Tour de France Bike at Bedtime: check out the Ridley Helium

While the Noah is Ridley’s fastest bike on the flats and the bike of choice for Lotto Soudal’s team sprinters, the Helium SLX Disc is the brand’s best all-around road performance bike and it remains the WorldTeam’s most popular bike.

“Its combination of low weight and aggressive handling sustains its popularity with the riders,” says Lotto Soudal.

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The disc brake-equipped bike weighs in at a claimed 780 grams for the frame (size M).

“These high-performance machines are incredibly stiff and durable yet ultra-light to dance up impossibly steep climbs,” Ridley says.

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Designed in Belgium, the tubes of the Helium are slightly oval profiled with the cross-section being slightly larger on the vertical axis than on the horizontal axis.

“While there certainly are advantages to be gained by using round tubes as they can achieve a perfect stiffness-to-weight ratio... our oval tubes win you that extra element of comfort without compromising power transfer or weight,” says Ridley.

The seatstays are connected lower down on the seat tube, designed to add a touch of comfort.

“Due to this lower point of contact, both the seat tube and seatpost can more effectively filter out vibrations,” Ridley explains.

For maximising power transfer, the shape of the seatstays is oval with the widest side on the horizontal axis.

Thanks to a D-shaped steerer tube, all the front-end cables can be routed internally and completely hidden from the wind. This also leaves the bike looking tidy.

“This uniquely shaped steerer tube allows all cables to pass through the handlebar and stem, along the flat front area of the steerer tube and down into the frame,” Ridley explains.

The rest of the build is an all-Italian affair for the Lotto Soudal team, with Campagnolo Super Record EPS Disc groupsets, Bora wheels, Vittoria tyres, and Deda finishing kit.

For customers, the Helium SLX Disc is available with a Shimano Ultegra groupset for £4,459 and Sram Force eTAP AXS for £6,689.

www.ridley-bikes.com