are these comparable helmets? are they both considered aero helmets? can you wear for both road & tri riding? any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
Yes, yes, and yes.
Add the LG course to your list and then pick one. 
My hierarchy would probably be…evade, course, and air attack (which I have). Of course the disclaimer here is that what may work for one person may not for another.
From what Jim@ERO sports has posted previously the order of “aero-ness”
(fast to slow)
- Spec Evade,
- LG course
- Giro Air Attack.
All of these are aero helmets.
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From what Jim@ERO sports has posted previously the order of “aero-ness”
(fast to slow)
- Spec Evade,
- LG course
- Giro Air Attack.
All of these are aero helmets.
Per road bike action’s wind tunnel test:
- Evade (0.225 CdA), 2. Air attack (0.228), 3. Course (0.234).
Of note, Giro Aeon 0.234, Bell Gage 0.234, Prevail 0.235, so in other words, LG Course didn’t seem any more aero than any other non aero, ventilated helmet. Maybe I’m misinterpreting the data, but a Giro Selector was 0.223, so I took it to mean that the difference between a full blown aero helmet and an air attack 0.005 was the same as the difference between the air attack and the Course 0.006, which is astounding.
That said, I have an air attack and a course, and like both. I can’t tell any difference between the two in terms of race times or “feel” on the bike except for a temperature difference on my head due to the difference in ventilation.
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again dependent on each person but check out what Jim’s said before and the guys who went to Aero Camp @ERO in late January
Not affiliated with LG…they’re just a client like everyone else who pays us to test product for them. For that reason, the results are their’s to share as they’d like, including what helmets they tested against. I can tell you they weren’t afraid to test it against any manufacturers dedicated aero road helmet and the athletes we tested with that day were also measured with full-aero helmets, so there are numbers out there. We’re also beginning to realize a particular manufacturer is quite confident in their products when they leave them for our athlete-clients to try during their personal fits and/or aero tests.
I think it’s always safe to say an aero road helmet is typically somewhere in between a standard road helmet (whatever that means these days… the lines are blurring) and the newer dedicated aero helmets. Not as fast, but a clear time savings. Hopefully I won’t get myself in trouble with this, but when Crowie tested the new Evade, it was very close to the TT02, which was quite surprising (not surprising to Specialized, though). I would say the Course is right there with it. Hopefully you’re getting my drift.
source: http://forum.slowtwitch.com/forum/Slowtwitch_Forums_C1/Triathlon_Forum_F1/LG_Course_Helmet_P4650299/
A few aero road helmets got tested. The consensus was you can do a triathlon in them but they are not faster than a real aero helmet. iirc we nicknamed one of the aero road helmets “The Salad Bowl” bc that was it’s best use.
An interesting find was we did have one person who’s regular road helmet tested out faster than their aero helmet. We found an aero helmet that worked extremely well, much better than the road aero helmet.
I think the what was proven is a real aero helmet is substantially faster than aero road helmet.
I have both…like both. My giro has a face sheild. In hot weather the evade is cooler. I wear both in training, but I give the edge to the giro when racing.
Do you have a link to this? Or what magazine was it in exactly?
Did they have yaw angle sweeps etc?
From what Jim@ERO sports has posted previously the order of “aero-ness”
(fast to slow)
- Spec Evade,
- LG course
- Giro Air Attack.
All of these are aero helmets.
Per road bike action’s wind tunnel test:
- Evade (0.225 CdA), 2. Air attack (0.228), 3. Course (0.234).
Of note, Giro Aeon 0.234, Bell Gage 0.234, Prevail 0.235, so in other words, LG Course didn’t seem any more aero than any other non aero, ventilated helmet. Maybe I’m misinterpreting the data, but a Giro Selector was 0.223, so I took it to mean that the difference between a full blown aero helmet and an air attack 0.005 was the same as the difference between the air attack and the Course 0.006, which is astounding.
That said, I have an air attack and a course, and like both. I can’t tell any difference between the two in terms of race times or “feel” on the bike except for a temperature difference on my head due to the difference in ventilation.
46 Likes
Looks like the April 2014 issue of Road Bike Action. I need to see if I can find a copy. Based on a quick google search looks like they were at VeloSports Center then tested stuff at Faster.
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Road Bike Action Magazine.
No other additional details, just the following table:
The test in last month’s “Road Bike Action” was based on track (velodrome) testing - not wind tunnel.
.
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Also if you read the full article carefully the LG shoots to be equal with the best on another rider’s head. So how you hold your head had an impact so I would not let that one discrete piece of info dissuade you from the Course.
It is a great helmet especially if you want good venting. I live in a very hot area during the summer so for a primarily road helmet poor ventilation is a non starter.
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Those numbers came from a rider who’s head was down looking just forward of her front wheel the entire time. If you want the fastest all-around road-aero helmet, it’s the Evade. If you like some venting but still want an aero advantage, go with the Course.
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I used the Evade for the first time last weekend at the Mooloolaba Triathlon, my previous helmet was the selector. Rode a PB (57 low) to boot.
I am amazed how well this tested because the venting is really impressive, especially needed when it was humid and in the mid-30s.
The only thing I’ve found is that the helmet does fit a little differently than the prevail. It’s a little tighter in the back of the helmet (that’s just me). Whereas the prevail fits perfectly the evade is noticeably uncomfortable, but the Large is WAY too big me. It means this will only be used at races (which really isn’t a huge deal as the amount of venting it has means it won’t be much different to wearing a prevail on a really cold morning).
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Jim - How ‘down’ are we talking, I’m looking at the Course or Evade for this season and am leaning towards the course based on looks alone. Quick check from my fit video has me looking down by 18 - 20 degrees. Is this enough / too much for the course? I know it’s a very individual subject but I don’t see me getting and in wind tunnel any time soon…
1 Like
I currently wear the Rudy Project Wingspan. I have a small head and tend to look down for the majority of my ride. With my small head and the Wingspans one size fits all, I feel like there is a huge gap between my head and the helmet. Would a helmet like the Air Attack be more appropriate?
Forgive me, but all I know about CdA is Lower=Better… What’re the implications of 0.00X saved, in say Watts or seconds??
37 Likes
Had some free time in the office today from my play with the maths and came up with this: At 250w we’re looking at a 0.20km/h speed increase for a 0.01 reduction in cda. So useing lots to ‘rules of thumb’ thats around 10w or 3min at an Ironman.
Which is about what the Evade is meant to save you over a road helment according to Specialized so I must be in the ball park.
Forgive me, but all I know about CdA is Lower=Better… What’re the implications of 0.00X saved, in say Watts or seconds??
Easiest thing is just to remember the rule of thumb.
.005 CdA=50gr drag=5 watts=.5sec/km
35 Likes
Funny … it’s the first road helmet I’ve ever owned that really seemed to fit the shape of my head perfectly. The interior is more oval than most. If you’re a Charlie Brown type, it may not feel like such a good fit. 