BBB Tithon

If you want top aero performance for that final burst to the line at the end of a race, coupled with reasonable ventilation, the BBB Tithon is a great option.

Let's start with that ventilation, which you'd be right in thinking isn't spectacular. Of course it isn't: there are only two holes at the front and three at the rear. However, the way they work in practice by pulling air through from a high pressure to low pressure area means you do still get a surprisingly good level of airflow in spite of appearances.

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I'll be honest – a warm summer's day will defeat me in this – but anything less than that and I'm impressed. It's one of those helmets where, if all you're interested in is saving the odd watt here or there at the end of a race, then it's going to appeal; if not, then it's likely you'd be better suited to one with more ventilation.

The aero profiling comes from extensive wind-tunnel testing and 3D modelling, and BBB has won the Red Dot Design Award and the Taipei Bike Show Design and Innovation Award for its efforts. Not bad.

On the road, it's hard to tell if it has a huge effect on your performance without access to the kind of data reserved for pros, but you can certainly feel how smoothly the Tithon deflects wind around your head. It certainly feels fast.

It's not at all uncomfortable to wear, either. Padding from high density foam is effective, and rings right around the front of the helmet to catch any extra sweat that the ventilation system hasn't been able to deal with.

The helmet is retained by a ratchet system BBB calls FlexClose, which works in fundamentally the same way as any other cranium retention setup by taking up the slack of the shell and fixing the helmet to your head. There's also a six-step system to adjust how far down the back of the head the system reaches too – good for those with 'long' heads.

The straps and clasps are lightweight yet sturdy – easy to do up and undo at the start and end of a ride, and serve their purpose competently. The helmet also conforms to all EU safety regulations, too.

In terms of style, personally I like the sleek lines, although I didn't like the white colourway of the helmet on test. Stick with the matt black unless you want to resemble a mushroom on your rides.

> Should you buy an aero helmet?

I also think it's very good value for money, especially considering the R&D that's gone into developing it. Okay, so you can't use it on the hottest days for fear of cooking, but other than that it's a great option for race cyclists looking for that last bit of speed on their sprint, or for anyone hoping to buy themselves an extra bit of aero efficiency.

Verdict

Top performance and good levels of comfort and cooling in a package that won't break the bank