Anyone ride a Ridley Helium SLX?

neeb

Looking for some objective opinions on the frameset. I realise that's difficult as everyone thinks the bike they've got is the dog's knees or bee's bollox, but still..

Haven't seen a bad review, seems to ride extremely well. But I just don't trust reviews these days, it seems that they are all written to the same script as if they are copying from the marketing material and giving between 4 and 5 stars depeding on how much the site/magazine needs the advertising..

I guess it's not very aero..

The custom paint option is nice.

Looks better in person than it does in photos.

Difficult to get a test ride of that particular frame in my size, and besides I find it's difficult to tell much from a quick test ride especially without everyting set up exactly right, same wheels, etc.

I'd also be interested if anyone knows what factory in China this particular frameset is made in and whether it's owned by one of the top-tier far east companies such as ten tech, Giant or whatever. The only info I can find on this seems to be quite old and potentially out of date. I wonder if Ridley would tell me if I asked them..

bristolpete

neeb wrote:

Looking for some objective opinions on the frameset. I realise that's difficult as everyone thinks the bike they've got is the dog's knees or bee's bollox, but still..

Haven't seen a bad review, seems to ride extremely well. But I just don't trust reviews these days, it seems that they are all written to the same script as if they are copying from the marketing material and giving between 4 and 5 stars depeding on how much the site/magazine needs the advertising..

I guess it's not very aero..

The custom paint option is nice.

Looks better in person than it does in photos.

Difficult to get a test ride of that particular frame in my size, and besides I find it's difficult to tell much from a quick test ride especially without everyting set up exactly right, same wheels, etc.

I'd also be interested if anyone knows what factory in China this particular frameset is made in and whether it's owned by one of the top-tier far east companies such as ten tech, Giant or whatever. The only info I can find on this seems to be quite old and potentially out of date. I wonder if Ridley would tell me if I asked them..

I know a couple of chaps both riding these as custom paint jobs. Both delighted with them and one guy sold his F8 to ride the SLX more as cited it as a 'better bike' overall. Certainly said it floats across poor tarmac where as the F8 would shake your filling out, to which I can agree. F8 great but stupidly stiff to my mind. Never asked the question but I think we all concluded that Giant make them which is no bad thing as of late it seems that the Giant QC is excellent. Personally, I have Giant TCR SL in the N+1 set up here and cannot fault it in any way and would imagine that the SLX would be similar, but with its own character. As usual cast an eye over the geo charts as the aforementioned guy spent a while deciding on a size as rides inline seat post and has like us all, his own fit thus feel requirements from frame. Hope that helps.

neeb

Thanks, that’s extremely helpful. Always reassuring to have some positive comments from real people without an agenda! I’d be getting the frameset through a local shop and all things being equal I’d rather do that than get a generic Tarmac sl6 or whatever online.

I’m light so having slightly less stiffness than an F8 is probably not a bad thing.. Broken frame it’s replacing is an original model Scott Foil which had a reputation for stiffness - that said I never had a problem with it until I got some Boras, which on the Foil I found just a little wooden out of the saddle. My inuition is that the Helium SLX will compliment them much better for someone of my weight.

Geometry is sorted, I’m a real nerd on that front and had the Helium shortlisted because I know it will fit.

bristolpete

neeb wrote:

Thanks, that’s extremely helpful. Always reassuring to have some positive comments from real people without an agenda! I’d be getting the frameset through a local shop and all things being equal I’d rather do that than get a generic Tarmac sl6 or whatever online.

I’m light so having slightly less stiffness than an F8 is probably not a bad thing.. Broken frame it’s replacing is an original model Scott Foil which had a reputation for stiffness - that said I never had a problem with it until I got some Boras, which on the Foil I found just a little wooden out of the saddle. My inuition is that the Helium SLX will compliment them much better for someone of my weight.

Geometry is sorted, I’m a real nerd on that front and had the Helium shortlisted because I know it will fit.

