Chrono Bike Helmets for Time Trials
Summary: The Chrono style is a special aerodynamic helmet for time trailing. It is not optimal for street use.
Chrono helmets are a very special type that is optimized for aerodynamics for use in time trials. The aero shape is advantageous at time trial speeds, primarily above 20 mph, so it is not of much use for ordinary street riding.
Early chrono models were shells only, and not certified for impact protection. Beginning in 2002, Louis Garneau introduced a chrono model certified to the US CPSC bicycle helmet standard. Two years later the European racing authorities required that chrono helmets used in time trials must meet the European EN 1078 bicycle helmet standard. That began a flurry of retrofitting as manufacturers tried to cram impact foam into their chrono shells. Depending on the amount of room available they were successful, but some had to redesign from scratch. Although they must sell very few of their chrono models, manufacturers believe that they lend prestige to the entire line.
The European CEN standard is less severe than the US CPSC bicycle helmet standard. Helmets built only to the CEN standard are less protective. One example of the difference is that CEN helmets are tested in 1.5 meter drops on the flat anvil, while a CPSC helmet has to perform at 2.0 meters. CEN helmets can be lighter and thinner.
USA Cycling has now accepted CEN helmets for races that it sanctions in the US. Here is their announcement. It does not even mention the level of protection provided by the helmet. That will soon eliminate many of the CPSC helmets used in racing, since most racers are loathe to give up any weight advantage and will buy the CEN helmets regardless of the level of protection. The CEN helmets cannot be sold in the US, but you can buy one over the Web if you don't mind paying the European price. We recommend insisting on a CPSC helmet, of course. Unfortunately when a racer has a head injury in a CEN helmet it will be assumed by most that it was a CPSC standard helmet that failed to protect.
The tail of a chrono helmet is not an asset for anything but aero shape. It is long and provides a great place to snag your head in a fall, twisting your head and neck. We don't recommend chrono helmets for street or trail use.
Riding in a chrono helmet is not simple if you want the full aero effect. Racers train in wind tunnels for best positioning because a degree or two of tilt can change everything. The tail must lie flat against your back for aerodynamics, so you can't tilt your head to look down at your computer or check your gears without poking the tail up into the windstream. If you have to stand on a hill you will lose the advantage unless you have practiced riding out of the saddle but bent over in a tuck. You may get more aero advantage by losing a pound or two off your waist or hips.
Weights shown below are the manfacturers claim. Accuracy is likely to vary, and there are size and accessory differences, so weighing the helmet yourself is the only way to be sure.
Chrono Helmet Models
Bell Meteor II: designed by adding foam under the Bell Meteor to meet the CEN standard, so it is limited in size to 59 cm heads and does not meet the US CPSC standard and will not be available in the US market. Weighs 315 grams.
Briko Chrono: has two large rear vents and a modest tail that is more rounded than sharply tapered. It has a plastic face shield. It is certified only to the European EN 1078 bike helmet standard, so you can't buy it in the US but it would be accepted by the USA Cycling for racing here. Weighs 409 grams/13.1 oz. We don't see the Chrono in Briko's 2007 catalog, but assume it is still available.
Carrera Intruder: classic teardrop shape but with two panels of stippled material glued into indentations on the surface. Two top vents and a tiny vent on each side.
Casco Warp II
This 2006 German helmet is an almost perfectly round and smooth track sprinter's helmet with an above-the-nose shield completing the rounding.
The shape is flawless for crashing. Casco claims it is equally flawless for aerodynamics "according to the latest findings of the automobile industry." This seems like a reaction to the aero tails that have set the fashion in chrono and other high end bicycle helmets for the last decade. It has no vents, costs 250 Euros and only meets the CEN standard.
Catlike Chrono: Catlike has a new chrono model for 2007. It is molded in the shell and designed to meet the European EN 1078 bike helmet standard.
Cratoni Chrono: Short shell does not fully meet the shoulder or back. No vents. Certified only to the European EN 1078 bike helmet standard. Weight is cited as 270 grams, if accurate very light for a chrono. Fits heads 54 to 60cm/21.3 to 23.6 inches.
Giro: Giro has a time trial/pursuit helmet that according to Bicycle Retailer and Industry News will not be sold to consumers. Lance Armstrong and the Posties used the Giro Advantage and Rev VI time trial helmets in Tour de France time trials. The Advantage is now available to consumers in Europe, but the Rev VI was designed only for Lance. Press reports indicate that the Advantage was designed for the European CEN standard. It is a long tail design open underneath the tail that meets the rider's back if the rider is in correct position. The Rev VI has a lump in the back. Both helmets have small slit vents and the underside of the tail is open.
