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Aero helmet vs TT helmet
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Because it's boring at work today, cold and rainy out, and I want to viciously beat a dead horse with no true consensus I'm going to ask this question. Aero helmets vs TT helmets. Does anyone know how much time you truly lose?

Basically my Advantage is pretty old and I'm not excited about riding in that. Same with my Nashbar special road helmet... Has served me well for years but I'm thinking just for the sake of not becoming Christopher Reeve it might be a good idea to replace it. Trying to decide between buying just one or getting two helmets. The idea is to possibly save money, so going to the tunnel is out of the question.

What are the "safe" choices?
How old are the A2's left over? Wouldn't want to buy a helmet that only last a year...
Anyone have any data of Aero vs TT as oppose to TT vs TT or Aero vs Aero?

I still lapped everyone on the couch!
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Re: Aero helmet vs TT helmet [Jloewe] [ In reply to ]
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Bell still lists the Javelin as a current product on its website. Giro no longer lists the Advantage 2. For $80, a new Bell Javelin seems like a no-brainer decision.
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Re: Aero helmet vs TT helmet [exxxviii] [ In reply to ]
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I'm inclined to agree. I kind of forgot about the Javelin.

I still lapped everyone on the couch!
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Re: Aero helmet vs TT helmet [Jloewe] [ In reply to ]
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Jloewe wrote:
What are the "safe" choices?
How old are the A2's left over? Wouldn't want to buy a helmet that only last a year...
Anyone have any data of Aero vs TT as oppose to TT vs TT or Aero vs Aero?

Genuine question. Do you count remember of years a helmet is good for from the date of manufacture or from use? I always presumed (possibly naively) if a helmet had been properly stored in a cool dry place out of sunlight it would be close to the condition it came out of the factory.
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Re: Aero helmet vs TT helmet [Ian A] [ In reply to ]
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Ian A wrote:
Jloewe wrote:
What are the "safe" choices?
How old are the A2's left over? Wouldn't want to buy a helmet that only last a year...
Anyone have any data of Aero vs TT as oppose to TT vs TT or Aero vs Aero?


Genuine question. Do you count remember of years a helmet is good for from the date of manufacture or from use? I always presumed (possibly naively) if a helmet had been properly stored in a cool dry place out of sunlight it would be close to the condition it came out of the factory.

From my knowledge which could be off, life span of a helmet is 7yrs if not crashed as well.
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Re: Aero helmet vs TT helmet [Cptnemo] [ In reply to ]
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Cptnemo wrote:
Ian A wrote:
Jloewe wrote:
What are the "safe" choices?
How old are the A2's left over? Wouldn't want to buy a helmet that only last a year...
Anyone have any data of Aero vs TT as oppose to TT vs TT or Aero vs Aero?


Genuine question. Do you count remember of years a helmet is good for from the date of manufacture or from use? I always presumed (possibly naively) if a helmet had been properly stored in a cool dry place out of sunlight it would be close to the condition it came out of the factory.

From my knowledge which could be off, life span of a helmet is 7yrs if not crashed as well.

Sooooo is it 7 years from manufacture or use?
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Re: Aero helmet vs TT helmet [Cptnemo] [ In reply to ]
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. . . if a helmet had been properly stored in a cool dry place out of sunlight it would be close to the condition it came out of the factory


Correct; it's the manufacturers & media encouraging you to regularly change your helmet, as there's no evidence of the safety degrading over time. See https://www.helmets.org/helmetlineraging.htm
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Re: Aero helmet vs TT helmet [exxxviii] [ In reply to ]
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exxxviii wrote:
Bell still lists the Javelin as a current product on its website. Giro no longer lists the Advantage 2. For $80, a new Bell Javelin seems like a no-brainer decision.

Apparently I have no brain (and I have 2 daughters who will attest to that!), I just bought a Giro Arrowhead today for $125 USD.
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Re: Aero helmet vs TT helmet [FatandSlow] [ In reply to ]
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FatandSlow wrote:
Apparently I have no brain (and I have 2 daughters who will attest to that!), I just bought a Giro Arrowhead today for $125 USD.
An Aerohead is not generally available at $125. If you are fortunate enough to have a noggin that fits and you like the color, you might score an occasional Aerohead sale at $125. I agree; that is a no-brainer. But it is not something that the OP could score at this moment.

