Hi there American Cousins

I am about to spend some hard earned retirement cash on what looks and from a short trial ride a good bike.

In the Uk the bike is supplied with Ultegra and Ritchey finishing kit.

Roads (Pavements) in this area (Northumberland the most beautiful county in England) are in a pretty bad condition and are rarely flat !

Would appreciate your comments.

Also am thinking about upgrading to Dura Ace , worth the extra cost ?

Many thanks

In the 'Other Builders' forum you'll find two or three threads related to Ridleys that I think you'll find helpful.

I've been on an Excalibur for 2years now. Its a fantastic bike. Very comfortable, yet stiff. It handles well in all types of situations. I highly recommend the Excalibur.

I think you will be happy with the Ridley, they are nice bikes. As for upgrading to DA I would say it depends on how much the upgrade will cost you. Ultegra works just fine, but DA is pretty much flawless.

Many thanks guys

I am visiting my LBS tomorrow to have another look at the Excalibur and also the Orion.

I am considering having a Campag build.

Will let you know what I decide.

I've been on an Excalibur for 2years now. Its a fantastic bike. Very comfortable, yet stiff. It handles well in all types of situations. I highly recommend the Excalibur.

+1 - had mine for about 6 months, 2K or so miles. Love the bike, handles very well in a variety of scenarios. The front wheel feels very connected to the ground. It's responsive w/o being twitchy, but is a comfortable bike. I have no problem riding century's on it.
I have a Campy Chorus setup.

Hi

Have today ordered Excalibur with Campag Carbon Centaur from LBS.

Will post picture in due course

Congrats!! I just got my Excalibur done last night built with Centaur/ Chorus and it is sweet!! Lets see your pictures when it comes in!!!!!

well done! i have one built up with centaur carbon as well and love it!

My LBS informs me that there is not one Excalibur Frame and Fork available in the OK !

Will have to wait one month until the next delivery from Belgium.

Are all the Exacaliburs in the US ?

I asked a Brit forum for comments on the Excalibur, but have not received one reply.

One month, can I loose another 7lb to go up those hills a little faster !!!!!!!

Excaliburs are supposed to be a tad harsher than the Domacles but at 1100 it is lighter and also cheaper than Domacles - I have seen new frames going at around 750 - 800 pounds in UK ebay (07 model so only colour different). Orion is an excellent frame too - different geometry as its a compact so should be more comfortable than both the Damocles and the Excalibur and it doesn't share the over-sized headset enjoyed by the top of the range models so not as thoroughbred as the others (if you are into racing) but it has had excellent reviews and price is great too ... I think you can find a review on www.bikeradar.co.uk.

Excaliburs are supposed to be a tad harsher than the Domacles but at 1100 it is lighter and also cheaper than Domacles - I have seen new frames going at around 750 - 800 pounds in UK ebay (07 model so only colour different). Orion is an excellent frame too - different geometry as its a compact so should be more comfortable than both the Damocles and the Excalibur and it doesn't share the over-sized headset enjoyed by the top of the range models so not as thoroughbred as the others (if you are into racing) but it has had excellent reviews and price is great too ... I think you can find a review on www.bikeradar.co.uk.
Very positive review, thanks for posting..

BTW both excalibur & Damocles are getting a facelist for 09 and seems like the new models could appear as early as Summer so if you are going to get one now make sure you are getting a good deal on it.