# Ridley Noah question



## Gnarly 928 (Nov 19, 2005)

Anyone care to give an opinion/have any experience with the Noah seat attachment system? I've been considering a Noah since I recently built up a Damocles and am quite impressed with that as an all around bike. Looking at the Noah as a dedicated race-bike. I do better in sprint finish races, so the Noah has appeal for it's vaunted stiffness. Problem is that I am no where where I can see the Noah in person to go over that saddle mounting set-up nor have I ever seen one and checked it out closely...so..anybody have one and want to comment?
Don Hanson


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## backinthesaddle (Nov 22, 2006)

Gnarly 928 said:


> Anyone care to give an opinion/have any experience with the Noah seat attachment system? I've been considering a Noah since I recently built up a Damocles and am quite impressed with that as an all around bike. Looking at the Noah as a dedicated race-bike. I do better in sprint finish races, so the Noah has appeal for it's vaunted stiffness. Problem is that I am no where where I can see the Noah in person to go over that saddle mounting set-up nor have I ever seen one and checked it out closely...so..anybody have one and want to comment?
> Don Hanson


First off, I don't have a Noah, but I do have a Helium. The system is the same.

It's a one bolt system. The cap that fits over the carbon seatmast has three threaded holes in it, to account for setback. You have zero setback, 12.5mm and 25mm. The seatrail attachment sits on top of the cap. Once you have figured out your fit and chosen the correct hole, put the seatrail attachment on first, then put your saddle on. All of your fore/aft and nose up/down adjustment is in the seatrail attachment. 
I've found, the hard way, that the bolt needs to be TIGHT. I tried a regular box end/open end wrench, but there's not enough space under the saddle to get at the bolt to tighten it adequately. A short trip to Lowes and the purchase of a ratching box end 13mm (wacky size) did the job.

Once you see it, it's very intuative.

And BTW, the Helium for 08 is the stiffest bike in the lineup...


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## Gnarly 928 (Nov 19, 2005)

*Thanks*

Very concise reply and much appreciated. Thanks, sounds pretty well done, so I guess I'll go for it. Further question, where did you see the info on the '08 line-up's stiffness? The lesser weight of the Helium has it's appeal..but I've read (I don't recall where) that the people who race em for money choose the Helium for uphill finish races and the Noah for long technical alpine stages without an uphill finish...leading me to believe the Noah might ride somewhat more confidently in the tough going...Since I always seem to love the mountains and choose to ride hills whenever I can, and since I live where every ride is up/down with strong winds when it IS flat...the Noah seems like it might be right..I also have access to an Excaliber (my wife's)..and I was thinking Damocles is to Excaliber as Noah is to Helium...similar builds anyhow..
Don Hanson
thanks again on the seat info..


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## backinthesaddle (Nov 22, 2006)

Gnarly 928 said:


> Very concise reply and much appreciated. Thanks, sounds pretty well done, so I guess I'll go for it. Further question, where did you see the info on the '08 line-up's stiffness? The lesser weight of the Helium has it's appeal..but I've read (I don't recall where) that the people who race em for money choose the Helium for uphill finish races and the Noah for long technical alpine stages without an uphill finish...leading me to believe the Noah might ride somewhat more confidently in the tough going...Since I always seem to love the mountains and choose to ride hills whenever I can, and since I live where every ride is up/down with strong winds when it IS flat...the Noah seems like it might be right..I also have access to an Excaliber (my wife's)..and I was thinking Damocles is to Excaliber as Noah is to Helium...similar builds anyhow..
> Don Hanson
> thanks again on the seat info..


I broke my Damocles and got the Helium as the replacement. I like the ride of the Helium better. It's just as confidence inspiring and way stiffer than my old Damocles. I was going to get a Noah, but the guys at Sinclair told me that the Helium was a better all-around bike. They said the Noah rides a bit like a dumptruck unless you are going 100%.

The Helium will be my race bike for next year.

Ridley themselves say the Helium is the stiffest, fwiw...


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## Guest (Jan 1, 2008)

I am planning to squeeze one more season out of my Damocles but I think the Helium is now the way to go over the Noah.


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## toonraid (Sep 19, 2006)

Gnarly 928 said:


> The lesser weight of the Helium has it's appeal..but I've read (I don't recall where) that the people who race em for money choose the Helium for uphill finish races and the Noah for long technical alpine stages without an uphill finish....


That was me on a different thread and yes it is from the horses mouth not a shop or disty. Not sure why anyone would think a frame from the same manufacturer, same year with same price tag would be nearly a pound lighter and "magically stiffer" that the other top medel in their line-up! Anyway you don't need me to tell you that just compare the tube sizes - have you seen the massive seatpost/seat tube on the Noah! If anything you might find it too stiff, Robbie McEwen did and he had his str8 Noah fork changed to excalibur!

