Its name may be a nemesis to our spell checker but the Lazer Tardiz, with its sparkly gold finish straight out of Flash Gordon, was one helmet that instantly caught the eye. Lazer has good form here in Friedrichshafen, having won Eurobike Awards with their Genesis and O2 lids in 2009. But is the Tardiz set to cause a stir away from the offices of the Doctor Who copyright lawyers?
Currently priced at 175-euros (and set to be released in the UK this autumn), the helmet boasts Lazer’s patented Rollsys system; a fully integrated mechanism that surrounds the head completely. By turning a thumb wheel at the top of the helmet, the Rollsys – using an intricate wire system - begins to clamp around the shape of your head, apparently resulting in the absence of any pressure points. What’s more, and important for long-distance triathletes this, the Rollsys system is easily adaptable with just one hand, thus allowing triathletes to stay in a relative aero tuck whilst adjusting.
The Tardiz helmet additionally features two different layers to create internal and external flow. The mat finish at the back features aero dimples (see also Zipp’s sub 9 wheels) that aim to create small turbulences to reduce drag. What’s more, the top of the lid has a detachable ‘Aqua Vent’ so riders can pour water onto the top of their bonce as a cooling measure.
Finally, and arguably most importantly, the PR bods at Lazer also assure us that the retention system can be removed at the back for those of you with a ponytail.
Sublime or ridiculous? Quite possibly a bit of both, but we’re set to find out more when the shiny sample hits 220 Towers for testing in a few weeks.
Matt Baird, 220 ed assist