X-LAB AD9 Review: The Bike That Might Change The Conversation

By Andrew Young

I've owned iRIDE since founding it in 2010. Before that, I raced everything from sprint-distance triathlon through to Ironman, competing as both an Olympic Distance World Champion Age Group athlete and Elite Ironman podium finisher. Along the way I've also won a national age-group road title, and spent more than 15 years helping riders through professional bike fitting.

My bike fitting journey has included advanced training in the Specialized Body Geometry system at Levels 1 and 2, international bike fit symposiums, and one-on-one learning opportunities with some of the world's leading bike fit practitioners.

These days I ride bikes, stay fit, and enjoy the fortunate reality that in our industry, riding and testing bikes is considered "work".

And that's what brings us to the X-LAB AD9.

The Unknown Challenger

One of the great privileges of working in the bike industry is the opportunity to ride a huge range of bikes. From entry-level machines through to some of the most celebrated bikes on the market, I've spent time on many of the industry's benchmark models.

Most recently I've been riding bikes such as the Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8 and the lightning-fast Cervélo S5. Both are exceptional bikes in their own right and sit firmly in the upper echelon of performance road bikes.

Stepping off those bikes and onto the X-LAB AD9 immediately sparked curiosity.

For many riders, X-LAB remains relatively unknown. At least for now.

Behind the brand sits XDS, a company that has recently stepped onto the world stage as title sponsor of the XDS Astana WorldTour team. It's the bike being raced by Kiwi Aaron Gate and, more recently, the platform that delivered multiple stage victories at the Giro d'Italia.

That's not a bad résumé.

The Question Many Riders Are Asking

Cycling has traditionally been a sport built on heritage.

Names, stories, famous riders, iconic victories and decades of brand history all matter. Riders often buy into a legacy as much as they buy into a bike.

So what happens when a relatively unknown Chinese-owned brand enters that conversation?

Historically, "Made in China" has carried varying perceptions around quality. Fairly or unfairly, that stigma has protected many established brands for years.

But are we approaching a tipping point?

The automotive industry provides an interesting comparison. Established manufacturers once enjoyed similar protection through heritage and consumer familiarity. Today, several Chinese automotive brands are rapidly changing those perceptions through quality, technology and value.

Could cycling be next?

More Than A Newcomer

The reality is that XDS isn't actually new.

The company has been manufacturing bicycles for more than 30 years and has produced bikes for many of the brands riders already know and trust.

When you've spent decades building bikes for others, it's reasonable to assume you've learned a thing or two about how to build a quality product yourself.

What makes the XDS story particularly interesting is that they now control more of the process. Without multiple layers of distribution, branding and margin sitting between factory and rider, they can bring products to market at price points that simply weren't available a few years ago.

The question isn't whether they can build a bike.

The question is whether XDS becomes the brand that changes market perceptions and opens the door to wider acceptance of manufacturer-owned performance brands.

Time will tell.

So, How Does The AD9 Ride?

After several weeks aboard the AD9, my initial report is surprisingly simple:

There's nothing to report.

And that's actually a very good thing.

When you jump onto a new bike, the first things you notice are usually the negatives.

Is it nervous?

Does it feel twitchy?

Is it slow to respond?

Does it feel unstable on descents?

Does it wander through corners?

Does it feel heavy when the road points uphill?

So far, none of those concerns have appeared.

The AD9 feels stable, predictable and confidence-inspiring.

Descending is composed and reassuring. The bike tracks cleanly through corners and feels planted at speed. On climbs it responds willingly to power inputs, whether seated or out of the saddle. Under sustained efforts it feels efficient and eager without ever becoming nervous.

Perhaps most impressive is that the bike simply disappears beneath you.

You stop thinking about the bike and start riding it.

That's often one of the highest compliments you can pay any performance bike.

Modern Performance Without The Drama

The AD9 embraces many of the trends we're seeing across performance cycling.

Shorter crank lengths.

Narrower handlebars.

Integrated cockpits.

Aerodynamic shaping.

Importantly, none of it feels forced or gimmicky.

The bike feels natural.

Nothing stands out as unusual or uncomfortable. Instead, it feels like a thoughtfully developed package that reflects where performance road bikes are heading.

It also happens to be a very good-looking bike.

The number of questions and positive comments we've received in-store has surprised me. Riders notice it. They ask about it. They want to know what it is.

And increasingly, they want to know what it costs.

The Value Proposition

This is where the conversation becomes particularly interesting.

The flagship AD9 tested here retails for around $12,000.

At first glance that might not sound cheap, but context matters.

This bike features a number of X-LAB's own components, including the Branta cockpit, wheelset, crankset and power meter. Those choices help deliver a very competitive price point.

Swap those parts for the Shimano crank and power meter used by the professional team, along with Vision wheels and cockpit components, and suddenly you're looking at a bike that sits comfortably amongst the $18,000-$20,000 offerings that dominate the WorldTour market.

That's worth thinking about.

Why The Entry-Level Bikes Matter Even More

As impressive as the AD9 is, the real disruption may actually happen further down the range.

One of the most exciting bikes in the lineup is arguably the entry-level carbon road bike.

For around $4,000 riders get:

• Carbon frame
• Fully integrated carbon cockpit
• Shimano 105 mechanical groupset
• Integrated power meter

That's a specification level that would have been almost unimaginable at that price only a few years ago.

Even more remarkable is the aluminium model.

At around $2,600 riders get a bike that looks remarkably close to its carbon sibling and still includes a power meter.

I've genuinely never seen an entry-level road bike package this compelling.

For first-time riders entering the sport, that's fantastic news.

At iRIDE we often talk about getting people "stoked on cycling."

Making quality bikes more accessible gives us a greater opportunity than ever to do exactly that.

A Market Shift In Motion?

Recently I watched an interview with senior XDS leadership where they were asked an obvious question:

"Why enter the market now, when the cycling industry is going through one of its toughest periods in years?"

The answer was both simple and insightful.

"Because when an industry is struggling most, consumers are actively searching for value and are more willing to consider alternatives."

It's difficult to argue with that logic.

Whether we're witnessing the early stages of a major market shift remains to be seen, but the arrival of brands like XDS certainly raises important questions for the established players.

How will the traditional incumbents respond?

How will they evolve?

And how quickly can emerging brands gain market share when they deliver comparable performance at significantly different price points?

It's going to be an interesting 'Grand Tour' to watch.

The reality is that many riders have already accepted products from emerging manufacturers in categories such as wheels, tyres, helmets, clothing and accessories. The bike frame itself has traditionally been the final frontier, protected by heritage, history and perception.

The question is whether that protection still holds when a bike like the AD9 delivers a riding experience that comfortably sits alongside many of the established names in the industry.

If the answer is no, the next few years could prove to be one of the most interesting periods the cycling industry has seen in decades.

Final Thoughts

The AD9 earns a promising early review.

More importantly, X-LAB as a brand deserves serious attention.

From arguably the best-value aluminium road bike we've seen in years through to a WorldTour-level race platform like the AD9, the range delivers compelling value across virtually every price point.

In the coming months we'll also see expansion into TT and triathlon bikes, XC mountain bikes and commuter platforms.

At a time when cycling had arguably become increasingly difficult for many people to enter, X-LAB brings something the market desperately needs:

Choice.

Choice in pricing.

Choice in specification.

Choice in value.

And ultimately, more opportunities for more people to experience the sport we all love.

That's something worth getting excited about.

At iRIDE we have a mantra: "To get people stoked on cycling."

Bikes like these make that easier than ever.

Editor's Note: This is an early review based on several weeks of riding. We'll continue to log kilometres on the AD9.