The newest addition to the Ridley family has been floating around the internet for awhile now, but it’s time to officially introduce the Helium SLX Disc. As the name would suggest, this is a disc brake equipped Helium SLX. A Bike that Ridley calls the King of Racers.
Fortunately for their claim, the bike has already notched a win under Jelle Wallays who recently won Paris-Tours 2019. The bike’s disc brakes would have been hard to miss, but now we’re getting the full story. A story that supposedly starts back in 2008, when Cadel Evans said, “Make me a bike that I can use to win the Tour de France but can you do me a big favor? Bring it as close as possible to the 6.8 kg limit, but if you have to choose between 100 grams of extra weight or less stiffness, always prioritize stiffness.” That led to the Helium’s focus on stiffness to weight ratio. It needed to be light, but more importantly it had to be stiff.
Ridley seems to have continued that trend without drastically changing the carbon frame, but the SLX Disc actually gains stiffness thanks to the inclusion of 12mm thru axles and a slightly dropped seatstay design.
Without changing the profile of the tubes, Ridley looked elsewhere to gain aero advantage – the cables. It’s hard to believe, but Ridley claims that by hiding all of the cables in the bar, stem, and frame, they decreased wind resistance by 14%. Pretty impressive for just some tidy cable routing and the same F-Steerer system used on the Noah Fast.
Ridley claims that the frame has a weight of 820g (medium) which is just 60g heavier than the rim brake model. The frames will be offered in six sizes, each with clearance for a 700c x 28mm tire. Standard builds will be available from €4,999 to 6,999, and custom builds will also be available through the Ridley Customizer.
Looks sleek. I need more info on where the cables/wires go. How do they get from the handlebars, thru stem, etc. Does it work with mechanical drivetrains?
https://www.ridley-bikes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Noah-SL-Disc-Aero-_-Cable-Management-System-_-Assembly.pdf
Their website shows the use of what they call an “F-Steerer”
Looks like a D Shaped Steerer tube, flat edge allows cables and housing to go through the headtube.
https://www.ridley-bikes.com/technology-ridley/f-steerer/
I couldn’t be certain, but I wouldn’t think this bike would work with mechanical drivetrains. Sweet bike though.
I’m 100% certain that “hidden cables” means mechanical compatibility, just as many other frames on the market do as well. Cables = mechanical, wires = electronic. If the frame was only meant for electronic drivetrains that would be fairly unique and they would have to mention that.
aero is such a overacted buzz word, useless unless you are going at 50 or more km/h. just build some good bikes that are serviceable at home
Interesting. I didn’t know that below 31mph aero benefits are completely insignificant. I can’t to see the data you produced showing as much. No doubt, when you publish your findings, many thousand cyclists will be grateful for your insights.
Going 30 km/h with head wind of 20 km/h is not really unusual, and you already have the situation where aero brings benefits.
Looks interesting. Their medium appears to be pretty large, when compared to typica medium sizes. Also probably a very lively and snappy ride, given the relatively small bb drop, short wheelbase and chain stays.
All these little aero touches makes a difference. And imho i can definitely start to feel the benefit of decent aero wheels at around 18mph.
Yeah, they’ve had that basic geometry for awhile, I had a small Damocles that shared similar dimensions with the Heliums and I’m usually about a 54, and as far as production frames a small Ridley is perfect for me. But I’ve always thought if should be more like a medium.
I just like the look of the hidden cables. I will leave it to my mechanic to deal with the rest. I am less interested in aero as my gains will be marginal compared to a pro, I just like how much easier it will be for me to clean. I’d take it for a turn around the hills.