[Closed] Cav and co's sealed helmets

As someone pointed out above it's the "aggregation of marginal gains". Team sky were using closed helmets in the tour on some days too.

Cav can win or lose by the tiniest of margins so every advantage helps. The guys were all wearing skinsuits as well I think. In the sprint aero would matter and if you arrive a little bit fresher because of your kit then even better.

I can see the advantage of a closed helmet for winter riding or wet weather riding because it would keep you head warmer and dry. No where to clip my light to though.

Going slightly OT (well maybe) with all this talk of marginal gains, aerodynamics etc. I noticed that both Cav and G had not shaved yesterday. Were they conforming to the road cycling old wives tale that you shouldn't shave on your biggest days as it saps strength? I remember Lemond actually stating that he had done so for one of the TTs in the Tour, I think 1990.

aracer - interesting to do the maths though I'm not sure proper aero wheels are only 100g heavier than lighter ones but the point stands. Plus, aero gains are always going to vary significantly depending on the situation - speed, climbing, shelter from the pack, etc

@ speaker2animals - almost certainly, and I suspect that they only ate the middle bits out of their bread rolls as well

Don't underestimate the power of psychology.

you shouldn't shave on your biggest days as it saps strength?

Or more practically for me and many others I know, it avoids shaving rash which can be a pain, literally, when you then sweat lots and/or have a helmet strap rubbing it. Just another distraction that you don't really need.

not sure if anyone else has said this, but I wouldn't want a bike helmet with slidey pointy vents in things in that are going to stab me in the head if I crash.
I believe cycle helmets are supposed to crack and fragment on impact whereas ski helmets have a hard shell which keeps the form of the helmet after impact.

..this is a part of the reason why we don't use motorcycle helmets on a bike. Helmet design is a compromise but any weight that does not add to the protection is unhelpful.

Leatt style neck braces have recently become commonplace in DH to help protect against rotational injuries.

The cynic in me would also say the provide a nice set of flat pannels to stick sponsors logos over what arent flapping arround in the breeze and therefore being easy to photograph.

that's not cynicism
that's actively pursuing cynicism, which there must be another word for

you're right Brakes it's not being a cynic, it's being a fanny.

Leatts cover a fairly large area of the riders jersey, which funnily enough usually has sponsors logo's on 🙄