At Polygon, we design road bikes with a clear understanding that every rider has different goals. Within our road lineup, Strattos and Helios represent two distinct approaches to road cycling, each built to serve a specific riding style.

Strattos is our all-around road bike, designed for riders who value comfort, versatility, and long-term riding enjoyment. Helios, on the other hand, is our performance-focused race platform, engineered for speed, efficiency, and competitive riding.

In this article, we break down how each road bike is designed, how they perform on the road, and which one aligns best with your riding needs, so you can choose with confidence.

Strattos: Our All-Round Road Bike for Everyday Riding

We designed the Strattos road bike to be adaptable, comfortable, and easy to enjoy over long distances. Rather than focusing purely on race-level stiffness, Strattos is built to deliver a balanced ride feel that suits daily training, endurance rides, and varied road conditions.

The geometry and frame tuning prioritize stability and comfort, helping riders stay fresh during longer rides while still maintaining efficient power transfer. This makes Strattos an ideal choice for riders who want one road bike that feels reliable across different riding scenarios.

Strattos is well-suited for:

• Endurance and fitness riding
• Long-distance road rides
• Daily training on mixed road surfaces
• Riders looking for a comfortable and approachable road bicycle

Helios: Our Performance-Focused Road Race Platform

The Helios road bike is where we push performance further. Designed as our race-oriented platform, Helios focuses on aerodynamics, stiffness, and responsiveness to meet the demands of high-speed riding.

Using advanced carbon construction and race-driven geometry, Helios delivers efficient power transfer and a more aggressive riding position. This allows riders to maintain speed, accelerate quickly, and stay efficient during intense efforts, whether in races or fast group rides.

Helios is designed for:

• Performance-driven road cyclists
• Competitive riding and racing
• Riders seeking speed, efficiency, and precise handling

Frame Design & Geometry: Strattos vs Helios

Strattos Road Bike

The Strattos platform is designed as an all-round road bike that supports a wide range of riding styles. We offer Strattos in two frame constructions to suit different rider needs:

• ALX alloy frame for the Strattos S series
• ACX carbon frame for the Strattos ACX series

Both versions are paired with a carbon fork, helping reduce road vibration and improve comfort, especially on longer rides.

Instead of using extreme aerodynamic tube shaping, Strattos focuses on balanced performance. The frame design prioritizes comfort, durability, and versatility, making it suitable for daily riding, weekend training, and longer-distance routes.

The geometry reflects this all-round character:

• A more upright riding position
• A stable wheelbase
• Relaxed head tube angles

Together, these elements create a road bicycle that feels approachable and comfortable over long hours, while still delivering the efficiency expected from a proper road bike. Strattos is designed to feel natural from the first ride, without requiring an aggressive racing posture.

Helios Road Bike 

Helios is where we apply our most race-focused road bike design. Built using ACX Performance carbon, the Helios frame features Polygon’s distinctive waterdrop-shaped aero tube profiles. These tube shapes are designed to guide airflow more efficiently than traditional round tubes, helping reduce drag and maintain speed.

Combined with its lightweight carbon construction, Helios delivers:

• Strong power transfer during accelerations
• High stiffness for sprinting and climbing
• Stability when riding at high speed

The geometry follows a true race layout:

• A lower front end that encourages an aerodynamic position
• A longer reach for an efficient, stretched posture
• Sharper steering angles for fast, precise handling

This creates a road bike that feels direct and responsive, ideal for riders who prioritize speed, structured training, and competitive riding.

Cockpit & Handlebar Setup: Comfort vs Aero Focus

Strattos Road Bike

Across the Strattos lineup, we use a traditional two-piece cockpit with an alloy handlebar and a separate alloy stem. This setup emphasizes adjustability, comfort, and everyday usability rather than extreme aerodynamics. Handlebar widths are practical and rider-friendly:

• 400 mm on smaller sizes
• 420 mm on medium to larger sizes

This cockpit setup supports Strattos’ role as an all-around road bike, comfortable for endurance rides, daily training, and mixed road conditions.

