With all the time spent in aero tunnels to eeck out the most aero position and the fastest equipment to be the fastest against the clock in the time trial **WHY **did all the Astana guys have big old bulky hemet straps flapping around in the wind??? You would think someone on the team could have figured out how to adjust them! Am I the only one that was bugged by this?
no bro this bugged me as well, but what if the straps we dimpled?
You’re joking, right? They finished 1, 3, and 4 in the time trial and two of those finishes included crashes. And somehow you’re complaining that they weren’t aero enough? Furthermore, tightening a strap restricts breathing, which undoubtedly would have slowed them down, relative to any aero gains that you think they might have otherwise made.
Their AWESOME bikes made up for it!
No one said they weren’t fast…they were extremely fast! But the straps were extremely lose. They were hanging loke 2 inches below their chin. As far as cutting of the oxygen supply, they don’t have to be restrictive, just adjusted a little. If their race number had been flapping in the wind how many people would have said something? Its just a small thing but it just seemed odd.
Bugged me too.
Also Kloden’s helmet was on crooked which must have slowed him down 
Aerodynamics aside, the point of the helmet is to protect the head- and to do so it needs to be securely fastened. Those straps are so loose it looks like you could push the helmet right off the racer’s head (or at least enough to expose critical parts of skull). Which is what the ground would surely do should they happen to collide.
(yeah, I’m a safety nut)
Although not ST approved, pros or fast athletes don’t really worry too much about every single little piece of equipment as many tri-geeks do. For some weird reason they just rather shut up and train so they can go fast when they have to…
Not so, Lance was a stickler for making sure his equipment was in top notch shape and setup.
Actually, that is a 100% incorrect. With respect to aero helmets used in the tour, the only purpose they serve is to make a rider more aerodynamic, without any regard as to safety or protection. Those aero helmets offer no protection. That is the primary reason why they have not been sold for commercial use, until recently, when some of the helmet companies (e.g. LG) altered their helmets to offer more protection.
Exactly, if I’m ever cycling and see Vino with his straps lose I will toss a stick into his spokes and teach him a lesson.
END SARCASM
I noticed the chin straps too and wondered about it.
But what really bugs me is how EVERY one of their helmets looked like it was crooked…
Your info is about 3 years outdated…
Also, as it pertains to aerohelmets, depending on the fall, a loose strap would offer more relief upon impact.
Out of curiosity how would a loose strap, which would allow the helmet to move out of proper positioning, offer more relief upon impact?
B/c your head isn’t going to follow the same path as the helmet when you ding it against the road, start skidding or have the tail catch on the pavement while you go ass over tea kettle. A good fitting/adjusted helmet doesn’t need the chip strap tight to be effective in preventing the initial shock absorption.
The tail on a aerohelmet make me cringe as much as the old styrofoam helmets with the lyca cover.
I still wear one, but it’s a false sense of security.
B/c your head isn’t going to follow the same path as the helmet when you ding it against the road, start skidding or have the tail catch on the pavement while you go ass over tea kettle. A good fitting/adjusted helmet doesn’t need the chip strap tight to be effective in preventing the initial shock absorption.
The tail on a aerohelmet make me cringe as much as the old styrofoam helmets with the lyca cover.
I still wear one, but it’s a false sense of security.
Yes, a good fitting helmet does not need a strap…if your head hits only the ground, only in a direct manner,only once and if the initial reason for you to go down does not include some sort of very sudden, possibly violent movement. In other words a correctly adjusted strap is very important.
Yep…and if it’s a sudden movement with a TAIL , I do not want my head to follow…and just want the initial impact take care of.
I’m running out to ride my bike, but there’s a website that provide the research to “real world” helmet test. I hate to paraphrase, but last time I read it there was a lil debate amongst neck injuries which occurred after the initial blow.
Of course, what is the worst of two evils? I dunno, but simply assuming that all helmets are “safe” isn’t quite accurate.
Yep…and if it’s a sudden movement with a TAIL , I do not want my head to follow…and just want the initial impact take care of.
I’m running out to ride my bike, but there’s a website that provide the research to “real world” helmet test. I hate to paraphrase, but last time I read it there was a lil debate amongst neck injuries which occurred after the initial blow.
Of course, what is the worst of two evils? I dunno, but simply assuming that all helmets are “safe” isn’t quite accurate.
So you are saying that it’s all about the strap causing a neck injury and not about the helmet taking all of the impact(s)??? In over 20 years of racing I have never heard of a rider having a neck injury caused by having his strap properly fitted.
Hello 115InTheShade and All,
Do you live in Ridgecrest or near China Lake Naval Weapons Facility?
Looks like aero helmets are not that good at protecting your melon anyway.
The helmets would be better served with a rubber tail (that could bend with the cross winds) or frangible tail that would break off like a desert lizard’s tail on impact.
http://www.helmets.org/hurtmemo.htm
Excerpt:
The adverse effect of this aerodynamic shape is that the wedge at the back of the helmet tends to deflect and rotate the helmet on the head when impact occurs there. Any impact at the front or sides of the streamlined helmet is no different from other helmet shapes, but any impact on the rear wedge tends to rotate the helmet on the head, probably deflecting the helmet to expose the bare head to impact, and at worst ejecting the helmet completely from the head. Actually, everybody who has tested these streamlined helmets over the past years has encountered the problem of these helmets being displaced during impact testing at the rear wedge. Usually additional tape was required to maintain the helmet in place during rear impact tests; usually the basic retention system alone could not keep the helmet in place during impact testing on the rear of the helmet.
Unfortunately, the implication of helmet displacement and possible ejection in an actual accident impact did not register as a real hazard in previous years of testing, but now there are accident cases appearing that show this to be a genuine hazard for bicycle riders wearing these streamlined helmets. Accident impacts at the rear of these streamlined helmets can cause the helmet to rotate away and expose the head to injury, or eject the helmet completely. The forces generated from the wedge effect can stretch the chinstraps very easily, and even break the retention devices.
We request that F08.53 committee study this problem and develop advisory information for both manufacturers of these streamlined helmets and consumer bicyclists who now own and wear such helmets. There is a definite hazard for displacement or ejection from impact on the rear wedge of these helmets, and bicyclists should be warned of this danger by an authority such as ASTM.
Cheers,
Neal
Oh yeah, good point. I forgot all those helmets in the last three years suddenly became CPSC-certified and that’s why not only are they offered for commercial purchase now, but also are allowed in races.