Aero helmet or not in hot HIM
Noob getting ready for 1st HIM in 2 days
Local triclub discussion last night about upcoming HIM this weekend - expected weather = sunny & high of 88. The debate was what helmet to wear. Course is in farm country - 2 big hills and plenty of rollers - 2200' climbing on bike, 900' on run
Old salty vet (55 yr, 10x IM finisher) says "wear a head bandana under your regular helmet, keep the bandana wet @ aid stations - better ventialtion & wet rag will keep head much cooler - resulting in better bike leg = faster race"
Young bucks (20's & 30's) - say "wear your aero lid the 3-4 min time savings is more important"
Unfortunately my RR's have not had similar conditions. I've worn the aero lid on a couple warm training rides and head is much warmer but not unbearable - however i haven't had to get off and run 13.1
As I look @ my fancy Black Rudy Project helmet & limited vent slots combined with all the forum talk about heat adjustments - I'm leaning towards the regular helmet route.
FWIW - my race execution has me in T2 @ 1130 a.m. Run goals = 108 min (stretch goal=great day), 120 (realistic goal), 130+ (if the wheels fall off)
in haus opinions?
Comments
That brings me to another point. While the do-rag under the helmet will likely help keep sweat out of your eyes, I don't know about intentionally wetting it down to promote cooling the body temp if the water is already warm. You need evaporation to get cooling effect and if humidity levels are high, you'll have enough sweat already- adding water to it won't really help (unless it's cold/ice water).
I wear my black aero helmet for everything including Kona. However I wear a Zoot IceFil Dome under it, DeSoto makes the same thing as well and I'm sure others do to. It is just a cap that is designed to absorb the water and cool you off, and they do work even with warm water however cold water is much better if you can get it. If I get hot I just pour some water through a vent on the helmet and I cool off very quickly. I have done multiple 70.3s in the heat with out needing to pour water on, but in Kona I did.
http://www.zootsports.com/spring2010/product/ultra-icefil-dome-s11?category=mens/accessories
It's all true: an aero helmet will save time, 3-4 minutes in an HIM is not unreasonable. AND you can cook yourself in one, negating any advantage. I did that in a race in 90F temps with high humidity, racing in a Spiuk with no vents. I now have a Lazer Aero helmet with a hole in the top to pour water thru. Don/t forget, both Craig Alexander and Chrissie Wellington have won multiple Kona IMs racing in a standard helmet, beating others who were in aero.
I vote with those who favor comfort over speed for you; it's too easy in hot, humid weather to cross over the line and get cooked, literally.
Thx all for your input - now the expected temp is 91& humid - going with reg helmet - in our goody bad they included a "wool" skull cap - Wolsports is the sponsor - this should work nicely under the helmet
Aero helmet for sure. I just did Racine 70.3 this weekend in 93 degree heat. I wore the aero helmet and it worked out great!
Edit: btw I also have the Rudy Project...the Wingspan...I went with "all vents open" for the 90+ degree HIM but I went with "tail cover and partially open front" in a low-80s oly a few weeks ago and it was fine. I actually did a training ride in really hot weather when I got the helmet to see the difference between "vents open" and "vents closed" and truthfully I could not tell the difference over 45 minutes or so.
Good deal. So how did the reace turn out? It was last weekend, right?
Likewise, rode my Rudy Project Wingspan (black) at Racine last weekend with vents completely open, no tail cover. I don't find that particular helmet (in that configuration) to be all that much hotter than my standard rode helmet. I blasted a healthy amount of water through at each aid station and didn't find the heat to be a huge issue on the bike.
It's all personal I agree on the perceived hotness, but it's really hard to do that control properly. Are you hotter because it's hotter outside? Or because you wore the aero helmet?
I would not, however, advise doing what I did at IM KS 70.3 this year and wear a swim cap for the whole ride underneath your helmet... now THAT time I felt hotter than I thought I should! :-)
Further and more OT - I suffer in the heat and see this as one more variable pushing me towards overheating.
All that said, as I get faster with more work I will be buying an Aero Helmet -- It is my reward :-)
What do you train in??? I almost always wear my Lazer aero helmet on all my rides, no matter what the conditions are. I used my non aero helmet the other day just to see how it was and my neck and shoulders were killing me when I got done. Comfortable is smooth and smooth is fast. With all the vent options on the Rudy, I would not count it out on race day.
Good Luck!!!
I have a Giro Monza - the only helmet I own...
Too much information!
Gh