I lucked out with a Ridley Helium that I found on craigslist. The story of finding it and how it ended up with me is quite a story in itself.
Anyways I knew nothing about Ridley bikes when I bought it, didnt even realize that the company was named after Ridley Scott.
I'm usually on a 54cm frame and this Helium was a medium with no number to identify the frame size. I looked it up online and ithe geometry seemed a bit different then any of the other bikes I had looked at. Was maybe a throw back to more of a classic fit with a touch of 21st century worked into the numbers.
The top tube on paper showed 56 but it was closer to 55 when measured with a tape. The frame worked for me. At 6.9kg the bike was super light and had full Ultegra and a pair of Ardennes wheels. I struggle on climbs but this bike is just a joy to climb with.
I've been on it for just over 3 years now and liked it so much that I just bought a Noah SL Disc frame to build up. I'd love to get another newer helium but that will be a few years down the road after I wear in the Noah.
I will say that they are not for everyone, the frame geometries can be a bit off of the well defined path. Each model is different and well designed for its purpose. They are an interesting breed.
