AERO BIKE HELMETS
A smartly chosen aero helmet is a surefire way to boost your bike speed. But which cutting-edge design can cope best with the demands of tri? We test eight helmets built for speed…
ABUS GAMECHANGER TRI
£399.99 The Gamechanger Tri lives up to its boastful title – here is a lid that looks like few others, with a vast ventilation channel on the top adding a Star Wars vibe. The design wraps itself around the face in a streamlined manner to produce an exhilarating ride feel, with the straps also sitting flush to minimise drag. The magnetic visor is easy to install and remove, but lacks the function to magnetically stow upside down like the Endura and Oakley. Clarity is excellent, as is fog prevention, although the shell extending over the ears does add weight (362g with visor, 324g without). Those with round heads can struggle with Abus’ standard Gamechanger, but this version feels wider and comfier, even if taking it off swiftly in T2 is slow and a little painful. extrauk.co.uk
83%
VERDICT: PRICEY, YET SWIFT AND RELATIVELY VENTED FOR SUCH AN AERO LID
KASK WASABI WG11
£269 The USP of the Wasabi is its billing as a year-round helmet, with an easily adjustable vent allowing riders to block or open the forwardfacing channels, while a dense Merino wool lining adds warmth and wicking properties. This ticks the winter boxes but, for summer, there are better ventilated options out there (and, admittedly, a £15 Merino skull cap is a far cheaper alternative in winter), even if the closed vents enhance the aero profile. Elsewhere, it’s classic Kask, with a luxurious leather chinstrap, the outer shell slickly covering any exposed EPS foam, and a hugely effective retention system. MIPS is eschewed in favour of Kask’s WG11 system, weight is an acceptable 272g, but that price tag and winter focus just make this too niche. kask.com
72%
VERDICT: NEAT VENTILATION CONCEPT, BUT THERE ARE BETTER TRI-SEASON PICKS
RUDY PROJECT NYTRON
£199 Swiss Side are one of the most celebrated aero experts in cycling, and the Nytron here is a collaboration with their no-stone-unturned tech team and Rudy Project, themselves no lightweight in the aero arena. The wind-tunnel development is evident in the aero tail and 15 stealthy exhaust ports, the latter making this one of the most vented and versatile lids here for a variety of tri situations. It’s one of the cheapest, but is still expensive, which makes the cheap plastic casing on the ratchet system an unwelcome surprise that’s already showing signs of wear. The padding, straps and retention system are all unflashy but functional. MIPS is missing, but there’s Rudy Project’s WG11 rotational impact system. Weight is a decent 268g. rudyproject.com
84%
VERDICT: SLICK, STEALTHY, VENTED AND VERSATILE; SHAME ABOUT THE REAR
OAKLEY ARO7
£425 Jan Frodeno wears this helmet for Ironman racing, but notably he often opts for a custom tail extension over the stubby aero version seen here. Which poses questions of its aero prowess, especially as we’ve yet to see any wind-tunnel data to justify the AR07’s price tag – it was reportedly purely designed using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). The supplied clear and tinted Prizm visors offer plenty of clarity in an array of riding conditions, but we did struggle to adjust to its upside-down position when on the move. The magnetic chinstrap is much better, especially with cold post-swim fingers, while the Boa retention system is slick at finding an ideal fit. Our major negative, however, is how this is clearly the least vented helmet on test. oakley.com
70%
VERDICT: SLICK VISOR SYSTEM BUT IT STRUGGLES TO JUSTIFY THE PRICE
HEXR FIRST EDITION
£299 Hexr is an anomaly here, being a custom lid that eschews EPS foam for the renewable Polyamide 11 and looks more at home commuting. And yet Hexr highlights the aero benefits of the 326g helmet due to that customisable shape, which is produced from a complete scan of your head and should ensure a smaller frontal profile (the honeycomb structure is also said to increase safety by a claimed 68%). We’ve been using this helmet since 2019, including in Hawaii, where the removable outer shell proved a masterstroke in the unforgiving heat. But it’s not all good. The straps are too long, the internal padding is too slender to be comfortable and the included-but-not-mandatory ratchet system feels like an awkward afterthought. hexr.com
78%
VERDICT: UNIQUE CUSTOM HELMET BUT WE’RE WAITING FOR THE AERO VERSION
GIRO ECLIPSE SPHERICAL
£239.99 Giro launched the aero road helmet movement in 2012 with the Air Attack, so any launch from the brand demands attention. So it is with the new Eclipse Spherical. The Roc Loc 5 Air system’s internal fitting mechanism and slick retention dial swiftly secures an optimum fit, while the plush yet lean Ionic+ padding sits in the perfect place on the forehead for comfort and sweat mopping. The Eclipse boasts 17 ventilation channels and breathability felt good. The Spherical tech may be the most effective integration of MIPS we’ve seen and the outer shell is smoothly integrated into the EPS core to complete a classy look. The 277g weight’s decent enough, but that’s all that’s mid-table about this low-profile, tech-laden helmet. giro.com
91%
VERDICT: A NEW ENTRY INTO THE PREMIER LEAGUE OF AERO HELMETS
ENDURA D2Z AEROSWITCH
£389.99 The rise of aero road helmets has seen TT helmets nudged to the tri margins since 2012. Endura counteract this by providing the 2-in-1 Aeroswitch, which has a removable tail section so it can be used as both a TT and aero road helmet. A full-scale R&D process with acclaimed aerodynamicist Simon Smart suggests the drag testing has been exhaustive. Adding and removing the tail is simple, while the included visor is securely attached with magnets and provides excellent visibility. It can also be stored upside down like the Oakley. The helmet’s core is Koroyd, a mesh-like material that’s said to offer improved impact protection over EPS foam and seems to help ventilation. Yes, it comes at a price, but you’re getting two helmets in one. endurasport.com
87%
VERDICT: A VERSATILE LID THAT’S WORTH THE OUTLAY FOR SERIOUS ATHLETES
LIMAR AIR SPEED
£179.99 Limar has made a concerted effort to move into the tri market in recent times, attracting British pros into the fold as the federation’s helmet sponsor and adding a magnetic buckle on the chinstrap for added transition appeal for cold, post-swim fingers. Limar’s own positive tunnel testing has only extended to athletes riding on the hoods, and our own tri-bar tunnel analysis confirms that this is one swift lid, regularly coming second behind the S-Works Evade and Giro Vanquish in 220’s exclusive tests. The retention system is secure, while venting from the 12 channels on hilly, sticky days is acceptable. Weight, meanwhile, is an impressive 259g, but a MIPS protection system is lacking. limar.com
90%
VERDICT: PLENTY OF TRI APPEAL AND SUCCESS IN THE TUNNEL, TOO
OVERALL VERDICT
If you’re looking for pure iron-distance speed, the Abus, Oakley and Endura (in its full aero version) are the tri/TT contenders. The Oakley disappointed in the (lack of) ventilation and was outgunned by the Abus, which still felt a furiously fast helmet on the move. Using it was a thrill.
The unique Endura offers both a TT-style lid and an aero road helmet. We’d pick the Abus and Giro for the former and latter, respectively, but as a two-in-one option it ticks both boxes efficiently. The Hexr and Kask are the two outliers, and neither would be our pick for summer tri racing.
Meanwhile, the Limar has excelled in 220’s own aero testing and we can vouch for its race-day performance, while the Rudy is a solid and versatile pick for multiple tri days. It’s the new Giro, however, that ticks every box for tri-race days. It feels fast, the safety system’s confidence-boosting and the ventilation is seriously impressive.