The fight to make the wildest-looking aero TT helmet is going strong in the pro peloton, and Ekoi’s new Pure Aero is a strong contender. And one you can already buy now. With an almost comically oversized cowl and visor, the Pure Aero promises pure aerodynamic gains with a design developed with Artificial Intelligence. And it’s apparently already been ridden to 2 World Championship wins…
Ekoi Pure Aero TT helmet designed by AI
We’ve seen some pretty wild aero TT helmets in the past year – kicked off by the Giro Aerohead 2.0 that gave off strong Spaceballs vibes. It also fueled fervent discussions about whether these extreme aerodynamic designs might actually be UCI illegal? Ultimately the UCI assessed more of what helmet makers could and couldn’t do, and the floodgates were opened.
The Ekoi R&D team described it as such a fast-moving development, that they had to pull out all the stops – even artificial intelligence – to quickly rethink their own aero TT helmet design.
Development from AI to CFD to the wind tunnel
To turn around the new helmet with just 1 year of R&D and testing, Ekoi used AI to compare all other helmets out there, to create a new design, and then turned to CFD to refine what would become the Pure Aero helmet.
Ekoi says they had three goals when they set out to create their all-new Pure Aero TT helmet. They needed to optimize comfort & ergonomics so riders could easily stay in their most aero position longer, then to ensure great visibility while the rider was deep in their aero tuck, and of course, they wanted the absolute ultimate in aerodynamic performance.
Giving a little insight into how one aero helmet can be fastest for all riders, Ekoi created their design based on 3D scans of 3 top TT & triathlon athletes with greatly varying body sizes & shapes – Stéphane Rossetto, Patrick Lange & Chris Froome. That way, Ekoi leveraged CFD development to test how airflow shifted over different body types.
The result is a wide bulbous shell with a classic narrow but short tail. Then, it gets a huge integrated visor with sides that even slightly flare out at the bottom to redirect air around the front of the rider.
Tech details
Ultimately, Ekoi claims a 6% reduction of aerodynamic drag vs. any other helmet on the market. For a savings of 13W at 50 km/h race average speeds.
- conventional aerodynamic polycarbonate shell over EPS foam construction
- Smoke-tinted polycarbonate lens/visor (VLT 22%): for sunny or slightly overcast conditions
- ventilation uses the large space between the visor & rider’s face to draw air into internal ventilation channels, without needing external vents
- BOA dial fit adjustment system at the back
- Fidlock magnetic buckle for the chinstrap
- available in a single M/L size for 55-60cm heads
- 415g claimed weight
Ekoi Pure Aero TT & Tri helmet – Pricing, options & availability
The all-new Ekoi Pure Aero TT helmet sells for $395 / 350-400€ (country dependent). And it is available now directly from Ekoi.
For now, the helmet comes in just one widely adjustable size (55-60cm) and in six color options. You get to pick from a white or black main shell, with red, blue, or holographic silver racing stripes. And then it gets simple white or black Ekoi logos.
First raced at last summer’s Tour de France, Patrick Lange wore it to his 3rd Ironman World Championship last October in Kona. Then, in November, Jelle Geens won gold at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships.
