Ridley Helium SLX Disc Red AXS Carbon Road Bike

At first glance, the tubes of the Helium look very classic - like ordinary round tubes. But upon closer inspection, you'll quickly notice that we actually opted for slightly oval profiles. The cross section is slightly larger on the vertical axis than on the horizontal axis. In this way, we maximize both power transfer and comfort, while keeping the weight as low as possible. We're talking next-level development!

While there certainly are advantages to be gained by using round tubes as they can achieve a perfect stiffness to weight ratio (when wall thickness of tubes is thin at the center, becoming slightly thicker towards the ends), our oval tubes win you that extra element of comfort without compromising power transfer or weight.

Cables at the front of your bike have a major impact on its aerodynamic performance. On the flipside, getting rid of cables at the front has an aero advantage of a whopping 10 to 14%, depending on the bike.

That's why our R&D department dedicated much time and effort into developing the D-shaped steerer tube, which integrates all front-end cables.

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. Here the cables are completely hidden from the wind - and from your eye, leaving you with a clean looking bike that wins you speed.

Download the manual here to find out how to properly guide all cables through all components.

The rear end of a bike is crucial for both adding comfort and maximizing power transfer.

For added comfort, the seatstays are connected lower down on the seat tube. Due to this lower point of contact, both the seat tube and seatpost can more effectively filter out vibrations. In addition, the seatstays can provide more vertical flexibility. All this results in a more comfortable bike ride.

As for winning watts, the shape of the seatstays is oval with the widest side on the horizontal axis. This is key to maximizing power transfer. By placing this wide side horizontally, every watt produced is converted into speed, without losing power on the way to the rear wheel.

Our carbon is manufactured by world market leader: Toray. The Japanese manufacturer is leader in every aspect of carbon development and supplier to absolute top world brands in many industries. For the Elite Series, we use every type of available carbon: 60T, 50T, 30T and 24T.

The higher the 'Ton', the higher the tensile strength of the carbon fibers and the more intensive the development and processing. With 60T, you may need fewer layers of carbon to achieve the desired stiffness as well as the lightest possible bike, but if you built the whole frame with 60T you'd have a very uncomfortable, over-responsive ride. Hence, a mix of 24T, 30T, 50T and 60T carbon is essential as each carbon serves a certain purpose in perfectly balancing stiffness, weight and comfort.

Each bike's unique carbon mix is dependent on its purpose, such as climbing, endurance, etc. In addition, each area of each frame requires its own unique mix depending on its function such as to provide comfort or stiffness. It is here, in the unique carbon compositions, where Ridley makes the difference!

As all our professional teams ride our Ridley Elite Series bikes - including the likes of Tim Wellens, Caleb Ewan or Thomas De Gendt, this means that your bike is treated with the exact same care as theirs.