23 mph sounds good to me. I have one but thank gawd I only race minis. I'd be in real trouble wearing that thing in an IM and being up to code.

Which one do you have? Are you saying it wouldn't be comfortable for a 1/2 IM or IM, or is it not legal?

I have a Louis Garneau. I'm saying I'd have a hard time holding a 23 mph avg for an IM.

But yeah I don't think it'd be all that comfortable to wear for 5 hours plus.

I'm also interested in an aero helmet especially after Triathlete mag says it can save up to 5 minutes over 112 miles. I really like the Bell Meteor II but I don't think it's legal in the US. I also like the Rudy Project Syton Open like the one Chris McCormack wears. Anybody know what models are legal in the US?

LG Rocket

LG Chrono

Limar Chrono

Rudy Project Styon

LG Prologue

just to name a few

anyone know why the Meteor isn't legal? I was going to order one from Canada....

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-zakk

Death Squad Cycling Club
http://www.ridethedeath.com


"Why is that people will drop $2000 on race wheels and a few c-notes for an ugly tattoo and then balk at the race fee?" - Blackie

Regarding the legality issue, I can't imagine that all of the europeans are being turned away at IM NA races because their helmets don't have the US test stickers. I use a MET Stradivarius, but I bought it while living in Germany and it only has euro testing stickers. IM NA would have a hard time explaining to me why I need to go buy a new helmet just for NA races. So if a european sticker is allowed (which I assume it is) then you can just order the Bell, Giro, or other helmet from a european company and have it sent to you in the US. I have been considering exactly that.

Is the Bell or Giro avaliable?

I just got back from Europe and no retailers had them. The distributors did not have them either.

Any idea when they will be avaliable to the public?

does anyone have any feedback on 5 minute savings for an IM Bike being realastic?

does the 5 minutes net any time losses for possible overheating? from most of the aero helmets i have seen the vents are almost non existent, and i would imagine you heat up pretty fast in those lids?

Peace,

RF

I don't want to be a downer here, but this exact situation happened at the Lifetime Fitness Triathlon where organizers would not let a number of top professionals race in their aero helmets because they were only certified in Europe. I am sure that sooner rather than later these helmets should get their U.S. certifications but as of right now, don't buy one expecting to wear it in the U.S.

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Geoffrey Nenninger

Charlie Crawford informs Courtney Atkinson his helmet is not USAT legal. He was not the only pro with this problem



Courtney can only listen. He later got a helmet from the crowd.

USAT at its finest =/

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-zakk

Death Squad Cycling Club
http://www.ridethedeath.com


"Why is that people will drop $2000 on race wheels and a few c-notes for an ugly tattoo and then balk at the race fee?" - Blackie

According to Melody Givens at Ironman North America, European approved helmets are allowed (see email traffic below). Remember USAT is no longer the sanctioning body for IM NA. It's now the Global Tri Group which seems to be much more age-grouper friendly. Yes, that's fine. Melody

Melody,

My question is: “What are the certification requirements for the helmets”? In other words, can I use any helmet that I want? The Europeans have different standards for bike helmets. Can I wear a European approved helmet?

Thank You

yes, but having one aero helmet for each would stink.

I have my heart set on a Meteor. do I get a LG or a Rudy for my USAT races?

=/

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-zakk

Death Squad Cycling Club
http://www.ridethedeath.com


"Why is that people will drop $2000 on race wheels and a few c-notes for an ugly tattoo and then balk at the race fee?" - Blackie

No shit, they can't let anything slide. I guess if you can't do it, be an official.

In the US, the Consumer Product Safety Comission, CPSC, has now set helmet standards. A helmet cannot be sold in the US unless it has passed the CPSC tests and been certified. Many -- I suspect most -- areas of the US do not require that bicycle helmets be worn. In my area, children are required to wear helmets, but adults are not. I don't know of any US laws that specify certification for helmets to be worn. There are certification requirements to be [i]sold[/i] but no restrictions on what may be worn. Of course, for most consumers the distinction is academic. Any helmet you can buy in the US is CPSC certified.

But in a race, race officials may set any helmet requirements they deem appropriate (or their lawyers suggest), and if you want to play in their game, you play by their rules. Wearing your European helmet may not violate any US traffic laws, but that doesn't mean race officials have to allow it. After all, drafting does not violate any traffic laws, but in most races the officials don't permit it.

