Follow our Band of Hellions as they unleash from urban monotony.
PRESS RELEASE: Ride ConceptsSerious grip. Serious fun.
Mountain biking doesn’t have to be so damn serious. Oftentimes, we just need a release from the daily routine whether it’s a job, school, home or worse — a pandemic. That’s where we find the bike, seek out a worthy local trail, and if we’re lucky a couple of good buddies to chase and indulge with us in our mental mischief.
While the riding itself doesn’t need to be so serious, that doesn’t mean the gear we use shouldn’t be. Plus, flats are just more fun.
Introducing
Hellion Elite, the first performance low-top in the Ride Concepts line to feature the proprietary soft and grippy Rubber Kinetics | DST 4.0 MAX GRIP rubber compound. Whether you’re a beginner or everyday rider, when the day calls for giving it everything you’ve got, Hellion Elite steadfastly awaits battle.
Hellion Elite Technology An in-depth look at the key features that make up the Hellion Elite.
The seriously fun but technical Hellion Elite checks all the boxes in terms of fit, grip and protection.
Fit and FormRecognizing that the anatomical foot shapes of men and women are vastly different, Hellion Elite uses gender-specific lasting (the three-dimensional mold of a foot) to deliver a precise fit and flex for both men and women. The shape of the last determines the shape of the shoe including factors such as the toe shape, heel width and height, and forefoot width.
Rubber and OutsoleYou asked. We answered. The Rubber Kinetics | DST 4.0 MAX GRIP rubber compound with hexagon outsole delivers increased pedal feel and grip, making Hellion Elite the go-to for the utmost connection to the pedal regardless of conditions.
Comfort and Protection The Hellion Elite features a new two-panel microfiber synthetic upper that is lightweight, abrasion resistant and doesn’t soak up water. On the inside, a new antibacterial mesh lining helps to decrease that everyday odor.
The EVA midsole provides additional comfort and shock absorption on the pedal. An abrasion resistant toe cap with TPU toe protection wards off enemy fire. Finer details such as a gusset to keep the tongue in place and the nasty dirt out while an elastic lace tuck secures your laces.
Finally, the High Impact Zone Technology insole uses D3O’s impact absorbing material under the ball of the foot and heel to soak up the trail chatter, transferring less energy to your feet.
Hellion Elite is available now in men’s US sizes 7-13 (with 14 and 15 available in black/charcoal) and UK 6-12 (with 13 and 14 available in black/charcoal) and women’s US sizes 5-10 (UK 4-9).
Hellion Elite Pricing $140 MSRP US | $210 MSRP CAD
€150 SRP Europe | £130 RRP UK
Ride Concepts is a rider-owned bike footwear company based in Reno, NV. For more information, visit
www.rideconcepts.com.
Photos by Trevor Lyden
Good know the durability is there though, because that was my biggest question with the hellcats.
So it’s plural but not possessive (the ‘ago’ doesn’t belong to the days) and there’s no letter replacement. Are you just jamming apostrophes in whenever you add an ‘s’ at the end?
[I don’t even care about this that much. It was just a stupid name to use on here to occasionally be a dick about misuse]
WE WANT REPLACEABLE SOLES ON FLAT SHOES!
It feels so wasteful to get rid of perfectly good shoes cause the soles are chewed up by the pins and have lost their grip. The old FiveTens impacts had that feature but it disappeared once they were bought out by Adidas...
break in time: took about 3 rides and they were very uncomfortable the first 3 rides the tongue was very stiff
Grip: 10/10 never slip pedals and sometimes stick to the pins
Durability: 9/10 these shoes are so bulletproof the only thing that isnt very tough are the laces but those can be replaced
Style: 8/10 only reason is they dont have a ton of colorways
Company:10/10 i love the company especially cause they started locally in truckee, much better customer service than fivetens
comfort: 9/10 very comfortable shoes but they are a little heavy
- are they water resistant?
- is there a high boot version?
We need answers to real questions
If you have an open mind and are willing to get proper time on them and let your body adapt to the change before calling it quits, I think 90% of people would be happy with them.
I have some Suplest flat pro and they are great! and also just got some Crank brothers Stamp boa, and am hoping they are going to be a good shoe also.
For comparisons sake, ive used free riders, free rider pro's, contacts, RC Hellion/Livewires, (the hellion were pretty good, better grip than the Livewire but the sole delaminated with in a month of use) NW clan, OWN and probably others that were shitty and I can't remember.