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In recent years, a number of safety systems have been developed to minimise the risk of injury in the event of a fall. Most of these have focussed on reducing the supposedly very damaging rotational forces. With WaveCel, Bontrager is now taking a completely new approach and presenting a compressible cell material that not only reduces rotational forces, but is also said to prevent concussions in typical cycling accidents up to 48 times more effectively than conventional EPS foam.
Bontrager WaveCel - Info and prices
- Four models are available at the start: 2x road bike, 1x mountain bike, 1 x commuter
- According to studies, WaveCell prevents concussion in 99% of all cases
- The impact energy is to be absorbed in three stages: Bending, compression, sliding
- WaveCel increases the weight of the helmets by an average of 58 grams
- Bontrager offers a free crash replacement for one year from the date of purchase
- Prices: 149.99 to 249.99 euros
WaveCel protective effect
The new WaveCel material is the result of a four-year development phase and was created in collaboration with orthopaedists and biomechanical engineers who have been working in the field of head injury prevention for 25 years.
According to Bontrager, conventional helmets only protect the head in the event of a frontal impact without taking lateral movements into account. WaveCel is designed to go one step further and also absorb rotational movements in the event of an angled impact.
A three-slot modification of the material should make this possible: Bending, compressing, sliding
On impact, the layers of the material move independently and can deform until the cell walls are completely compressed and then shift sideways. This is intended to absorb the direct impact energy and rotational energy.
How WaveCel was tested
The new Bontrager helmets were tested by the Virginia Tech test centre. The crash test results are based on an AIS 2 Injury (class 2 injury on the simplified injury scale). In the tests, the helmets hit an inclined plane at an angle of 45° at a speed of 6.2 metres per second. A conventional EPS helmet and the same helmet with WaveCel technology were compared. The complete study, "Evaluation of a novel bicycle helmet concept in oblique impact testing", can be found at the end of the article as a PDF download.
Bontrager Blaze WaveCel
The new Blaze is of course particularly interesting for mountain bikers. The only bike helmet to date that is equipped with WaveCel technology.
Info and price
- Individually customisable via Boa rotary wheel
- Easy to close with the Fidlock magnetic fastener
- GoPro camera and Bontrager lights integrated via Blendr mounting system
- Antibacterial AgION padding prevents odours
- Extended rear head cover for more protection
- Crash replacement in the first year from the date of purchase
- available in four colours
- Three sizes: S (51-57 cm) / M (54-60 cm) / L (58-63 cm) / 60-66 cm)
- Weight: from approx. 380 grams
- Price: 249,99 Euro >> e.g. at Liquid Life or Amazon available.
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Stefan Frey
Editor
