The Classics season is of paramount importance to Belgium’s elite teams and their Belgian suppliers.
We headed to Belgium’s ‘bike valley’ (check back soon for our in-depth feature) to check out new wares from Ridley, Lazer, and BioRacer – suppliers to the mighty Lotto-Belisol team of Andre Greipel and Jurgen Van Den Broeck in the case of the first two, and to the Belgian national squad in the case of the latter.
Having already tested Lazer’s top of the line Helium lid, as worn by the aforementioned, we’ve turned our attentions to the 02, third in line to the Helium’s throne, and boasting some of the same technologies.
Its most obvious facet is the Rollsys closure mechanism, a thumb-operated dial located on the top of the helmet that tightens and loosens the cradle accordingly. The front and rear sections of the cradle are separate, but connected by what looks like a piece of thin electrical wire.
Inside, the helmet is lined with the usual array of removable pads, in this case fashioned from a fabric made from 99 per cent silver, thus boasting microbe and odour defeating properties.
While we’re dealing with the lining, a further significant detail is what Lazer call “MTP” – multiple thicknesses of padding. Its most obvious in the central strip, which is significantly thicker in the section that sits on the crown of the head.
A similar principle can be found in the EPS (expanded polysterene) shell, which here is used in two densities. The greater density is used in areas Lazer consider most vulnerable in collisions, while a lighter substance is used elsewhere to save weight. On the 02, the side panels are reinforced with a molding process Lazer call the Rigidity Brace System.
The straps secure in a method familiar to anyone who has owned a cycle helmet in the last decade: a hinge either side allows them to be moved closer or further from the ear, and the fastening at the chin adjusts in the usual fashion. There’s a natty rubber band on each strap, one marked with a phone icon, indicating a useful mechanism for storing an ear piece cable, and another with a colour-coded Lazer ‘L’.
Aesthetically, our 02 is finished in the logos of Lotto-Belisol. Its black and grey panelling create an understated look. The colour-coordinated clips – black one side, red the other – are a nice detail.
Lazer generously claim a weight of 280 grams for the 02; it tipped our scales at 276 grams – within a gnat’s crochet, then. There’s only one size, but capable, say Lazer, of containing skulls with a circumference from 53cm to 61cm. By contrast, there are 10 colours, as well as the Lotto Belisol livery pictured here.
Finally, there’s a draw string bag in which to stow the 02 when not in use.
We’ll be testing the Lazer 02 helmet in the weeks ahead. Check back soon for a full review.
