Strengths: The bike is the lightest best all rounder ive ever had the pleasure of riding.
Weaknesses: No weaknesses its a weapon
Bottom Line:
Best bike ive ridden! super fast,smooth,comfortable,Looks sensational with the best finish to carbon ive seen. Its weighs in at 6.5kgs with sram group set and 404 Zipp tubulars sexy bike that always draws people commenting what a beautiful bike it is.
Strengths: Stiff BB, Stiff front end, Stable but forgiving seat stays and ISP. Incredible momentum out of saddle or in saddle. Classic looks in simplistic design. Looks tough as nails, and it is. Cheaper than many other superbikes. No excuses if you loose on this thing.
Weaknesses: As long as you see the benefit in the ISP (which there are many), there are no weaknesses to this bike. May be a dated design for some.
Bottom Line:
On a whim and a great closeout deal, decided to give the Helium a try. The geometry fit me and it has all the makings of a superbike. The 14.6 lb build completed the bike at a great price. After testing plenty of new superbikes I was wowed by the Helium. In summary, the bike creates consistant momentum. In the saddle, out of the saddle, flats, hills, rollers, tough decents, the bike just keeps rolling faster with every telepathic thought from the rider. The seatstays are a bit forgiving, however plenty stiff to where there is no hesitation from the back end of the bike. A very balanced bike that can be a bit stiff over rough pavement, but loves to hammer through it. If you are an agressive rider who seeks to devour everything in front of you, this is the bike.
Frame is 2008. Feels great to ride. It's super light at 6.8kg and is very fast uphill. downhill and wherever you take it. Great for crits, road racing, bunch riding etc., Not many other bikes like this around which is good. A great upgrade from my Giant TCR0.
I had a Ridley Excalibur for 3 years and loved it. I didn't expect a whole lot of difference between 2010 Helium and my '07 Excalibur. They have similar geometry (long top tube)which is why I went with another Ridley. The difference in over all quality and ride feel was evident after 5 miles. The Helium is an awesome bike. It is incredibly stiff, but comfortable. The greatest attribute is its predictability. It goes up hill like a goat and downhill like a Ferrari. It corners like it is on rails and goes exactly where you want it to go. I have ridden it about 2000 miles and have done 2 recreational centuries and one crit on it this summer. It was my new best friend in the crit and I could have done double the mileage in the centuries. When I miss a day the bike looks at me as I walk through the living room and whispers "Ride Me!". I am blown away at how this bike can be so stiff and so comfortable. It is awesome.
Weaknesses: HORRIBLE SEAT CLAMPS! The seatmast necessitates the use of Ridley's proprietary seat clamps. The one that came with the bike was a very nicely made bit of CNC machining, but it had a fixed 20+mm setback which is useless for a decent percentage of the riding population. I had to purchase the additional adjustable seat clamp with a zero-setback position. It is such a cobbled, crude piece of junk that it would look about right on a WalMart Magna bike. It is a hideous piece of chrome-looking crap held together with a giant 1/2" hex hardware store bolt. Come on Ridley! Make a zero-setback seat clamp that matches the quality and workmanship of the frame since your customers have no aftermarket option!!
Bottom Line:
I've taken my new Helium on a dozen or so rides, and am VERY impressed. It's very light, stiff yet comfortable and handles beautifully with fast but stable mannerisms. A very nice frameset!
Similar Products Used: Titus Oseo, multiple Cannondales (Al and carbon).
Bike Setup: SRAM Red/Force, Eastom EA90SLX wheelset (with garbage R4 hubs that come loose 8 times a ride...), Easton EA90 stem, EC90SLX3 bars, Conti GP4000s (a super-smooth clincher), Time RSX pedals (the hardest road pedal in history to clip into, but the best once you're in), SLR saddle.
So a few weeks ago I decided it was time to invest in a new helmet after 6 or 7 years in my trusty Bell Sweep. I decided I wanted something different and 'euro-classy' so I decide Read More »
Hi,
I need to replace the headset on my 2008 Ridley Helium, but I am not sure which ones will fit.
I came standard with an FSA one, but can't see a model on it anywhere... I Read More »
