Unreleased Canyon helmet that ditches traditional helmet straps in favour of new mono-strap leaked

Canyon has sparked some conversations about the future of cycling helmets with its unreleased lid that throws the conventional helmet straps out the window. Perhaps even more shockingly the structure might require you to wear your cycling glasses under the straps! We spotted the new, unreleased helmet on the heads of Canyon-sponsored riders Petr Vakoc and Jasper Ockeloen in pictures taken at the Santa Vall gravel stage race in Girona. 

To call the new innovation featured on the new Canyon helmet a 'strap' of any kind is a stretch, as the design altogether forgoes the Y-shaped strap configuration we all are familiar with. Instead, there is a single, solid-looking 'arm' that extends in front of the ear and then attaches to a softer strap and buckle under the chin. The arm is coupled with what seems like an adjustable, pivoting strap anchor and yes, there really is nothing behind the ear at all. 

With a sleek profile and strategic vent placements, the helmet has an aerodynamic vibe to it with only a few front vents paired with a closed top and three larger vents at the rear. Though, Vacoc was also seen riding another, more ventilated helmet with the same strap, which indicates there might be a few new products launched sometime in the near future. 

As much as Canyon has used a camouflaged colourway on this helmet, there is one thing that cannot go unnoticed, and that is the fact that both Vakoc and Ockeloen had the arms of their glasses beneath the plastic-looking single arm. This could indicate a deliberate design choice or an unintended consequence of the bulkier anchor system – but it's evident that when it comes to cycling fashion police, it's nearing a crime. 

While we can agree there's nothing super remarkable about the look of the helmet itself, the new strap(less) design is very unique, and the tangible benefits of it remain unclear for now. If you have ideas though, let us know in the comments!

Of course, because this is a helmet it needs to meet all sorts of safety standards before it can be sold, and as it seems to be near impossible to find another helmet without a Y-strap, it'll be interesting to see if there are safety claims attached to Canyon's new design.

We approached Canyon for more details about the helmet and Aaron Budd, Canyon's Head of Sales and Marketing in the UK, said: 

"I can confirm that this is a Canyon product. We're working with selected Canyon athletes on innovative developments. We rely on studying these real-world testing conditions to ensure these developments make the grade at the highest level so that they may eventually be brought into a consumer landscape.

I can't say anything more specific about the technology or its release, but we are excited about the results."

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