Catlike

Chrono Aero WT Helmet

In the states, the long, wispy tails of time-trial helmets have started going the way of the buffalo, seemingly overnight. Bell, Giro, and Louis Garneau have all recently bucked the elongated javelin style helmets in favor of shorter, stubbier TT helmets. But across the pond, European helmet manufacturers like the Spaniards at Catlike have been ahead of the curve in designing their flagship Chrono Aero Helmet. Through extensive wind tunnel testing, the stubby tail has been deemed more efficient and faster in crosswinds, and has an additional advantage during team time trials where the riders are required to be more keenly aware of their position and surroundings.

Time trial stages are typically short, but rarely lacking in discomfort. Catlike's hours in the design lab ensure that at least your head will remain comfortable. The singular, in-molded shell also features Catlike's CES (Crash Energy Splitter) technology which disperses impact energy along the internal skeletal structure of the helmet. Catlike uses an open-cell foam to pad the flexible ear flaps, making the helmet much easier to pull on and eliminating any painful pinching along the side of your head. Dialing in your fit is also a painless affair, as Catlike has equipped the Chrono Aero with a cradle for the back of your neck. This cradle is fully adjustable, and independent of the helmet straps. Its tension can be tightened or loosened with the simple turning of the ratchet dial — like Giro's RocLoc or Garneau's Spiderlock systems.

Racing under Spain's blistering summer sun requires a level of cooling that only Catlike could understand. The helmet has only a single ventilation port at the front of the helmet — a single, massive air intake shaped like the Catlike logo. It's a refreshing design choice that is as bold as it is functional, and one that further serves to illustrate Catlike's predilection for unorthodox design in differentiating itself from the masses. The helmet also features two streamlined exhaust ports on the back and tail of the helmet that leave airflow largely uninterrupted as you slice through the wind.

The Catlike Chrono Aero WT is the same helmet issued to the Spanish team MoviStar for time trial stages. It is available in either Medium (54 - 56cm) or Large (57 - 60cm) sizes, and comes in Black/White/Grey, Blue/White/Black, Orange/White/Black, or Red/White/Black.