Not legal, but interesting aero helmet hold down..

[JackLawrenceXXX]

I am sure it would not be UCI legal, but about 15 years ago I was thinking about having an aero helmet's back end attached to your heart rate monitor strap with some elastic.... thru the jersey... for like Hour Record attempts... to save the energy used un holding your head up...

I was thinking about this when seeing riders put their head down in regular TT's and realised that aero helmets make HUGE drag when the head goes down and the end comes way up in the air.....

A wet sponge, like Hinault used in the Tour de France back in the early 80's between the jersey and helmet interface could smoothe out the profile as well.... just a thought...

[Tapeworm]

...I was thinking about this when seeing riders put their head down in regular TT's and realised that aero helmets make HUGE drag when the head goes down and the end comes way up in the air.....

Actually IIRC it doesn't cause as much drag as people think and still more aero than a standard helmet. If I can find a link I'll post it.

But I like the idea. A girdle to keep my shoulders narrow and back flat (as much as it can be) would be great as well.

[lancejohnson]

Some riders - like D. Millar - are actually faster with their head down even in the TT helmet. Something like a CASCO track helmet would probably be better still...

With regard to the original post, yes, the UCI would disallow it in a heartbeat. They have banned plenty of things that would not have presented such an impediment to a rider being able to safely get around a course.

I was working on something for the Tour this year that if we could have disguised it well enough would have been a huge improvement for TT helmets in the situations like you mention, but passed on working with the program again... Oh, well someone else will have to come up with it now...

[JackLawrenceXXX]

Could you imagine how aero is would be to have the skinsuit come up over the helmet as well....

[dkwperth]

...or an articulated aero extension so it stayed in the right place whether you were looking down or ahead?!

[zebragonzo]

Magnet in tail of helmet, magnet on HR monitor strap. Sorted.

[xav]

Depends if having it flat on your back the whole time is always more aero I suppose.



Certainly I don't find it difficult to keep the tail on your back

Xav

[zebragonzo]

In that case Millar appears to be completely blocking the direct path of air going into the high drag stomach area.

I guess the same effect could be achieved by mounting water bottles on a custom built mount on the upper arms.

[marko]

I think I remember that the Garneu helmet was more aero head down.