD GEOMETRY

The Grifn's geometry has been specifically developed to sit between a stiff race bike and a more forgiving gravel platform. The goal is to preserve a responsive and agile riding feel without making the bike nervous or unpredictable when the road disappears underneath you.

Its head angle is slightly more relaxed than a dedicated road bike but sharper than a traditional gravel machine. That distinction matters. On tarmac, the Grifn still changes direction with the immediacy you want from a fast road bike. Move onto loose or broken surfaces and there's enough additional stability to relax, trust the front wheel and maintain momentum.

The 420mm chainstays keep the rear end responsive, while the overall wheelbase and riding position provide a balanced combination of agility and confidence. It isn't a gravel bike trying to behave like a road bike, and it isn't a road bike pretending it can handle gravel. It's a genuine all-road bike designed from the outset to excel at both.

SRAM RIVAL AXS – WIRELESS ALL-ROAD PERFORMANCE

SRAM Rival AXS is an excellent match for the Grifn. The wireless electronic drivetrain provides fast, accurate shifting without conventional shift cables, creating a beautifully clean cockpit and an incredibly intuitive riding experience.

SRAM's shifting logic is wonderfully simple. One paddle moves the cassette in one direction, the other shifts it back, while pressing both controls operates the front derailleur. The result is precise, effortless shifting that quickly becomes second nature.

The 48/35T crankset is paired with SRAM's XG-1250 10–36T 12-speed cassette, creating an enormous usable gearing range. At the fast end, the 48x10 combination provides plenty of top-end gearing for rapid road riding and descending. When the road heads skywards, the 35x36 lowest combination gives you a sub-1:1 climbing gear.

That's exactly what an all-road bike needs. You can sit comfortably in a fast road group one day, then tackle steep back roads and rough climbs the next without wishing you'd fitted different gearing. SRAM hydraulic disc brakes complete the package with powerful, predictable braking and excellent modulation in changing conditions.

50MM FORZA SKIRON – DEEP CARBON SPEED

This is where this particular Grifn specification really stands out. Ridley equips the Rival AXS build with 50mm-deep Forza Skiron carbon wheels, giving the bike a distinctly performance-focused character and perfectly complementing the fast-road side of its all-road personality.

At speed, the deep carbon rims provide the aggressive aerodynamic profile you expect from a serious modern road machine, while a generous 23mm internal width provides an excellent platform for modern high-volume tyres. Proven DT Swiss 370 hubs sit at the centre of the wheelset, while tubeless-ready construction means the wheels are ready to take advantage of lower pressures and modern tubeless tyre technology.

The result is a wheelset that transforms both the appearance and character of the bike. It's deep enough to look and feel properly fast, wide enough to work beautifully with modern tyres and versatile enough to remain perfectly at home on an all-road machine.

VITTORIA CORSA N.EXT – FAST ROAD RUBBER

Ridley pairs the carbon wheels with 32mm Vittoria Corsa N.EXT tyres, an excellent choice for the road-focused side of the Grifn's personality.

A modern 32mm performance tyre offers significantly more volume than the narrow race tyres of previous generations, allowing lower pressures for increased grip and control while retaining the responsive character expected from a fast road setup. That additional volume becomes particularly useful when pristine tarmac gives way to rough British back roads, broken surfaces and occasional hard-packed gravel.

And 32mm is only the starting point, because the Grifn can go considerably wider.

38MM TYRE CLEARANCE – KEEP GOING WHEN THE TARMAC STOPS

With its 2x drivetrain, the Grifn provides clearance for tyres measuring up to 38mm in actual width. That single feature can completely transform the personality of the bike.

Stick with 30–32mm performance road tyres and the Grifn feels fast, responsive and perfectly suited to club rides and Gran Fondos. Move towards a 35–38mm all-road tyre and suddenly gravel roads, forest tracks and rough back lanes become part of the route rather than obstacles to avoid.

The Grifn platform can accommodate up to 40mm tyres when configured with a 1x drivetrain, while a mudguard-equipped bike retains clearance for tyres measuring up to 32mm in actual width. It's a huge amount of versatility from one carbon frameset.

11 MOUNTING POINTS – BUILD IT AROUND THE ADVENTURE

Look beyond the wireless drivetrain and carbon wheels and the Grifn reveals just how much thought Ridley has put into versatility.

The frame features 11 mounting points, allowing you to tailor the bike around everything from a stripped-back fast ride to a much bigger adventure. Mounting points on and beneath the downtube and on the seat tube allow bottle cages and luggage to be positioned around your requirements, while dedicated top-tube mounts provide a neat location for an additional bag or toolkit.

When the top-tube mounts aren't being used, they can be concealed beneath a cover to retain the clean appearance of the frame. For a quick two-hour ride, keep everything stripped back. For an all-day adventure or multi-day trip, load it up and let the bike adapt around the ride.

READY FOR ALL-WEATHER RIDING

The Grifn isn't designed to disappear into the garage when summer ends. Ridley developed dedicated mudguards specifically for the platform, turning the bike into a seriously capable winter trainer or fast commuter.

With mudguards installed, the Grifn can still accommodate tyres measuring up to 32mm in actual width. The fork also incorporates internal routing for a dynamo cable, meaning a permanent lighting system can be installed without cables or zip ties running down the outside of the fork.

There's even internal routing through the top tube for a rear-light cable. These might not be the most glamorous features on the specification sheet, but if you want one high-quality carbon bike capable of being ridden throughout the year, they're incredibly useful.

