New time trial and triathlon helmet adds years of exclusive time trial experience with adjustable profile to create fastest TT/Tri helmet ever
(29 May 2011– Scotts Valley, CA) – Giro, the cycling world’s design leader since 1985, has announced the launch of the all-new Selector helmet. Combining a built-in eye shield with a self-adjusting fit system and an adjustable lower tail section that optimizes the helmet to match the rider’s back, the Selector is a revolution in the aero helmet category. It’s also the most aerodynamically efficient helmet available based on Giro’s extensive test data, one that gives measurable real-world performance gains.
“The Selector is the only aero helmet available to consumers that benefits from more than 25 years of experience in designing aerodynamic helmets,” said Giro Senior Brand Manager Eric Richter. “It represents hundreds of hours in the wind tunnel, countless hours spent creating and evaluating models and prototypes, and real-world feedback from top professionals. That all comes together to create the ultimate weapon when every split-second counts.”
With the challenge of optimizing helmets to match the body shapes and positions of so many elite riders, including Lance Armstrong who requires a very specific helmet design to minimize drag, Giro engineers sought to create a helmet that could be customized to fit a wide range of riders and course conditions, without compromising performance. This line of thinking led to the Selector, a helmet that addresses the market with a customizable approach to performance, rather than the traditional “one solution for all” approach.
Giro engineers utilized their unparalleled testing resources to create the sleekest front profile possible. The built-in eye shield’s vents allow cool air into deep channels inside the helmet’s liner to help disperse heat, before sending it out exhaust vents to the rear. And it is at the rear of the helmet where the revolution truly begins. An uninterrupted transition from helmet crown to the rider’s back is one of the biggest factors in aerodynamic efficiency and the Selector is the first helmet to allow tuning of that transition. For the first time, riders can choose between a shorter, 10mm tail section for those with a relatively flat –backed position, or a 45mm tall section for those with a more compact or hunched position. Further optimizing aerodynamics, the Selector utilizes Giro’s new Roc Loc® TT system that self-adjusts, which eliminates the need for access to the system and allows the helmet to be closed at the rear.
The Selector was developed with the same core team of designers and engineers that have collectively helped Giro-sponsored riders to win countless major titles in the last decade, plus 9 of the last 11 Tours de France (confirm). This year, it will be the helmet of choice for riders from Radio Shack, Garmin-Cervelo, Rabobank and Trek-Livestrong U-23.