I wouldn't look scornfully at anyone wearing whatever aero bits they choose, but it is my understanding that aero benefits are achieved only at speeds over 19-20mph. And they increase exponentially from there. So, at an average of 20, you might save 1 minute with an aero helmet? I would treat myself to a fancy steak dinner as a celebration instead.

Spend the cash on something else. I've read the same stuff fpugsley has about exponential beni's.
AS a mid-packer ( like me) if you want to save time, work on your transition or in the bizillion others place you can save time.

as triathletes, we all want to do what we can to be faster. that being said, i wouldn't care what others thought about the style of my helmet. specs say aero helmets are much more effective at higher speeds. but..... if it makes you feel faster and motivates you to perform better, go for it.

I agree with the fellas on this one. I would spend the money elsewhere unless the psychological benefit is high, but that's why I shave my legs, $1 for a fresh blade :). But ya, time savings it's not going to be that much. Also consider a couple things, they are less breathable so take that into consideration, and in the longer distance races, the psychological benefits can be dangerous, you always want to stay within yourself and not try to hammer down a fast bike split because you have an aero helmet on, you'll pay for that on the run. I'd side with comfort foremost until you get to a point where the benefits are measurable.

But... gear and gadgets are cool so in the end it's a personal decision. No one (at least no one worth worrying about) will judge you for it. If you do get one, you have to put a trifuel sticker on it :)

David Warden, the guy that does the Tri-talk podcasts, is a real geek when it comes to technology and the benefits that it has on your time/speed. Here is a link to the top 20 investments rated as a factor of "cost per second saved" over an Olympic distance course. Pretty fascinating stuff. The aero helmet comes in at $1.97 spent for every second saved. If you listened to the podcast from mid February 2008, he did this study on these new dimpled water bottles and in a wind tunnel test the saving was 53 seconds over 40K for a cost of $.19 (thats 19 cents) per second saved.

http://www.tri-talk.com/Top20.asp

I'm not the fastest and I wear one proud. I've read different numbers on the benefit, but I don't have them at hand (basically that it is worth it even under 20mph). I can't quote where, but it is even more beneficial as a slower person since you are on the bike longer and your percentage saved just keeps adding up. In other words, faster people have a larger % saved. But slower people save their smaller % for more time.

I'm not an expert in aerodynamics so someone correct me if I'm wrong but a standard bicycle helmet has vents which catch the air. This doesn't just happen at speeds > 20mph.

I have the LG Chrono and wear it only when racing. I've never been hot in it and have raced it temperatures in the high 80's. It's not a long tailed helmet but still provides the aerodynamics benefits. Cost is around $100. It's not the most comfortable helmet in the world but I didn't buy it for comfort.

If you don't want to dump the cash on the helmet, I've heard of people taping some or all of the vents on a standard bike helmet. I'm guessing this is better than open vents but not as good as an aero helmet.

And as a final note, you can have all the toys in the world but in the end it's the engine. Chrissie Wellington won Kona and she wasn't wearing an aero helmet.

Get the areo helmet. It is a good investment.

If you're doing 19mph for 56 miles and can stay in the aerobars, my vote would be to try an aero helmet (In fact, I also fit that profile and will be wearing one for my HIM this year). There are aero benefits even at 19MPH, and you've already surrendered all dignity anyway by racing in tri shorts and a singlet, so what's the harm?

I agree that you may be tempted to race harder just b/c you're wearing one. But fight the temptation, go by heart rate, power and/or PE, and see how you do.

I say just get the aero helmet.

if you've got the cash, go for it
there are so many discussions now that the helmet is better than wheels (true or not) that there's less of a stigma in having one

[quote=Tribro]
But... gear and gadgets are cool so in the end it's a personal decision. No one (at least no one worth worrying about) will judge you for it. If you do get one, you have to put a trifuel sticker on it :)[/quote]

You got it!

I'm not particularly fast and I doubt the helmet is a huge difference, but I think Tribro has put it best.

[IMG]http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s284/trin2du/DSCF0286-1.jpg[/IMG]

And I do feel faster, which is never a bad thing.

Go for it!!! If it makes you feel better. I wear one when I race also. Just remember that you are now forced to ride in a more Aero position, eyes forward otherwise that tail in the back just became a wind catcher.

I had purchased a full on Aero helmet, but opted to race my first and only IM in my small-ish semi-aero helmet because I didn't want to be one of "those" guys mid-pack. 20 Min. into the race I didn't give a crap about what I was wearing and trust me--buy the 50th mile I was thinking how stupid I was to not opted for the extra free speed I could have had (hey, even if it was only .02 mph!).

Another thing to consider is even if you're averaging 19 or 20mph you may hit 30 or 40 on the downhills. What might be a marginal + on the flats will be a huge plus on the descents. And last time I checked an aero helmet won't slow you down at any speed.

The best benefits from an Aero, I've found, is when you train with one on. EVERY roadie out there will want to race you to try and show you how stupid they think you are. To date I've never lost a challenge on the street while wearing my Aero helmet.....it's a great way to force yourself to do speedwork and demonstrate how much of a difference being Aero makes. ;)

I work in a bike store and i see a lot of people spend a lot of money on stuff they probably dont need. I can't tell you how many of our coffee shop fun group rides have a Dura Ace grupo.
the point is, for all the people who spend like crazy and don't do any hard work (on the bike), if you are working hard, it doesn't matter how fast you are. you deserve the things you want. plus, no one will know or care you are middle of the pack.

Get the helmet if you are doing HIM or olys. I wore one for the first time last year and it got me into a mental state to go faster than in previous races. Besides when the pics from the races come out you will look fast. Try to find someone who is selling a used one on ebay or craigslist. I got mine for $100 that way and it was only used twice.

My $.02: I'm a big fan of ebay & Craigslist, but a helmet is something I would never buy used.

I'll second that. Kind of like buying a secondhand airbag for the car.

Making me feel fast was reason enough for me. I was surprised at the comfort and how easy it was to get used to. I only wear it on race days and the occasional practice time trial.

Got the money for it? If you have the extra cash, definetely, if not, don't. It will make a difference of seconds, but not if it will break the bank!

its all psycological benefits you gain. if you feel faster, theres is good chance you are. in a sport that is so mental, i dont think you could go wrong. Don't worry about people making fun of you ( i would be one of those people though, muhaha) you not going to have a coversation with them or talk to them later.