Price: £229.99 / $229.999 / €249.90 Weight: 289 grams – M Sizes: S/M/L MIPS: MIPS Air Node Virginia Tech Score: 13.87 Colours: White / Black / Grey-Lime / Purple
Scott launched the up to date Cadence Plus helmet earlier within the yr. The model says it’s their quickest helmet ever and the mannequin is utilized by the riders racing on the prime degree on the Q36.5 and DSM Firmenich Post NL professional biking groups.
Scott says the helmet is designed for ‘excessive efficiency and most consolation’ and that the Cadence Plus has been extensively examined within the wind tunnel.
The helmet has loads going for it by way of specs. It options MIPS Air Node know-how, comes with a chargeable clip-on rear mild, has a five-star Virginia Tech helmet check ranking and is not dangerous wanting both! The helmet has a retail value of £229.99 / $229.999 / €249.90 placing it in step with opponents, although yow will discover it on-line for a wholesome low cost presently within the UK at the least. For context although, it’s over double the value of the very competitively priced Van Rysel FCR I’ve additionally been testing.
I’ve been testing the Cadence Plus for a number of months and have worn it for a variety of using. From regular highway rides, to highway racing to my longest bike journey ever at 311 Kilometres. We even took it to a wind tunnel ourselves for the Cyclingnews helmet aero check. I’ve actually put it by way of its paces this summer time and am now prepared with my in-depth assessment. You can even examine this helmet competitors in our greatest highway bike helmets information.
Design and Aesthetics
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The Cadence Plus is manufactured from polystyrene with a polycarbonate shell. It’s out there in 4 colors and comes with a pleasant tender drawstring bag for storage. I examined the white model which has a satin white end. There’s a silver Scott emblem up entrance and two small black Scott emblem’s both facet. I’ve picked up a mark on the helmet that I can not seem to take away and it feels just like the end usually might have a bit extra care long run to maintain it wanting actually good.
The helmet has 13 vents in whole, seven up entrance and 6 on the rear of the helmet. Two on the entrance additionally double up as sun shades storage if required, although that is marginally slower; racers be warned.
Vent plugs are additionally out there for the helmet to help aerodynamics or so as to add safety from the weather., although none have been out there for us to check throughout our wind tunnel check. With the helmet putting a robust fourth with out the plugs I discover the actual fact you possibly can add them a pretty proposition and may make the helmet even faster. On paper, they need to additionally assist preserve rain at bay on days when the climate is not good. These plugs do not include the helmet as customary.
The helmet does include a chargeable clip-on mild nevertheless that attaches to the center rear of the helmet’s vents utilizing two sprung items of plastic which can be a part of the sunshine physique. It’s a effectively executed piece of further safety that does not take up further area. If you journey at evening or are commuting and many others, it is a intelligent thought and I used to be glad of the sunshine after I began Chasing Cancellara at 2 within the morning. The mild was flat by the tip of the journey but it surely had executed its job.
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The Cadence Plus is provided with the MIPS Air Node system. You can learn our piece on MIPS tech right here when you aren’t certain about it. The system consists of a low friction backing layer to the helmet’s inner padding which permits the rotational affect on the wearer’s head to be diminished within the occasion of an affect. I have not been in a position to check it personally, and hope to not, however usually talking MIPS tech is fascinating in any helmet.
In phrases of aero efficiency and our personal testing, it is nice to have the ability to say greater than ‘it feels quick’ and have some information to incorporate for the helmet. I wore it within the wind tunnel throughout testing in a reasonably common on-the-hoods place which we went for to duplicate a real-world using place. The Cadence Plus positioned fourth in our check and was solely crushed by the POC Procen with and with out a visor and the Specialized Evade III. It’s protected to say this can be a actually robust choice when you’re in search of a quick helmet initially.
Finally, the helmet has additionally been included within the Virginia Tech helmet ratings. It presently ranks 144 out of 241 helmets check and importantly has a 5 star ranking. In Virginia Tech’s phrases ‘Our affect checks consider a helmet’s capacity to scale back linear acceleration and rotational velocity of the pinnacle ensuing from a variety of head impacts a bicycle owner may expertise. Helmets with extra stars present a discount in concussion danger for these impacts in comparison with helmets with much less stars.’