There is a simple reason that the Bell Meteor is not available for sale in the US. It did not pass the CPSC tests. So, it can't be sold here. But if I brought one in myself from Europe, I could ride it on my commute to work. I wouldn't be surprised if I were not permitted to use it in a sanctioned race, though. I don't know how much Bell invested in developing the Meteor, but the US is obviously a large market, and aero race helmets are an underserved niche. Therefore, many companies are likely working vigorously to get their helmets certified and into the distribution chain. If the Meteor only requires minor modifications to squeak through the minimum standards, we may well see a version of it for sale here at some point.

Remember though that a helmet that only barely passes the tests is a helmet that, if it were any worse, would be illegal! How much (or how little) protection does your head justify?

i have rocks for brains (or so my fiancee tells me) so very little. now will USAT let me use it?

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-zakk

Death Squad Cycling Club
http://www.ridethedeath.com


"Why is that people will drop $2000 on race wheels and a few c-notes for an ugly tattoo and then balk at the race fee?" - Blackie

I bought a LG Rocket today, and like what I see

For hotter 40k TT races in the desert I may switch to the Bell Vortex, but this helmet has a low prifile and long tail

At states TTT next month in Lacaster, if it is over 85-90 degrees, I am using the Vortex

One quick observation is that the tail end lays flat against my back, as it sits normal on my head (with my "Bjorn-esque" position), so it creates a nice profile

Ill second that... i like the way the Rocket TT comes down across the flat of my back... kinda like a rear wheel cut out... "you better not be able to see space between your back and your lid" :-)

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36 kona qualifiers 2006-'23 - 3 Kona Podiums - 4 OA IM AG wins - 5 IM AG wins - 18 70.3 AG wins
I ka nana no a 'ike -- by observing, one learns | Kulia i ka nu'u -- strive for excellence
Garmin Glycogen Use App | Garmin Fat Use App

<< I guess if you can't do it, be an official.

maybe it's time for you to walk a mile in their shoes.

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Mike Plumb, TriPower MultiSports
Professional Running, Cycling and Multisport Coaching, F.I.S.T. Certified
http://www.tripower.org

Some more info was on the latest info in triathlete, but i am wondering if that is why you are asking this question to begin with.

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berndog
How did we all get sucked into this crazy sport anyway?!!

most triathlon officials look like a mile is about all they can walk.

Gary, I don't use the visor and assuming you are not going aero to the nth degree by taping up the vents, you might be surprised at how much ventilation the LG Rocket offers. At the state ITT/TTT this past weekend, I did not have any problems with sweat or heat despite temps that got up to 95 degrees and 100% (+) humidity - it was raining hard at the start of the ITT on Saturday. My only problem with the Rocket is the noise factor as the Rocket seems to make minor transient noises about 10-20 times as loud. With a regular helmet, running over things like real small pebbles/rocks (I know don't run over them but hard to see them in a driving rain) with the disc on back makes a dull 'thwack' like sound effect but running full tilt while wearing the Rocket and the first time it happened and that dull thwack was so loud it sounded like my disc wheel was exploding which was very alarming at the time (grin)!

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¯\_(ツ)_/¯

When Giro created its new 'hard shell' aero helmet last year, it was hinted that lack of US certification was not due to helmets being unable to pass certification tests but more likely a result of the costs of the US certifcation. The CPSC is not actually a testing entity per say as they simply establish/publish a government backed minimum set of certification standards and actual testing to ensure compliance with these standards has to be done by a lab that is certified by - you guessed it - the CPSC. In most cases, the testing at a certified lab in the US is quite expensive ($250,000 to $350,000) and many foreign and domestic helmet manufacturers do not want to absorb the expense on what is arguably a niche item that may or may not sell in big enough volumes to recoup the costs of the certification process. The European certification is pennies on the dollar when compared to certification in the US and that is probably why Bell and Giro are also reluctant to market their latest aero innovations in the US. Also, the development of such helmets is primarly for UCI Pro Tour riders and the only races in the US under which Pro Tour team riders would compete are governed by UCI/Pro Tour rules so there really is presently not really a need for CPSC certification.

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