Ridley Helium/Shimano Dura-Ace 9000 Complete Bike Review

Ridley Helium/Shimano Dura-Ace 9000 Complete Bike for Sale

Backcountry : Ridley Helium/Shimano Dura-Ace 9000 Complete Bike Features & Description

In the world of professional cycling, merit isn't measured by looks, it's measured by results. And when you add a Polka Dot Jersey to a design that was borne of the cobbles of Belgium, the Ridley Helium's lightweight versatility begins to take form. And now, we've coupled Ridley's flagship frame with the group set du jour, Shimano Dura-Ace 9000. So, whether you're looking to KOM everything in your state or simply dominate your local crit, the Ridley Helium/Shimano Dura-Ace 9000 Complete Bike will prove to be the right tool for the job.

The Helium tips the scales just over 900 grams, which is less than that of Ridley's pave-flagship Excalibur. This is accomplished through its use of superior grades of carbon fiber. The Helium uses 30-ton carbon with areas of 40-ton and 50-ton reinforcements (in comparison to the 24-ton carbon used on the Excalibur.) By using higher-grade carbon, Ridley is able to use less carbon in the production process, netting a lower frame weight. To further reduce weight, the Helium also utilizes full carbon dropouts and doesn't use any aluminum in the head tube bearing races. And, when you factor in the detail that you need to use a conventional seatpost on an Excalibur, but you don't on a Helium, the real net difference in weight is well over a half-pound. That's right, unlike the Excalibur, the Helium features an integrated seatmast design that's akin to the Ridley Noah.

We will cut down the carbon fiber seat tube of the frame based on your saddle-to-bottom bracket measurement. You'll use a custom Ridley seat clamp that seamlessly mates to the seat tube and provides three different positions in order to modify your effective seat angle. The use of this integrated seat tube/seatpost maximizes frame stiffness when you're putting the bike under serious in-the-saddle pressure. The integrated post, combined with the frame's matte carbon fiber finish, gives the Helium an extremely fast, post-industrial tool aesthetic that looks positively deadly.

The Helium comes with a matching Ridley 4ZA monocoque full carbon fiber fork and a proprietary FSA integrated headset. This system further increases rigidity under load, especially where the Helium excels, on the climbs. And with a 99.0cm wheelbase, a 73 degree head tube angle, and a 73 degree seat tube angle (size Medium), the Helium is guaranteed to descend confidently, and more importantly, quickly.

For the build, we've spec'd the Helium with a full Shimano Dura-Ace 9000 11-speed group set. For the cockpit, the build features a Zipp Service Course handlebar, stem, and seatpost. Topping the post is a Selle Italia SL Kit Carbonio saddle, and wrapping the bars is Arundel Cork bar tape. In terms of wheels, the bike rolls on a pair of HED Ardennes LT clinchers that have been cased in Vittoria Zaffiro Pro 2 tires.

The Ridley Helium/Shimano Dura-Ace 9000 Complete Bike is available in four sizes from Small to X-Large and in the colors Black/white, White/red/black, White/black, and Katusha.