In brief, a 5 star ranking may be very encouraging in case your in search of secondary testing in relation to a helmets security claims.
Performance
It was good to know the Cadence Plus was a quick choice for racing (Image credit score: GS Photography)
The Cadence Plus has ticked plenty of packing containers for me in testing. Visually, I just like the aesthetics and design. Its aero form does not really feel too bulbous or giant on my head and I believe it nonetheless appears to be like good, and it is available in white. Tick from me there.
I discovered it took me a little bit of time to get used to the Scott Halo Fit retention system and dial in my match. There are three totally different positions the helmet cradle could be worn in, you do that by merely pulling or pushing the cradle on the rear of the helmet up or down. You can do that with the helmet off or in your head with the retention dial wound out. In brief, you possibly can transfer the cradle additional up or down the rear of your head, it modifications how the helmet sits in your head and matches. No large deal right here, It simply took a while to work out what was one of the best match for me and to make sure the very entrance of the helmet did not obscure my eyeline on the bike.
The grippy rubber adjustment dial is simple to find and modify and I’ve comfortably tightened the helmet down each time I’ve worn it. It’s not given me a single problem.
The helmet examined fourth quickest in our wind tunnel check and it is nice to realize it was one of many quickest fashions we tried. It takes the guesswork out of the window for racing or once you wish to go quick you recognize you are sporting a aggressive helmet that is not far off the quickest available on the market.
I additionally wore the helmet for the Bern-Zermatt spherical of Chasing Cancellara in Switzerland. This was a 311km journey and over 13 hours of journey time. I used to be fully comfy in it for everything of the journey. Starting at 2 am, using till daybreak, all day in temperatures within the mid to excessive twenties and at last in a rain storm. I’m glad I did not have any points, but it surely was a superb vary of situations to check a helmet in. I knew it was a quick choice, but it surely proved to be very comfy over many hours of use. I additionally felt air flow was superb on numerous lengthy climbs, there was no saturated forehead pad or sweat drips.
The Cadence Plus was comfy for over fourteen hours on the bike, and glasses storage up entrance was stable within the rain (Image credit score: Chasing Cancellara)
Verdict
I actually just like the Scott Cadence Plus. Its aero styling does not go overboard and it appears to be like good, it is carried out very well for me on the bike. It hasn’t mattered what I’ve been doing the helmet has been comfy. It’s a stable all-rounder, and when you’re searching for a helmet to race in or simply to go quick in, we now know it is one of many quicker ones we examined from a reasonably lengthy listing. The aero credentials are backed up.
Aside from that, you are getting MIPS tech, an built-in mild to assist preserve you protected, an excellent Virginia Tech ranking rating and a pleasant bag to maintain the helmet in. These issues, plus barely extra premium ending in locations corresponding to higher high quality stickers spotlight the distinction between the Cadence and Van Rysel FCR which carried out the identical in our wind tunnel check.
Scott has produced a actually well-executed helmet within the Cadence Plus that greater than holds its personal in opposition to the competitors.
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Design and Aesthetics
An aesthetically pleasing design and several other good concepts and feautres. The Cadence Plus is a effectively executed helmet that I’ve discovered to have few flaws
9/10
Comfort
I’ve been comfy within the Cadence Plus, chances are you’ll discover you want a number of rides to dial in your retention system match and get a match for it
8/10
Ventilation
Very good, i’ve ridden up lengthy climbs in excessive temps and have by no means felt like i am overheating or that my heads getting too sweaty
9/10
Safety
MIPS Air Node tech and a 5 star Virginia security ranking. I really feel comfy that i am sporting a protected helmet when i am sporting the Cadence Plus
8/10
Aero efficiency
We discovered the helmet to be within the prime 5 of the items we examined within the wind tunnell, backing up Scott’s aero claims.
8/10
Value
In line with different premium opponents and loads cheaper than some choices