Helmets: TT vs Aero vs Road

Bike helmets have moved well beyond their original purpose of safety. With all commercially available helmets meeting the minimum standards and for the most part far surpassing them this requirement is met. What is left is really comfort and speed.

Comfort is something that can be broken into two pieces: fit, which is unique to you, and cooling.

Speed however, is a different beast and there is a clear advantage to aerodynamics with the head being the main part of the body to hit the wind first.

There is quite a lot written on this subject so I’m going to keep this simple.

Are aero and TT helmets faster than a traditional road helmet? Yes, significantly.

Are TT helmets faster than aero? Yes, by a relevant margin.

If you could only have one… aero road helmet, every time.

If you had the budget, one of each!

For those of you that want a little more information:

Road Helmet

Positives:

• Price: You can get a road helmet at a reasonable price.
• Cooling: Road helmets have loads more vents and consequently are cooler which does have an impact in a very hot environment.

Negatives:

• Significantly slower.

Aero Road Helmet

Positives:

• Faster: Than a standard road helmet by a decent margin, something in the line of around 1min per 40km depending on brand.
• Position: It’s more forgiving to riders coming out of aero.
• Cooling: The ventilation is a good balance between cooling and aero.
• You can train normally in an aero road helmet both from a practicality and aesthetic perspective.

Negatives:

• Price: Aero helmets do come in at a higher cost. However, their versatility probably makes them the most economic option, able to do all tasks reasonably well.
• Not as fast as a TT lid!

TT Helmet

Positives:

• Speed: The fastest of the lot. Bear in mind, you’ll need to be disciplined and stay in position. For a predictable and flat course though this helmet has no equal.
• Vision: Often better in TT position due to use of a visor and not having vision blocked by a sunglasses frame.
• Look and feel properly slippery! Very definitely race mode. 😎 This does have an impact on your psychological focus.

Negatives:

• Training: Regular training is more difficult in a TT helmet.
• Position: You need to hold the TT position. This takes a fair bit of work.
• Cooling: The least number of vents. In 2024 this has improved significantly with some clever design but it’s still hotter.
• Price: The most expensive of the whole lot. Specialist items cost. But then they are specialist for a reason, specific to task one might say.

Originally published in the TriDot Community ↗