HELIOS CYCLES / BOULDER, COLORADO / EST. 2014
Every Helios frame starts as a full-scale drawing pinned to the shop wall — head angle, trail, tube butting, all specified before a single miter is cut. Scroll to watch one come together, tube by tube, from print to finished machine.
FIG. 01 The rear triangle sets the ride. Chainstay length and dropout spacing are cut to the rider's cassette and tire clearance.
FIG. 02 Top tube and down tube close the main triangle — the structural core of every frame we build.
FIG. 03 Head tube angle is the single number that decides how a bike wants to turn. We cut ours at 71.5°, steady at speed without going numb at walking pace.
FIG. 04 A raked fork drops in — 45mm of offset, tuned against the head angle to hold 58mm of trail.
FIG. 05 32-spoke wheels seat into the dropouts. Round, true, and ready to carry the finished machine.
FIG. 06 Crankset, chain, and cassette complete the drivetrain — the last mechanical layer before the cockpit.
FIG. 07 Stem, bar, saddle. The rider's three contact points, set to the fit sheet from day one.
FIG. 08 Bare titanium, bead-blasted and hand-finished. 1.42kg, unpainted, ready for its first ride out of the Boulder shop.
02 / GEOMETRY
Stock geometry covers riders from 5'2" to 6'4". Every dimension below is cut to order — sizes between these four are available at no charge for the frame's first owner.
SIZE S — RIDER 5'2"–5'6"
| SPEC | S | M | L | XL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seat tube | 47cm | 51cm | 54cm | 57cm |
| Top tube (eff.) | 535mm | 555mm | 573mm | 590mm |
| Head angle | 71.0° | 71.5° | 72.0° | 72.5° |
| Seat angle | 74.0° | 73.5° | 73.0° | 72.5° |
| Reach | 378mm | 388mm | 396mm | 404mm |
| Stack | 540mm | 555mm | 570mm | 585mm |
| Chainstay | 420mm | 420mm | 422mm | 424mm |
| Wheelbase | 984mm | 998mm | 1012mm | 1026mm |
| Standover | 735mm | 755mm | 775mm | 795mm |
03 / BUILD KITS
Every kit ships built, tuned, and boxed for a single-bolt reassembly. Mix components freely — these three are simply where most riders land.
Shimano GRX 400, 1x11, 40T ring / 11-42T cassette · WTB ST i23 rims · 45mm tubeless tire clearance
Our most-ordered kit. Mechanical shifting, wide-range gearing, and clearance for the unpaved miles between here and Nederland.
SRAM Rival eTap AXS, 2x12, 46/33T · Zipp 303 S wheels · rim-brake-free, 32mm clearance
Wireless shifting and a wide double for Boulder's front-range climbs. The kit we spec on our own bikes.
Shimano Ultegra Di2, 2x12, 50/34T · DT Swiss ARC 1600 wheels · full electronic shifting
For riders who've already picked their group rides. The fastest kit we build, top to bottom.
Frame only, titanium 3Al-2.5V, bead-blast finish: $4,200. Add any kit above at checkout, or bring your own build list.
04 / ORDER PROCESS
We build eleven frames a month. Slow, on purpose — every tube gets mitered by the same two hands that weld it.
45-minute call or shop visit. We take inseam, torso, and reach measurements, and talk through riding intent — gravel loops, front-range climbs, or both.
You receive a full geometry drawing for approval, plus tubing selection. $800 deposit confirms your slot in the build queue.
Each tube is cut and mitered on our jig to the approved print, then dry-fit and checked against the drawing before any heat touches the metal.
Argon-purged, hand-welded joint by joint. The frame is checked for alignment on a granite table after every weld cools.
Bead blast, brushed, or raw — your choice. Dropouts faced, bottom bracket chased, headtube reamed to tolerance.
Your kit is built onto the frame, cables routed and bled, wheels trued and tensioned, full shakedown ride around Wonderland Lake.
Boxed by the person who built it, or ride it out of the shop yourself. Boulder pickups get a second fit check on the spot.
Fit sheet to first ride. Eleven frames a month, no rush orders — every queue slot is a real one.