How safe are aero helmets?

Triathlon Forum
1

The events of Sunday have focused my attention on the crashworthiness of helmets.

I know at one stage the aero helmets were refered to as shells and offered little crash protection. I think that has changed, but I was wondering;

How much crash protection the sperm helmet offers compared to a standard road helmet?

Do they meet the same safety and impact standards as road helmets?

How much risk are they for serious neck injury, considering their size and shape?

I’m not sure I’d like to come off the way I did wearing one of the more extreme aero helmets.

2

You guessed right. Aero helmets are less safe than standard road helmets because of their shape and road helmets are less safe than your basic cheapo nerdy round helmet also because of their shape. Anything that can catch on the ground when you crash is not a good thing.

3

What events are you referring to? Perhaps I missed a prior post.

I don’t have a definitive answer, but I do a lot of racing wearing an aero helmet. To the best of my knowledge, they meet all the same certifications for crashworthiness as any typical road helmet. That was not true a couple of years ago, but it’s true now because the UCI, USAT and other sanctioning bodies require it. In fact, I’d speculate that in some ways an aero helmet might be safer given they have fewer vents … fewer structural breaks … fewer openings for things to poke through in a crash where things might be flying around.

If the event you’re referring to was a crash, I understand you want to cover all the bases and make as sure as you can about everything as you resume your riding. I wouldn’t worry about an aero helmet per se. Now, the way some people wear them can render them somewhat less than fully useful. Also, the way some people ride with them (so low that they can’t really see up the road in front of them) can lead to danger. But those things have more to do with the user than the helmet.

.

4

He is referring to http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?post=1648947
.

5

Sorry, should have explained, yes I went over the bars and landed on my head. The helmet did it’s job and saved me from serious injury. While I can’t train, I have had plenty of think time and one of the questions was, what would happen if I had been wearing an aero helmet at the time. I don’t actually own an aero helmet, I was just wondering.

Even if they meet the relevent standards, because of their size and shape, they must present some kind of extra risk. As you can’t always, if ever, plan how your going to hit the road.

6

Even if they meet the relevent standards, because of their size and shape, they must present some kind of extra risk. As you can’t always, if ever, plan how your going to hit the road.

Indeed. When I was recuperating in the hospital, my nurse happened also to have been an eye witness to the wreck where a teenage driver of an oncoming car, talking on a cell phone, made an unsignaled left turn directly into my path and hit me head on. The nurse told me that after I smashed into the fender of the car, I hit the windshield with such force and angle that I was shot about 30 feet straight up into the air and I landed squarely on my head. (I said to her … 30 feet is three stories. Do you really mean to tell me I was three stories in the air? She said, “yes.”) I had a broken hip, ankle and pelvis, presumably from the initial impact with the fender. I had a compression fracture of the spine, presumably from the head-on impact with the ground. I had NO head injury.

But you know, it’s all pretty relative. I’m not going to lose any sleep over the relative safety differential between a non-aero helmet and an aero helmet. I’ve never seen any evidence, either quantitative or qualitative, to indicate there’s any difference whatsoever.

I think I know where your head is at this point 'cuz I’ve been there. I predict that, in a few days, you’re going to be chomping at the bit to get back out there. Some of your worries will subside, but you’ll have a fresh set of more-finely-tuned antennae. I hope that will be your story, anyway. I hope you’re recuperating and will be back in action quickly.

.

7

Bob,

Your crash was much worse than mine. I didn’t break any bones, I just have the ongoing headache of a minor concussion and acres of gravel rash, which must be healing, because by god it is itchy! I think it is just I have a little too much thinking time on my hands at the moment.

I have the Geelong 70.3 in 10 days which I must finish, to validate for Ironman Australia, so I am itching to get back on the bike. I think I will set up the windtrainer tomorrow and jump on with my Tri bike for a while. My road bike is in the LBS, being repaired.

I’ll be a lot more careful on my next ride in the hills. Fortunately I live on the flats, so I don’t have too much to worry about around home.

8

all tris have a requirement that helmets meet certain certified standards, which i assume are pretty good and probably don’t allow a huge amount of leeway in terms of protection from one type of helmet to another…the one thing that has been brought up is that the tail of an aero helmet could get caught in a tumbling fall and torque the helmet out of place, increasing your head’s exposure and risk to impact damage…makes logical sense, but i have never heard of that happening…it seems that biking head accidents are one-impact events, due to low speeds, unlike motorocycle crashes where accidents often involve multiple tumbles and repeated head impacts…i am also amazed at how skate rats seem to either not buckle their chin straps or wear them so loose as to be ineffective…guess they really don’t need their helmets that often
.

9

First off, glad to hear you weren’t hurt too badly. Heal fast.

