Aero-vent balance, MIPS and bright shells all trending updwards
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Aero performance, MIPS and bright shells are trends for 2015(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
POC has two lines - the AVIP 'safety' line that comes in bright colors, and the new performance line with a darker aethestic(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
The Kask Infinity, like the Star Pro, can open and close its vents. Here, that is done by sliding a panel up and down(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
The Kask Protone launched atop the heads of Team Sky riders at the Tour de France, but it comes in lots of other colors besides the team-spec sky blue and black(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
The Giro Synthe is a happy medium between a well-vented helmet and a full-on aero helmet(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
The Bell Star Pro was introduced at the Tour de France. In addition to the integrated visor, the Star Pro boasts an open/close vent switch(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
To accommodate various head sizes, the Mixino retention strap has detachable side panels (in white between straps) that have pads of various sizes. The ovalish pads at the rear angle-adjust for head shape, too(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
Note how you can see from vent to vent at the top(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
Vents are all fine and good, but without channeling, you won't have a cool helmet. Here, the Mixino delivers(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
The Mixino has distinctive sculpting, but its internal performance is notable as well. Catlike uses graphene nanofibers to reduce bulk but maintain strength(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
The Catlike Mixino is a US$299 helmets with 39 vents and deep internal channeling for air flow(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
The SPEEDtime, on the other hand, is an aero-over-all-else design. It's also not cheap, at €400 (US$515 / £318)(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
The SPEEDairo's integrated lens is attached with elastic straps, allowing it to be removed and secured above while riding(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
The SPEEDairo is more vented than many aero helmets, with a light mesh to keep bugs out(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
The Zeiss lens darkens when exposed to light. This lens was exposed to dotted light from the flashlight at right for two seconds right before the photo was taken; the dots faded within about 10 seconds as the lens readapted to the indoor light conditions(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
For 2015, the Casco SPEEDairo adds a photochromic lens, which adapts to light conditions(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
The Kask Infinity with the vents closed, at left, and with the lid slid back, at right(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
Kask uses 3D Dry padding with deep channels(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
The Octal's white foam provides good visual contrast with the yellow MIPS layer, which pivots within the helmet(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
Swedish company POC continues to push into the road market. Its Octal helmet comes in a MIPS option(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
MIPS helmets allow the head to move somewhat separately from the shell in the event of a crash, which reduces brain trauma, proponents say(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
Lazer has two helmets with MIPS technology, the US$230 Helium shown here and the US$70 Beam urban lid(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
Want to keep your ears warm but can't fit a full winter hat under your helmet? Enter the Winter Cap, which replaces the helmet pads and integrates with the Lazer O2, Genesis, Helium and Nirvana helmets(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
The WASP Air at right and the original WASP(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
The Lazer WASP Air will have a device to detect when the rider moves the helmet more than two percent outside of the desired angle, which will be set by the rider or a fitter. The accelerometer, which is still in prototype form here, will give an audio and vibration alert(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
The new Lazer WASP Air has a shorter tail than the original. "The longer the event, the shorter the tail," says Lazer's Chris Smith, "Because you are more likely to move your head in a longer race."(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
The new Lazer Z1 Fast (US$300) has a smooth outer shell that can't be removed(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
The US$219 MET Stradivarius HES uses gel padding and comes in two sizes (54-58cm and 59-62cm)(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
Some companies with core competencies in other products have helmets just to round out their lines. Fluorescent colors are still in, by the way(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
The Limar Ultralight+ claims to be the world's lightest, at 175g in the CE version. The CPSC version weighs 210g(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
EcoLeather is used on the Kask straps(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
The stitched-flat strap junction was a request from pro riders, Kask says(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
For years, helmet makers talked a lot about vents. The more vents, the better the helmet, common wisdom went (although internal channeling has as much if not more effect on cooling). Then the talk switched to aero performance: fewer vents were faster, but hotter. Now many companies are trying to finesse a happy medium between cool and fast. Some, like the Giro Synthe or the Kask Protone, settle for a single shape that is fairly fast but with plenty of air flow. Other, like the Bell Star Pro, Casco SPEEDairo or Kask Infinity, have moving parts to switch between aero performance and ventilation on the fly.
BikeRadar strolled the halls of the Eurobike and Interbike tradeshows to bring you this 'best of' road helmet gallery. Note that some companies like Specialized and Trek/Bontrager did not attend either one, so you won't find their lids here.
Casco
For 2015, the Casco SPEEDairo adds a Zeiss-certified photochromic lens, which lightens or darkens automatically depending on ambient lighting conditions. This lens was exposed to dotted light from a special flashlight at right for two seconds right before the photo was taken; the dots faded within about 10 seconds as the lens readapted to the indoor light conditions. The SPEEDairo is more vented than many aero helmets, with a light mesh to keep bugs out. The SPEEDairo's integrated lens is attached with elastic straps, allowing it to be removed and secured above while riding. The SPEEDtime, on the other hand, is an aero-over-all-else design. It's also not cheap, at €400 (US$515 / £318).
The Catlike Mixino is a US$299 helmets with 39 vents and deep internal channeling for air flow. The Mixino has distinctive sculpting, but its internal performance is notable as well. Catlike uses graphene nanofibers to reduce bulk but maintain strength. To accommodate various head sizes, the Mixino retention strap has detachable side panels with pads of various sizes. Ovalish pads at the rear angle-adjust for head shape, too.
The Bell Star Pro was introduced at the Tour de France. In addition to the integrated visor, the Star Pro boasts an open/close vent switch. The Giro Synthe is a happy medium between a well-vented helmet and a full-on aero helmet.
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The Kask Protone launched atop the heads of Team Sky riders at the Tour de France, but it comes in other options besides sky blue. The Kask Infinity, like the Star Pro, can open and close its vents. Here, that is done by sliding the center panel of the external shell up and down. Kask uses 3D Dry padding with deep channels. The stitched-flat strap junction was a request from pro riders, Kask says. EcoLeather is used on some of the Kask straps.
This prototype angle measuring device will alert riders when they drop their heads more than 2 percent outside of the desired angle, which can be set by the rider or a fitter
POC
Swedish company POC continues to push into the road market. It's Octal helmet comes in a MIPS option. The Octal's white foam provides good visual contrast with the yellow MIPS layer, which pivots within the helmet. POC has two lines - the AVIP 'safety' line that comes in bright colors, and the new performance line with a darker aethestic.
The yellow MIPS layer moves separately from the helmet shell, which can reduce brain trauma, proponents say
