Carnac aero road helmet

BenderRodriguez

MikeBrew wrote:

Holdsworth, for example, was for decades a brand synonymous with quality and really wasn't "just a name". Since PX have it, it really is "just a name" as far as the PX products that carry that badge go. Similarly, with Carnac who previously had a very good name (not as Cougie says "just a name") for quality products. Similarly with Viner etc etc etc...

To be fair, the Holdsworth frames are probably as good, if not better, as anything the original company produced, and they are hand built in Italy from top quality tubing, hence the asking price.

PX's attempts to rebuild the Viner brand also started out with the best of intentions, with their Maxima frames being hand made in Italy to a very high standard. They even put a load of money into sponsoring the Christina Watches pro team, putting them on Maxima frames, and ended up being seriously burnt when the team went tits up.

http://www.planetx.co.uk/news/teams-and ... hes-report

Part of the problem is that people see anything that PX do as being bargain basement, and the reason they have bought up so many brands like Viner is directed at overcoming this. Unfortunately, people then still see those brands as being bargain basement, even if the quality is top-notch, as with their Maxima and Holdsworth Pro frames, so in the end PX are forced to go back down the 'cheap and cheerful' route, only this time using their newly acquired brand names.

Irony is plenty of other big-name brands get away with playing on the heritage of their brand names whilst getting their stuff knocked up in China for peanuts. Rapha have played much the same game, only this time using an invented 'heritage' brand, or as good as.

bigmat

The Maxima frame, Holdsworth steel frame etc are all well and good, but then they do stupid stuff like knocking out a Pro carbon resprayed as a Viner (there were some similar "Holdsworth" carbon frames as well). What I would have hought might be a good idea would be to actually have some product differentiation, so Holdsworth for steel frames, Viner for top end carbon, Planet X for entry-level to mid range, etc. They just seem to be wasting the heritage of the brands that they have bought and in some cases the overlap is such that you can get two or three versions of what seems to be the same frame, branded as Viner, Tomac, Planet X etc. Its almost as confusing as their pricing policy!

BenderRodriguez

BigMat wrote:

The Maxima frame, Holdsworth steel frame etc are all well and good, but then they do stupid stuff like knocking out a Pro carbon resprayed as a Viner

But it seems there were so few buyers for their Maxima frames that they ended up having to sell them off at bargain-basement prices. As I recall they were down to about £800 at one point, which must have made then close to the deal of the century. If people won't buy top-quality goods at prices that makes continuing to produce them sustainable, simply because of the PX association, what option do they have other than to go back to spaying up cheap Chinese imports?

trek_dan

Mine arrived last night, classic PX product in that it seems to a copy of two existing products. Looks just like an Air Attack from the front and just like an Evade from the back. The fit is pretty generous - if your head is much smaller than the maximum size it'll look ridiculous. Going to give it a test run tonight.

super_davo

Mine was delivered today. Pretty pleased, I use a large Kask helmet so am at the upper end of the fit range and I think it looks all the better for it.
Quality looks about what you would expect from a mid priced helmet, nowhere near as luxurious as my Kask Vertigo but better than the Giro Transfer I use for commuting. Cradle goes pretty low on the back of my head so fit is rock solid even before you attach the straps. Front vents look like they have the cooling power of an asthmatic man blowing at you through a straw, but that's not an issue for my intended use as a winter helmet.
Bargain at £25.

cougie

When I can get organised I'm going to test watts saved with an aero helmet out on the roads. It'll be interesting to see if there is a difference in the real world.

super_davo

Interestingly now there is this on PX website.

http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/HECAKROTT/ ... ial-helmet

They have also started selling actual Bambinos, as if to show everyone quite how close they've copied it.

If anyone pays £100 for it they've got rocks in their head, however, on the strength of my Aero Road, I'll bite when the inevitable 50% off discount in a month happens.

matt_n-2

So these are £21 at the mo...

super_davo

I'm still using mine and still pleased with it. As a winter "rainproof" helmet it's excellent, and I pretty much stopped using my Vertigo for it, except on the hottest days. I'm now sure how much difference the aero really makes, but then I'm not sure how much difference aero wheels make and this is a damn sight cheaper.
Have now ordered an £85 Giro Synthe from Sigma as my "best" helmet.

ugo.santalucia

Just ordered one in Flanders colours... at £ 21 I could not resist... now let's see those watts in action...

ugo.santalucia

The bees knees for 21 pounds... tried it today... slightly tight fit for my big head, but OK, considering it should only go to 59 cm, and I am 60... posted the first sub 40 minute commute since maybe September... I'm happy to concede there might be a few seconds worth of aero drag saved there... most of all I love the massive Flanders lion :-)

ugo.santalucia

OK... over 117 km, I was more than 1 km/h faster than usual for this time of the year... am I missing something? Are these aero helmets gold dust or what?

Not only that, but my neck is less sore than usual... despite the helmet being heavier than my usual Giro Aeon... is it because more aero means less work for my neck's muscles to keep my head still?

Why didn't I discover this stuff earlier?

luv2ride

ugo.santalucia wrote:

OK... over 117 km, I was more than 1 km/h faster than usual for this time of the year... am I missing something? Are these aero helmets gold dust or what?