Really interested in a Helium ride report though if any of you Helium riders care to share the joy.

View attachment 112667


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## backinthesaddle (Nov 22, 2006)

toonraid said:


> That was me on a different thread and yes it is from the horses mouth not a shop or disty. Not sure why anyone would think a frame from the same manufacturer, same year with same price tag would be nearly a pound lighter and "magically stiffer" that the other top medel in their line-up! Anyway you don't need me to tell you that just compare the tube sizes - have you seen the massive seatpost/seat tube on the Noah! If anything you might find it too stiff, Robbie McEwen did and he had his str8 Noah fork changed to excalibur!
> 
> Really interested in a Helium ride report though if any of you Helium riders care to share the joy.
> 
> View attachment 112667


The Noah fork is nothing more than the Damocles straight fork. The pros jocks change them out because the Excalibur fork is, in fact, stiffer and rides better. Trust me, I've had both. 
As for the stiffness claim, weight has little to do with it. It has to do with construction. And it DID come from the horses mouth. Read the ads for the 08 Helium. Ridley says it's the lightest and stiffest bike in the line up. The guys at Sinclair said the same thing. 

If the Noah is stiffer than the Helium, it must ride like sh*t, because my Helium is easily the stiffest bike I've ever been on.


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## toonraid (Sep 19, 2006)

Sorry have to disagree - weight does has a lot to do with stifness, the more layers of carbon you use the heavier the frame and the stiffer it is provided all else is the same. But lets not go there - lets look at it from a marketing point of view - why bother with Noah in your line up when you already have a stiffer, lighter frame for the same price?

I don't know what ad you are talking about but Ridley market the Helium as "stiffer and lighter than last years model offering unmatched stiffness to weight ratio for climbing and all-round road racing performance" throughout their marketing it is pushed as a climbing frame which always translates to "not for sprinters".

Would appretiate a ride review onf the Helium, particularly interested to know how it handles down fast descents? - what are you comparing it to?


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## backinthesaddle (Nov 22, 2006)

toonraid said:


> Sorry have to disagree - weight does has a lot to do with stifness, the more layers of carbon you use the heavier the frame and the stiffer it is provided all else is the same. But lets not go there - lets look at it from a marketing point of view - why bother with Noah in your line up when you already have a stiffer, lighter frame for the same price?
> 
> I don't know what ad you are talking about but Ridley market the Helium as "stiffer and lighter than last years model offering unmatched stiffness to weight ratio for climbing and all-round road racing performance" throughout their marketing it is pushed as a climbing frame which always translates to "not for sprinters".
> 
> Would appretiate a ride review onf the Helium, particularly interested to know how it handles down fast descents? - what are you comparing it to?


I've had an Excalibur, a Damocles and now the Helium. Trust me when I tell you, it's the stiffest of the three. It's fine for sprinters, considering that's what I am and the guys at Sinclair are the ones who swayed me in this direction. They said it would be the better all around bike because it's stiff, light and more comfortable than a Noah. 
It handles fine down fast descents. Just because it's a 1000g frame, doesn't mean the handling will suffer. The geometry is the same across the board. 200g weight savings isn't going to make a frame spontaneously burst apart over 50mph. I've leaned into corners at 40+ without so much as a twitch. The way the bike handles has way more to do with part spec and wheels than the frameset. Ride quality is 50/50. 
I'm glad you wok at a shop, but you should really spend some time ON the bikes before talking about them. Read up on carbon, it properties and frame design. Go to Ibis' site for some education on carbon lay-up and principles.


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## Guest (Jan 2, 2008)

"weight does has a lot to do with stifness, the more layers of carbon you use the heavier the frame and the stiffer it is provided all else is the same"

All things are not the same, almost all of the manufacturers are using different carbon fiber that allows them to use less material (lighter) and achieve the same or greater stiffness. That's why everyone is talking up there latest 900g creation.

"why bother with Noah in your line up when you already have a stiffer, lighter frame for the same price"

They were already making the Noah, the current Helium is not much like the first one.


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## nescafe (Sep 20, 2007)

toonraid said:


> Sorry have to disagree - weight does has a lot to do with stifness, the more layers of carbon you use the heavier the frame and the stiffer it is provided all else is the same. But lets not go there - lets look at it from a marketing point of view - why bother with Noah in your line up when you already have a stiffer, lighter frame for the same price?
> 
> I don't know what ad you are talking about...


i have neither but in the dec 07 issue of procycling, somewhere in the first few pages, there is an ad for the helium and it does say "lighter than last year's noah and much stiffer". not sure if that's stiffness relative to weight...


