Indeed, cyclo-cross is a fascinating sub-culture within our sport, from the thousands of frite-munching, beer swigging fans who pack out Belgian races week-in, week-out, to the hero-worshiped stars of CX in the sport’s home land. Here in the UK, race organisers have experienced a swell in entries – and, of course, we have our own world champion and one of the hottest properties in cycling, rising star Tom Pidcock.

Pidcock won his 2017 junior world title in January on a Ridley and the Belgian brand has some serious clout when it comes to cyclo-cross. Look at the start line of any World Cup or Superprestige race (or indeed any ‘cross race in Belgium) and chances are you’ll see more Ridleys than any other brand.

Naturally, then, I’ve turned to Ridley to provide the machine for this season’s cyclo-cross action and, more specifically, the X-Night Disc. This £2,899.99 model comes equipped with a SRAM Rival 1 groupset, hydraulic disc brakes and Fulcrum Racing Sport DB wheels wrapped in Clement MXP tyres. It also has a UK exclusive paintjob – a Belgian blue and pink which has earned plenty of admiring looks from cyclists and non-cyclists alike here in the Factory Media office. It’s a stunner.

To give you a bit of context on where the X-Night Disc Rival 1 sits in Ridley’s cyclo-cross line-up, the range is based around four frames: the aluminium X-Bow and X-Ride, along with the carbon fibre X-Night we have here and its lighter, upscale sibling, the X-Night SL. There’s natural progression through the range, with the X-Bow (£999.99-£1,099.99) straddling both the cyclo-cross and commuter camps, thanks to the presence of mudguard and rack mounts. The X-Ride (£1,499.99-£1,899.99) then steps things up with a lighter aluminium frame and a more aggressive geometry inspired by Ridley’s racier rides.

That’s where the X-Night (£2,199.99-£3,199.99) and X-Night SL (£3,499.99-£4,999.99) come in. These are races bikes, with not a mudguard mount in sight, and both carbon frames share the same geometry – one which exposes Ridley’s Belgian cyclo-cross roots. Compared to the more compact geometries often found on today’s cyclo-cross bikes, it’s a traditional setup.

The high bottom bracket (64mm on our 54cm bike) is at the heart of that and is designed to work with the long seattube, steep headtube angle and short wheelbase to provide fast, nimble handling on tight cyclo-cross courses. The geometry means that while I typically ride a 56cm road bike, I’ve sized down to a 54cm on Ridley’s advice.

The X-Night has arrived here in the office, so now there are no excuses. It’s time to get acquainted with the bike before pinning on a number once again.

But first, where are the frites and beer?