There's a new road helmet in town from MET, and it's using something called the Venturi effect to keep your head cool. That means the MET Strale features an air channeling system that pulls in cool air and pushes out hot air. Not unlike some politicians we could mention.
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The Italian firm's new high-end lid isn't just about the cooling though, oh no — there's also the Safe-T Duo Fit retention system to keep it firmly on your head. This features micro adjustment to get the perfect fit around the circumference of the helmet, plus four vertical adjustments. It's the same system used on many of MET's other helmets, including the Rivale and Forte.
MET has previously used the Venturi effect on its Rivale HES aero road helmet to good effect, and our tester said that the venting and airflow were impressive, noting that the large port on the crown allows you to get even more cooling by dipping your head down for a quick blast of cooler air.
The MET Strale is also equipped with a rear reflective sticker and an LED light-compatible fitting system, which has steady and blinking modes. You'll need to buy MET's Duo LED light separately for €9 (international pricing TBC).
It comes in two sizes fitting heads from 52cm up to 62cm, and weighs 255g in a size medium. Possibly the best bit of all though is the price — €89 / £79 / AU$139 (US pricing TBC). That's less than other high-end road lids like the Kask Vertigo 2.0, which costs £135 / $249 and weighs 270g in a medium.
The MET Strale will be available from January 2017 in seven choices of colour, including black, yellow, blue and red. A BikeRadar review will be coming to you soon.
