Ridley

Dean Fast CC Road Frameset - 2015

If there's anything that the engineers at Ridley have taught us through successive generations of FAST technology, it's that aerodynamics aren't simple. Fortunately, they've dumbed the science down to four simple letters: F, A, S, and T. And that spells PR, podium spots, speed, and—of course—fast. The Dean Fast CC Road Frameset embodies all of the Ridley's aerodynamic science to date, providing the most clear example of pure speed that the Belgian brand has produced to date. Though the Dean Fast is built with an uncompromising blend of high-modulus carbon fiber, the real star of the show remains aerodynamics.

Compared to previous Deans, the Dean Fast maxes out on speed with cleanly integrated aerobars and an F-Splitfork. Since it also incorporates the F-Surface air trip and discreetly shielded brakes, the alterations to the front end make the FAST concept a truly bike-wide application. The net effect is impressive, to say the least; Ridley credits the Dean Fast with a time savings of two minutes across a 112-mile bike leg.

The savings start with the F-Splitfork, which is counter-intuitive in that it actually creates more drag in the wind tunnel—but only while the wheels are standing still. When the wheels are spinning, the F-Splitfork nets a claimed 7.44% less drag than competing fork designs. It achieves this reduction in drag by redirecting the air resistance that spokes encounter at the top of the rotation, when they're moving forward into the wind. Think of the split in the fork as a kind of emergency release valve for the extra wind resistance that a wheel's rotation can create. Those drag savings are complemented with an integrated cockpit that feeds into the top tube with no wind-catching impediments.

The frame's tube shapes are obviously aerodynamic, but the inclusion of F-Surface sets the Dean apart from the sea of TT bikes from other brands. F-Surface involves trips or small ridges molded on the frame at strategic locations. These slight surface variations reduce the tendency of airflow to release prematurely, which in turn reduces additional drag in the form of low-pressure areas or stalled air in the frame's wake. This results in a claimed drag differential of -4.03% at 50 kilometers/hour (read: a faster time between T1 and T2).

Though its geometry is more aggressive than the Dean RS, the Dean Fast is a fully customizable machine. Stack, reach, whatever—the Dean ensures that discomfort or a poor bike fit won't be the reason you can't ride at your best. The Fast uses a more acute seat tube angle and a lower bottom bracket for a longer effective top tube and a much longer seat tube. This stretches the rider out lower and longer while tucked on the aero bars.