Limar debuts new Air Master aero helmet at the Giro d’Italia

Italian company Limar is using the Giro d’Italia, and its sponsorship of the Astana team, to debut its brand new Air Master aero helmet. It follows the launch of the Air Speed earlier this year, which has already scooped a handful of wins in the classics season, it’ll be hoping for similar success on the roads of Italy.

The Italian helmet brand is probably best known for producing some of the lightest helmets in the world, such as the Ultralight+, but this year its development has been focused on aerodynamic helmets since they are being demanded by professional cycling teams ever on the hunt for even the smallest performance gain.

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Compared to the Air Speed launched earlier this year, the new Air Master has a bigger focus on ventilation with an increase in the number of vents to 15, all designed with inner air flow channels to direct cooling air over your scalp. It’ll be ideal for the high temperatures the Astana team will face in the Giro d’Italia, especially the first couple of stages.

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“The goal is to offer a top aero and compact model, with a ventilation studied for the extreme performances of a Grand Tour, with its high temperatures,” explains the company.

Aerodynamic performance has not been ignored of course. The helmet has been developed and refined in a wind tunnel in Magny-Cours, France to “reach the best possible balance between aerodynamic and ventilation” says Limar.

The shape and position of the front vents are said to “reduce the air impact, making it slide along the shell and allowing a smooth detachment, with no turbulence”.

It also claims to have exploited the Venturi effect to allow a higher quantity of air to flow through the helmet vents without compromising the aerodynamic performance.

Inside the new helmet are antibacterial pads that can be removed for washing, and an Anti-Fit System providing vertical and horizontal adjustment.

The Air Master is available in two sizes with a claimed weight of between 240g and 260g.

It should be available in June - we’re hoping to get our hands on a sample before then - and is priced at £129.99.

More at www.limar.com