Ridley Noah, Helium, or '07 Orca???

[fairclough51]

Hi Everybody
I'm looking for a bike that does pretty much everything (isn't that always the case!?)
The 3 bikes currently taking my fancy are the Ridley Noah, Ridley Helium, and '07 Orbea Orca. As far as components and price goes, it's not a major factor as all 3 will be decked-out about the same and will cost about the same too. They all come with lifetime warranties as well.
I race A & B-grade crits, ride in the hills on the weekend, and sometimes mix it up with long, flat, group rides. I know there are slight weight, handling, and 'aero' differences between these 3 bikes, but I really don't know what the major difference will be. I'm interested to see what other people think - especially people who may have ridden some or all of these.

Thanks in advance...

 

[manubo]

I don't know about the two others but I just (a month ago) got myself the Ridley Noah.....the best bike I ever had !Besides looking damn cool,the ride is great and fast.I used to have a sloping compact geometry (Wilier Thor) before that and on fast (70km/hr) downhills I used to feel quite unstable,now I can hit 80km/hr without touching the brakes and feel very stable.The wilier was a tat better with steep climbs but I had no problem at all tackling 15km long steep climbs (10-12%) with my ridley as well.

The only downside I can think about (but this is personal) : the integrated seatpost.I am not talking about its effectiveness.....it is great,but you can only adjust it so much ,so when selling it on later (eventually I will want to upgrade eventhough I have almost reached the top with regard to equipment ,but hey,I admit,I am crazy)I may have to have a hard time finding someone my size (my frame is XS) to sell it to...

 

[fairclough51]

Thanks for the feedback.
The integrated seatpost was my only concern too.
My local distributor got a frame in for me to at least look at (LBS don't keep this high-end stuff in stock) and it looked fantastic, is supposedly really stiff and 'reasonably' light. However with only 18mm of seat-height adjustment, changing shoes, pedal or saddle could make a major impqact on the required height - not to mention your concerns about trying to find a buyer once it's time to change it over for something new. As much as it pains me to say it (because it looked so cool) I think I'm going to go for something with a regular seatpost - either the '07 Orca, Look 585 or Madone 6.5.
Once again though, thanks very much for the feedback - enjoy your Noah

 

[rrchea]

I don't know about the two others but I just (a month ago) got myself the Ridley Noah.....the best bike I ever had !Besides looking damn cool,the ride is great and fast.I used to have a sloping compact geometry (Wilier Thor) before that and on fast (70km/hr) downhills I used to feel quite unstable,now I can hit 80km/hr without touching the brakes and feel very stable.The wilier was a tat better with steep climbs but I had no problem at all tackling 15km long steep climbs (10-12%) with my ridley as well.

The only downside I can think about (but this is personal) : the integrated seatpost.I am not talking about its effectiveness.....it is great,but you can only adjust it so much ,so when selling it on later (eventually I will want to upgrade eventhough I have almost reached the top with regard to equipment ,but hey,I admit,I am crazy)I may have to have a hard time finding someone my size (my frame is XS) to sell it to...

Hi,
i ride an XS in the Damocles. would be intrested in buying you Noah. What's the color? can you tell me if you can cut the post down to 7 or 8cm above the toptube? And does the post flare out near the bottom where meets the toptube? i asked this because i may have to bring the seatclamp all the way down close the toptube to ride the NOah.

How the ride is it quick in a sprint? is it smooth riding?
I rode a 06' Damocles for a 2 hrs. ride and its quick and smooth and good uphill.

thanks
Rick

 

[sogood]

Another voice on this integrated seatpost issue. I looked at the Look 595 and Noah during my search for a new frame and it was clear to me that for an amateur, integrated seatpost design makes the bike quite inflexible. Any error in trimming the height may render the frame useless, let alone potential resale options. Also, the fixed seatpost extension would be an issue for air transport. So I ended up with a Ridley Damocles instead. Been very happy with it in its first 250km.