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## Gnarly 928 (Nov 19, 2005)

Well, I'll post a reveiw of the "08 Noah soon, because I have one of the first ones from Sinclair coming within a few days. The trouble is...I don't have quite enough parts along to have two bikes built at one time.. I am on an extended road trip, training in the So Cal desert till early spring and I'll have to de-comission my new Damocles to build up the Noah when it comes..

For what it's worth, the Noah is significantly lighter than last year's and the seat mounting is revised somewhat. I know nothing about who works at Sinclair and whether I'd take their word about the relative merits of two pretty obscure bike models...They (Sinclair Imports) handle lots of exotic bike lines..but do they ride or race them all?...Probably not, but...

I have been tempted to swap my SO's Excaliber fork onto the Damocles just for grins and to see if I can tell the diff...I don't really care for the looks of the Damocles straight fork, but it works flawlessly for me at 165lbs at my top speed so far of 51mph descending Montezuma Grade east of Mt. Palomar..
I'll report back on how the two compare...Damocles to Noah...and I will be using everything direct from the Damocles so the comparo should be pretty valid.
Don Hanson


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## backinthesaddle (Nov 22, 2006)

Gnarly 928 said:


> Well, I'll post a reveiw of the "08 Noah soon, because I have one of the first ones from Sinclair coming within a few days. The trouble is...I don't have quite enough parts along to have two bikes built at one time.. I am on an extended road trip, training in the So Cal desert till early spring and I'll have to de-comission my new Damocles to build up the Noah when it comes..
> 
> For what it's worth, the Noah is significantly lighter than last year's and the seat mounting is revised somewhat. I know nothing about who works at Sinclair and whether I'd take their word about the relative merits of two pretty obscure bike models...They (Sinclair Imports) handle lots of exotic bike lines..but do they ride or race them all?...Probably not, but...
> 
> ...


Sinclair reps Ridley and Ridley only...so yes, they do ride and race them. I know a couple of the guys there and they are hammers. If they offer advice, take it.
And take my word that the differences in the two forks is appreciable.


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## Gnarly 928 (Nov 19, 2005)

*Ok, good info*



backinthesaddle said:


> Sinclair reps Ridley and Ridley only...so yes, they do ride and race them. I know a couple of the guys there and they are hammers. If they offer advice, take it.
> And take my word that the differences in the two forks is appreciable.


 Learned something, then. Sinclair used to do DeRosa and some others..It is good to know they have real bike riders working there..they have always been pretty helpful in my dealings with them..The Damocles and the Excaliber forks have to be real different feeling, since they are pretty different in design..I shall experiment..
thanks, Don Hanson


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## Gnarly 928 (Nov 19, 2005)

My '08 Noah arrived yesterday. Blue and white. Quite different from the previous years, I think, with a revised saddle mounting system, a different fork and a substantial weight loss...according to the supplier, 3-Ring Cycles in San Rafael, Ca. A very striking looking frame, can't wait to get it built up...but I will have to, since I am short a few parts. I left the Northwest not planning on running two bikes on this trip, so I only brought spares, not a whole Gruppo...Oh well, life is tough...
Don Hanson


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## nescafe (Sep 20, 2007)

cool! i really like that blue and white scheme on the noah. i'm on an excal now, but i can already see an upgrade to a noah haha! don't forget to post pics!!!


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## Gnarly 928 (Nov 19, 2005)

Ok, been on the Noah about a week now. Very nice! I canabalized the Damocles, so I have not ridden the two back to back on the same day, but I used everything off the Damocles on the Noah, so I do have a good valid comparison, ridden them both on the same roads on consecutive days.

The Noah is stiffer and significantly lighter..This is a 2008 Noah and an 07 Damo. The Noah has a revised saddle mounting system, I am told. I found it easy to get just right and only had to cut about 3/8" from my seat mast, this being a Medium frame and me being about 6'1"...Long torso, short legs. The Noah is a fantastic climbing bike. Not flimsey or ultra light, but just rigid feeling both seated and mashing or standing and going for it. The Damocles feels much the same climbing at the front end, but doesn't have the same feel at the back. The Noah feels "together" and the Damo feels 'stiff at the front fork"....if you catch the nuance of that..Not that the Damocles is flawed in any way, it is just that the Noah is almost a perfectly balanced bike when climbing...

