There was quite a bit to talk about over at the Lazer booth at Eurobike this year. On the last day of August it was officially announced that Shimano Europe had completed their purchase of the Belgian helmet company. The merger means the potential for some interesting collaborations but it also results in all of the current Lazer staff remaining at their home in Antwerp, Belgium. We still have yet to see how it will affect Lazer distribution in the U.S., but the rumor is that while QBP will continue with the brand, Lazer helmets may be available through other channels as well.
In addition to the company news, Lazer had a number of new products on display in both production and prototype form. One of the more interesting prototypes had to be the new Bullet Aero road helmet. By bringing in adjustability to the aerodynamics question, the Bullet looks to offer a more versatile option than their current Aeroshells would allow…
Designed with computer modeling to create the most aerodynamic helmet possible, comfort was also a big goal for the Bullet. Because of that, when full Aero isn’t needed, the front vents open by sliding the honeycomb section up or down for either full open or full close. Production helmets will apparently ship with a smooth plug that you can use when the adjustable aero isn’t needed to cut down on weight. Expect to see the Bullet shooting onto shelves by June.
Diving into more aerodynamic helmets, the new Track Air is a shorted version of the Wasp Air with all the same features but with a more bobbed tail that is designed for track racing. The theory behind it is that during track racing you have to move your head around more to see what your competition is doing, so you need a helmet that is more aero in more positions. Lazer is also offering the Tardiz 2 which offers the same shape as the Wasp Air but with a cheaper price point – though the helmet still includes features like the Aquavent for cooling off on hot rides.
Yes, Lazer will be offering an E-Bike helmet, and yes, it will conform to e-bike helmet testing standards. Apparently, there is a new Dutch rating for e-bike helmets which tests for crashes at speeds higher than 45kph (27 mph). The testing is apparently more stringent that current standard helmet testing, though the Anverz, AKA Revolution, passes with flying colors. The Anverz e-bike helmet will have a built in adjustable visor, Aeroshell capability, and removable Bluetooth ear pods.
The Armor Pin helmet is a new commuter model whose name may lose a bit in translation. Across the pond, their ‘pins’ are what we would call snaps, and those snaps allow for accessories like visors to be added or removed from the helmet. In this case the visor can be snapped on in the up or down position depending on if you want to use it or not.
The Revolution full face is still waiting on the chin bar assembly, but once it’s ready the helmets will have the option for accessory kits in a number of colors.
Finally, Lazer is adding three new sunglass styles which all use full shield style lenses. The Magneto M3 uses the 3 magnetic attachments to mount to your helmet straps, but it will also be available as the Eddy with non-magnetic temples. The Walter uses a full frame around the shield lenses with Zeiss optics on all three, as well as adjustable nose pieces, and flexible Grilamid frames with spring availability.
