It’s one thing when a company tells you they have developed the fastest helmet out there – it’s quite another when they throw in that it will actually cool you better than your bare head alone. But that’s what Scott did yesterday when they introduced not one – but two new helmets. Both of which Scott claims out performs competitors in aero abilities and ventilation.

The Scott Cadence Plus

The Cadence Plus is the more aero of the two new offerings. Scott claims the Cadence Plus is 11/100ths of a second faster over 40 km than its nearest competitor in stock form. It also includes a trio of vent plugs that, when inserted, increase that time savings up to 5 seconds. (Testing was done at 40 km/h air speed, 20˚ head tilt angle, 0˚yaw angle).

And all that speed doesn’t come at the expense of ventilation. Scott tells us that the Cadence Plus isn’t just 4.5% better than its nearest competitor—it’s 1.1% better than if you had just chosen to ride sans helmet. (Cooling performance (in %) based on maximal temperature recorded by 36 sensors 40 kph air speed, 15˚ head tilt angle, 0˚ yaw, headform only).

To get this combination of aero and ventilation, Scott started with the shape of the helmet. Together with Richard Kelso from the University of Adelaide, Scott developed the fastest possible shape for a road stage racing helmet.

Scott also applied their aerodynamics expertise to the inside of the helmet. Through exhaustive thermal mapping, airflow modeling and wind tunnel testing, Scott achieved class leading cooling while preserving the aerodynamic performance of the outside of the helmet.

“The Cadence represents the state of the art in helmet performance. Cutting-edge science and engineering underpin every aspect of its design. It shows that it is possible to have both super-low drag and great cooling, which it achieves by making the internal and external flows work together. I’m proud to have contributed to its development.” Richard Kelso

Finally, to keep your noggin safe, Scott equipped the Cadence Plus with MIPS. But this isn’t just the standard MIPS cage we have seen in other helmets. Scott Air is a unique construction of the MIPS system using micro perforations, adding breathability and enhanced cooling.

The Cadence Plus will be available in four color options this fall at a price of around $200.

The Scott Centric Plus

The Centric Plus is for those looking for the ultimate in ventilation but don’t want to quite give up aerodynamic performance. Scott tells us the Centric Plus is 17% more aero than its predecessor the Vanish. Compared with its competitors (aero optimized ventilated helmets) it’s .47 seconds faster over 40km than its nearest challenger (40 km/h air speed, 20˚ head tilt angle, 0˚yaw angle).

But aero is not the Centric Plus’s specialty – cooling is. And while the Cadence Plus was 1.1% cooler than your bare head, the Centric Plus is a full 2.2% cooler—and 2.3% cooler than its nearest competitor (Heat loss (in °Celsius) based on maximal temperature recorded by 36 sensors 40 kph air speed, 15˚ head tilt angle, 0˚ yaw, headform only).

Like the Cadence Plus, the Centric Plus gets Scott Air (MIPS) protection to not just keep you safe, but add an additional way to keep your head cool. The helmets also share Scott’s Halo Fit System. Halo Fit allows you to easily find the perfect height of the rear ergonomic cradle while the helmet is on your head and dial in the perfect pressure using the micro adjustment dial.

The Centric Plus will also be available in the fall and will come in five color options. Pricing will be around $250.

Wrapping Up

We’re really looking forward to seeing both the Cadence Plus and Centric Plus in just another week cruising through the roads of France. The combination of class-defining aero and cooler-than-your-bare-head ventilation sounds like an awesome combination. The good news is that we expect to have our own pair of helmets for review toward the end of summer. Until then, be sure to stay tuned to AeroGeeks.com for the latest updates on Scott’s new helmets and all the new products being shown at this year’s Tour de France.