ESSENTIAL SERIES CARBON

The Grifn is built around Ridley's Essential Series carbon chassis. The objective isn't simply to chase the lowest possible number on the scales. The carbon construction has been developed around the combination of stiffness, comfort, durability and versatility required from a genuine all-road platform.

The result is a bike that responds when you accelerate but remains comfortable enough for serious mileage. Ridley quotes the unpainted Grifn frame at approximately 935g to 1,025g depending on size, an impressive figure considering the bike's tyre clearance, mounting points and practical features.

The full-carbon 4ZA AllRoad fork continues the same philosophy, incorporating mudguard compatibility and internal dynamo routing while maintaining the clean appearance expected from a premium carbon road bike.

UDH – MODERN AND PRACTICAL

The Grifn uses SRAM's Universal Derailleur Hanger standard. UDH replaces many of the proprietary hanger designs traditionally used across the industry with a standardised solution that's easier to source and replace.

That's particularly useful on a bike designed for travel, exploration and big mileage. It's a relatively small detail, but one that makes plenty of sense on a machine that's supposed to take you almost anywhere.

HEADLINE SPECIFICATION

PERFORMANCE GEOMETRY

THE BIKE THAT MAKES YOU RETHINK N+1

Every cyclist knows the N+1 rule – the correct number of bikes is always one more than you currently own. The Grifn makes a surprisingly convincing argument against it.

Take this Rival AXS build exactly as it comes and you've got a seriously capable performance road bike, complete with wireless electronic shifting, deep 50mm carbon wheels and fast 32mm road tyres. Put wider tyres on it and you've got an all-road machine. Add mudguards and it becomes a winter trainer, while dynamo lighting and luggage can transform it into a long-distance adventure bike.

You could commute on it on Monday, train on it on Wednesday, hit the fast group on Saturday and disappear down an unknown gravel road on Sunday. Very few bikes can cover that spectrum convincingly, but that's exactly what the Grifn has been designed to do.

THE RIVAL AXS SWEET SPOT

This SRAM Rival AXS build could be one of the most attractive Grifn specifications for riders who want performance without sacrificing versatility.

The wireless drivetrain immediately gives the bike a premium feel. Shifts are fast and effortless, the cockpit remains beautifully clean, and the 48/35T with 10–36T gearing provides a huge usable range.

It's the wheels, however, that really elevate this build. At 50mm deep, the Forza Skirons give the Grifn much of the aggressive appearance and high-speed character you'd normally associate with a dedicated performance road bike. Pair those wheels with DT Swiss 370 hubs and 32mm Vittoria Corsa N.EXT tyres and you have a package that genuinely wants to move.

There isn't an obvious upgrade required before you can start enjoying the bike properly. Charge the AXS batteries, set your tyre pressures and go ride.

FAST ENOUGH FOR THE ROAD. CAPABLE ENOUGH FOR EVERYTHING ELSE.

Perhaps the cleverest thing about the Grifn is that its versatility doesn't define every moment you spend riding it.

When you're hammering along a smooth road on 32mm tyres and deep carbon wheels, you're not constantly reminded that the bike can take mudguards, bags and gravel tyres. It simply feels like a fast road bike.

But then the road surface deteriorates, the lane gets narrower and eventually the tarmac disappears completely. Suddenly all that extra capability becomes relevant.

That's where the Grifn earns its place. A pure road bike might make you turn around, while a dedicated gravel bike might have felt like overkill for the previous 50 miles. On the Grifn, you simply keep going.

BUILT FOR THE RIDE YOU DIDN'T PLAN

Some of the best rides begin with a carefully planned route, but the really memorable ones often stop following it.

You're halfway through a Sunday ride when somebody spots a narrow lane disappearing between two hedges. Nobody knows where it goes. The road becomes rougher, then narrower, and suddenly there's gravel underneath your tyres.

On the Grifn, that doesn't have to mean turning around. It means finding out what's at the other end.

That's the philosophy behind this bike. It's not about road or gravel. It's simply about riding and having the freedom to keep going.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The Ridley Grifn SRAM Rival AXS Carbon is a brilliantly complete interpretation of the modern all-road bike. It combines the responsive character of a performance road machine with the tyre clearance, stability and practical features required to venture considerably further.

SRAM Rival AXS provides fast and intuitive wireless electronic shifting, while the 48/35T chainset and wide-ranging 10–36T cassette give you the gearing required for everything from rapid road sections to brutally steep back lanes.

Deep 50mm Forza Skiron carbon rims with DT Swiss 370 hubs give this build genuine performance credentials, while 32mm Vittoria Corsa N.EXT tyres provide an excellent balance between speed, comfort and control.

The real magic, however, remains the Grifn platform itself. With up to 38mm tyre clearance using a 2x drivetrain, up to 40mm with 1x, eleven mounting points, dedicated mudguard compatibility, internal dynamo and rear-light routing, UDH and geometry specifically developed to bridge the gap between road and gravel, it is exceptionally difficult to pigeonhole.

Take it on a fast road ride or a Gran Fondo. Fit the mudguards and train through winter. Turn down the gravel shortcut or follow that unknown road disappearing over the horizon. The Grifn gives you the freedom to decide where the ride goes after you've already left home.

RIDLEY GRIFN RIVAL AXS – ONE BIKE. EVERY ROAD. KEEP GOING.