Ventilation research

Wearing a helmet on a sweltering summer day can be hot and uncomfortable. Ventilation ports and internal air channels help combat this problem. But are these ports and channels designed for optimal ventilation? And how can helmet ventilation be improved? To answer these questions Lazer Sport has teamed up with researchers from one of the most esteemed collegiate institutes in Belgium, the Royal University of Leuven.

Lazer has always been at the forefront of design and innovation. First we successfully solved the problem of excessive helmet weight. Then we created the ideal solution for adjusting helmet fi t. Now we focus on creating a solution that provides for optimal helmet ventilation. A tremendous amount of energy is generated when climbing or sprinting, especially during the heat of summer. This energy is translated into an increased core body temperature. The body’s natural reaction is to cool itself by producing sweat. The majority of body heat is generated at the head and the head sweats in order to try and dissipate this heat via the cooling effect of evaporation.

A well ventilated helmet helps keep the head cool and helps keep the core body temperature low. The result? Longer and harder rides with less chance of overheating. In short, a well ventilated helmet keeps your head in the game and your body at peak performance.

Cool your head!

Lazer is currently conducting research in the field of ventilation to test how it works, what could improve ventilation and what the optimal placement for ventilation holes is. Together with the KUL we build a helmet testing facility to gain maximal results. The bicycle helmet test installation of the division of Measure, Model and Manage Bioresponses (M3-BIORES) of KULeuven allows monitoring the local ventilation efficiency in the volume between head and bicycle helmet using a manikin head in a wind tunnel. Additionally, local skin temperature and local sweat production on a head under a bicycle helmet can be measured at different test persons in a temperature controlled environment in a wind tunnel.

The installation allows quantifying the thermal responses of the human head and the effect of a bicycle helmet on the local airflow between head and bicycle helmet.