Magic ! In the current pantheon of great bikes, I feel I would happily spend my money on one as they look and sound like great bikes. No gimmicks, no aero this that and the other, just a well rounded performance road frame akin to my TCR SL. There are a few frames just below the 'upper deck' that get overlooked and SLX, TCR SL and so on are really great bikes that very few look at. Look at how many pro level stages / races these very frames have snaffled with Subweb, Lotto etc in the last year alone. Whilst we are not pro bro, to me a real barometer for quality in my eyes.

neeb

Completely agree. Didn't do Wellens any harm the other day..



Curious to know what custom frame colours your freinds went for now!

bristolpete

1 x Pale blue.

1 x cherry red.

1 x Dark blue.

neeb

bristolpete wrote:

1 x Pale blue.

1 x cherry red.

1 x Dark blue.

Light metallic green for me.

super_davo

I'd be very tempted to go for a Merlin Nitro SL, which is the Helium SL under Merlin branding (previous model). Its well publicised as such.

It's exactly the same geometry, and only 40 grams heavier than the SLX. And you can get it in Ultegra DI2 spec for £2000

neeb

super_davo wrote:

I'd be very tempted to go for a Merlin Nitro SL, which is the Helium SL under Merlin branding (previous model). Its well publicised as such.

It's exactly the same geometry, and only 40 grams heavier than the SLX. And you can get it in Ultegra DI2 spec for £2000

Yes, that’s an amazing deal but I want the SLX. ;-). It’s a different layup, supposed to be a little stiffer, fork is different, and I confess to a smidgen of brand snobbery.. :-) The Ridley distributor told me that the mould was new for the SLX, which I find a little hard to believe given the similarity of the tube profiles, but it’s a different frame.

bristolpete

Had a penny drop moment when I visited two bike shops in the South West, effectively the same shop but miles apart. Can think of a third too ....

A front for Madison UK who sell Shimano and Ridley and co. and they were chock full of bikes and the Ridley bikes did look hot. I think they said a custom colour way was just an extra £205 ! Not too bad at all.

pmannion9

bristolpete wrote:

Had a penny drop moment when I visited two bike shops in the South West, effectively the same shop but miles apart. Can think of a third too ....

A front for Madison UK who sell Shimano and Ridley and co. and they were chock full of bikes and the Ridley bikes did look hot. I think they said a custom colour way was just an extra £205 ! Not too bad at all.

Any deals to be had on these?
Looking for a 11 speed ultegra build

blackfly

I got the Merlin Nitro SL Di2 earlier this year - quite a bargain considering the original cost of the Helium. I love it. I can't believe how much faster it is compared to by previous bike, which weighed almost exactly the same. Of course I would have liked to have got the new Helium SLX equivalent instead (especially in that blue and gold design), but just couldn't justify the £3,000 price difference.

If the Helium SLX is better than the Nitro SL it will be fantastic.

If it helps, I'm about 6ft and the Medium (57) fitted perfectly -- didn't need to change a thing at the bike fit.

Also, I see that Merlin has just released a new version of the Nitro SL, which is 60 ton high modulus carbon rather than the 60/40/30 mix of the 2017 version.

neeb

Thanks - I've gpt a custom painted SLX frameset on order.. Will post pics eventually! :-)

I doubt that the new Nitro SL is all 60 ton CF, that would be silly-stiff, highly uncomfortable and rather brittle.. The trick is the right mix of different types of CF in the right places, something Ridley seem to have got right with these frames by all accounts. Interestingly I had a chance to see a Helium X (30/24 ton CF only) and a Helium SLX (60/40/30) together recently, and although the tubes look the same if you tap them the SLX sounds much sharper, so it's not all hype, they really are different. If the Nitro SL has a similarly composed layup to tyhe SLX it really is a bargain.

blackfly

I'm very jealous.

You're quite right about the 2018 Nitro SL, it's still 60/40/30.

My 2017 Nitro SL was even more of a bargain -- I ordered the standard Ultegra version, but Merlin sent me the Di2 version with upgraded components by mistake. I gave them a call and they said it was their mistake and I could keep it.

pmannion9

blackfly wrote:

I'm very jealous.

You're quite right about the 2018 Nitro SL, it's still 60/40/30.

My 2017 Nitro SL was even more of a bargain -- I ordered the standard Ultegra version, but Merlin sent me the Di2 version with upgraded components by mistake. I gave them a call and they said it was their mistake and I could keep it.

Nice deal that :-)