Ridley Helium Force 22 Complete Road Bike 2016

The 2016 Ridley Helium Force 22 Complete Road Bike lives up to its lightweight namesake's feathery demeanor as a sprightly and blazing fast climbing whip that's just as capable railing corners on the flats and bombing descents. Kitted out with SRAM Force 22 componentry and Mavic Aksium One Wheels, the Helium is ready to toe the line right out of the box. Unless you've got them side by side on scales, it's not likely you'll be able to notice the slight difference in weight that the Helium's non SL the ubiquitous industry initialism for Super Light carbon layup generates. Requiring more material to achieve the same stiffness as the Helium SL frame, the heavier carbon layup used to construct the Helium gives the frame only a slight weight penalty and a significant decrease in cost. Don't mistake the Helium as a frame that will be punishingly stiff all the time, though Ridley intelligently blends round tubing with squared off tubes to give the frame a mix of vibration dampening comfort and reliable power transfer, so the frame responds with rigidity when you grudgingly stretch out of the saddle to finish a climb, and compliance when you're logging long endurance days on the flats.