BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
Rudy Project officially introduced its new Wingdream time trial helmet this past week at the Giro d’Italia stage seven time trial.
The helmet, which debuted in February this year as a preliminary version, camouflaged with a wrap, was worn by Team Bahrain Victorious athletes during time trials at the Tirreno-Adriatico, Paris-Nice, and the Tour de Romandie.
The Wingdream, the result of two years of development, takes aerodynamic studies and applies them specifically to improve the management of turbulence at the athlete’s back, as well as its air penetration coefficient. Here, the Wingdream helmet’s shape directs the airflow towards the athlete’s shoulders, enhancing aerodynamics.
Whilst the design has been “optimised design for the typical aero position”, the brand points out that testing also ensures “high performance even in less frequent conditions, such as strong crosswinds”.
From internal tests conducted in a wind tunnel by Rudy Project, the new helmet reportedly allows an energy saving of almost 10 watts when compared to the brand’s previous time trial model, the Wing
This translates to:
- About four seconds saved every 10 kilometres, equivalent to more than a minute, for example, over an Ironman distance (180 km).
When compared to a traditional road model:
- Wingdream allows a gain of 306 seconds over an Ironman distance (180 km), assuming a constant power of 200W.
Safety and certifications
Like its predecessors, this new helmet has been certified by third-party international bodies, proving safe in every aspect, from impact tests to rotational tests.
Furthermore, UCI approval allows its use in all professional and amateur cycling events.
Available from October
The Wingdream helmet, designed for triathletes and cyclists engaged in time trial races, will be available to the public in 2 sizes and 2 colours from October 2024.
This new model joins an established range of helmets that Rudy Project already provides to Team Bahrain Victorious, a Rudy Project partner since 2016:
- Egos, which features an internal structure designed to maximize ventilation and intended for hot days.
- Nytron, a ventilated aerodynamic helmet capable of reducing head temperature.
- Nytron Pro, more focused on aerodynamic efficiency.
