The Velocis is Bontrager’s top-of-the-range helmet, worn by Fabian Cancellara and his Trek Factory Racing team-mates. We’ve received one to review and will be wearing it over the weeks ahead, too.
We first saw the Velocis back in July 2013 and when it was introduced as Bontrager’s new flagship lid ahead of the existing Oracle helmet. The Velocis looks to combine the key ingredients we expect in a top-end lid – strength, low weight (a claimed 229g for out medium sample) and comfort – and strives to achieve all three without one compromising the other.
How say? All three are intertwined, as far as the Velocis is concerned. The helmet has a composite inner skeleton which Bontrager say increases its structural integrity, while allowing the use of larger air vents without compromising strength, and without adding weight. All in all, there are 22 air vents.
The helmet, which is available in five colours, uses Bontrager’s ‘Headmaster II’ fit system, which uses a dial at the rear of the cradle, which in itself can be adjusted to one of three heights in order to fine-tune the fit. The ‘AgION’ pad is said to be fast-wicking and anti-bacterial to avoid moisture and odour build-up, while the pad itself sits above recessed channels at the front of the helmet in a bid to improve airflow. The pad extends across the front of the helmet – something Bontrager call ‘Form Fit’ – and they say that stops sweat running down into the rider’s eyes.
Perhaps the Velocis’ most interesting feature is the ‘NeoVisor’, which is essentially a removable visor which slots in front of the brow band and stays in place with a handful of small velcro patches. The idea is that it offers the advantages of cycling cap – keeping the sun and rain out of your eyes – without compromising fit by actually having the cap under the helmet. Bontrager describe the ‘NeoVisor’ as game-changing and while we wouldn’t go that far (we’ll find out if its genuinely useful or a gimmick), it’s an interesting detail which, along with the rest of the Velocis’ feature, makes it stand out as a high-performance helmet worth investigating.
And that’s exactly what we’ll be doing. Check back for a review in the coming weeks.
Prize: £159.99
Sizes: small (51cm-57cm), medium (54cm-60cm), large (58cm-63cm)
Colours: titanium/vis yellow/black; matte black/charcoal, titanium; white/viper red/bright silver; white/crystal white/titanium; Trek Factory Racing
Website: Bontrager