My info is somewhat dated, but helmets are certified for impact protection only. Engineers scientifically wack helmets and measure force dispersion and physical effects on helmets. It’s similar to the testing done on all helmets, the specifics change depending on intended use. It makes intuitive sense that aero helmets pose a certain risk of torque injuries. Consider skiers; far more twisting knee injuries than impact ones. Of course a ski is a lot longer than the tail on a helmet. How rigid the tail section is will also play a role in how likely a torque injury is.

Unfortunately, I think only time will tell how significant the risk is in terms of frequency and severity of neck injuries. With the relatively small sample size of aero helmet wearers and, to my knowledge, no comprehensive data base, we may never really know. If ER’s starting seeing numbers of neck injuries and someone takes the time to probe, we may get a clue as to the likelihood. Probably the most likely source of evaluable crash tests will be from professional cyclists, but again a small sample size. I urge anyone who damages any helmet in a crash to contact the manufacturer. All want examples of real life crash testing and many offer discounts in return for the “study specimen.” These reports help them improve designs and may determine the maximum “safe” length of tails.

This topic reminds of the days when soft shell (more or less bare styrofoam for you young-uns) helmets were available. It didn’t take too long to determine that the weight of a coat of plastic that slides on pavement was well worth it as the soft helmets grabbed pavement really well. Both styles protected against head trauma, one just left you with a hell of a case of whiplash. Reports of neck injuries lead to their timely demise.

Having said all of this, my hunch (no I don’t have numbers, graphs, studies or photos) is that aero helmets will be deemed to be “worth it.” Aero bars, light weight wheels, even just riding faster are somewhat riskier than conventional equipment, but I think we all agree that the small increase in risk is worth the speed gained.

10

Q,

It may be a hunch, but it sounds logical. As most people wearing aero helmets are in TT’s or non drafting triathlons, the chances of serious, injury inducing falls is pretty low, so there may never be enough of a sample to draw any worthwhile conclusions, but having said that, the number of athletes wearing them has gone through the roof in the last few years. I didn’t see any at IM Australia in 2005, but there were heaps, at a guess, 30-40% of the field at IM Western Australia in December 2007.

I wasn’t wearing an aero helmet when I came off, but I was just pondering, as I said, I have a little too much thinking time at the moment.

I’ve contacted Specialized through Cidewar on this site, also through my LBS, who I have actually given my helmet to. I’d like to hang onto my helmet if I can. I occassionally give road safety talks and I think it would be a great conversation starter.

11

Do you think an aero helmet would have helped going up those hills Hymie?

Only tossers and professionals should have aero helmets. You are neither.

12

:slight_smile: Not at the speed I climb :slight_smile: New helmet has been ordered and it is not aero at all. I don’t need one to make me look silly, I can do that all by myself :slight_smile:

13

Aero helmets have to be more dangerious… you’re going faster.

14

Only tossers and professionals should have aero helmets. You are neither.

Not sure what a tosser is. What is it?

I think there’s a pretty substantial body of evidence (please don’t ask me to produce any) indicating that the very FIRST purchase one should make when looking to buy some speed/improve their aerodynamics (after getting properly fit, of course) is an aero helmet. This is more important that deep wheels or aero framesets, etc.

Anyone concerned about the dork factor needs to look at themselves in the mirror with their regular gear and helmet on. The ship has sailed, folks. The only question that remains is how fast it’s sailing (and I guess now we’re questioning relative safety).

.

15

Hello Hymie and All,

This is a dated report, and perhaps you can find more current information now that aero helmets are becoming commonplace.

Cheers,

Neal

http://www.helmets.org/hurtmemo.htm

From: Hugh H. Hurt, Jr, Head Protection Research Laboratory

During the last couple of years, the technical staff at HPRL has encountered an interesting-and possibly dangerous-problem with the aerodynamic-shaped or streamlined bicycle helmets. These popular helmets have a teardrop design which tapers to a wedge at the rear of the helmet, supposedly reducing aerodynamic drag along with increased ventilation through the many openings in the shell.

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.

s/Hugh H. Hurt, Jr
Professor Emeritus-USC
President, Head Protection Research Laboratory

s/Christopher B. Swanson
Laboratory Manager, Head Protection Research Laboratory

16

Your question wasn’t answered.
A tosser is an English term for one who is prone to pleasuring themselves with their own hand.

17

Not sure what a tosser is. What is it?

I think there’s a pretty substantial body of evidence (please don’t ask me to produce any) indicating that the very FIRST purchase one should make when looking to buy some speed/improve their aerodynamics (after getting properly fit, of course) is an aero helmet. This is more important that deep wheels or aero framesets, etc.

I agree we all look like dorks. Example a: Compression socks.

To be honest I have one. I look great before the race starts.