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TECH NEWS

Team Sky to race in new Kask Infinity helmet at the Tour de France

'Fully vented, fully aero' lid is the best of both worlds, say Kask

Like road discs, aero road lids are an innovation that seems to be gaining ground. Kask are the latest helmet manufacturer to launch one, the Infinity, which they claim is "the trailblazer for an entirely new helmet category" – that category being fully vented aero lids.

The Infinity has a system of vents that can be opened and closed by the rider whie on the bike. By adjusting the 'mobile aerator' the airflow can be adjusted from fully open (like a standard lid) to fully closed (like an aero lid) or set somewhere in between. Even when it's full closed the Infinity offers ventilation via "two special internal airflow channels that are fed by two frontal openings", which sounds like a similar approach to Giro's Bongo Hat. I mean Air Attack.

Also new on the Infinity is a 'side rib' which disturbs the airflow over the sides of the helmet; Kask claim that this minimises the low pressure area formed at the back of the helmet, and therefore reduces drag.

The helmet weighs a very respectable 270g; no word on price yet although we'd guess it now sits at the top of Kask's range which previously topped out at the £180 Vertigo. We've got our spies out in Corsica at the moment ahead of the Tour's Grand Depart, so we'll see if we can lay our mitts on one.

Dave is a founding father of road.cc, having previously worked on Cycling Plus and What Mountain Bike magazines back in the day. He also writes about e-bikes for our sister publication ebiketips. He's won three mountain bike bog snorkelling World Championships, and races at the back of the third cats.

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18 comments

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simeond | 11 years ago
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My skiing helmet has open/close vents wow an innovation.

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dave atkinson replied to simeond | 11 years ago
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simeond wrote:

My skiing helmet has open/close vents wow an innovation.

i don't remember saying it was akin to splitting the atom or anything. just telling you about their new lid.

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badkneestom | 11 years ago
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Someone needs to acknowledge Ghedebrav. Lol'd

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Ghedebrav replied to badkneestom | 11 years ago
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badkneestom wrote:

Someone needs to acknowledge Ghedebrav. Lol'd

Why, thank you  4

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cat1commuter | 11 years ago
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Gosh; I really don't think it looks much better or worse than any other helmet. I think it just looks different to what we're used to seeing. It has too much Sky blue on it for my taste, but I'd buy one in a more discreet colour scheme.

If you're worried about your appearance, I think a cycling cap looks better than any helmet!

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fatty replied to cat1commuter | 11 years ago
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cat1commuter wrote:

Gosh; I really don't think it looks much better or worse than any other helmet.

Helmets do have a front and a back, right...?

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Super Domestique replied to fatty | 11 years ago
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fatty wrote:
cat1commuter wrote:

Gosh; I really don't think it looks much better or worse than any other helmet.

Helmets do have a front and a back, right...?

Not if you look at postmen in our area lol

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Ghedebrav | 11 years ago
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Wonder if they'll carry on with the yellow helmets for the top-placed team thing? Just wondering if it was possible for the Sky riders to look even more stylish, what with these beauties and "21ST CENTURY FOX" painted on their wee rumps.

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edster99 | 11 years ago
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I will not be buying.
If I need to keep my head warm in the winter, I wear a cap.
If I think I need the aero advantage, I consider my riding ability and likely average speed, and decide i'm better off spending more time thinking about rule #5.
That covers most scenarios!

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Dog72 | 11 years ago
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They look "Special"
Or a top down view of power ranger mask.

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Ghostie | 11 years ago
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It's a 1990s piss pot cycling helmet revival. Mushroom head ahoy! Yuk.  31

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Ghedebrav | 11 years ago
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Scene: a Major Cycling Brand HQ, board room...

CEO: "Crap, what do you mean, Product Guy, the new roadie disc rakes aren't ready yet? How are we going to bilk money from gullible Freds now?"

Product Guy: "Sorry boss, it turns out that they just aren't working very well. It's the electronic gear-shifters all over again"

CEO: "Goddammit F%**A$$"

Marketing Guy: "I think I may have a solution... Product Guy, how long would it take you to bang out some helmets *without* the aero-holes in? Maybe just drop in a dent or something?"

Product Guy: "Pretty quickly I suppose, why? I can't imagine it makes any difference to how fast you can go."

CEO: "And haven't we said for years that helmets with holes in go faster?"

Marketing Guy: "Seriously boss, Freds will believe anything if the pro-peloton does it first. Just knock out some $3 lids in the plant in the Chinese factory, stick them on top of our rolling billboards in one of the big races and we'll put out a press statement packed with technical mumbo-jumbo about air resistance and presto - the dorks'll be trading in their old mushrooms for these new ones within the week. let's make the mark-up, oh, 2,000%. That should fill the gap on the P&L sheet."

CEO: "Marketing Guy, you are literally a genius. If it wasn't for you, cyclsts would still be acheiving more-or-less the same speed on practical steel bicycles that lasted them decades. Blow-jobs all round!"

 19

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Timsen | 11 years ago
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No matter what the cost, if its worn by Sky there will be plenty of takers.... however ridiculous it looks !

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gbzpto | 11 years ago
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i really hate these new aero helmets lets just hope the general public don't buy them so they quietly disappear

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Super Domestique | 11 years ago
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I'm going to dig out my old Giro Hammerhead II in Jungle Jim finish and look all up to date!  16

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jollygoodvelo | 11 years ago
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Looks about the same as a Raleigh lid I had in about 1995. That is to say, ridiculous.

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banzicyclist2 | 11 years ago
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Adjustable vents would be great in winter too. I need to replace a rather old Specailised helmet in the near future, and would consider one of these ................ if the price is right you know, gets past the wife test.  1

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Super Domestique | 11 years ago
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Lots of new info/announcements on sky website daily now, leading up to the tour. Still waiting on the bike contract one.

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