Previously, an aero helmet from Lazer meant the brand’s flagship Z1 lid with a snap-on Aeroshell cover. Not anymore – step forward the new Lazer Bullet.
The Antwerp-based brand supply UCI WorldTour team Lotto-Soudal and the new helmet answers demand from the Belgian team’s star sprinter, German champion Andre Greipel, for an all-out aero lid.
After all, in the cut-and-thrust of a WorldTour sprint, every watt matters and Greipel hopes the Bullet will help give him an edge against Mark Cavendish, Marcel Kittel and co at this year’s Tour de France.
The Bullet features a super-slim frontal area and a computer-modelled, wind tunnel-tested teardrop-like shape. A short, stubby aero tail also helps the helmet slice through the air, but the really clever bit is how Lazer have married that aero performance with plenty of ventilation.
This isn’t just a lid for the final sprint, but one designed to keep you well ventilated on a long, hot day in the saddle too. Alongside big side vents, the Bullet has Lazer’s ‘Airslide’: a sliding, honeycomb-shaped cover on the front, running up the middle of the helmet, and it allows you to boost airflow on-the-fly.
Look a little closer and you will see the ‘Ventilation on Demand’ (VOD) system uses tilting slats, which are opened or closed by the Airslide. It’s the Venetian blind of bike helmet design.
If you’re going full gas in a bunch sprint like Greipel, slide the vent down for full aero capability. Then, when you’re just rolling in the peloton on a hot day, slide it up to open the front vent and the slats. It’s a simple but smart solution to the ventilation vs. aerodynamics dilemma.
Those aero priorities do mean a few slight tweaks to Lazer’s typical helmet design, however, and most notably with the use of the a rear dial for adjusting the fit, as opposed to the Rollsys top-mounted retention system used on other Lazer lids.
You can still fit Lazer’s innovative tech add-ons with the Bullet though, including the LifeBEAM system – a heart rate monitor which fixes inside the helmet and has a sensor on the forehead area.
It’s also MIPS-ready; the system, designed to reduce rotational forces in the event of a crash, can be installed as an after-market liner. The Bullet is also compatible with Lazer’s inclination sensor, which will emit an audible warning and vibrate if your head position drops (for example, when maintaining an aero tuck on the bike), and you can fit a Lazer LED tail light to the rear. We told you this was more than just an aero helmet.
Available in four sizes (XS-L), the Lazer Bullet is a clever bit of kit, blending aerodynamics and ventilation to keep even the most temperamental of sprinters from getting hot-headed on the bike.
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