Pro bike: Amy Dombroski's Telenet-Fidea Ridley X-Fire

Amy Dombroski may only be 1.55m (5' 1") but she packs a big punch and was one of the United States' hopes at a medal during Saturday's elite cyclocross world championship race. Though raised in Vermont and technically a resident of Boulder, Colorado, Dombroski bases herself in Belgium during the season and is part of the prestigious Telenet-Fidea squad. Not surprisingly, then, her machine of choice is the workhorse Ridley X-Fire.

Ridley is one of just a handful of companies offering high-end 'cross framesets in a very wide size range and Dombroski is on the company's smallest option with a 41cm seat tube (center-to-center) and 502mm (virtual) top tube. Thanks to an impressively stubby 90mm head tube, Dombroski is still able to achieve a reasonable 53mm of drop, too, for a perfectly proportional fit.

While the smaller dimensions could yield a truly ultralight setup, Dombroski's X-Fire is built with a similarly workhorse mix of parts for what should be an ultra-durable – but still light – setup. SRAM provides the bulk of the spec sheet with a previous-generation Red group (including a steel-caged front derailleur), PG-1070 cassette for mud shedding, Zipp's outstanding 303 carbon tubular wheels, an aluminum Zipp handlebar, and a SRM SRAM S975 power meter.

In keeping with typical European 'cross racer tendencies, Dombroski's X-Fire is also built with traditional Avid Shorty Ultimate cantilevers instead of the disc brakes that are already becoming widely adopted stateside. However, they're set in the narrower stance option for more power instead of the wider format that's more prevalent in Europe.

Another nod to the reliability angle is the addition of an AceCo K-Edge Cross Double XL chain catcher, whose stout, adjustable aluminum plate is mounted to a machined clamp just below the front derailleur. Chances of dropping a chain are slim-to-none here – at least to the inside.

Dombroski has long been supported by Donn Kellogg, who once handled operations for Challenge in the US but is now the face of Clement. Fittingly, she's running Clement rubber front and rear here in the form of the company's latest multi-conditions MXP rear tubular paired to a more aggressive PDX up front. Conditions in Louisville have been wildly variable and especially with the change in timetable, we'll have to wait and see what she uses on race day.

Rounding out the build kit is a Selle San Marco Regale saddle, Crankbrothers Eggbeater 4Ti pedals, FSA's Orbit Z-CX headset with built-in cable hanger, SRAM SuperCork tape, SRM PowerControl 7 computer, and an aluminum stem and seatpost from Ridley house brand 4ZA.

Complete weight as pictured is 7.75kg (17.09lb).

 

Frame: Ridley X-Fire, 41cm
Fork: 4ZA Oryx
Headset: FSA Orbit Z-CX, 1 1/8-to-1 1/2" tapered
Stem: 4ZA Cirrus Pro, 90mm x -7°
Handlebars: Zipp Service Course CSL, 42cm (c-c)
Tape/grips: SRAM SuperCork
Front brake: Avid Shorty Ultimate, narrow profile, w/ Zipp Tangente Platinum Pro Evo carbon-specific pads
Rear brake: Avid Shorty Ultimate, narrow profile, w/ Zipp Tangente Platinum Pro Evo carbon-specific pads
Brake levers: SRAM Red DoubleTap
Front derailleur: SRAM Red w/ steel cage
Rear derailleur: SRAM Red
Shift levers: SRAM Red DoubleTap
Cassette: SRAM PG-1070, 12-27T
Chain: SRAM PC-1091
Crankset: SRM SRAM S975, 170mm, w/ 44/39T Thorne chainrings
Bottom bracket: SRAM GXP w/ PF30 adapters
Pedals: Crankbrothers Eggbeater 4Ti
Wheelset: Zipp 303 tubular
Front tire: Clement PDX tubular, 33mm
Rear tire: Clement MXP tubular, 33mm
Saddle: Selle San Marco Regale w/ Xsilite rails
Seat post: 4ZA Cirrus
Bottle cages: n/a
Computer: SRM PowerControl 7
Other accessories: AceCo K-Edge Cross Double XL chain catcher

Critical measurements

 

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