Bike review by Carlos Vulgamott
When I was thinking about a new road bike, Ridley bikes didn’t really enter my thoughts. Then the fellas at Golden Bikes said have you checked out Ridley? They told me about the Ridley Helium Flandrien, so I decided to do more research on my own and I was instantly infatuated. The look of the raw carbon and the subtle Flandrien paint schema drew me in right away.
I have ridden my new Flandrien for over a month now and the responsiveness and stiffness of the bike makes me feel like a super hero on two wheels. The oversized tubing and head tube keeps the bike stiff, responsive, and playful at the same time. What was surprising to me is that the bike will rise to the occasion no matter if it’s the beginning of the ride or at the end when I am fatigued. So if I am peddling circles or squares the bike will turn everything into positive momentum, which is an amazing benefit of carbon. This bike performs on dirt, when climbing, and on open road. I also wanted to mention that I previously rode a custom titanium frame and there was no problem fitting me perfectly on the bike.
Bottom line this is the best road bike I have ever ridden for several reasons:
- The frame set was one of the best for the money.
- Incredibly responsive.
- Very easy fit transition from custom bike.
- The perfect all around bike.
- Great customer service from Golden Bike Shop during and after the purchase.
