David Millar (Garmin-Sharp) wore these custom fi'zi:k shoes at Paris-Roubaix(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Lotto-Belisol uses Lazer's new Z1 helmet with the Aeroshell cover(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Cannondale riders get these slick Sidi Wire shoes in coordinating neon green(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Garmin-Sharp recently moved to POC for helmets and sunglasses. Regardless of whether you like the look, they're hard to miss - which, of course, sponsors love. POC should also be respected for its efforts to improve the safety of road helmets, too(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
More customized Specialized S-Works Evade helmets(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Two-toned Specialized S-Works shoes for this Astana rider(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Some Tinkoff-Saxo riders went with the aero Specialized S-Works Evade helmet (right) at Paris-Roubaix while others opted for the more generously ventilated Prevail model (left)(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Sky has several Kask helmets at its disposal, including the slick Infinity (left) with its sliding vent cover and a fully covered version of the Mojito (right)(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Bradley Wiggins (Sky) is another rider that has decided to go with Giro's lace-up Empire shoes(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
We love Paris-Roubaix, too!(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Meanwhile, Sidi provides Lampre-Merida with these extra-perforated Wire shoes in pink and green(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Lampre-Merida wears helmets from Japanese company Kabuto(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Gaerne's G.Chrono Plus road shoes(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
DMT's new Vega road shoes(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
The big strap on Lake's CX401 shoes doesn't actually do much in terms of function but it sure provides great logo placement when it comes time for the finish line photos(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Alpina helmets for the FDJ.fr team(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
The lower shell on Giant-Shimano's UVEX Race 5 helmet should make for good durability when they're stuffed inside race bags(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Unbelievably bright Giro Empire shoes for this Cofidis rider(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
More throwback Oakley shades(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Cofidis keeps things in the French family, including this Mavic helmet(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Rudy Project helmets and glasses for the Cannondale team(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Giro Factor shoes for this NetApp-Endura rider(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Fiber composite bridges adorn the Endura Airshell helmets of the NetApp-Endura team(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Baby blue and white Sidi Wires for this Omega Pharma-QuickStep rider(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
The profile of the Specialized S-Works Evade is certainly unusual but if riders think they can gain time by using it, few will say no(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) flashes a smile while wearing a Specialized S-Works Evade aero road helmet(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
UVEX provides the the Giant-Shimano team with fully covered versions of its Race 5 helmet(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Belkin riders have been using a new aero road helmet from Bell(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Orica-GreenEdge's Scott Vanish Aero (left) and IAM Cycling's Giro Air Attack (right) before the start of Ronde van Vlaanderen(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Bontrager says that the covered exterior on Trek Factory Racing's new Velocis AW helmets isn't for aerodynamics - it's to provide more protection in cold and/or wet conditions(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Ekoi provides the Ag2r-La Mondiale team with fully covered helmets for use in inclement weather (or, presumably, a bit of an aero edge)(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Garmin-Sharp's new POC Octal road helmet, as worn by Johan Vansummeren(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
This Omega Pharma-QuickStep rider went with DMT's Pista track shoes(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) has just a bit of the uppers cut away from his left Specialized S-Works road shoe(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Light blue previous-generation Specialized S-Works shoes for this Bretagne-Séché Environnement rider(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
These Scott shoes are hard to miss(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
This Spiuk helmet has a removable cover similar to Lazer's Aeroshell setup(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Bont's latest Vaypor + shoes for this Garmin-Sharp rider(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Fully covered Spiuk helmets for the Bretagne-Séché Environnement team(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Movistar rider Alex Dowsett gets a pair of Bont Zeros in lime green to match his team colors(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Taylor Phinney's (BMC) shoe of choice is the Giro Empire(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Norwegian colors for Thor Hushovd's (BMC) Giro Aeon helmet, plus a pair of throwback Oakley Razor Blades(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Customized Shimano SH-R320 shoes for German sprinter Marcel Kittel (Giant-Shimano)(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Aero road helmets have virtually become standard fare in the pro peloton - and not just when the weather's chillly(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
We've given you a good look at the bikes ridden this year at Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix but what about the rest of the riders' gear? Here's a peek of some of the shoes and helmets used during the Belgian cobbled classics.
Two trends stood out for us this April: for one, riders love customized footwear. Whether it's a company providing special colors for an entire team or a particularly high-profile rider getting their own individual colors, the split between stock and bespoke versions was roughly 50-50. Standouts include Marcel Kittel's (Giant-Shimano) Shimano SH-R320 shoes with the colors of the German flag and his name on the strap, David Millar's (Garmin-Sharp) wild Roubaix-inspired fi'z:k shoes, lots of Sidis in team livery, and day-glo footwear from Giro, Bont, and others.
Secondly, aero is king – at least when it comes to helmets, where fully covered models and/or drag-reducing models seemed to roughly match the number conventional options. One might argue that the wet and chilly conditions at Tour of Flanders would explain the prevalence of fully covered models there, as riders certainly would have been seeking any extra warmth (and dryness) available but we noticed similar distributions at Paris-Roubaix, too, where the conditions were comparatively balmy.
Teams reported to us that there's a simple reason why such helmets are taking over in the pro peloton: verifiable speed. Moreover, many riders feel that there is adequate airflow on aero models in all but the hottest conditions, especially at typical race pace.
Click through the image gallery at top right for a look at what many of your favorite teams and riders used this year.
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