I would buy one in a snap if that worked for me. But I have yet to see a sale in a color I like (mostly black) and a size that would fit (L). The best sale I have seen at this time is R&A for $175 in a size that fits and a decent color. I continue to check prices, and I may snag one someday. But today is not that day.
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Re: Aero helmet vs TT helmet [Milessio] [ In reply to ]
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Milessio wrote:
. . . if a helmet had been properly stored in a cool dry place out of sunlight it would be close to the condition it came out of the factory


Correct; it's the manufacturers & media encouraging you to regularly change your helmet, as there's no evidence of the safety degrading over time. See https://www.helmets.org/helmetlineraging.htm
But the thing I read somewhere mentioned by someone...
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Re: Aero helmet vs TT helmet [dunno] [ In reply to ]
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dunno wrote:
Sooooo is it 7 years from manufacture or use?

From Giro’s website: “Giro has a general recommendation of replacing your helmet every three (3) years. ”

I have a Giro A2 and contacted them on this as mine was manufactured 5 years ago but I’ve only been using it for 2 years.

They replied that the 3 years is 3 years of use, but if you use it more often (think: riding every day) it would be less than 3 years, and if you use it less often (think: race helmet... I’ve used mine maybe 8-10 times in 2 years) then it could be longer.

I know there are conflicting studies and all, and people point out that the manufacturers are the main ones claiming you need to replace your helmet (leading to conspiracies of it being purely to get more money) but the same thing goes with baby car seats... it’s made of foam that does in fact degrade over time. That process can spread up with heat and moisture (think: sweat). So if you want to risk your safety, that’s up to you. I would rather be safe than sorry.

On that note... why spend a ton of $$ on a training helmet? I got the Giro foray road helmet ($25) for training and I’ve got my A2 for racing. The racing helmet will last longer than 3 years because of infrequent use and I’ll probably upgrade anyway in that time for better aerodynamics.

-Nate
Triathlonpal.com
Flaer|Team Kiwami|Nuun Hydration|Honey Stinger
Twitter: @N8deck
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Re: Aero helmet vs TT helmet [Jloewe] [ In reply to ]
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in the same boat. Have an A2, but want something new for my first full. But I hate spending money unless I really have the desire and in my heart I know the A2 isn't a bad helmet.

I was thinking about the aerohead but worried about the "forward" weight. Then saw the vanquish and like that it could be a new road helmet option too. But I'm in a synthe now and really like it.

Don't know what I'll end up doing to be honest
Last edited by: KG6: Mar 3, 18 19:56
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Re: Aero helmet vs TT helmet [KG6] [ In reply to ]
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Interesting thank you! I come from a motocross/super cross background where we changed helmets regularly due to regularly coming in contact with the ground so never had to pay too much attention to shelf life. Cheers
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Re: Aero helmet vs TT helmet [Jloewe] [ In reply to ]
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First I've had helmets save my life. Change out every other year or sooner. What is your head worth to you?
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Re: Aero helmet vs TT helmet [triathlonpal] [ In reply to ]
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I've found it's worth spending more even on a training helmet for comfort reasons. Cheap helmets generally get pretty uncomfortable on me, particularly on hot days. Doesn't help that I'm bald so have no natural padding!
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Re: Aero helmet vs TT helmet [cartsman] [ In reply to ]
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I find that Giro helmet super comfortable! But that’s obviously a very individual thing. I was reaserching it back when I got my last helmet (when I was corresponding with Giro) and bell and Giro are actually owned by the same company. For a number of models they are basically the same helmet between Bell and Giro with Bell being a more round shape and Giro a more oval shape. My last training helmet was a bell, now I’ve got the equivalent Giro and it fits better... But I’ve always know I have a more narrow/oval head.

-Nate
Triathlonpal.com
Flaer|Team Kiwami|Nuun Hydration|Honey Stinger
Twitter: @N8deck
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Re: Aero helmet vs TT helmet [triathlonpal] [ In reply to ]
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triathlonpal wrote:
dunno wrote:

Sooooo is it 7 years from manufacture or use?




On that note... why spend a ton of $$ on a training helmet? I got the Giro foray road helmet ($25) for training and I’ve got my A2 for racing. The racing helmet will last longer than 3 years because of infrequent use and I’ll probably upgrade anyway in that time for better aerodynamics.

Basically my A2 is 7. So yeah no bones probably should have been replaced by now. Even if only used for races I've had about 5 years of use out of it. Looks like one could reasonably get another 3+ years out of a new A2. Might go that rout. Still would like to see if anyone has any data, even if it's extrapolated on aero vs TT.

