Over the last few years, Trek and the brand’s accessory subsidiary Bontrager, have pushed hard to make a name in cycling safety. A central pillar of that is a unique design for a full range of helmets for road, mountain bike, and commuting. Today we are getting a glimpse of a complete redesign, starting with the weight and ventilation-focused Trek Velocis MIPS as well as the all-out aero-focused Trek Ballista MIPS.
If those names sound vaguely familiar, it’s because they are not new. Trek previously offered both the Ballista and the Velocis helmets with MIPS and a similar focus via its subsidiary brand, Bontrager. Then, in 2019, both modelnames took a back seat with the release of a range of helmets using a new technology called Wavecel. Since then, there’s been an expansion of options with Wavecel and we even included one in our list of the best road bike helmets. What we are seeing today looks to be a return to the time before Wavecel but with an entirely new design and the continued adoption of the latest technologies.
New Trek Velocis MIPS helmet
Today’s release covers two helmets but one is not better than the other. The duo represent two options aimed at the highest performance levels and in many ways mirror the development of bike frames over the last handful of years. The Trek Velocis MIPS might once have been the climbers’ helmet but today, it’s more than that.
Just as we’ve seen in frames, the lightweight choice has picked up enough aero detailing to cover most situations. In this case, though, Trek has remained rather vague on that front. While there are references to aero performance throughout the marketing copy, it’s generally not specific. Only once does Trek claim that the Velocis MIPS is “18 seconds faster than the prior generation” Which is presumably a reference to the 2nd generation Velocis and not the most recent XXX Wavecel helmet.
Instead of aerodynamic claims, Trek focuses on the real strengths of the Velocis. Primarily, that means light and airy. Along with the 18-second aero improvement compared to the previous Velocis, the third generation also sees a 38% improvement in cooling capacity. That is in addition to a claimed 260-gram weight, aided by carbon fibre inlays, that makes it the lightest helmet Trek offers for sale.
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