Helios Road Bike

On the Helios A series, we equip the bike with a semi-integrated carbon cockpit from our LINC component line. This design reduces exposed hardware while increasing front-end stiffness and improving airflow around the cockpit area. Handlebar widths follow a size-specific approach:

• 400 mm for smaller frames
• 420 mm for medium sizes
• 440 mm for larger frames

This setup matches Helios’ race-focused philosophy, optimized for speed without compromising control at high velocity.

Drivetrain: Versatility or Race Efficiency

Strattos Road Bike

Strattos offers a wider range of drivetrain options, depending on the series:

• Strattos ACX (Carbon): commonly equipped with Shimano 105, including mechanical or Di2 options
• Strattos S-ALX (Alloy): typically paired with Shimano Tiagra, SORA, or Claris

This lineup focuses on smooth, reliable shifting and easy ownership. The drivetrains are tuned for endurance riding, daily training, and longer routes, prioritizing practicality and comfort over an aggressive race feel.

Helios Road Bike

Helios models are built for performance, so drivetrain options lean toward higher-tier road groupsets. Depending on the model, Helios typically features:

• Shimano Ultegra Di2
• Shimano 105 Di2 on recent generations

Electronic shifting provides fast, consistent gear changes even under high load, making it ideal for racing, sprinting, and sustained high-speed efforts. Paired with the stiff ACX frame, the drivetrain feels immediate and efficient, helping riders maintain momentum with minimal energy loss.

Braking System: Everyday Choice vs Race Standard

Strattos Road Bike

Depending on the model, Strattos offers:

• Hydraulic disc brakes on ACX and higher S-series variants
• Rim brakes on selected S-series models

Rim brake options appeal to riders who prefer lighter weight, simpler maintenance, and a more accessible price point. Disc brake versions add confidence for long rides, varied road conditions, and wet-weather riding.

Helios Road Bike

Every Helios model comes equipped with full hydraulic disc brakes. This is the standard for modern race bikes, offering:

• Strong and consistent stopping power
• Better control on fast descents
• Reliable braking performance in all conditions

For a platform built around speed and competition, disc brakes ensure confidence and precision when riding at high velocity.

Read also: Escape & Velo Tested Helios A Road Bike

Can I Still Race with Strattos?

Yes, you can absolutely race with Strattos.

As an all-round road bike, Strattos is designed to be efficient, responsive, and capable of handling competitive riding. The ACX carbon versions, in particular, offer solid power transfer, stable handling, and a geometry that still allows riders to adopt a low, fast position when needed. For criteriums, local races, group rides, or rolling courses, Strattos performs confidently and never feels out of place.

That said, Helios is the more ideal choice for pure race scenarios.

When courses demand sustained high speeds, aggressive aero positioning, and maximum efficiency, Helios’ aerodynamic frame shaping, race geometry, and integrated cockpit deliver clear advantages. Every design decision on Helios is aimed at reducing drag and maximizing speed when every second matters.

How to Decide: Strattos or Helios?

At Polygon, we design Strattos and Helios with very different riding intentions in mind. Once those intentions are clear, choosing the right road bike becomes straightforward.

Choose Strattos if you’re looking for a road bike that fits naturally into everyday riding. Built as an all-round platform, Strattos balances comfort, efficiency, and versatility in one dependable package.

It’s the road bike we recommend for daily rides, long weekend distances, fitness training, and riders who enjoy exploring different road conditions without feeling locked into a race-only setup. Its endurance-oriented geometry keeps the ride stable and relaxed, making long hours in the saddle feel more enjoyable and manageable.

Choose Helios when performance is the priority. Designed as our high-performance road racing platform, Helios is built to go fast and stay fast. With aerodynamic waterdrop tube shaping, a race-focused geometry, and a performance-driven cockpit, Helios is made for aggressive riding, chasing personal bests, fast group rides, and competitive racing.

It delivers sharper handling, quicker acceleration, and the efficiency serious riders need when speed truly matters.

Both are true Polygon road bikes, engineered for different goals, so riders can choose the one that best matches how and where they ride.

Read also: Road Bike Guidelines 101