In 2007 Giro launched the Advantage 2 in the US market. It meets the CPSC impact standad, and is molded in the shell with five small vents. It retails for $250.
KED Zeitfahren: KED's chrono model comes in long and short versions. The short version is called the Track and looks like a regular bike helmet but is smooth-skinned with no vents except in the rear. The long version is the Time Trial and has a long tail that will extend to the rider's back. It has no vents. Both have CEN certification only.
LAS Chrono: Long polycarbonate shell, no front vents and an integrated clear partial front face shield. Very long tail to reach the rider's back with a slight shoulder hump. Certified to both the CPSC and CEN standards. Ring fit for 54 to 61cm heads. Retail is $240. Trialtir's 2006 catalog photo showed the rider with the tail sticking up in the air.
Lazer Chrono 3: Lazer's version of the chrono shape has a short tail style. It is molded in the shell with unfortunate external strap anchors, three small vents and a ring fit system. It has both CEN and CPSC certification. Weight is a light 300g. Retails for $190.
Lazer Bullet: new for 2008, a chrono-shaped helmet with a longer tail than the Chrono 3 and a few long, narrow vents. The black shell looks like carbon fiber but is not. Ring fit.
Limar Chrono 05: Limar's 2005 aerodynamic pursuit and time trial helmet with CPSC certification is molded in the shell with small vents in the rear and three unfortunate lumpy external strap anchors. The shell is long to reach the shoulders. Face shield optional. Limar says the short shape permits more efficient bike position and works better when the rider is out of aero position or standing. Weighs 330g. Ring fit. Retails for $200.
Limar Superchrono: Limar's CEN-only chrono with ring fit system and a taped on shell has two large front vents. Not for the US market. Pricing is described as "affordable."
Louis Garneau Rocket: A 2005 chrono design from LG, the maker of the first chrono meeting the CPSC standard in 2002. This is Garneau's second generation, and there are improvements in the form of a longer, slicker shape with a full shell covering all the impact foam, a curved buckle that fits facial contours and can be manipulated with one hand, and four small vents in the front. Retail price is $180. The windscreen is available separately for $30.
Louis Garneau Chrono: Very similar to the original LG chrono model, in a classic teardrop shape. Has three small vents. Retail is $90.
MET Pac III: This Italian company has a long-tailed design with two vents. It weighs 290 grams and comes in two sizes to fit 53 to 59 cm heads. MET's helmets are not available in the US or Canada.
Rudy Project Syton Supercomp: Another Italian company, with a chrono model with more vents than most, a face shield and a split tail. Molded in the shell. There are unique pieces on the sides that extend down to about the cheekbones, called "bionic wings." Medium length tail does not get all the way down to the shoulder. Comes with plugs for the front vents. Ring fit with two shell sizes to fit 54 to 61 cm heads. Comes in red, white and blue as well as white. CPSC certification. $200.
Rudy Project Syton Open: the Supercomp without side pieces or face shield, retailing for $160.
Selev Tempo: long tailed model with a full lower cover that comes all the way down to the neck. Vents, with some lines sculpted in the shell rather than a completely smooth profile. Meets the EN1078 standard. Has an internal radio wire channel. Fits sizes 54 to 59 cm. (21.6 to 23.2 inches).
Shain BK500: actually a road helmet with an additional fairing added on the exterior and a clear face shield. There are three small front vents, five total. Meets the CPSC standard. Normal EPS foam with Shain's inner shell, weighing 350 gr. It retails for $197. Certified to the CPSC standard.
Specialized: The 2006 Specialized TimeTrial2 chrono model does not appear anywhere we can find in retail or catalog literature, except for a catalog photo of the Cofidis team wearing them. It is not available through retail channels. Specialized says that the TimeTrial2 is certified to both CEN and CPSC standards, but they apparently use only the CEN sticker for the ones distributed in Europe. The CPSC sticker is one of the requirements to meet the standard, so it would have to be inside the ones certified for use in the US.
Spiuk Kronos: Spiuk's chrono model comes in the classic teardrop shape with two small front vents and a rear vent through the tail. Ring fit. Meets the US CPSC bicycle helmet standard. Appears to be a fairing that was put over a normal EPS foam liner. Retail is $230.
Uvex Factory Pilot 2: A classic chrono design with a long tail that lies flat on the riders back and is covered on the bottom. Has low sides, and a nicely integrated face shield. It has an Acoustic Warning System that hums when it is off-center to alert the rider to less-than-ideal aero performance. Weighs 280 g. Meets the European EN 1078 standard but not CPSC. Retails for $500, the most expensive chrono we have seen, but Uvex says it is not available through retail channels. Look for it on the T-Mobile TT team.
This page was last revised on: December 16, 2007.
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