2020 Ridley Helium Disc

[iamraymond]

I just saw this post on cyclingtips and I couldn't find any discussion on ww for this new bike. It's a nice departure from all the lightweight disc semi-aero bikes we've seen as of late.
+Traditional frame design (no dropped seat stays or super sloping top tube)
+Standard round seat post should allow for aftermarket upgrades.
+Competitive weight at 820g for a size 54
+Classic paint work (at least on the Eurobike model)
+Standard road stems can be used it seems

-Standard (non-split) spacers will complicate changing the handlebar height

[neeb]

I've got the rim brake model and it's nice to see that the same aesthetics are being continued in the new disc model (not least because my bike will still look current, ha ha..). Frame looks nearly identical, other than the fork which looks new (doubtless the layup of the frame itself has also been changed to cope with the discs).

If the frameset is only 50 or 60g more than the rim brake model I guess a sub-6.5kg build should be quite achievable with just a sensible selection of decently light but not hyper-light components.

[Gary71]

Well done Ridley. That's a nice looking bike

[Klaster_1]

Shouldn't bar and stem support internal routing too? I fail to see how the clean look can be achieved with conventional parts and D-shaped steerer

[neeb]

Shouldn't bar and stem support internal routing too? I fail to see how the clean look can be achieved with conventional parts and D-shaped steerer

I suspect it’s just a mock-up for the bike show. I read that the production model would have an integrated bar/stem with internal routing but that it wasn’t available yet.

[Klaster_1]

I suspect it’s just a mock-up for the bike show. I read that the production model would have an integrated bar/stem with internal routing but that it wasn’t available yet.

Duh. I suppose it will take a long while before we see really lightweight integrated options.

[iamraymond]

I’m not so sure about that… The bike on display at Eurobike may not have had the integrated bar/stem, but I don’t think using a standard stem was for ‘mock up’ purposes only. It could be a fully functional bike.

Check out this manual: https://www.ridley-bikes.com/wp-content ... sembly.pdf. According to the Ridley website, the Helium SLX Disc shares the same cable management as the Noah.

It shows what looks to be a standard stem that has the cables/wires running through the stem body into the front of the steering tube. You’d need to have a handlebar which has the necessary hole to interface with the front of the stem (like the Pro Vibe Aero bar, but with a larger hole). Sure an integrated one piece bar/stem combo could be more aero, but I really like the idea of using a standard stem as it gives customers options that just are not possible with proprietary stems or bar/stems.

[neeb]

I stand corrected - I guess as long as the steerer is D shaped it should be possible to run the cables internally as long as the bars have a hole in the back - couldn’t you even (hypothetically) drill one in a conventional handlebar with internal routing? Obviously given the safety-critical nature of that component/interface you’d only want to get that done professionally...

[neeb]

The Helium Disc is now on the Ridley website. Weirdly, the picture there shows a bike with some minor differences to the Eurobike one pictured above:
https://www.ridley-bikes.com/product/helium-slx-disc/

- The seatstays in the website version are very slightly dropped at the seat cluster, unlike the rim brake model and unlike the Eurobike SLX Disc..

- Is it just the different paint job and the angle, or does the fork on the Eurobike SLX disc have a slightly bulkier profile than the one on the website (which looks to have the same profile as the rim brake model)?

I wonder which is the production version..?

[roadhog44]

Good spot...I wonder if the non disk will also be updated similarly with slightly dropped stays like the website bike...perhaps direct mount brakes too?

[roadhog44]

Japanese website has more details...looks like it will have slightly dropped stays
https://www.jpsg.co.jp/ridley/helium-slx-disc.html

[Mesorhizobium]

I have a noah disc with the D-shaped steerer. With an integrated handlebar. The easiest way to change the handlebar hight is to remove the handlebars. Cut the spacers in half. And just cut the fork in the bike with all the cables in still in situ. The only other way is cut it at build up.

Or undo evrything including the bottom bracket to make feeding the cables easier and undo both caliper hoses. The whole process of cutting a steerer than likely requires a full brake bleed front and rear.

Its basically a home mechanics worst nightmare . It looks the part.

Top tip have one with E-tap. Because then only two hydraulic cables have to be routed. Which makes life a lot easier.

[iamraymond]

Interesting indeed. I prefer the Eurobike model for both the non-dropped seat stays and the classic paint. Nevertheless, I'm really glad Ridley is holding back from the ultra aero everything and retaining a more traditional shape. The drop on the seat stays of the production bike isn't as drastic as the Tarcmac, SS, Teammachine, etc.. To me, this is what the new Supersix should have been.

[neeb]

You’ll probably be able to get the classic-style paint with Ridley’s custom option eventually <edit - you already can, it’s under the Pureline / heritage option>

Question is, as roadhog44 asks, will the rim version get the slightly dropped stays too? Currently on the website the rim version is shown with the normal stays as last year. It looks better than the disc version IMO, although I can’t decide if that’s down to the stays or just the lack of rotors and extra spokes..

Another thing - under the rim brake version on the website only Shimano options are listed, but the picture shows a Campagnolo equipped bike. Does this mean that either the picture or the spec has still to be updated?