WELL, HELLO THERE, RIDLEY HELIUM SL

Having spent most of 2013 training and racing aboard the fantastic Ghost Race Lector, a carbon steed draped with SRAM’s top-shelf Red group and rolling on high-end Easton EC90 carbon wheels, I was really eager to jump on the Ridley Helium SL to see how it would fare against the German Ghost.  How would this flyweight compare to the Ghost, a bike that up until now, managed to do very little wrong, and so many things, so, so right!


With its oversize tubing and massive chainstays, the Ghost was sure-footed, reasonably light and felt as if it were attached to the pavement; planted, stable, very predictable, an incredible joy to ride.  The Helium SL, Ridley’s flagship light weight race bike, would need to be very special indeed to run up against the Bavarian-sourced Ghost.

A quick walk around shows Shimano’s venerable Ultegra 6800 11 speed groupset.  Not

quite the top drawer, hardcore race-oriented Dura-Ace group, but the next best thing.  Being a Shimano pilot since forever, I felt right at home with this mechanical group; light, good looking, crisp-shifting and simple to adjust and maintain.  Click-Click-Click, nothing but smooth, trouble-free shifting up and down the cogs.  Touch points on the Helium included housebrand 4ZA bars, stem, post and saddle, high quality carbon goodies designed in the heart of the cycling country, Belgium.  Wheels are Fulcrum Racing 5’s, mid-depth, great for varying conditions, though if you spend an inordinate amount of time in the mountains, you might consider a special climbing wheelset.

The carbon frame is touted to be one of the lightest on the market, at just over 700g, throw in the fork and the scale tips a feathery 1,000g, thanks to a special carbon layup and new resin.  That’s really light folks. 

The immediate difference from the Ghost is the size of the tubing.  Svelte! Where the panzer-like Ghost has a massive bottom bracket area and equally large chainstays and

downtube, the Ridley is blessed with small diameter tubes, particularly the gossamer-like seatstays; very contemporary design features. The Helium also sports asymmetrical chainstays - beefier on the right side with the left being thinner and lighter due to the reduced forces on non-drive side of the bike. Cable routing is internal, making for a cleaner looking bike, and perfect for any riders contemplating an electronic upgrade in the future.

So, swing and leg over the machine from Belgium, give it some stick, and….how does it ride? As you would expect from a bike with a Tour de France pedigree; light and lively, with tremendous feedback.  The weight (or more appropriately, lack of) provides instant response, jump out of the saddle, stomp on the pedals and feel immediate response.  Attack a corner, lean the bike over, and the sure-footed nature provides pin-point accuracy, without any nervousness, inspiring riders to push harder and harder.  The slim seatsays offer a surprisingly smooth ride from such a stiff race bike.  Climbing out of the saddle was a joy, with little to no apparent flex out of the bottombracket. Wow, the evolution of frame design and material is amazing.  Could the Helium SL be the new standard in the stable? 

Hands down, a superb bike.  Light, lively, predictable and comfortable. I am really looking forward spending quality saddle time on board the Ridley Helium SL!