MET’s new wide-body Codatronca short-tail aero tri & TT helmet promises faster times against the clock, no matter how perfectly you maintain your aero tuck. Almost every major helmet maker offers a slippery aero helmet for triathlon & time trials. But for the most part, as you get tired in an all-out effort and start to bob your head or deviate from your optimized aero position on the bike, those long helmets quickly become an aero liability.
MET Codatronca wide, short-tail aero road triathlon & TT helmet
MET’s solution is an aero helmet that is both shorter, but also wider than most fully optimized aero lids. Short-tail aero helmets aren’t really something new, as several other companies have been making them for years, both for racing in changing wind conditions & for riders who routinely move their heads a lot while in an aero tuck.
But MET claims their Codatronca’s ‘wide body’ design specifically improves airflow over a rider’s shoulders, one of the largest leading surfaces of the rider in an aero tuck, and a natural area of turbulence. Looking at a helmet on its own, that might seem like a stretch. But look at a ride from the front, and we thought, why didn’t someone else think of that?
MET Codatronca wide, short-tail aero helmet – Tech Details
The Codatronca’s shape from the top doesn’t look that different from the aero foil shapes we see pervading cycling these days. So MET’s talk of developing the new aero triathlon/TT helmet in the wind tunnels of Politecnico di Milano and the Milano Newton Lab seem legit. But beyond aero claims in varying wind angles and varying rider head positions, the new Codatronca gets a few other key tech details as well.
In order to keep from overheating, the new helmet places three small vents right at the front of the forehead, where air pressure is highest cutting into the wind. MET says this maximizes airflow into the helmet, without really creating any additional turbulence. Out back then, a single vent scoop lets hot air out where airflow transitions to the rider’s back.
A wide magnetic clip-on shield makes for clean airflow of the rider’s face, with a completely unobstructed field of view, even in the convoluted aero tuck, riders usually endure especially in shorter distance races.
More magnets in the Fidlock closure promise easy fastening the helmet & claims of quick triathlon transitions. I’ve used this exact clasp on another (non-MET) MTB helmet, and it is super easy to use and instantly quick to latch, even with one hand. A Safe-T Orbital dial closure with a belt that fully encircles your head offers a secure adaptable fit, with vertical adjustment and a ponytail-friendly design.
The short & wide MET Codatronca aero helmet comes in three sizes (S-L or 52-61cm) and in tow colors – white with black details or black with red details. The in-mold EPS aero helmet includes a tinted shield, with clear & mirror shields also available separately. A medium helmet has a claimed weight of 370g, and the helmet is both CE & AS/NZ certified.
MET Codatronca – Pricing & Availability
The new MET Codatronca aero helmet will be available for £270/300€ starting in December 2018.
But based on the timing of its announcement, we suspect it will get a racing debut this coming weekend at the Kona Ironman World Champs.
