Solid helmets??

[Benmac]

Watching the tour coverage (and something I've noticed before but forget to investigate) some of the Sky chaps and some others are using what look to be 'solid' helmets i.e. few, if any, holes in them for ventilation.

The lids Sky are using are from Lazer I think and the filled in ones look like those with the holes just with the holes filled in a bit, not everyone on the team seems to have them. At first I thought that maybe it was some sort of mesh that looked solid from a distance but then I spotted that Rabobank and another team a using these new Giro lids which really do look like old fashioned skid lids.

http://www.giro.com/us_en/products/men/road/road/a...

So, what's the idea here? Are the vent holes we're all used to actually doing very little so it's better to have something as aerodynamic as possible?

[scottri]

The commentators on tour de france said that it saves 5 watts of power by making it more aerodynamic..

[okgo]

Sky use kask helmets and I think they are made like that no as the rules recently changed. But you can buy a clip on cover to fill the vents in. I've got one for my kask helmet.

As said, saves watts, and the faster you go the more you save, can be up towards 25-30 watts at full on sprint speed.

[mjcneat]

I seem to recall in the Giro that Cav rode with a vented helmet for the majority of the stage, then changed to the filled in one with about 30kms to go, for the reasons above.

[Jimbo.]

I kinda like the new Giros: I'll be giving them a look. To be fair, current/typical lids are hardly what you'd call "good looking"!

[Benmac]

Aha! Thanks gents.

[anonymous-user]

There's a new Giro called the air attack being sported by Garmin and Rabobank (I think) in some of the faster stages. It's a new road helmet which fits in between a big vented road and full aero TT helmet.



Millar loves this stuff.

It has a visor which attaches magnetically. If you don't want it on, you clip it upside down or put it in your back pocket. I expect it to become popular amongst triathletes and possibly roadies. People have polarising views on it aesthetically but i'm not sure traditional road helmets look any better really.





http://www.giro.com/eu_en/airattack/

The vents work in conjunction with drawing air up inside the front of the helmet, I'm not sure how the air is supposed to be drawn up between the helmet and your head with the visor in place though?

Edited by el stovey on Wednesday 4th July 08:53

[scubadude]

el stovey said:

There's a new Giro called the air attack being sported by Garmin and Rabobank (I think) in some of the faster stages. It's a new road helmet which fits in between a big vented road and full aero TT helmet.

I believe the Air Attack sits off your head, the retention system lifts it a few mm and the air is drawn across your head rather than blasted at bits of your head like a "normal" road helmet, IMO it looks considerable better.

The SKY teams Full helmets look rather odd at first because its clearly the same mould as the vented helmets just with the holes filled in, would have thought it was more aero to have a "pudding bowl" style like the Air Attack?

[rhinochopig]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXg3ce44Xnw&fea...

Some discussion on the topic and position in general.