In the past I've just been going what ever is on sale and decent for training. The Nashbar Ascent has actually been decent. It doens't have that comfy and cushy feeling my old Rudy Project I crashed in had. But at <$20 it serves and honestly after 5 minutes you don't notice the difference anyway.

Right now I'm almost leaning toward another A2 since anyone who's been on Slowtwitch for more than 5 minutes has been aware of how prolific of a helmet it's bee over the years. Then with something decent for training given the info passed on from Giro.

I still lapped everyone on the couch!
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Re: Aero helmet vs TT helmet [Milessio] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks for that.
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Re: Aero helmet vs TT helmet [Ian A] [ In reply to ]
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Bumping this up hoping for that impossible piece of data that everyone seems to want but no one seems to have. I'm starting to think it's all a giant conspiracy by the helmet companies because if the difference is small enough TT helmets will become obsolete in the triathlon world. Or if it is a big enough difference aero helmets will! They're just taking us for fools gents rally behind my banner as we storm the doors of Bell and Giro!

I still lapped everyone on the couch!
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Re: Aero helmet vs TT helmet [Jloewe] [ In reply to ]
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Jloewe wrote:
Bumping this up hoping for that impossible piece of data that everyone seems to want but no one seems to have.
The problem is not impossible or missing data. The problem is that helmets are highly individual. They depend on your body shape and head position in your race position. Some people have hunched backs, some have flat backs, some are more upright. Some people look down at the front tire (head down), and some people look up the road (head up).

The only way to know which helmet is best for you is to test yourself in a wind tunnel with a variety of helmets. The next best might to be to pick the same helmet as a person who has a similar position as you and did test. Or third, pick a helmet that has been tested against other helmets in multiple positions and is either good in multiple positions or is good in your position.

The Bell Javelin, Giro Attack 2, Kask Bambino, and Giro Aerohead are examples of helmets that test well in multiple positions.

In every test I have ever seen, the best aero road helmets are way behind the best dedicated aero time trial helmets. TT helmets are far from obsolete today.
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Re: Aero helmet vs TT helmet [exxxviii] [ In reply to ]
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Define far behind. Are we talking 1sec/km at x amount of watts? Are we taking .5sec/km? That's what I'm wondering. If it's a 20 second difference over a full Ironman then yeah, TT helmets are certainly in trouble given the price difference and comfort ratio. I know everyone has different positions but testing a handful of aero and TT helmets in a wind tunnel kind of negates the point of saving money with an aero helmet.

I still lapped everyone on the couch!
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Re: Aero helmet vs TT helmet [Jloewe] [ In reply to ]
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Jloewe wrote:
Define far behind.

There are some tests and comments in this forum, but the search is challenging. Here is a quick example... Cycling Weekly quotes Giro saying 17 second savings for a 40K TT. http://www.cyclingweekly.com/...ke-you-faster-158134

IIRC, I think that comments here were more than 17 seconds for a TT between a good aero road helmet and a good dedicated TT helmet.

So, absent the patience to search for the reports, I suspect that a TT helmet will save somewhere 0.5 sec to 1.0 sec per KM over a good aero road helmet.

Also, keep in mind that the Bell Javelin at $80 is a good TT helmet. And, it is not uncomfortable for a 3 hour ride. So, that is a baseline. Helmets like the Aerohead or Bambino may be great TT helmets, but incrementally they may not be that much different than a Javelin.
Last edited by: exxxviii: Mar 6, 18 12:11
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Re: Aero helmet vs TT helmet [exxxviii] [ In reply to ]
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I can't see it being relevant if you can hold your position. If you can't, it would be. If you can't hold the TT position at least 75% of the time I'd say go with a road aero helmet. Why not 50%? You want to do better than break even, right?

I'd think the aero road helmet is designed for aero without considering the rider's backside. Just the neck and head sticking out in the wind with the helmet.

It's more relevant for tri than road time trial because road time trial might max out at 25mi. That's an hour vs. most people taking 3 hours (or more) in a triathlon. If you're in a road TT I'd hope you damn well could hold your position for 25min or an hour.

Not sure how aero an S3 road helmet is.........but here you go. That TT series in the article at CMS is in NC and I'm trying that one this year.....

https://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/article/how-aero-is-aero-19273/







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Re: Aero helmet vs TT helmet [Jloewe] [ In reply to ]
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Re: Aero helmet vs TT helmet [serafim] [ In reply to ]
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serafim wrote:
have you checked http://www.aeroweenie.com/aero-assistant.html ?

Thank that was really helpful

I still lapped everyone on the couch!
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