The new third-generation Noah sports new aero features, progressive geometry and a new custom narrow handlebar
(Image credit: Ridley)
Ridley has launched its latest race bike today with the brand-new Noah Fast 3.0. The brand claims the Noah 3.0 is the fastest bike they have ever made. The top line here is that aero has been the primary focus, news that may not come as a complete surprise given the Noah's long and storied history as the Belgian brand's aero race bike. However, things appear to have been ramped up a notch for 2025.
This year sees the brand sponsor the Uno- X Mobility men's and women's squads, as they switch from Dare to Ridley bikes. Plenty of us had been expecting an announcement for a while and the unknown bike had been spotted a few times on social media over the winter, but we now have confirmation that this is the Noah Fast 3.0.
There are plenty of aero design features to discuss which we will get into below. There's a new progressive geometry with an interesting seat tube angle number, deep, aero front end and custom narrow handlebar as well as a few other interesting features, and yes, there is a wattage-saving claim to read about.
Ridley has launched several bikes in recent years, the team's riders should also have the Falcn RS machine at their disposal for hillier days and Ridley states it is still faster on climbs over 7% in gradient. Time will tell whether riders choose to use it much in races.
We expect to see the new Noah Fast 3.0 being raced by the Uno-X Mobility women's team at the Tour Down Under which kicks off this weekend.
The headtube and front end are really going to draw attention (Image credit: Ridley)
The aero
Ok, the bit you have been waiting for: the watts. Ridley claims the Noah Fast 3.0 is 8.5 watts faster than its predecessor at 50kph, which is a speed at which WorldTour riders spend a lot of time riding. Ridley has a wind tunnel to make use of and the bike's press material claims the brand tested the bike across a range of yaw angles with the complete bike, fitted with wheels, water bottles, computers etc, how it will be raced in real life essentially.
At the front end, the colossal headtube area and integrated custom handlebar are going to catch the eye immediately. The brand claims they pushed the UCI 8:1 dimension rule to the limit to create the most aero bike. This rule allows tubes to be eight times longer than their width.
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The new Noah has also visited the Zedler testing facility in Germany and was found to be 10% stiffer at the headtube than the Falcn RS model, while 'similar values' apply to the bottom bracket, overall it sounds like this is a very stiff bike, that simply priorities speed.
Along with the headtube is the new Nimbus aero cockpit which has been designed for the Noah Fast and developed with the frame, integrating into the headtube itself. The handlebars measure 36cm at the shifters and 40cm at the drops with a slight flare. There's a drop of 127mm and a reach of 75mm, along with five stem length options and three different stem stack heights. The curve of the bars has also been optimised to suit an aero position when riding on the hoods.
Aero optimisation can be seen across the frame, the bike features narrow profiles in the fork and seat stay area and the brand claims the oversized down tube will guide airflow around the water bottles without creating drag, which interestingly at least at this point are regular round ones and not aero bottles like the ones designed for the Trek Madone.
The fork legs are deep and wide, and there are plenty of visual aero details such as, of course, dropped seatstays now de rigueur on the best aero road bikes, a slight seat tube cutout around the rear wheel narrower top tube and a deeper seat tube / top tube junction. Ridley claims a mix of 'symmetrical and asymmetrical profiles in the fork and seat stays further optimizes aerodynamics'. Compared to the brand's less aero Falcn RS model, the new machine is a claimed 7 watts faster at 50kph.
The Noah Fast 3.0 can also be run with a more standard stem and handlebar (Image credit: Ridley)
The bike's geometry is also worth noting, with the bike's steeper 76-degree seat tube angle. For comparison a size 54 Pinarello Dogma F has a 73.4 degree seat tube angle. This design feature has been implemented to allow riders to achieve a more forward-focused bike fit and open hip angle. In simple language, the bike may be aggressive and long, but the steeper seat tube angle and inline seatpost should place the rider forward and help achieve a sustainable aero position.
A size M bike has a stack of 541mm and a reach of 420. This makes it 10mm lower than the Falcn RS bike and 23mm longer.
Frame details-wise, the bike has 34mm tyre clearance and a lower bottom bracket to accommodate bigger rubber. The Noah comes fitted with 28s, giving ample room for a range of tyre sizes. There is a BB86 press fit bottom bracket, an SRAM UDH hanger mount standard and a removable front mech mount plate should riders want a clean 1x drivetrain setup and 23mm longer.
A Noah Fast 3.0 frameset will set back £4,999 / €5,499 / $TBC while full builds start at £7,999 / €8,799 / $TBC for a Shimano Ultegra equipped bike and rise to £11,399 / €12,499 / $TBC for a Sram Red AXS build with DT Swiss ARC wheelset, Corsa Pro tyres and Nimbus cockpit.
Other build specs are available with Shimano Ultegra, SRAM Force and Shimano Dura-Ace equipment. Three colour options look to be available currently: black, red and a purple-black fade. The bike is available in sizes from XXS to L and customers can also custom-spec a model on the Ridley website configurator.
A more affordable Noah (non-"Fast") will also be available with the same geometry and aero, but using a lower grade level of 'Essential series' carbon fibre, compared to the 'Elite series' the top tier model uses, and also losing the Nimbus integrated handlebar. The bike will come with either a standard round bar or stem or Ridley Cirrus integrated bar which should provide plenty of fit options to riders.
The Noah 3.0 will be available from £3,899 / €4,199.00 / $TBC for a Shimano 105 mechanical build and rising to £6,799 / €7,499 / $TBC for an SRAM Rival / Classified hub build.
Both versions of the bike can be ordered now, with delivery expected around February for the Noah and the end of March for the Noah Fast.
Tom joined the Cyclingnews team in late 2022 as a tech writer. Despite having a degree in English Literature he has spent his entire working life in the cycling industry in one form or another. He has over 10 years of experience as a qualified mechanic, with the last five years before joining Cyclingnews being spent running an independent workshop. This means he is just as happy tinkering away in the garage as he is out on the road bike, and he isn’t afraid to pull a bike apart or get hands-on with it when testing to really see what it’s made of.
He has ridden and raced bikes from an early age up to a national level on the road and track, and has ridden and competed in most disciplines. He has a keen eye for pro-team tech and enjoys spotting new or interesting components in the wild. During his time at Cyclingnews, Tom has already interviewed some of the sport's biggest names including Mathieu van der Poel, Tadej Pogačar and Alberto Contador. He's also covered various launches from brands such as Pinarello, Ridley, Specialized and more, tackled the Roubaix Challenge sportive aboard his own rim-brake Cannondale SuperSix Evo, tested over 20 aero helmets in the wind tunnel, and has created helpful in-depth buying advice relating to countless categories from torque wrenches to winter clothing.
