Aero Helmet

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TobinHatesYou
Posts: 12457
Joined: Mon Jul 24, 2017 12:02 pm

by TobinHatesYou

My teammates have complained that the XXX is an oven at low speeds on hot days. One person returned theirs, but the others are still using them. I never bothered testing the helmet because it doesn’t fit my head as well as a Giro/Bell.

Trek-Segafredo riders seem to still mostly use the Velocis and Ballista.

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hlvd
Posts: 438
Joined: Sat Mar 05, 2016 4:54 pm

by hlvd

TobinHatesYou wrote:My teammates have complained that the XXX is an oven at low speeds on hot days. One person returned theirs, but the others are still using them. I never bothered testing the helmet because it doesn’t fit my head as well as a Giro/Bell.

Trek-Segafredo riders seem to still mostly use the Velocis and Ballista.
Interesting, thanks, I'm tempted by the Ballista as the XXX is very expensive compared.

sandbox
Posts: 23
Joined: Tue Dec 11, 2018 9:30 pm

by sandbox

After my ride this morning, Im ready to go back to the Evade for an aero helmet that cools (somewhat). Ballista was crazy hot this morning and didnt seem to dissipate heat. Then again, its Florida in August...

Stueys
Posts: 673
Joined: Sat Nov 22, 2014 1:12 pm

by Stueys

AJS914 wrote:
Sun Aug 11, 2019 9:00 pm
I wouldn't pay the money for the XXX. Trek made a big deal about wavecell but tests show that MIPs is just as good.
This. One test has mips testing better. Not seen anything that compares the POC take on mips to mips yet

hlvd
Posts: 438
Joined: Sat Mar 05, 2016 4:54 pm

by hlvd

sandbox wrote:After my ride this morning, Im ready to go back to the Evade for an aero helmet that cools (somewhat). Ballista was crazy hot this morning and didnt seem to dissipate heat. Then again, its Florida in August...
I'm in the UK, not so hot.

Seems to be a lot of people on this forum with a Ballista, aside from the heat issue how do you find it, and how is it compared to the Evade?

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pdlpsher1
Posts: 4016
Joined: Thu Jul 19, 2012 6:09 pm
Location: CO

by pdlpsher1

I don’t find the Ballista being hot on climbs. My only complaint is the lack of bug nets. I had to modify my Ballista to add nets to keep bugs out.


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rlanger
Posts: 382
Joined: Sun Oct 02, 2016 11:53 am

by rlanger

Not sure if you have access to it where you are, but the Kabuto Aero R1 is an incredible helmet.

Extremely light and comfortable (although of course YMMV). I think it looks really cool and comes in a number of cool colour combos.

And as a bonus it also comes included with a magnetic clip on visor.

mr2scott
Posts: 39
Joined: Wed Sep 19, 2018 12:39 pm

by mr2scott

The XXX helmet is so heavy, my neck hurt after a 3 hour ride on a bike with 10cm of drop, it's approx 100g heavier than my synthe or overtake. I used it twice then got rid of it. I only used it when it was 40-50F, but I was dripping sweat up a climb. I can't imagine it on a 90+ day.

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tommasini
Posts: 1460
Joined: Sun Nov 02, 2003 6:48 am
Location: Central USA
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by tommasini

I'm guessing we are on the topic of road aero helmet?????

If so, when i bought my first LG Course aero road helmet about 3-4 years ago it was immediately noticeable how much better ventilated it was than my prior standard / lightweight / non-aero road helmet......and at the time that LG Course was getting rave reviews......and also got more from those in the industry (such as Mark Cote of Specialized who gave it praise) who had seen how it stacked up in a number of independent wind tunnel tests.....coming out at/near the top of the heap.

More recently, the Specialized Evade 2 came out with much "rave reviews" from online magazine reviewers......so looking for incremental gains I took the leap and bought one. What a bunch of crap.....those online magazine reviews said it had great ventilation......NO NO - this sucker was much less ventilated than the LG Course. So after just a few early summer rides I was done with this piece of over hyped gear.