Not only that, but my neck is less sore than usual... despite the helmet being heavier than my usual Giro Aeon... is it because more aero means less work for my neck's muscles to keep my head still?

Why didn't I discover this stuff earlier?

Very tempted myself but only have a 55cm bonce, so bottom of the sizing range and looks likr they size up quite large. Am medium in Giro, Bell and Spesh helmets. Reckon it'll fit? They've reduced them to £20 at the moment :shock:

ugo.santalucia

Luv2ride wrote:

ugo.santalucia wrote:

OK... over 117 km, I was more than 1 km/h faster than usual for this time of the year... am I missing something? Are these aero helmets gold dust or what?

Not only that, but my neck is less sore than usual... despite the helmet being heavier than my usual Giro Aeon... is it because more aero means less work for my neck's muscles to keep my head still?

Why didn't I discover this stuff earlier?

Very tempted myself but only have a 55cm bonce, so bottom of the sizing range and looks likr they size up quite large. Am medium in Giro, Bell and Spesh helmets. Reckon it'll fit? They've reduced them to £20 at the moment :shock:

There is a lot of adjustment with the wheel... I am fully open and it just about fits snug... I think 55 will be fine, if you like helmets to be a bit roomy... if you like them snug then maybe not. For reference, the tag says S/M

luv2ride

Thanks Ugo. Now ordered, not least as "PRSUPERSUN0801" takes a further 10% off today 8) . Seems crazy good value for £18 (plus postage)

ugo.santalucia

you can always wear a cycling cap underneath if it is too large

luv2ride

ugo.santalucia wrote:

you can always wear a cycling cap underneath if it is too large

...just what I was thinking (though not sure if that negates any aero benefit!). As many have said, buying as a winter helmet so likely to wear at least a thermal headband underneath anyway. Just sent PX back a load of Garmin Virb fixings from their sale (they normally work with Shimano CM1000 cameras but strangely these didnt), so the refund practically pays for the lid.

del1971

Ive got a smallish head too but at £20 I thought 'd give it a try as I do the odd triathlon and have a TT bike but never fancied the full pointy helmet look. So order placed today for the all black one.

burnthesheep

I own the Evade, the other helmet you were looking at. At that price........do it.

To me an aero helmet is the cheapest aero speed other than pro level kits that a novice rider like myself can buy.

I got the Evade because I had a birthday gift card to a LBS and the particular Evade was on clearance for $50 US. It is the Etixx one. I think that's why it was on clearance as it was middle of 2016 and it was the 2015 team helmet.

But I couldn't argue with $10 out of pocket after using the gift and it being on sale.

Performance? Doesn't make much noise at speed versus old generic helmet I had and it isn't too hot on summer days at 90 deg F.

term1te

So they are now down to £23. Are there any further comments or reviews out there? At that price I guess it would be hard to go wrong, but the one size fits most worries me a bit with a 59cm head. I'd use it in the occasional club TT, but they tend to include some climbing (the next is 25km with 430m of climbing on two hills), so it is debatable whether they justify full on aero kit. But then every Watt counts, so if this helmet offers little aero advantage, maybe I should save up for the Carnac Kronus?

skyblueamateur

The code doesn't seem to discount on the basket?

term1te

Works fine for me.

skyblueamateur

Does it show the discount at the basket stage?

luv2ride

Term1te wrote:

So they are now down to £23. Are there any further comments or reviews out there? At that price I guess it would be hard to go wrong, but the one size fits most worries me a bit with a 59cm head. I'd use it in the occasional club TT, but they tend to include some climbing (the next is 25km with 430m of climbing on two hills), so it is debatable whether they justify full on aero kit. But then every Watt counts, so if this helmet offers little aero advantage, maybe I should save up for the Carnac Kronus?

I've got one (see previous post). Seems decent quality, used a few times over winter and surprisingly effective at keeping the bonce warm without headgear. Fit is large on me (54-55cm head), but would have thought fit would be good on you at 59cm. Got it in Flanders colours so a little marmite perhaps...I'll wear it more when it cools down

The other one to look at is the Louis Garneau aero lid sold by Evans - was down to £39 in their clearance sale (plus they had an unmarked ex-demo one for less than £25 I thought...in your size.

https://www.evanscycles.com/louis-garne ... t-EV258612

mw22

I've got one... and I've got a small-ish head...

Pro's
Was cheap as chips
Very comfortable fit and easy adjustment
Looked like it fitted lower than standard road helmet (much less mushroomy)
Great in winter

Con's
Ruined my neck on TT bike (standard helmet, rudy wingspan and now Casco Speedairo I don't suffer the same neck ache). So don't know if its a bit front heavy OR it just fitted a bit too low and thus I was craning my neck).
Started to cook above 15ish degrees. Below that it was good for a century tho

So good winter/road helmet - but I won't wear it on TT again

super_davo

Next cheap PX aero helmet

https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/HECAEQNX/ ... oad-helmet

A blatant Giro Air Attack Shield rip off. But only £25. I couldn't resist, will review when it comes.

Incidentally the Aero road in this thread has been branded Ekoi and raced in the world tour for Ag2r- different straps, but unmistakeably the same top.