Is Dark Helmet Illegal? UCI Reevaluates Time Trial Helmet Design Rules!

Meme lords rejoiced with yesterday’s debut of the new Giro Aerohead II spaceship, I mean time trial helmet. But maybe the UCI wasn’t so impressed with Giro’s out-of-the-box thinking. Today the UCI announced plans for a new “in-depth analysis of the regulations governing the design and use of time trial helmets”. It seems the dramatically protruding proboscis on the front of Team Visma riders’ heads may have opened up a can of worms…

UCI rethinks the legality of aerodynamic TT helmet fairings

First up apparently, the aerodynamic neck sock of Specialized’s S-Works TT 5 aero time-trial helmet is out. A UCI review defined it as “non-essential”.

Next on the chopping block may be the new Giro Aerohead II.

Then, possibly Rudy Project’s next-generation Windgream HL 85, raced in gray camo by Bahrain Victorious.

The UCI also calls out the long-running POC Tempor. All these are said to potentially prioritize aerodynamics over the primary function of a helmet – to protect a cyclist’s head in a crash. No mention was given to similarly-aero TT helmets with windshields & fairings from Decathlon, Ekoi, Julbo, Kask, MET, Sweet Protection, Trek & more…

(gallery of photos all courtesy of Tirreno Adiratico via Twitter)

So anyway, the UCI is revisiting its regulations on aerodynamics time-trial helmets, with an aim of clarifying the rules and closing any loopholes.

Full wording of the UCI.org statement below:

05 MAR 2024

The UCI to carry out an in-depth analysis of the regulations governing the design and use of time trial helmets

The constant quest for improved performance and ever-increasing attention given to detail is leading professional teams and equipment manufacturers to develop their equipment more often and with ever more radical designs. The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) today wishes to clarify its position concerning the category of helmet.

Firstly, the UCI recently informed Specialized of a review it had conducted on the head sock component of the American company’s TT5 helmet. This review was carried out to determine whether the helmet was in line with article 1.3.033 of the UCI Regulations, which prohibits the use of “non-essential” components that are not exclusively for clothing or safety purposes.

After conducting a thorough process, which included consultation with Specialized, as well as examination of documentation linked to the helmet’s certification, safety instructions, and information from public sources, it was concluded that the head sock is a “non-essential” component (article 1.3.033 of the UCI Regulations). As a result, the head sock integrated into the TT5 helmet will no longer be permitted for use at events on the UCI International Calendar, effective from 2 April, 2024.

Regarding the helmet manufactured by Giro Sport Design, which was used by Team Visma|Lease a Bike at the Tirreno-Adriatico prologue, as well as the Rudy Project Windgream HL 85 helmet (used by Bahrain Victorious) and Poc Tempor helmet (used by several teams), the UCI acknowledges that while this may not directly contravene existing UCI Regulations, it raises a significant issue concerning the current and wider trend in time trial helmet design, which focuses more on performance than the primary function of a helmet, namely to ensure the safety of the wearer in the event of a fall.

In view of the evolution of these situations as well as other problems encountered in recent years, in relation to the requirement for commercial availability, the ban on non-essential components and the shape and size of time trial helmets, the UCI will undertake a review of its rules on the design and use of helmets in competition. By doing so, it wishes to ensure that they set a clear framework that is consistent with the objectives targeted. Any modification to these rules will be communicated rapidly after its adoption by the competent UCI bodies.