Then my attention focused on the KASK Protone.....I was skeptical as no one has provided any form of actual aero test results.....and also what stuck with me is 2 things, (1) it's crazy loud which i assocate with wind turbulance, and (2) while I could feel a good bit of air at the front I felt absoutley nothing going over the top of my head....versus the pipeline of air I could feel flowing front to back over the top of my head with the LG Course. Looking inside the Protone there is only a small amount (e.g. not enough) of front to back channeling of the styrofoam inner shape......

Long story short is I sold the evade 2 after 3 hot rides, I sold the protone after 2 noisy and warm rides, and I bought 2 more LG Course helmets - one for now and another for when that one needs to be retired. Great aero road helment that actually has airflow front to back, is quiet,,,,,,,,,and according to various actual wind tunnel tests has decent aero properties :-)

hlvd
Posts: 438
Joined: Sat Mar 05, 2016 4:54 pm

by hlvd

I've had a look at the LG helmet but nothing, don't really see much LG stuff in the UK.


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madik
Posts: 308
Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2017 12:44 pm

by madik

Life's Good LG ? :))
Functionality > Performance > Weight

sandbox
Posts: 23
Joined: Tue Dec 11, 2018 9:30 pm

by sandbox

hlvd wrote:
Sun Aug 11, 2019 9:44 pm
sandbox wrote:After my ride this morning, Im ready to go back to the Evade for an aero helmet that cools (somewhat). Ballista was crazy hot this morning and didnt seem to dissipate heat. Then again, its Florida in August...
I'm in the UK, not so hot.

Seems to be a lot of people on this forum with a Ballista, aside from the heat issue how do you find it, and how is it compared to the Evade?
The shop team I ride for is Trek/Bontrager dealers, so we get really good deals on the stuff. The Ballista is fine, I think. If I was spending MSRP Id probably go Evade 2, just because I had such a good experience with the 1st one I had. I had a Evade 1 and after almost 2-years, put it to the trash can. I loved that helmet. Living here, with the heat, sun and sweat, I try not to keep helmets for more than a year. I had a Velocis, and it was good. Wanted to try the more aero Ballista. Yesterday was the 1st day I thought it was too much. Then again, its 93 and 90% humidity this time of year with no breeze...

Retention wise, the Ballista is good. It ranks well (ahead of the XXX) in the VT study thats suddenly so famous.

I do think I can tell a difference will a true aero helmet. That LG Course someone mentioned was a great helmet 3-4 years go. Think its on-par with a Velocis now. Anytime you get a semi-aero helmet like the LG or Velocis, its going to breath better than something like the Evade or Ballista.

demoCRIT
Posts: 109
Joined: Sat Jun 01, 2019 3:04 pm

by demoCRIT

after reading comments i went online and ordered Evade 2.
Will comment back after some weekend rides with it!
(for what its worth it's around 30* outside currently)

andreas
Posts: 296
Joined: Thu Jun 12, 2014 10:21 pm

by andreas

tommasini wrote:
Mon Aug 12, 2019 1:21 am
Then my attention focused on the KASK Protone.....I was skeptical as no one has provided any form of actual aero test results....
Sure they have, the test was critized by the "losers" of the test for using wrong helmet sizes ++, but anyway Protone did pretty good. It's been good enough to win TDF for most of the past 5 years :)
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/best-ae ... ad-tested/

The Evade 2 has a buckle that doesn't agree with me, it keeps coming loose! I wish the protone had straps in a different material, the leather is pretty rigid so it stands a bit out from the chin at the buckle.

by Weenie


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hlvd
Posts: 438
Joined: Sat Mar 05, 2016 4:54 pm

by hlvd

So, after the impressive reviews on this thread I've just ordered a Ballista, looking forward to trying it out!


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