SPIN Asia checks out the latest bikes and gear used by OCBC Team riders in the OCBC Cycle Singapore race, taking the opportunity to know more about the racers themselves and their preferred bike setups.

Helios 780 2010 (OCBC Team Bike)

There is minimal change in the Helios 780 frame when compared to last year’s model. The main difference will be the Pressfit BB (Bottom Bracket) system which gives a stiffer BB area for efficient power transfer when pedaling with significantly greater force. The other highlight will be the special custom paintwork limited only to the OCBC Team.

The sizes being used by the team are 48,50,52,54 but riders can get even bigger frames in stock colours from size 48 to 58. The frame weighs at a sub-1,000grams, and the fork at 350grams.

The groupsets for OCBC Team bike compared to Helios 780 2010 stock version:

Dura-Ace from Shimano is selected to kit up the team’s racing bikes. Dura-Ace represents the highest level of racing components made by Shimano in order to provide the extra advantage for the riders during a race. Its acclaimed lightness and power can be a significant contributing factor to the success of the team’s performances.

For the training bikes, OCBC racers are using the Ultegra groupset, the closest groupset which gives them almost identical performance, power transfer efficiency and technology compared to Dura-Ace, with minimum extra weight.

The OCBC Team Helios is fully equipped with Shimano Dura-Ace 7900 for their racing bike setup (complete groupset + chain + pedals) and Shimano Ultegra 6700 for Training bike setup (complete groupset + chain + pedals). The race wheelset equipped for OCBC Team Helios is Shimano Dura-Ace's latest prototype wheelset. As for the training bike, it is equipped with Shimano Ultegra 6700 wheelset.

The steering parts (handlebar, stem and seatpost) are taken care of by PRO, having proven itself by many big teams in the ProTour Road racing scene as well as the Mountain bike gravity racing scene. PRO is famous for their Cavendish series for Road and the Atherton series for MTB.

The team’s racing bike uses the PRO Vibe series made of carbon, while their training bikes get the PRO Plt series made of hi-grade alloy.

Timothy, Lemuel and Calvin give their take on the Helios 780 used during the OCBC race.

How were your bikes’ performances during the OCBC race?

Timothy:
The bike performed up to expectations throughout the race although we only had a week or so to get used to it. It was fast on the flats and felt stiff on climbs, so I have no complains at all about the Helios.

Lemuel:
The bike was great! Performance-wise, I think the Helios will be able to compete aggressively with the top-end models from other reputable brands!

First of all is the stiffness. The bike was surprisingly stiff, yet still comfortable to ride hard on. It’s one of the most responsive bikes I’ve ever ridden as well; you can feel the power being transferred to the frame and then into forward motion in every pedal stroke. Stand up on the bike and start accelerating, you’ll feel the bike responding instantaneously and surging forward! Good for sprinting and attacking! Another positive thing about this bike is that it feels so lively when you ride it. There are some bikes in the market that are very stiff and light, but when you need to push, it feels very dead and wooden. This one is definitely not! Although this bike is not exactly weenie light, it is still in the ultra-light range. Add that together with all the other good points and component spec and you get a really good bike to get to top speed!

Calvin:
The bike was great, good handling and very responsive. The bike is stiff, and it accelerates fast! It is also very comfortable to ride over bumpy roads.

How was the bike set up to your individual requirements? Timothy:
As the team was made up of individuals with different physique and preferences, the bikes had to be adjusted from handlebar type down to crank length and frame size. Personally, we requested for whichever past equipment that we have had experience with. This included the saddle type, handlebar type and width etc. From there on, we did a personal bike fit to determine the saddle height, fore/aft position and reach (stem length), which were of course different for each individual.

Lemuel:
My bike set up was pretty simple as I had a similar bike previously: Slam the stem all the way down, slam the saddle all the way back. Walla! The exact same measurements from my previous bike replicated onto this one. Excellent!

Calvin:
As the Helios came as a stock bike, we got to set up according to our physical measurements, adding a few custom parts here and there. But the Helios was already fully ready to go in its original form.

What headgear are you using right now?

Timothy:
OGK Kabuto, Monstro. It is light and comfortable, fits well and most importantly, looks really good haha!

Lemuel:
OGK Monstro. Three words: Light, Comfortable, Cooling. And I mean really light, really comfortable and really cooling. Styling is very nice too! Let’s just say you can’t go wrong with a Japanese company that makes helmets, especially when it makes motorcycle race helmets too! Perhaps that’s one reason why the helmet is so comfortable and fits really good as well. Asian helmet company + Asian rider = perfect fitting!

Calvin:
OGK Monstro. It keeps me cool with its multiple air vents. It is lightweight and allows me to focus better be it in racing or training. You don’t even feel it’s on your head!

Anything that you as a rider may want to add that can further improve the performance of your race bikes?

Timothy:
Two problems to highlight would be the toe overlap and the bottle cage position on the seat tube. At tight angles, the toe overlap is quite severe. Moreover, we are unable to place a larger water bottle into the cage on the seat tubes of the smaller frames.

Lemuel:
I guess my wishlist would probably be a variety of carbon wheels to choose from depending on terrain during races. What do I want to add to the bike to improve my performance? A Powertap or SRM or even a power meter would be the best addition for my current setup.

Calvin:
Cable holders can be installed at the front of the Helios to improve the steering of the bike. That’s about it for me.