On Friday, EKOÏ unveiled its new R2 carbon road bike helmet, just in time for the Tour de France. The brand states that this new lightweight, carbon-topped lid was specifically “designed with thermal management as its top priority,” and to “meet the demand of climbers and riders competing in hot weather conditions.”
It was a timely product launch indeed, with an extreme heatwave across much of Europe and temperatures expected to soar above 40° C during the opening stages of the Tour — possibly longer. With temperatures like those, riders will certainly need all the help they can get to stay cool during the mountain stages, and frankly, every other stage of the Tour.
“With the R2 CARBON, our goal was to create the ultimate helmet for climbers: extremely lightweight, exceptionally ventilated, and aerodynamic enough to remain highly efficient in every race situation. It is another example of our commitment to pushing the boundaries of high-performance cycling equipment,”
-Lucas Viano, Helmet Product Manager at EKOÏ
EKOÏ R2 Carbon Details
EKOÏ says the new R2 Carbon helmet was developed with the world’s best riders. In the Tour, both the NSN Cycling Team and Lotto-Intermarché WorldTour teams will be taking advantage of this brand-new, gram-saving, and highly-ventilated R2 Carbon helmet. Of course, it has been designed with climbing in mind, but I’d wager they’ll be using it for more than just the mountain stages.
EKOÏ says its new R2 Carbon helmet strikes a balance between lightweight construction, ventilation, and aerodynamics. Three performance attributes that are often tricky to combine. Of those attributes, thermal management was the highest priority, and it was designed to provide maximum ventilation on the most grueling climbs and in the hottest temperatures.
According to EKOÏ, “Thanks to its highly ventilated structure and optimized design, the helmet helps riders maintain a more stable body temperature while delivering an aerodynamic efficiency close to that of dedicated aero helmets, particularly at the lower speed typical of climbing.”
Construction
The R2 Carbon’s helmet has a typical in-mold construction, which is topped with its namesake carbon upper shell. It uses a BOA Fit System to optimize fit and stability on the head, and a Fidlock magnetic buckle to secure the chinstrap. According to the brand, the R2 Carbon’s lightweight construction results in a claimed weight of just 238 grams. It comes in sizes S, M, and L.
Cooling Gains
EKOÏ states that it has ventilation optimized for hot weather. Details are somewhat sparse, but it appears there are five intake vents across the front of the helmet, with three wide-open ventilation channels running front to back over the top of the head. According to EKOÏ, “Measurements taken during development show a 19.6% increase in the Heat Transfer Coefficient (HTC) compared to other helmets on the market.”
What does that mean for riders? “In practical terms, this improvement promotes better airflow around the scalp and speeds up heat dissipation during efforts. Internal simulations indicate up to 1°C of extra cooling at scalp level.” In the real world, EKOI suggests that this improvement in cooling could result in a performance gain of 0.5% to 1.5%.
Availability
You can see the new EKOÏ R2 carbon in action over the course of the next few weeks on the heads of NSN Cycling Team and Lotto-Intermarché WorldTour teams. We wish them the best of luck and hope it helps them climb faster and keep their heads cool during what is projected to be a very hot Tour de France.
While WorldTour pros will be wearing the R2 Carbon for the Tour and beyond, EKOÏ says it will be available to buy at the end of 2026. It will be offered in two versions, including a “Carbon Top” model (presumably painted?) and one with a more exposed carbon finish. The brand did not share any pricing details.