Going fast on the flats or hammering a downgrade...the Noah again uses it's stiffness to go forward...fast. I think the aeros help at top end when you are making the speed with your legs...I rode right away from a friend who has always been able to hold my wheel before... On mountain descents, the two seem equal..damo and noah, both inspire confidence going downhill fast. I bet with an Excaliber fork, they would really fly downhill, but they do everything I have balls enough for as they arrive.

The Noah is a bit harsh through the saddle...I used a Selle Italia Flite on both..Perhap the Ritchey carbon curved set-back carbon post I had on the Damo has something to do with it's silky smooth seated ride...dunno. Anyhow, the noah is not as rough as my Scott CR-1 was, but it is a race bike ride. 

The only nit I have so far is the derailure hanger...Front "braze on"..mount is a bit substandard, compared to the rest of the bike's quality. Mine was not tight...bolted on using allen screws that were loose. When it is tight, the hanger isn't onto the frame exactly right, yet. I will have to take it completely off and work on the surface that mates to the downtube to make it perfectly fit. I am also a bit leary that that hanger sits right on a 'flat' of the diamond shaped downtube without any extra shaping for added strength there..A tossed chain that is "Gorilla-ed" back on in the heat of battle *could* perhaps pull off the mounting...something I will be aware of ....

So, there it is...the new Noah rocks! Very cool looking too..except for "Integral Regeneration" written large twice on the top of the top tube.."integral-what?" And about 10 "Ridley Bikes.Com" on the frame in various places...I could do without all that verbage...
Don Hanson


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## nescafe (Sep 20, 2007)

sweet! thanks for the report. when you get the chance, post some pics! cheers


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## backinthesaddle (Nov 22, 2006)

Gnarly 928 said:


> Ok, been on the Noah about a week now. Very nice! I canabalized the Damocles, so I have not ridden the two back to back on the same day, but I used everything off the Damocles on the Noah, so I do have a good valid comparison, ridden them both on the same roads on consecutive days.
> 
> The Noah is stiffer and significantly lighter..This is a 2008 Noah and an 07 Damo. The Noah has a revised saddle mounting system, I am told. I found it easy to get just right and only had to cut about 3/8" from my seat mast, this being a Medium frame and me being about 6'1"...Long torso, short legs. The Noah is a fantastic climbing bike. Not flimsey or ultra light, but just rigid feeling both seated and mashing or standing and going for it. The Damocles feels much the same climbing at the front end, but doesn't have the same feel at the back. The Noah feels "together" and the Damo feels 'stiff at the front fork"....if you catch the nuance of that..Not that the Damocles is flawed in any way, it is just that the Noah is almost a perfectly balanced bike when climbing...
> 
> ...


What fork came on the Noah? Post a pic...


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## Gnarly 928 (Nov 19, 2005)

A bit more on the Noah/Damocles after some more races and training...

The Noah IS good at sprints. I've been gaining confidence standing and sprinting in the drops at very high speeds, something I've not been comfortable with on my previous bikes. I think the Noah outsprints the Damocles, having ridden the two interchangeably for a month now. I just did an Omnium using the Damo for the crit and taking second on the Noah in a field sprint for the RR. The sprint for the crit saw me unable to come around and the RR on the Noah, I was still gaining but missed by a tire width by leaving it too long. 

The Damo really handles well. The last crit I ran was very hilly and quite technical with turns and off camber, rain gutters and some manhole covers. As I gained laps on the course, the Damo felt better and better, making me think that the next crit like that, I'll be making the others really have to push their bikes to keep up in the twisties..

The Noah's seat attachment has been very easy to adjust...two allen bolts to position and align the saddle's angle, with a bunch of shims for height. There is no real fore and aft gross adjustment other than the saddle rails. I also like the fork's behavior. No problem getting the headset right and very stable at speed and standing on climbs.

Nice bikes, for sure! Thanks, Ridley..

Don Hanson
z-team (old masters racer)


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## backinthesaddle (Nov 22, 2006)

Gnarly 928 said:


> A bit more on the Noah/Damocles after some more races and training...
> 
> The Noah IS good at sprints. I've been gaining confidence standing and sprinting in the drops at very high speeds, something I've not been comfortable with on my previous bikes. I think the Noah outsprints the Damocles, having ridden the two interchangeably for a month now. I just did an Omnium using the Damo for the crit and taking second on the Noah in a field sprint for the RR. The sprint for the crit saw me unable to come around and the RR on the Noah, I was still gaining but missed by a tire width by leaving it too long.
> 
> ...


The for/aft adjustment is built into the seatmast cap. It should have three holes that allow you to position the bottom of the seat cradle for your desired setback.

That being said, my Helium is a waaaay better race bike than my old Damocles ever was...


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