Ride Concepts Hellion - Women's Review

The Ride Concepts Hellion is a very light shoe and is made to “excel in wet and gnarly” conditions. Protective features such as a two-panel, anti-peel synthetic upper and gusseted tongue that resist dirt and moisture make it a good choice for riding in less-than-ideal conditions. The DST6.0 outsole has a great grip, inspiring confidence but makes foot adjustments on the pedals more difficult. Above the DST6.0 outsole is a midsole and footbed, which features D30 impact zones that work well to dissipate vibrations from the trail and reduce foot fatigue. The fit of the Hellion is a bit less bulky and has a lower volume than traditional mountain bike shoes, which we feel helps with power transfer to the pedals.

Performance Comparison

Grip

The Ride Concepts Hellion features Rubber Kinetics DST 6.0 High Grip Rubber outsole. It is fairly grippy and features a hexagon pattern, providing ample space for pedal pins to embed themselves in the rubber.

We found that your shoe can get stuck once you plant your foot on the pedal. This is confidence-inspiring on steep climbs, jumps, and drops. However, it is harder to adjust your foot position on the pedal without lifting your foot. Our testers prefer not to do this and favor a compound that better allows for micro-adjustments. We also noticed that the Hellion did not grip broken or worn pins well.

Comfort and Protection

We discovered the sizing of the Hellions differs from other brands. We noted that an EU 40 translates to a US 9 instead of a US 8.5. Because the shoe is low volume, some people prefer to size up; we recommend trying them on for size when possible.

The Hellion has a break-in period, and early on, we had some issues with the shoe rubbing the widest part of our right foot, but after wearing the shoes four times or so, they stretched out, and the rubbing went away.

The Hellion does not have a lot of volume or width, meaning it wraps your foot more than older and bulkier mountain bike shoes. This decreased volume and width makes the shoe feel like more of an extension of the foot and aids in power transfer. At the ankle, there is additional padding that helps to secure the ankle in place as well as protect it. During hike-a-bikes, we did not experience heel lift while wearing the Hellions.

The uppers of the Hellion are a two-panel, anti-peel synthetic material and have a gusseted tongue that is stiff and resists impacts from trail debris while helping repel dirt and moisture. Rounding out the Hellion's protection is an insole with D30 impact protection at the heel and forefoot. The D30 helps mitigate trail impacts reasonably well, but other contenders performed slightly better in this area.

Rigidity and Power Transfer

The Hellion is one of the stiffest shoes we tested and has excellent power transfer. An ultra-stiff midsole and outsole paired with a low-volume fit provide good power transfer and pedaling efficiency. However, the Hellion weighs a bit more than other shoes we tested (of similar stiffness), and we notice the extra weight makes the Hellion's harder to spin the cranks with, especially on fast cross-country laps.

It is difficult to feel the pedal underfoot with such a stiff and rigid sole, which can be positive or negative, depending on your preference. In a side-by-side comparison, we found Hellion to have the best power transfer of the shoes we tested, earning it high marks.

Breathability

A common thread we found throughout our testing is that the more protection a shoe has, the less breathable it is. This holds for the Hellion and similarly constructed shoes we tested. The two-panel, anti-peel upper has a lot of perforations and decent airflow but is less than ideal in hot and humid conditions. The perforations at the shoe's mid-foot help with ventilation, but overall, we want to see more breathability. On 90-degree days our feet were sweating while riding, even with lightweight wicking socks.

Durability

After a few months of testing, the Ride Concepts Hellion still looks new. The uppers and outsole are free from scratches, knicks, or cuts. As advertised, they are built with durability in mind. However, we will say we are not particularly “hard” on our gear, tend not to crash, and only wear our shoes while riding, not to and from the trailhead or out for post-ride beverages.

Unlike most round laces, the laces on the Hellion stay laced, something we appreciate. However, they are a tad long, extend to the toe box even when secured by the lace retainer, and could be shorter.

The anti-abrasion texture on the toe and heel does a good job at resisting scratches, as does the shoes' two-panel synthetic upper. The tongue of the Hellion is gusseted, helping prevent debris from entering the shoe. Overall, the Hellion is designed with durability and should last the rider a few seasons.

Weight

The Hellion comes in at 736 grams per pair for an EU 40 or US 9 women's. While not the heaviest shoe we reviewed, you can feel the extra weight on the bike.

Value

The Hellion performs very well compared to other shoes available at its price point and should be on the shortlist for those wanting a stiffer-soled flat pedal shoe.

Conclusion

The Hellion is easily one of the best-performing and most comfortable shoes we reviewed. It offers excellent power transfer, comfort, and durability, making for great trail performance.