At the USA Cycling Elite, U23 & Junior National Championships, several riders were wearing a Specialized TT helmet. Are they now CSPC approved and legal in the US?
Helmets don’t have to be CSPC approved for USA Cycling events…they can meet several other standards instead.
FWIW, TJ Tollakson wore one at the LTF Tri…
I believe the ‘issue’ with Specialized was that they wanted all their lids to be to SNELL standards, which will never happen with a great big lever sticking out the back.
What I’ve heard:
There was never a legality issue with people wearing them for races because they were always CPSC certified, but basically no helmet company in the US wants to sell helmets that aren’t SNELL certified as well because that certification stands up better in court. With how often Americans like to sue, a company doesn’t want to sell a helmet without the SNELL certification in this country.
Specialized has been petitioning SNELL all year (they were standing by their independent research and refused to redesign the helmet). They finally came up with some point about motorcycle helmets and the similarity to the protection offered in their aero helmets (don’t know the details) and got SNELL to open the case back up. SNELL ended up reversing their decision and the aero helmets should be available for purchase in the next few months.
Are these readily available in Europe? Links?
I would love it if the S wasn’t so small on the top.
If it’s true that Specialized is holding off until it can advertise both CPSC and Snell certifications, more power to them. In the meantime, the number of Louis Garneau’s, Advantage 2s, Spiuks, etc. being sold with at least / just CPSC certification are taking away market share.
Until I can buy it here in the US with that little CPSC sticker in it, then my guess is that it won’t be legal for USAT races.
What I’ve heard:
There was never a legality issue with people wearing them for races because they were always CPSC certified, but basically no helmet company in the US wants to sell helmets that aren’t SNELL certified as well because that certification stands up better in court. With how often Americans like to sue, a company doesn’t want to sell a helmet without the SNELL certification in this country.
Specialized has been petitioning SNELL all year (they were standing by their independent research and refused to redesign the helmet). They finally came up with some point about motorcycle helmets and the similarity to the protection offered in their aero helmets (don’t know the details) and got SNELL to open the case back up. SNELL ended up reversing their decision and the aero helmets should be available for purchase in the next few months.
Actually most helmets are not SNELL, specialized is the only major helmet mfg that has it. Most of them consider it overkill and a waste of money. Also i highly doubt they got SNELL to budge on there standard. You either can pass or you can’t.
That helmet will be available some time next year. It was always CPSC, but the Specialized lawyers wanted to make sure it met their own legal standards, is what Specialized told me. Specialized will be in Kona with a concept store (they’ll have Terenzo and Pete there as well for some stuff they’re doing), and will have a handful of those helmets to sell to age groupers for the first time, as sort-of prototypes (the back plates under the tail aren’t totally polished, are just bonded in) and would want testing feedback.
They do have a smaller, less vented version that was used by the ProTour teams this year, but that one will not be for sale to public.
But yeah, they’ll be available… finally! And that one has an aft that has more ventilation then it lets on.
-Jay
I have one of those helmets sitting right here.
Sticker inside says that it meets CPSC standards.
That’s just what I heard from a sponsor who was at some conference thing for Specialized a couple weeks ago. I don’t know if he got all his facts straight, but he’s usually pretty on top of his info.
Specialized is letting a few people (reps and other inside guys I’ve heard) buy them with waivers right now, but the general public will still have to wait a little bit.