Keep a cool head

Lazer Helmets, Star Tribune

The $175 Lazer Tardiz helmet was made for maximum aerodynamics in bike time-trial events.

By STEPHEN REGENOLD

Last update: August 30, 2009 - 5:14 PM

Keep a cool head

Belgium-based Lazer Helmets now has an office in Minneapolis. The company, established in 1919, is among the oldest helmet manufacturers in the world. But that doesn't keep it from innovating in the realm of head-protection products.

Its latest, the $175 Tardiz helmet, was made for maximum aerodynamics in bike time-trial events. It has a two-part shell design to minimize air resistance.

The result is a Storm Trooper lid that allows hot air to escape from a slot between the two layers, keeping a rider cooler, according to the company. The wind-tunnel-based theory is that dimples then allow the escaped air to "stick" to the back of the helmet and "create small turbulences" to reduce drag.

To let a rider further manage heat while racing, Lazer (www.lazerhelmets.com) added a water vent. A rider can squeeze water from a bike bottle through a port on the front of the helmet. The water then seeps in the helmet's perforated padding, cooling racers as they crank toward a finish line far beyond.

STEPHEN REGENOLD

Recent Health + Wellness stories

1 million Maclaren strollers recalled due to risk of fingertip amputation - August 30, 2009

1 million Maclaren strollers recalled due to risk of fingertip amputation - About a million Maclaren strollers sold by Target and Babies "R" Us were recalled Monday, after 12 reports of children having their fingertips amputated by a hinge mechanism. More